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Saturday, March 25, 2017

The youthfulness of the Religious



un seme...
un grain...


The youthfulness of the Religious
Monday is a special day: at Bossemptele (90 km from Bozoum) two young girls, after several years of preparation are reaching the end of their Novitiate ready to take their first Vows commitment: they’ll promise to God to live in chastity, poverty and obedience. They are Sr. Reine and Sr. Chiara, two young sisters of the Carmelite community of the Sisters of Turin. Are already a good number of years that the Carmelite Sisters of Turin work with us in Baoro and Bossemptele.
I leave at 6.00am Bozoum and shortly after, at 8.00am I reach Bossemptele, where I meet the Sisters, and many Fathers and youth coming from our communities of Bangui,  Bouar and Baoro. The Mass begins at 9.00 am, in the small parish church, and the celebration is so lively and animated: songs, dances, colors. Everything prepares our hearts for the great and simple moment in which these two girls rely whole their life and all of their lives to God.
In the afternoon I’m on my way towards Bangui, where, on Wednesday morning, I welcome Father Giustino, our Provincial Superior and Father Davide, the Vice-Administrator of the Missions. They are here on a visit in order to help us to improve our work for the Kingdom.
On Thursday morning we are on the road towards Baoro, where we arrive by noon, and in the evening we drive towards Bouar, where we are going to meet the other Communities.












la comunitĂ  del Carmelo a Bangui
 aa

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Bozoum-Bouar: back and forth








Bozoum-Bouar: back and forth
Saturday morning we have invited fifty Bozoum teachers, to make a point about the situation of the project "Learning by playing” that we carry on since 2 years ago, with the Prague friends SIRIRI.ORG. At first we introduce them at the classes of C.I. (First grade) where they can see the children who are already able to read and write. It's a very interesting method, able to provoke the curiosity and the interest of children. Associated with native language (Sango) enables pupils to learn quickly and much better than with the classical methods followed here (memorizing, beginning with the French ...).
Sunday afternoon along with Ludmila and Fabrice, members of SIRIRI.ORG, we leave towards Bouar. There is also Alberto, who was here to reopen, at least for a week, our dental office.
When in Bouar I am involved in various meetings with our Delegation of the Discalced Carmelites. We come from all communities in order to reflect and discuss about our missionary work.
Monday is dedicated to the way how we form our youth. Are here also Father Domenico and Father Marco, arrived the day before from Yaounde, Cameroon, where they are working for some years now. We cooperate with them in training some young Cameroonians who are in the Novitiate and Philosophy curriculum here in Central Africa, while two Central African students are in Yaounde for their study of Theology. The educational work is very demanding, and we devote a lot of energy in the various houses: the Seminary of Yolé, the Novitiate in St. Elie (Bouar), the Student Residence of Carmel in Bangui.
On Tuesday we gather to have a chat with the Finance Commission, which brings together Superiors and Treasurers. It is also an opportunity to thank all those who in one way or another, help us and allow us to help.
In the afternoon I go back to Bozoum to accompany Father Marco Gazzoli with my commitment to be back again in Bouar the day after, Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday afternoon I have a meeting with Caritas. The National Director Father Luk is here. He came from Bangui, along with two of his staff, and three people from the Caritas of the Diocese of Kaga Bandoro. It’s a great opportunity to know each other, share experiences, and ask ourselves what can / should be done, especially with the problems due to insecurity in these areas.
Friday I’m back to Bozoum, living the journey of Lent also through the Way of the Cross, always very well attended by our parishioners.


 





Il Convento di St.Elie a Bouar

vetrate di St Elie

Via Crucis a Bozoum



Saturday, March 11, 2017

Lent, schools, roads, weapons and displaced people…





Lent, schools, roads, weapons and displaced people…
Lent has a place in the liturgical year especially as a period of intense preparation for Baptism. To the catechumens on their journey to be baptized at Easter, is proposed a time of intense catechesis, prayer and penance in order to prepare themselves to receive the sacrament.
In many parishes around the world (especially in mission Countries), there are many people who face with joy the Lenten journey in preparation for their own Baptism. In Bozoum each year there are over a hundred, boys, girls, young people and adults who, after three years of catechism, are getting ready to become Christians through Baptism. Each Sunday, after the celebration of the Mass, we meet for a reflection time and more intense preparation.
Meanwhile the situation in the Country remains of concern. Throughout the Prefecture Ouham Pende (Prefecture as large as Piedmont and Lombardy, whose capital is Bozoum) tensions rise: there are armed rebels movements (RJ, 3R etc.) made up basically by Muslim elements that face other movements (Antibalaka) formed rather from people desperate unscrupulous, dedicated mostly to the theft of livestock and to banditry.
Saturday morning a bunch of these Antibalaka fired on a MINUSCA (UN peacekeeper) car and truck, seizing weapons and phones!
On Sunday, as I was on my way to celebrate Mass at 6:30 am, I notice two armed antibalaka right in downtown. I stop and I began facing them (in words!): "Aren't you ashamed to go around armed with Kalashnikov, using weapons to rob and killing people? In that way you kill the Country too.“  It was just a little discussion, and while restarting the car, one of them threatens to shoot at the tires. Then I drive in reverse gear telling him to retry. We have a bit heated discussion and I leave, while in the meantime a Muslim woman who was passing by, could go ahead unnoticed.
A bit of provocation, to help people understand that you cannot compromise with those who are doing everything they can to destroy the Country.
On Tuesday I leave with Fabrice and Ludmila, members of SIRIRI NGO of Prague. The purpose of our journey: visiting those schools whose teachers participated in the training in September, and verifying the level of teaching with the method "Learning with fun." In the morning we are at Bocaranga, and in the afternoon we continue, through Ndim, reaching Ngaundaye. We begin our visits, followed by meetings exchanging experiences with the missionaries working in these areas.
On Wednesday, after visiting the school in Ngaundaye, we continue our trip to Ndim. Here, inside the area of the Capuchin fathers Novitiate, have taken refuge 70 Peuls threatened by antibalaka. Despite the sadness originated by this situation, it is touching to see the children play with the novices, or busy moms taking care of children, elderly people intent on discussing or writing on wooden boards the texts for the Koranic school.
Going through Bocaranga once more, we hold there a meeting with about sixty of the city teachers: in this tense moment we want to help them with a small monthly fee to stay in Bocaranga committing themselves in teaching. At 4.00pm we leave towards Bozoum where we arrive at 7.00pm. The roads are in very bad shape, but at least we see less armed people along the way.
And finally, on March 8th on the occasion of International Women's Day, Bozoum was in plain sight with a video published by Caritas Internationalis, with an interview with Suzanne, the mother of Hyppolite. She won the Gardens 2017 Competition. You can see here:  http://iwd2017.caritas.org/

pesca a Bozoum


Antibalaka alla barriera di Bocaranga


I Peuls sfollati nel noviziato dei Cappuccini a Ndim
les Peuls déplacés dans le noviciat des Capucins à Ndim



Aggiungi didascalia

Ă©cole de Ngaundaye

Ndim



KONDO: la gallina
KONDO: le poulet



Sunday, March 5, 2017

Lent 2017




Lent 2017
Last week was marked by the visit of the Cardinal, the Archbishop of Bangui, DieudonnĂ© Nzapalainga. Here is a short video of the Cardinal's visit to Bozoum - Bocaranga:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/u6wbxbelprnfw8p/video%20visita%20Cardinale%20a%20Bozoum.mp4?dl=0
On Sunday, after Mass, forty Scouts have made their promises in front of the parish community. It was an intense moment in which girls and boys have promised to live with respect for God and neighbor, according to the spirit of Scouting. Last Wednesday began the Lent season: a long period (40 days) of "reliability": it demands to take "seriously" our personal lives as Christians, following the invitation of the Word of God who constantly recalls us the duty to return to Him. It’s a long journey, that passes through three major steps: charity, prayer, fasting: love in action, love demanding to give yourself a special time staying close to God, love able to make sacrifices.
Wednesday morning we climb the hill overlooking Bozoum, Mount Binon. Here we celebrate the Mass, in which we received the mark of the ashes. There were many people, who then remained here in silence and prayer for most of the day.
Thursday morning I leave towards Bangui where I have few meetings, and on Friday I drive back home together with Fabrice Martin and Ludmila Böhmová, members of NGO SIRIRI.ORG, of Czech Republic. Are years that we work with them on various projects. We stop at Bossemptele, visiting the school where they began the methodology that started the project "Learning by playing". Upon my arrival in Bozoum I’m just on time to see the presence of some Organizations, which have just finished distributing the primary need supplies to more than 200 evacuated families who, from Bocaranga, have found refuge in Bozoum.

Promesse Scout


Salendo sul Mt Binon
en montant sur le Mont Binon





Fabrice e Ludmila (SIRIRI.ORG) a Bossemptele