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Monday, July 28, 2014

Weddings, events, arrivals and finals


Weddings, events, arrivals and finals
On Sunday the 20 th we celebrated three weddings. Here in CAR seldom a couple get married before being together, first they meet, then they have a family, house, children and afterwards, if things go well, they eventually get married. So on Sunday we had three couples at the altar. We also christened their kids. Rolande, one of the brides also decided to give birth the night before and Benedicta was born, just in time for the occasion!
Tuesday was a special day. After all the tensions of the last weeks (one guy killed by Cameroonian soldier and a military killed by the locals) we decided to have a full day of prayers and reflection, so we gathered in the Baptist Church in the morning for an ensemble pray. All of us together: Catholics, Protestants and few Muslims. Then we had a peace procession throughout the city. There were 400 people, not many by our numbers but as Jesus said in his parable it takes little yeast to raise three measures of flours....Tuesday was also special because Father Enrico Redaelli arrived. After spending few years with the kids at the Seminary of Yolè, Bouar, , he'll be staying here in Bozoum! Welcome Enrico and good luck for your future position!
On Friday morning at 5 am I wanted to go to Bouar but the heavy rain made me postpone till the following day. Therefore Saturday just before 6 am we brought our third year students to their finals. It's the first time that kids from our school get to this level, hopefully they will make it!
Between Saturday and Sunday we also ended all activities at the Refugees' school. Initially 750 kids were there, now only half is left because eventually many families managed to go back home to their villages. Therefore they ended school locally, thanks to the effort of a dozen teachers and the support provided by the Siriri association from Prague.












I nostri alunni di 3a liceo in viaggio verso l'esame di maturità
Nos élèves de Terminale en route vers l'examen du BAC


Padre Enrico (camicia a quadretti)
Père Enrico (avec la chemise à carreaux)

Friday, July 25, 2014

Another intense week!





Another intense week!
On Sunday the 13th we celebrated Confirmation sacrament for over 120 people, here in Bozoum. UnfortunAtely, due to his age and sickness the Archibishop didn't make it so he delegated to me to Oder them.
We had a grand Mass, with dances and songs alternating intense praying moments for these kids and adults who received the Holy Ghost's gift.
These days we're also organizing year end for public schools, which have been able to function and host 15000 kids thanks to the help of Czeck republic and Unicef. This morning I red Pope Francis speech "often we ask ourselves which kind of world will we leave to our children?" Perhaps it could be best to ask "which kinda children will we leave in this world?"
On Tuesday we celebrated the Madonna of Carmel day in all our communities, so I travelled around in Bouar, then Bangui, for over 1140 km
In Bangui I had the chance to meet over 10000 refugees hosted in our convent since December 2013 they have been living for almost 8 months of unstable lifestyle, under tents, in very difficult condition. We tried to understand together the possibility for them to go back home in the foreseeable future. It's their big dream, however it clashes with the harsh reality made of violence and high risk of getting killed.... Hopefully there will be more military actions to make the capital safer 
Our long journey home was full of events. We came across several Antibalaka's barriers, a hundred trucks convoy going back to Cameroon escorted by French and Rwandese soldiers.
We also had to stop 200 km from destination because the heavy rain of the morning literally took over a bridge: the iron tube for water waste had been dragged down for over 30 meters, so only a tiny eart made bridge had left.... Few small cars with much difficulty can cross  over a small passage that kids built nearby the road, however it takes at least 40 minutes and there's high risk of getting swamped.
After 4 hours I decided to give it a shot. A quick sign of the cross, holding my breath we managed to cross it 
Thanks to The Lord we made it!














Saturday, July 12, 2014

War and Peace, Peace and War....






War and Peace, Peace and War....

In Bozoum life goes on, and hope alternates worrying. As in the rest of the country,
In these days the country's bishops gathered together and delivered their message, condemning these continue violences, wherever they might come: Selekas, Antibalakas or elsewhere. Problems are huge, it's very important to do something! And never lose hope and trust and to testify the Lord's love (for those interested here is the link of the original message in French http://fr.radiovaticana.va/fr2/Articolo.asp?c=810400 
Here in Bozoum schools are almost over. A dangerous year, but overall, thousands of kids managed to remain in school. Our schools, in our city and in our region, 60 schools, 15000 kids. Thanks to Siriri, Czech Rep. project and Unicef project.
On Sunday the 6th, the young women and ladies of the Women's Centre "CANA" organised a stall with their clothes and baby gears and sweets.
On Tuesday the 8th we had the teachers meeting for middle and secondary school and on Thursday we handed out scorecards. On Friday the 12th we had the year end party for creche and primary school: all in all over 780 kids, with their families and friends. The teachers gave them their scorecards, and small rewards for the most hard-working students. This year also, thanks to a prayer's group from Cuneo, Italy, we have been able to give 300 pants. Hopefully they will start producing fruits soon.
however, we haven't been without issues. In Bambari (far from here) Selekas attacked the Cathedral, hosting thousands refugees (with 20-30 killed) here in Bozoum the situation was also tense. On Tuesday, during their patrol, the Cameroonian Soldiers of MISCA killed a young man who was playing cards. People reacted and left with the body toward the militaries' camp. Soldiers fired in the air to scatter civillians. On their way back I tried to calm everyone down, but in the meanwhile a soldier had been found alone in town and he was lynched and killed.
That evening at 10 pm shooting began once again, it was the soldiers, trying to get back the body of their comrad, which had been thrown in a water pit covered in stones and bricks... I gathered an emergncy meeting the following morning, trying to find out what happened and we went to visit the guy's family, we prayed together and also for the soldier and we invited everyone to be calm.
Slowly the tension decreased but last night a family has been threatened by Antibalakas and they left thier home and spent the night over here at the Mission...
May the Virgin of the Carmel protect us all!