World Missionary day 2024
October is dedicated to the Missions, to a common aspect in the whole Church, in every part of its, that is the Gospel. And this month is dedicated to everyone who announce the beauty and the joy to be christian in all latitude.
The second to last Sunday of October is the proper day dedicated to the Missions and to the missionaries.
And also I not try to do bad impression!
Tuesday morning i celebrate the Holy Mass in the Cathedral, in Bangassou. The church is full of more than 1,300 children from the elementary school managed by the nouns. A lot of joy and noises, but is nice guide these faces, these smiles in the educative adventure.
Immediately I leave for Zemio, a mission 300 km est of Bangassou. I decided to go with the car, instead of the airplane. I know that it will be very tiring, but this will allow me to know this area better and share the difficulties of the priest and of the people who live and work in Zemio.
We are still in the rainy season and the road is terrible: for the whole route, round trip, we met 3 motors and 3 trucks… and none cars. And a monkey crossed our street jumping from one branch to another of the forest.
When I told to my priests that I wanted to go with car, they encouraged me telling me that this way I would bless the road and the people will be encouraged.
We leave at 10 am, and we arrive at 4 pm after 150 km in Rafai, the Franciscan’s Mission.
The Wednesday’s journey is more difficult because of mud, potholes and collapsing bridges. But we manage to travel the 150 km quite well and at 5 pm we are at Zemio, where the scouts welcome us to the church, where we meet the parish Father Gervais with the Vicar Father Crepìn and the seminarist Medard.
It’s now dark here, but there is great joy because the Bishop is arrived!
They arrived from the villages (also from Dream, which is 130 km far away) for 3 day of catechesi and prayer, and for the Confirmation of 77 boys and girls, to which I will administer the Confirmation in the next Sunday, in a crowed church.
The life in Zemio is very difficult. A liter of gasoline is cost more than 5 euros, a sack of cement is cost 75 euros. The distance from Bangui, the roads devastated and the war have hit the population hard, which despite everything looks to the future with faith and courage.
In the city there are elements enrolled in the Wagner (Russian mercenary company). They are ex rebels (but not to much “ex”), which behave with a lot of arrogance without respect for the people…
Saturday evening we listen the bad noise of gunshot: then we come to know that were the mercenary which “celebrated” the return of their fellow soldiers.
In the past weeks they did some actions by killing some people who considered dangerous for them. This brought a lot of tension, and I see villages along the way that were inhabited by more than a thousand of peuls nomads at the end of July, and now are all abandoned…
Between Thursday and Tuesday I meet the very prepared and attentive guys who will receive the Confirmation and the community. I’m passing by to great the Muslim imam, who explain to me the hard situation where that live.
The celebration of the Confirmation in Sunday is very beautiful and intense. At the end, the parish and the moviments care some gift for the Bishop including a spear and a hand-woven lounger for my rest (I’m afraid that, even if it is made of wool, it will rust before I use it).
Also here there are the elementary and the secondary Missions’ school.
And even here there is a lot of work to be done and funded: painting the interior of the church, floors and doors of classrooms, assistance for refugees... Providence is great, and slowly we will do something!
Monday afternoon we set off 20 km, toward Tamboura, to meet the villages along this road and pray with them.
Tuesday morning, after meeting with the various parish councils, we leave at 9 a.m., hoping to get to Rafai, 150 km away.
We arrive at the bac (ferry) in Dembia, cross the river, and continue on. But shortly thereafter there is a truck sinking in the mud and barring our way. We attempt a detour, but we also get bogged down. 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.!
And, of course, it starts to rain! On the bright side, during the rain, mosquitoes and various insects leave us alone for an hour or so....
Dismantle, raise, dig, put the boards in, start again, re-assemble, re-scavenge, put the boards back in, re-start! In the end, it took more than 7 hours to make about 20 meters!
And so at half past midnight we arrive in Rafai: more than 15 hours for 150 km. I try to get some mud off my feet and hands, and collapse to sleep.
At 6 a.m. I celebrate Mass with Br Norman, a Polish Franciscan, and around 7 a.m. I leave for the last 150 km. And finally, at 2:30 p.m., we arrive in Bangassou!
Safe, sound and happy! Missionary life is very good!
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| Il fiume a Rafai Le fleuve Ă Rafai |
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| Foglie di manioca per il pranzo Feuilles de manioc pour le repas |
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| Scuola elementare, Zemio Ecole élémentaire, Zemio |
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| Tamboura |
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| Villaggi abbandonati, vicino a Dembia Un village abandonné par les Peuls, près de Dembia |
