With the foundation of the Congregation of Consolata Missionaries, Blessed Joseph Allamano (founder) affirmed that ‘The Institute came into being by the will of our Lady Consolata’. She is the Foundress, and we venerate her as Titular and Mother. We bear the title of the Consolata as ‘our first and our last name’. The congregation is her work. Therefore, the solemnity of Our Lady Consolata ‘is our feast, and very particular ours’. (cf. conf. I, 568; Cants. 2 and 11). Today the feast of Consolata is celebrated on every 20th June of each year across the World, where the Consolata missionaries are present, in fraternal communion with the Christian, friends and benefactors. Therefore the Consolata missionaries of Merrivale community, celebrated this great feast with the parishioners of Saint Martin de Pores on Sunday 21 June 2015. The Eucharistic celebration was enriched by the presence of our newly ordained priests, Fr. Francis Onyang’o and Fr Ashuro Abebe Kidane Consolata missionaries, who are among the pioneer students at Merrivale Theological Seminary in 2008 and served the people of God in this parish during their pastoral experience for 4 years of their theological studies. This was also an opportunity to thank the parishioners for their support in prayer and material needs during this time as students. Fr Kidane was the main celebrant, Fr Francis together with Fr. James Mwigani concelebrated. Fr. Francis, after the Gospel which he sang with a resounding tune, delivered an enriching homily. He began saying that ‘when we celebrate Consolata Feast we are not only just celebrating a feast of Consolata Missionaries, but we are celebrating God’s consolation to the world through our Mother Mary, and that is what we sang in the responsorial psalm-that the Lord has Consoled his people.’ Fr. Francis went on to say that Mary became the first missionary taking God’s consolation to the World after she received the call from God through the Angel Gabriel’. This is the same consolation that the Consolata missionaries bring to the people of God. ‘We receive consolation so as to console others too’. He also shared with the faithful some difficulties and challenges of missionary life. He encouraged them to take care of the vessels who bring Good News of God’s consolation because if they are broken, then the precious substance that they carry begins to leak and if it leaks then we neither receive that consolation and nor the world. He called the faithful to become missionary with missionaries. Coincidentally, this day was also the world ‘Father’s day’ and the Eucharistic celebration was also offered in thanksgiving to all fathers in the remarks, especially those in our Parish Saint Martin de Pores. Fr. Francis in his concluding words during the homily, he called upon the fathers to bring back consolation to their families, bring back love and to take up their responsibilities. According to him, it is important to remember that, the moment Mary said yes to the will of God she never looked back, the moment we said yes to the Lord as consolata missionaries we never looked back; saying yes to be a dad or father is not different to this ‘yes’. The fathers were called to take this opportunity of father’s day to be good and caregivers in their families and society as people who said ‘yes’ to a call to be husbands and fathers of children within the family set up. Moreover, as part of missionary animation, the Seminarians of Merrivale Theological Seminary presented a slide on the ordination of both fathers (Francis and Kidane), and illustrated a bit of the history of Consolata missionaries in the world especially where they evangelize at the present moment. It was a wonderful slide show which I believe it reflected how the Consolata missionaries are spreading the Consolation of God to the people across the world by bringing the true consolation (Jesus Christ) to the hearts of people. Indeed, we as Consolata missionaries, are called to be a role model of God’s consolation wherever we are especially by giving good testimony of the Gospel to the poor and the needy, by the example of Jesus Christ himself. Just like Blessed Sister Irene Stefani who participated in the joys, life and sorrows of the people, as part of her consoling work to the people of God, we too as Consolata missionaries are called to embrace this mission with tireless prayer, work and evangelization because this is how we can achieve holiness that our founder Blessed Joseph Allamano speaks in his writings.
By: Uarasse Nelson Calisto, Imc.
Merrivale Theological Seminary - South Africa.
