Portugal: Golden Jubilee of four Comboni missionaries

The four missionaries were ordained by Bishop José Pedro da Silva of Viseu on July 13, 1968 in that very same chapel, together with other three candidates. One of them is already dead and two left to get married. In the same ceremony, P. António Alexandre da Rocha Ferreira was ordained a deacon.

The chapel was packed with relatives, friends, benefactors and acquaintances who attended the Eucharist presided over by the provincial, Fr. José da Silva Vieira.

During the homily, Fr. Horta spoke some brief words and Fr. Gregorio thanked the Lord of the harvest and all those who were of help during all these years.

The four missionaries have had very interesting life experiences. Fr. Horta was a missionary in Mozambique, provincial of Portugal and spent ten years in Rome as formation secretary and local superior. Currently he is the administrator of Além-Mar.

Fr. Gregório, who was also provincial of Portugal, spent his missionary life between Brazil and Portugal. He is currently in Lisbon.

Fr. Manuel dos Anjos lived mostly in Mozambique, coupling evangelization with the study of two local languages, publishing dictionaries and grammars. He has also collected and published traditional proverbs, stories and riddles of the peoples with whom he lived. He is also part of the group that is translating the Bible in Cinyungwe, the language of Tete.

Fr. Martins started his missionary service in Portugal. For two years he was military chaplain in Angola. He then worked in the world’s highest Catholic parish (above 4,000 meters), in Cerro de Pasco, Peru and finally in Brazil. Today he is in charge of liturgy in the chapel of the Comboni seminary in Viseu.

The Portuguese Comboni province praises Jesus who shared his one ministerial priesthood with these “golden” priests and thanks them for their example of fidelity and dedication to the Lord of mission.