On the way…

 

Caffé in fiore
Fleurs de café

 On the way…

Life is a journey, Lent too, and as the time to move to Bangassou approaches, Easter is also approaching.

During the past few weeks, I have been moving between Baoro in the diocese, and others in Bangui.

Last Monday I was in Bangui. I lent a hand on the construction site of the new convent, which now is being passed to other managers. Alessio and Manuel are still there, who are very valuable for the plumbing systems and other building work.

From Tuesday to Friday I was with Monsignor Aguirre, the bishop of Bangassou. With him we made some plans, and began preparations for the episcopal consecration, which will take place in Bangui on June 9th.

Yesterday, Holy Tuesday, I spent the whole day in Bouar, and together with Bishop Mirek and the priests of the diocese we celebrated the Chrism Mass: a unique celebration, which saw all the clergy gathered around the bishop, who blessed the oils for the sacraments .

It was also an opportunity to say goodbye to the diocese of Bouar, where I have worked for 33 years.

In the next few days I will be in Brousse, in the villages of Yoro, Sinaforo and Bayanga Didi, the furthest away. It is here that we will celebrate Easter and the triduum, and where around twenty people will receive baptism.

And then... off we go: on Tuesday after Easter I will go down to Bangui, and on Thursday I will finally arrive in Bangassou.

A bit like the title of the blog, which I changed these days.

Happy and Holy Easter wishes to everyone: may the joy of the Lord who gives his life for us and who rises again be our joy!


 

Here are the  new blog title :after Bozoum, news from Bangassou

 

 

Esami di catechismo a Yoro
Examens de catéchisme à Yoro

Carmel - Bangui

Albero del caffé
l'arbre du café

preparativi per le Palme
Préparatifs des reameaux

Bawi

Caritas Bouar

Messa crismale a Bouar
Messe Chrismale à Bouar

 

Lots of joy and some tears

 

 

La parrocchia di Baoro prega molto per te, vescovo Aurelio!
La paroisse de Baoro prie beaucoup pour toi, eveque Aurelio

Lots of joy and some tears

It's true, I didn't write the blog last week.

But these days pass at a slightly different pace.

On the one hand I have to organize myself to leave Baoro and the diocese of Bouar, and try to hand over to others the various commitments I have (pastoral work and village schools, the nursery school and the mechanical school of Baoro, the diocesan Caritas, and the Bangui construction site).

On the other hand, it is also the time to say goodbye to the communities and prepare (including luggage) for the journey to Bangassou, which I will do immediately after Easter.

On March 1st, Fr. Davide, our Procurator, arrived with Giovanni Grossi Bianchi (the architect who conceived and has followed the project of the new convent in Bangui), Alessio, Gabriele and Manuel (the bricklayer, welder and plumber), and Maria Paola.

Alessio has started assembling the walls for the closets in the bedrooms, while Manuel is finishing the plumbing systems in the bedrooms upstairs.

With Fr. Davide, Giovanni, Fr. Cyriaque, we are trying to figure out how to continue the work in my absence... They will do it!

Thursday 7 March we left for Bangui, myself, Fr Davide, Giovanni and Maria Paola. After a stop in Baoro, on Saturday morning we left for Baoro, and in the afternoon we took the road to Bozoum.

17 km from Bozoum we saw a motorbike arriving: as soon as it saw us, it turned around and set off again. And at 14 km, where the road was flooded, we found the first welcoming committee: Fr Marco, the parish priest, with motorbikes and cars and many people who came to give their first, very joyful greeting.

We continued slowly towards Bozoum, and 5 km from the city I found Gauthier, who came all the way there in his wheelchair to say hello to me!

At the entrance to Bozoum there was a crowd: I got out of the car and continued on foot to the parish, where others were waiting for me. They welcomed me with greetings (the orphans of the Arc en Ciel center, the students of our elementary school and those of our St. Augustin High School).

Despite the emotion I was feeling, I managed to say a few words!

The next day, Sunday, I celebrated Mass: we started at 8 and finished at 11! It was wonderful to pray, sing, laugh... and even cry a little together.

Here in Bozoum there was a mixture of joy and sadness: joy because Fr. Aurelio had become bishop, and sadness because he has to go far away! But God is great, and the joy and affection of these days are His caress, His consolation!

On Monday, before leaving I managed to make a pizza for everyone, and we left for Baoro.

Latest news: in the next few weeks the title of the blog will change, from News from Bozoum live to after Bozoum, news from Bangassou .

Alba sul nuovo convento
Aube sur le nouveau couvent

Il nostro architetto Giovanni

Alessio e Giovanni

Manuel

A 14 km da Bozoum, il primo comitato d'accoglienzza!
A 14 km de Bozoum, le premier accueil!

Gauthier, che ha spinto la sua carrozzina fino a 5 km da Bozoum!
Gauthier, qui a poussé son fauteil roulant jusqu'à 5 km de Bozoum!

 

 

A flood of love and prayers

 

 

Insieme a Mons. Aguirre
Ensemble avec Mgr Aguirre,

 

A flood of love and prayers

Friday, February 23rd was the day chosen for the official announcement of my appointment from Fr. Aurelio to bishop of Bangassou. At 12pm, the Vatican Press Office published the news, and until that time there was absolute secrecy.

The Nuncio wanted to choose our community of Carmel, here in Bangui. So I notified the community of a general visit by the Nuncio with some guests, towards the end of the morning.

At the same time, Fr Federico, our provincial superior, had summoned his brothers and friends to Arenzano to communicate the news.

The Nuncio arrived at around 11:20am, together with Monsignor Juan Josè Aguirre, bishop of Bangassou since 2000. There was also the bishop of Bouar, the diocese where I worked for more than 30 years, and the bishop of Bossangoa, president of the Episcopal Conference. Along with the young theology students, who returned from school earlier than usual. But no one knew the actual news…

We went to the chapel, where we prayed the psalms of the Median Hour, and then the Nuncio began to read the announcement of the nomination. It was a surprise for everyone!

Spontaneously one of the students began to sing the Te Deum, the hymn of thanks to God, and I hugged Mons Aguirre, the bishops, p,Mesmin, p. Cyriaque, and all the young people.

I took the floor and began... "Today, 50 years ago, a Carmelite became bishop of Bari (Cardinal Ballestrero). And today, February 23, 1952, my dad and my mom were married! From heaven they certainly are rejoicing over this..."

After lunch we quickly visited the construction site, and then with Mons Aguirre we went to the city, and we started to discuss, talk, get to know each other and prepare some plans: I am going to Bangassou immediately after Easter, to start getting to know the diocese, the priests and the people, and to visit some parishes, before the rains prevent it. It will be a very intense 2 months!

On June 9th there will be the episcopal consecration here in Bangui. Unfortunately it will not be possible to do it in Bangassou, due to the impossible roads, and also due to the lack of reception facilities.

The next day I asked to meet our seminarians. In Bangassou there is the minor seminary, but for high school and theology they have to come to Bangui.  This means leaving their diocese and family for a few years before returning. Together with Mons Aguirre, we met them in the two seminaries that welcomed them: it was beautiful to spend time with them, to see the affection that binds them to Mons Aguirre, and the desire to give themselves to God and the Church.

Sunday morning I left for Baoro. But... a few kilometers away I was stopped, then we continued, and after a couple of kilometers we met the mayor, and some young people on motorbikes who led the procession, and we entered the city.

I walked the last stretch, surrounded by the joy and enthusiasm of so many people!

In recent days I have received hundreds and hundreds of messages from many people, from all over the world!

It's nice to know that you're surrounded by so much affection and so much prayer!

Il Nunzio Apostolico legge l'annuncio della nomina
Le Nonce Apostolique lit l'annonce de la nomination

Con i seminaristi di Bangassou
Avec les grand séminaristes de Bangassou à Bangui

Il sindaco di Baoro
le Maire de Baoro

 

 

 

The other Fair, in Bouar

 

 

 

The other Fair, in Bouar

After almost two weeks of working in Bangui, I finally returned to Baoro last Saturday, February 10th.

In Bangui I left Marco, the plumber, who completed a good part of the plumbing systems on the first floor of the new convent.

I arrive in Baoro around 11, and in the afternoon I went to Bouar, where the Agricultural Fair, which began 14 years ago, is taking place.

Here too, there were many people, many cooperatives, and many agricultural products.

On Sunday I celebrated Mass in Zoungbe, a small village on the road to Bangui.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, where we began the journey of Lent: 40 days to "return to the ways" of God, and convert. In the afternoon I went to Bawi, where I celebrated Mass, and placed the ashes on the local community.

Happy Lent!

 

Zoungbe

 

 

 

Working days

 

 

 

Working days

After the Bozoum Fair, the days continue full of work, here in Bangui.

On Wednesday last week I said goodbye to Luisella, my niece, who was returning to Italy. A very short but very fruitful visit.

Marco will remain here, and with him we continue the work on the new convent of Bangui.

He is an excellent bricklayer and plumber, and continues laying pipes and drains in the bathrooms of the bedrooms upstairs.

I work above him, under the roof, laying the cables for the main electrical line.

It's very hot, but the work pace is good, and we are satisfied with the work we do.

On Sunday we rested a bit and at the end of the morning I took him to visit Bangui a bit. From there we went to Saint Paul, the place where the first missionaries landed in 1894. Here there was a small brick church, and not far away the cemetery of the first missionaries.

The construction of the convent also continues. The company is installing the metal sheets of the cloistered veranda, while our carpenters are installing the protective grilles on the windows on the ground floor.

Gianni e Maria Elena, del CUAMM; e Marco

Pirogue sull'Oubangui

Marco Bosio