First confirmations

 

 

First confirmations

And now the work of bishop begins!

On Sunday 7 July we administered Confirmations in Tokoyo, the second parish of Bangassou.

Confirmation is the sacrament that "confirms" the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the sacrament of Christian "maturity". Just as at Pentecost it was the apostles who received the Holy Spirit, so are the bishops, successors of the Apostles who normally administer it.

Before arriving at Confirmation, children, young people and adults were followed and trained by the parish priest and catechists.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Bishop met them for the last catecheses.

At 2.30pm we meet with the 93 confirmation candidates: all (or almost all) have brought the Gospels. The catechesis is very simple: reading various passages from the Gospels, we moved from the incarnation of Jesus to the parables.

It was also an opportunity to teach them how to read the Gospels, to find the references: it was nice to see them frantically leafing through the books of the Gospels, and hurrying to find the right passage.

So we let ourselves be carried away by the beauty of the Gospels, of the simple parables of Jesus, and we set out together with them on the great adventure of life in Christ!

On Friday we continued this catechesis, which we concluded on Saturday morning, together with the parents and godfathers of the Confirmation.

On Sunday morning everyone was ready: at 7.30 the church was packed, and we began the celebration, rich and warm with dances, songs and lots of prayer.

The confirmands were very attentive, and almost shouted out their profession of faith.

Then there was the prayer over them: first the godfathers and godmothers, who were somewhat their fathers and mothers in the faith, then the bishops and priests lay their hands, invoking the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Then we begin the actual anointing: we drew a cross with the oil of Chrism, and the Amen pronounced aloud established the desire to welcome the gift of the Spirit and to commit ourselves.

After communion, about ten of the confirmed people stood up and announced their promise to engage in the various movements of the parish: Scout, choir, Legion de Marie...

The Mass ended at 11: we had greetings and photos, and then a moment of calm, before lunch with the priests and catechists of the Parish.

 

Monday the 8th I left for Bangui. The 1 hour 20 flight lasted more than 3 hours, because the plane made a stop in Bria, then in Bambari, before arriving in Bangui.

I'm leaving for Italy, where I'll stay for a dozen days. On July 16th, in Loano, we will celebrate together with the Carmelite brothers of the Province, and on Saturday 20th, in Arenzano, I will ordain my first priest, Brother Francesco.