980 kilometers from Bangui

 

980 kilometers from Bangui

Here I am, after a bit of silence, due to the lack of internet connection these days.

The return to Central Africa took place with some unexpected events: when I arrived at Milan airport to leave, I realized that the ticket was for the previous day! Thanks to Fr Davide and the BBC agency, I still managed to leave, and arrived in Bangui on the 24th July. After a couple of hours, I celebrated Mass with the boys (now adults) who had been in the Seminary with me in Bouar, between 1992 and 2003.
The plane to Bangassou, scheduled for the 25th, was moved to the 26th, on Friday. I finally arrived in Bangassou, but the program included confirmations in Bakouma, and I couldn't go.
On Wednesday, Monsignor Aguirre and I left around 9am from Bangassou for Rafai: 150km to the East, and between broken bridges and ferries we arrived at the Chinko river at 4.30pm. When we arrive at the river, on the other side of the bank, we saw a few hundred people greeting us and shouting: they were the Christians of the Parish who are waiting for the bishops!
Rafai is a small town, and the Mission is very well followed by the Friars Minor. Here we found Fr. Jerome, Polish, and Br. Maxime, Central African.
On Thursday we parted ways: Mons. Aguirre left for Selim, 15 km away, for Confirmations, while I went 70 km away, to Dembia, even further east. The road was bad, and it took 3 hours to get there. Here we were 980 km from Bangui, and shortly after the village there was a river, where a truck (probably overloaded) had been stuck for more than 2 weeks, balanced on the barge that allowed passage.
Father Jerome and I worked with the Confirmation candidates all afternoon, and we slept here. I got a nice hut, with a thatched roof, and some nice spiders (but the mosquito net on the bed protected me).
Friday at 9am, after confessions, the bell (which here is a large wooden drum, called LINGA) rang the beginning of the Mass. There were around sixty candidates for confirmation, and the Mass was well attended.
In the afternoon we returned to Rafai, where we arrived around 3pm. After a shower I was back in the church to prepare the confirmands, who were more than 150 here: very attentive and involved.
Saturdays are quieter: catechesis and preparation for Confirmations, and confessions in the afternoon.
On Sunday morning we celebrated the Confirmations together, Mons Aguirre and I. Here too there was a lot of participation, singing and dancing, and prayer.
At the end of the Mass, there was a second procession with gifts for the new bishop. Among these, a sheep (the bishop is the shepherd) and a hand-woven chair, which in ancient times was reserved for the village head.

On Monday morning, just before 6.30, we left for Bangassou, where we arrived at 11.30.
In the afternoon we began a week of retreat for all the priests of the diocese, led by Father Cyriaque, a Carmelite.

 

 

Sorry: no connexion... no photos