Ed è proprio così! perché qui si usa il calendario amarico. Sto parlando dell’Etiopia dove i Missionari della Consolata giunsero per la prima volta nell’anno 1913, per continuare il lavoro apostolico del missionario cappuccino il Cardinale Massaia per il quale il beato Giuseppe Allamano, fondatore dei Missionari della Consolata, nutriva una profonda simpatia. 

Il lavoro che i missionari hanno fatto nell’arco di questo tempo è stato davvero grande: soprattutto nei territori missionari del Kaffa e Meki oltre che nella capitale Addis Ababa. Oggi siamo ad Addis Abeba e nelle missioni di Gambo, Weragu, Modjo, Minne e Shambu.

Una prima cosa per la quale vale la pena ringraziare Dio è che oggi possiamo contare con ventinove figli di questa terra che hanno consacrato la loro vita alla missione come Missionari della Consolata. Anche in questo modo questa chiesa contribuisce all’apostolato missionario.

Una visita breve ma significativa

La nostra visita è stata breve ma intensa e significativa: ci siamo fermati in Etiopia, con il padre Stefano Camerlengo, Superiore Generale, di ritorno dalla visita canonica in Madagascar. 

Al nostro arrivo abbiamo anche potuto condividere il momento difficile che missionari presenti nel paese stava vivendo: la notte del 7 luglio, nella missione di Shambu, il padre Johannes Michael Haro è stato sequestrato dai ribelli e portato nella zona boschiva della regione; per fortuna il sequestro è durato solo un'ora e poi il padre è stato rilasciato. 

Per sicurezza il giorno seguente il padre insieme con due missionarie della Consolata, Bachew e Edilisia, si sono allontanati dalla missione e attualmente si trovano ad Addis Ababa. Tutto questo è conseguenza della guerra interna che da mesi sta vivendo il paese. 

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Abbiamo avuto modo di visitare le missioni di Gambo, dove accompagniamo un lebbrosario e le attività di una parrocchia, e di Modjo, dove funziona un’altra parrocchia e anche un centro di spiritualità, formazione e animazione missionaria.

Poi è stata la volta della visita resa alle autorità ecclesiastiche: Mons. Antoine Camilleri, nunzio in Etiopia e Gibuti, rappresentante speciale del Pontefice presso l’Unione Africana e delegato apostolico in Somalia; sua eminenza Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, cardinale e arcieparca di Addis Abeba; Mons Varghese Thottamkara, Vicariato Apostolico di Nekemte dove si trova la missione di Shambu e il vicario generale del vicariato di Meki.

* Godfrey Msumange è Consigliere Generale per il continente africano

TESTO IN INGLESE

“Gracious is the Lord and just; yes, our God is merciful. The Lord protects the simple; I was helpless, but God saved me.” (Psalm 116: 5-6)   

 Dear your Eminence, Bishops, Priests, Religious, friends and well wishers,

Better to be late than Never.

With a mixed feelings of joy and sorrow I write this few lines. Feelings of Joy that the Lord took care of all human beings. No one is injured or harmed bodily. Humanly speaking all lives are safe. A feeling of sadness, the center which was the fruit of generous hearts is shattered into pieces left behind nothing.

Dear friends on 18th of February 2016 the unforgettable day for the Vicariate of Meki.  It was on this day that one of the oldest and biggest parishes of the Vicariate of Meki namely Gighessa Parish the people for whom and with whom we work very closely turned against the church and its structures. To our surprise and astonishment suddenly without any reason or information the people of the village where the parish exists came in group (including  young and old, women and children) and started throwing the stones and destroying the Churchproperties. As the parish is attached with pastoral centre of the diocese, where we are able to accommodate  about 650 ( 50- people in self contained rooms and about 600 people in the dormitories)at a time and at that time we had about 55 people attending an Educational Programme for the Kindergarten directors, and teachers. The group was an international group belonging to Ethiopians, Indonations, Pilipino, Indians, Americans, Italians, Cameroonians, and Colombians, polish etc.  And unfortunately we had to leave the place without completing the programme. The Lord was so good that He made all the arrangements to take the participants away from the place in short time safe and sound. But to our fate soon after the group left the miscrediants came back againand put fire  to the Priests residence ( ground plus one building), the Toyota Pickup car and destroyed all the other  buildings  without having any exception. Moreover they carried away all that belong to the center. The furnitures, including  more than 250 beds, mattresses, over 700 blankets,  bed sheets, bed covers, four to five fridges and deep freezers, washing machines, Televisions, generators, copier machines, computers even the doors and windows of the house. Absolutely leaving nothing the place completely damaged and barren. Even in the Kitchen they have  left nothing. In the kitchen store we had over 12-135 quintals of food stuff like, wheat, teef, maize, sugar, rice, pastas,  in short whatever was purchased as per the budget for the whole year use for the various programmes which are to be conducted at the center  and the stationary items which was collected for the various programmes were also looted by the people.  They made sure that everything is taken away even the smallest spoon. The centre also had a small farm with cows and chicken for milk and meat and that too is in the hands of the people. And today there is a question in our hearts and minds. Why Lord Why like this?  I hope that in due time the Lord will give us an answer.

And in the centre we have the priest house, Parish Church, Pastoral centre, Sisters residence, a fully equipped Clinic to look after the handicapped and disabled, and the school. And to our surprise only the school building they have not damaged. We are asking to ourselves and to others an another question, why did they not touch the school?

 The Ursoline Sisters who run the clinic were left behind with the patients as they were not willing to leave the patients alone, but the people did not spare them too. They came and demanded that they wanted to take away everything and they began to destroy and to take away everything including the personal clothes in front of the sisters. But sad to say no one went to help the sisters, but by God’s Grace they managed to reach to Shashamane the nearest parish along with the patients and spend that night in the parish. And now the patients are at Shashamane under the care of the Catholic Church and I have requested the Priest at Shashamane to reach the sisters to the Vicariate at Meki. They came out from the house only with what they were putting on. They have lost everything except the precious gift of Life that is being given freely by God Almighty. And sad to say all this are done by the people of the locality whom they were serving to whom they know very well if not all at least a good number of them.  No others from elsewhere have hand in it. Thanks and praise to Almighty God that He protected every human being and no one is harmed or injured.This is one of the greatest miracles I believe. Even when the sisters were left alone having no one to support they did not do any harm to them only took away everything and they were left like refugees. Even the sisters have lost all their personal documents.

The only building that they have not destroyed is the school building. That’s the only building existing, the rest all the buildings, Pastoral  center, church, clinic, Sisters house, the various offices everything is shattered and destroyed leaving  walls and roof here and there having no doors and windows. The lord had given and the people have taken away everything. Even the doors windows, furniture everything is taken away and, it is completely empty and it gives a deserted looks. That’s what I got the news.  So far we have not gone to the place to make a study or investigate.  The Blessed Sacrament was left behind as the Priests and the sisters were not able to go to the church. Sisters took the Blessed Sacrament from the Sisters chapel. But to our surprise two young catholic girls from Gighessa pretended to be one among them went on the next day and took the Blessed Sacrament and reached it to the Shashamane parish.  Through all these incidents the Lord is reminding us that He is with us until the end of time.

Dear friends, this center was the fruit of many generous heart and it took many years to reach the state what it was. But in a moment everything shattered into pieces. And I am not in position to think and to plan out what to do and what not to do. Humanly speaking it is, beyond my imagination to rebuild it back into what it was. But still we are planning, thinking and discerning and praying about it. I am Sure and certain that the Good Lord who has permitted this to take place at Gighessa has a plan for all this and he will show what to do next.

Dear friends do continue to support us through prayers, that we may be able to draw strength and courage from Him at this junction. May God give Mercy to those who facilitated this evil doing.

Once again with kind regards and in union of prayers,

+Abba Abraham Desta

   Apostolic Vicar of Meki

Dear Fr. Stefano Camerlengo, Fr. Dietrich Pendawazima, Fr. Ugo Pozzoli, Fr. Salvador Medina, Fr. Marco Marini and all Consolata Missionaries. 

The funeral of Abba Carlos Matias Domingos took place yesterday, 5 of January, from midday until 2:00 p.m. in Gambo Parish. The Mass was presided by the Bishop of Meki, Msgr. Abraham Desta, accompanied by some 30 priests from the Vicariate of Meki and several congregations like the Comboni Missionaries, the Capuchins, the Lazarists and many Sisters. Almost all our Confreres came for the ceremony, the Consolata Sisters, our seminarians, the pre-novices of the sisters, and so many people from Gambo area.

It was a very heartfelt and solemn celebration; we felt the solidarity of so many people starting from the Cardinal Brehaneyesus, the Nunzio Msgr. Luigi, the Bishop of Meki Abraham Desta who from the first moment of the accident was close to us and personally present in Gambo until the funeral.

There is a very deep grief in all of us for the sudden and unexpected death of our brother Abba Carlos. We still can't believe that it has happened. He was true Consolata missionary: honest, humble,hard working, generous, totally dedicated to the mission. He was a gift from God and God has taken him back.  

We are very grateful to the General Direction and to all our Confreres who have been close to us in this tragic situation and sent their condolences and expressed their solidarity with the Ethiopian Region for the lost of Abba Carlos Matias Domingos.

 Keep us in your prayers.

The Priest in charge and the council of the mission of Ropi and its outstations decided to celebrate the feast of Our Lady Consolata, on the 28th June, Sunday.

Ropi is a small village lying some 20 Km south of Halaba Kulito, and is accessible through a gravel road that should have been graded some time ago. During the rainy season it looks wonderful with almost all of its fields covered with green especially maize, but during the dry season it’s another matter, and the clouds of dust in the area are proverbial. To satiate the thirst of its 5000 people and some animals, there are two pumps that work around 4 hours a day. One of them, sponsored some years ago by some donors through the mission, pumps from a bore hole 300 metres deep, with the pump sitting at 270 m. It fills 4 tanks of 10000 litres each, from which people get their daily water.

The main problem actually is that Ropi sits right in the middle of the Rift Valley, that split that runs from the Golan Heights in the north of Israel, through the Red Sea, through most of the Eastern Africa, and ending around the town of Beira, in Moçambique. Now, most of the water throughout the Rift Valley is salty, or having some undesirable chemicals. Here the bad component is “fluoride” and is found in such high concentration that it damages the teeth and the bones in general of those who drink it.

There is a school going up to standard 10. Most of the youngsters finish there, but many drop out before, so as to work in the fields, tend to cattle, etc. There is no industry whatsoever or other activities where to get some income.

Ropi was connected to the national power grid in 2014 but the supply lasted for a week or so. Interrupted for about two months then on for two days and that was all. Apparently there was something faulty with the insulators and an earth leakage led to a short circuit that has led to the indefinite closure of the line.

For the Consolata celebration several people from the 14 outstations of the mission had indicated their willingness to come and celebrate actively the feast of the Patroness. It had been decided to start the celebration by 9:30 so as to give ample time to the faithful to come from the several outstations since the roads during the rainy season become unpassable and it takes longer to reach one’s destination.

So by 9:30 a good crowd had gathered on the compound and the procession was started.

Presided Fr Tamene, the Parish Priest of the mission and concelebrated Fr Michael, assistant in Ropi, Fr Silvio, of the mission of Alava, Fr Oscar Clavijo, regional superior, Fr Carlos Domingos of Addis Ababa, and an Italian diocesan priest visiting Fr Silvio.

Slowly and led by the active choir made up of the singers from several outstations, and enrobed in their colourful dresses, we proceeded to the Hall where the celebration was to take place.

Definitely this is not Addis Ababa nor an area of Orthodox influence, otherwise it would be impossible to celebrate Mass outside a church / chapel, i.e. a “consecrated” place: in fact throughout the northern half of the country the orthodox influence prevents any such celebrations outside “sacred” places. This same belief divides environment, time and events in sacred / profane. The Old Testament is very much alive around here.

But definitely this is not Amahara territory. In fact we do find and the parish composition is a reflection of that, several tribes. Ropi is at the crossroads in between a number of tribes: Hadias, Kambaata, Wolaita and Oromo, that make up the lion’s share of the faithful, in that order.

The celebration was led by Fr Tamene in Amahric and one catechist was dutifully translating into Hadia. The Hymns were sung in all four languages of the place.

In his homily Fr Tamene stressed the role played by the Virgin Mary in our salvation and how we too are called to listen to God’s words as she did.

The choir led with vibrant hymns but the whole congregation participated actively, singing, clapping hands, jumping and ululating. After the communion the thanksgiving song lasted for 15 minutes and counting!

Fr Tamene took the occasion to have a collection also for the construction of the future Church building here at Ropi: in fact the existing one, although not old has become rather small and the termites have also eaten away part of its walls. Now that a huge church at one of the outstations – Kachachulo – is ready to be inaugurated, the numerous faithful of the area are expecting that at the centre of the mission they too will have a magnificent temple for their worship.

The ceremony ended with a procession with the Blessed Sacrament towards the church. After one round around the church and the final blessing the crowd dispersed, happy to have celebrated the feast of the Patroness of the mission. The day had been cloudy which actually was a blessing otherwise it would have been extremely hot inside the hall.

 

 On the 19th April 2015 the IMC community of Addis Abeba, together with the usual participants of our semi-public chapel, bid farewell to our two confreres, Fr Gabriel and Fr Kidane. They will depart shortly for their new missionary destination.

Fr Gabriel is returning to Colombia, having done his theological studies in Bogotá from 1993 to 1999. A native of the capital city, Addis Abeba, after his ordination on 24 Oct 1999 at S. Gabriel Parish, Addis Abeba, he stayed for one year in the country, helping out at Wongi, while he waited to go to his destination.

Thus from 2000 to 2007 and worked steadily in Colombia. Firstly he was deployed for 6 years to the mission of Cartagena de Chairá as assistant parish priest of S. Pedro Claver. There he worked mainly organising the parish activities, including the sacraments, and then visiting the more than 100 outstations scattered over a large area to follow up the campesinos from the countryside, the subsistence farmers, etc. The cultivation of cocaine is widespread, so the main problems are security or better their lack of, with endemic violence, several factions fighting each other or the military, and therefore many killings. One of the many activities of the priest is presiding over funerals! The priest has to be an agent of peace, promoting tolerance, understanding and mediating between factions.

Then he was deployed for one year to Maria la Baja, in the area of Cartagena de Indias, where he ministered mainly to the poor people of the area: especially Afro-American Blacks living from tourism. Also here the stress was on catechism, the preparation and celebration of sacraments, visiting the communities, etc. Throughout this time experiencing economic problems because they are poor, but running a number of social projects, organising womens’ associations, to counteract the inactivity of the men who do not want to get involved in parish activities. On the contrary women are very much involved in parish activities, besides being the bread-winners at home!

In 2007 he was appointed to his native Ethiopia and was dutifully dispatched to Gambo, where he was in charge of the Parish, the several schools scattered throughout the vast area of the parish, etc.

In 2009 he was redeployed to Addis Abeba to take charge of our semi-public chapel and the various activities connected to it. There are various activities that take place there and require the attention of the priest: the youth, the group of the Consolata mothers (they support each other, meet, pray together, visit the sick, visit at the time of a death in a family, etc), the administration of the sacraments, the catechism (in conjunction with the IMC seminarians). In all, much diplomacy is also required to form and then to work with the parish council.

Our chapel is part of the “Mary, helper of Christians” parish, run by the Salesians, about one Km from our place. At the parish level there are also several retreats, meetings, etc, that need to be properly planed and then implemented.

Now, he is thrilled to go back to Colombia, but at the same time he is keen on taking on new experiences, preferably in new areas. If given a chance he would like to deep himself in afro-pastoral activities hopefully in urban areas. His specialization was on Urban Pastoral – How to Evangelize the Towns. Now he would like to put into practise his studies and his own theories of some time ago, in urban and peri-urban areas, focusing also on students and people on formation. He would like to share his faith and his experience with others but he admits that he is also keen to learn and grow spiritually himself.

Also Fr Kidane is returning to South Africa, the place where he finished his theological studies in October last year. He has been a bit concerned given the situation in South Africa at the moment: the xenophobic wave of violence shows no signs of abating and the mood at the moment is rather sombre. Actually there are many foreigners in SA that are being repatriated or given shelter elsewhere. But there too the missionaries are called to give an example of tolerance and be peace builders rather than simply moan and complain about the situation.

Regarding our young missionaries we all hope that they may go to a foreign land and have a good experience, so that one day they may return, older, wiser and with lots of experience under their belt so as to revamp the IMC formation and pastoral care here in Ethiopia. If anything, they are Ethiopians, and at the moment we foreigners are finding it more difficult to obtain work permits to stay in the country.

Fr Kidane belongs to the first group of students that started at Meryvale their theology and now are ready to start their work. He will return not as a (formal) student but as an ordained priest. He already knows partially the environment, the Zulu language, and what is expected of him. That is an advantage, and the effort he put on during his four years there will now facilitate his adaptation to the pastoral field.

During the celebration Fr Kidane delivered the homily and reflected on the gospel of the second Sunday of Easter (remember that here in Ethiopia we are one week behind on the liturgical calendar – but it is not only that calendar that is behind…). The words of Jesus, “As the Father sent me so I am sending you” had a personal meaning that all applied to those about to depart.

Present at the celebration was Fr Endrias Shamena Keriba, a Comboni Missionary from Hossana in western Ethiopia. He did his philosophy studies at Gulele (Addis Abeba) and then was a colleague of Fr Kidane in Meryvale, South Africa, for the theological studies. He too has been given an assignment by his congregation – he will go to Colombia shortly. He wanted to be present at his former colleague farewell. To him too we extended our best wishes.

 

 

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