Familia Comboniana 799 - September 2021

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

Journeys by the members of the General Council

Father General
From 20 August to 12 September – visiting the communities of Sudan and leading Spiritual Exercises.

Fr. Jeremias dos Santos Martins
From 4 to11 September, Spiritual Exercises in Limone.

Bro. Alberto Lamana
From 1 to 8 August, Spiritual Exercises at Montecucco, Rome.
From 20 to 25 September in Verona for the European Continental Assembly in preparation for the Chapter.

Fr. Alcides Costa
From 9 August to11 September - in Brazil.

Perpetual Professions

Sc. Ngalite Régis Eric (RCA); Dono-Manga (TC) 03.07.2021
Sc. Silwembe Christopher (MZ); Nairobi (KE) 11/07/2021
Sc. Jobo Stanislas (MZ); Nairobi (KE) 11/07/2021
Sc. Katembo Jean Paul Muhandiro (CN); Nairobi (KE) 11/07/2021
Sc. Tesema Habtamu Masresha (ETH); Nairobi (KE) 11/07/2021
Sc. Oduor Kevin Otieno (KE); Nairobi (KE) 11/07/2021
Sc. Angella Gabriel (U); Layibi (UG) 28/08/2021
Sc. Inácio Manuel; Layibi (UG) 28/08/2021

Ordinations to the priesthood

Fr. Nyinga Dunga David (CN); Kinshasa (RDC) 24.07.2021
Fr. Muhindo Mwanawatuma Gratien (CN); Butembo (RDC) 02.08.2021

Holy Redeemer Guild

September: 01 – 15 NAP; 16 – 30 PCA
October: 01 – 07 RCA; 08 – 15 TCH; 16 – 31 RSA

Prayer intentions

September – That the celebration of the XIX General Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries may light up their way in humble service to the mission of the Church. Lord hear us.

October – Together with all the missionaries of the world, we thank the Lord for the opportunities he gives us of serving the neediest and we pray that we may be always able to do so with love. Lord hear us.

Publications

Tonino Falaguasta Nyabenda mccj, Un Missionnaire Combonien, Joseph Ambrosoli, médecin des âmes et des corps, Afriquespoir 2021. This recently published booklet in French is dedicated to the great missionary doctor who will soon be beatified. Fr. Tonino Falaguasta, in a few pages and with a simple style, brings close to us the untiring and loving service of Fr. Ambrosoli, and to his “miracles” at Kalongo Hospital.

ASIA

Webinar: the Tao of Heaven

The Mission Secretary of the Asian delegation has organised, on 23 and 24 August, a webinar on missionary methodology entitled: “The Tao of Heaven: the first inculturation of the Gospel in China (VII century)”.

Already at the start of the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.), the Oriental Syrian missionaries (the so-called Nestorian missionaries" or missionaries of the "Illuminated Community of Jingjiao Teachings") proclaimed for the first time the story of Jesus to the Chinese in their native language. The webinar sought to bring to light their efforts to understand, translate, explain and hand on the story of Jesus in Chinese categories.

The relator was Comboni Fr. Víctor M. Aguilar Sánchez who is at present working in Macao (China). In 2019, Fr. Aguilar was awarded a doctorate at the Gregorian University, Rome, on this theme and his doctorate thesis won the Bellarmio Prize 2020.

During the webinar, Fr. Victor presented the methodology and the conclusions of this thesis, especially from the point of view of inculturation and emphasised the relevance of the experience of those first missionaries in China for the Church of today.

CONGO

Priestly ordination

Saturday 24 July 2021, at the cathedral of Notre Dame du Congo in Kinshasa, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo presided at the Mass during which nine deacons were ordained to the priesthood. Among them was the Comboni Missionary David Nyinga Dunga.

The celebration began at 9am with the participation of at least a hundred priests, men and women religious and a large congregation of the faithful including the parents and friends of the deacons.

In his homily, Cardinal Fridolin thanked the nine deacons for giving themselves to God, the Church and humanity. He also thanked the parents and relatives for their sacrifice and the education they gave to their children and the religious institutes for accompanying them in their formation with their prayers and support in times of difficulty.

The cardinal then exhorted the deacons to be good intermediaries between God and his people, to be zealous and creative priests, fervent in prayer and attentive to the needs of the poor. He invited them to be aware of their religious and missionary identity, “to be true missionaries, willing to go to the geographic and existential peripheries, the isolated areas and to those who have lost the will to live”.

After the Mass, the Comboni Missionaries, the Comboni Missionary Sisters, the Lay Comboni Missionaries and the friends and relatives of Fr. David joyfully shared in a fraternal meal organised by the Province and the family of the new priest. On the following day, Fr. David celebrated his first Mass amidst joyful singing at his home parish, Christ-Roi, in the Commune of Kasa-vubu.

Fr. David had chosen as his motto the verse Luke 10, 27-28: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and all your mind and your neighbour as yourself”.

Fr. David, 34, is the fourth child of Kongoli Nyi Bongo and Mbaya Lucie. He attended the preparatory school and postulancy in Kinshasa; he was then sent to the novitiate in Cotonou where he made his first religious profession in May 2015. He continued his theological studies in Lima, Peru, up to 2019 when he began his missionary service in Pangoa, in Peruvian Amazonia among the indigenous Nomatsiguenga. He was given his first missionary appointment to Peru.

Fr. David expressed his joy after his ordination in these words: “I thank God for the grace of the priesthood. I have lived these days with serenity, i joy and peace; now I want to be at His service. I ask Him to give me the grace of service and willingness”. The Church in Pangoa to which Fr. David has been sent presents the great challenge of evangelisation in depth of the indigenous population by the explicit proclamation of the Gospel and human promotion. (Bro. Lwanga Kakule)

CURIA

Map of the experiences of social ministeriality

In July, a dossier was published containing a mapping of the activities of the Comboni Family in the ambit of social pastoral, edited by a commission and based upon two questionnaires that were made available to all the members of the Comboni Family.

The documented experience – 205 in all, to date – are divided by continent and various data are provided for each experience corresponding to precise evaluation criteria, chosen on the basis of pre-set objectives, a brief summary of the experience and several photos.

All this material, whose collection and cataloguing required considerable effort, has been placed in a database available online on our websites (comboni.org and combonimission.net) in PDF, to make it possible for those interested to download and print it.

This is a considerable task since, by analysing the data of the mapping, it is possible to establish whether our ministerial presence corresponds to the demands of our time and our Comboni charism.

A reading of the data will also make it possible to promote and create a current of relations between the different projects with the aim of reciprocally enriching ourselves by the experience of each one in the various pastoral areas.

A display in stages: contextual models of evangelisation

A small display has been set up in the entrance hall of the Generalate in Rome; it will be updated periodically for the purpose of offering periodical reflections on the missionary ministry of our time from the perspective of the Comboni experience lived out in the territory of the different continental contexts. Three experiences are presented at a time, alternating with themes and situations, to encourage sharing and dialogue and to appreciate different contextual models of evangelisation.

In fact, in the context of the profound changes taking place in the world, the missionary service also finds itself face to face with new scenarios and, as a missionary Institute, in communion with the Church we are making a transition towards a new paradigm of mission. The synthesis of this elaboration is given by Pope Francis in his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, his programming document to form the direction to be taken by the Church in the coming years.

As we are aware, missionary methodology was one of the strong points of Daniel Comboni who, starting from his experience in the field and by meeting with the most advanced forces of the missionary movement of his time, was able to discern how to approach the people, to present the Good News and to communicate it in a meaningful and inspired manner.

In today’s world, characterised by pluralism, culture, situations and extremely diverse contexts in the various continents, it is not possible to have a single “method” of evangelisation. There is a growing need for contextual approaches that require research and discernment. In this matter, the path followed by Daniel Comboni is still valid and highly relevant today.

The first three experiences of the display present the Comboni Missionary work at Castel Volturno (Italy/Europe), at Korogocho (Kenya/Africa) and at Tumaco (Colombia/S. America).

EGSD

The eightieth birthday of Fr. Davide Ferraboschi

On Monday 19 July, the parish of Masalma in Omdurman gathered around Fr. Davide Ferraboschi to celebrate his eightieth birthday. The celebration drew the attendance of many parishioners and also of many confreres and friends from the various communities of Omdurman, Bahri and Khartoum. After the Mass at which Fr. Davide himself presided, the parishioners presented their gifts and expressed their appreciation in the courtyard of the parish church. A message of blessings from the Holy Father was also received, brought by the Chancellor of the Nunciature in Sudan. The celebration ended with a fraternal meal shared by the confreres and the Comboni Sisters in attendance.

Fr. David’s eightieth birthday celebrations coincided with his Golden Jubilee after fifty years in the mission of Sudan (except for one year in Cairo). Fr. Davide spent most of those fifty years in Kordofan (Kadugli, El Obeid, El Nahoud) and in Darfur (Nyala). He first went to Masalma in 2005 where he was Parish Priest up to 2015 and now works as a curate.

ETHIOPIA

Inauguration of the “Bible of Emmaus”

On Saturday 24 July 2021, at the Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Gullele, the launching was held of the Catholic Bible in Amharic also called “The Bible of Emmaus”, in the presence of H. E. Cardinal Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel, Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa, a number of Catholic bishops, representatives of the Biblical Society, the religious heads of evangelical churches and a large number of priests and the Catholic faithful.

The bringing together of the 73 books of the Catholic canon of Scripture and the accurate revision, where necessary, of the texts, is a historic achievement by the Catholic Church in Ethiopia. The work, lasting ten years, was completed thanks to the determination and competence of Dr. Abba Daniel Asefa and his team (which includes some former Comboni students and employees such as Endrias Kacharo, Zekarias, and Abju). Abba Seyum Cahsay Hagos, mccj, was also commemorated. With the help of others, he contributed to the previous translation of the Deuterocanonical Books and other important Catholic texts.

ITALIA

Annual Assembly of Comboni Missionaries serving in Italy

The Combonis of the Italian Province held their Annual General Assembly in Pesaro from the evening of 28 June to the evening of 2 July. This year the Assembly had as its main purpose the preparation of the report of the Italian Province to the XIX General Chapter of the Institute which is to be held in June 2022 in Rome. The reduced number of participants due to the pandemic included the Vicar General Fr. Jeremias dos Santos Martins, representing the General Council.

The Assembly was opened by the theologian Maria Soave Buscemi with a reflection on the ecclesial reality, the mission and diakonia. The reports of the various Provincial Secretariats and Commissions and that of the Provincial Council were shared during the Assembly.

The gathering studied and debated the themes associated with the change of missionary paradigm which demands a more adequate response and a qualified service that increasingly networks with the Comboni Family and many other actors in civil society, movements, churches and communities of other religions that work to transform society. This is the perspective of ministeriality which is the specific missionary services based upon Comboni spirituality which require competence and passion, among and with migrants and young people, in communication and commitment for justice, peace and care for creation.

Approval was given to a document on ministeriality understood as diakonia as the basic criterion for rearranging the Comboni presence in Italy which certainly now represents a milestone in setting out the next missionary steps in response to the challenges of today. Some structures are to be re-qualified others to be closed and presences must be ever more uncomplicated, close to the poor, respectful towards the ecosystem and in solidarity with those who suffer. Frank and open dialogue also led to important votes to reconfigure the face of a province which, for far too long, was considered in the Comboni world one that dispensed economic resources and services. Instead, it is today called to be in the forefront of geographic and existential peripheries where the message of Jesus of Nazareth is either forgotten or discarded but is fundamental for us to console and liberate.

In this journey of innovation which guides us towards the Chapter, we challenged ourselves and adopted a report that presents the work of the Italian Province, placing on the table enormous challenges such as economic sustainability, innovation and the digitalisation of missionary communication, the internationalisation of the Province, integral and intercultural formation of young candidates, a new approach to work among the youth, a liberating presence among migrants, missionary animation that makes its own the themes of Pope Francis such as integral ecology, solidarity economy and universal fraternity founded upon the radical dignity of every person. (Fr. Filippo Ivardi, mccj)

Padova keeps the memory of Fr. Ezekiel Ramin

«What the seed suffers is suffered by the sower ». These words of Father Ezekiel Ramin, A Comboni from Padua, who was killed in 1985 at the age of 32, ring so prophetically true as to cause one to tremble. It was this image that, on the anniversary of his death, guided the memorial of “Father Lele” at his home parish of San Giuseppe, in Padova.

Faithful to tradition, Padova, understood as the local Church and the community of the Comboni Missionaries, kept the memorial of Fr. Ezekiel Ramin on the anniversary of his murder in Cacoal, Brazil, 24 July 1985.

The church was filled with the faithful and, with them, the many friends for whom Fr. Ezekiel is more than just a memory but a living memory of commitment, an intercessor, an inspirer of life offered up. This took place at the parish church of St. Joseph in Padova, the church where Fr. Ezekiel was baptised, was raised in the faith, accompanied by the sacraments, was ordained priest and, finally, where his funeral was celebrated one warm, hazy day early in August 1985. A marble plaque inside the baptistery of the church as well as a bronze bust on the left side of the facade of the parish church show that this is the church of Fr. Ezekiel Ramin.

The Mass was led by Mons. Pietro Brazzale, coordinator general of the diocesan rogatory of the cause of beatification of Fr. Ezekiel. Concelebrating were the director of the missionary centre Rev. Raffaele Gobbi, the parish priest Rev. Lino Minuzzo and the confreres of Fr. Ezekiel, Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse, Father General, Fr. Gino Pastore, Fr. Franco Vialetto, Fr. Davide De Guidi and Fr. Gaetano Montresor. Also present were the four surviving brothers of Fr. Ezekiel, Paolo, Antonio, Filippo and Fabiano. The Mass was enlivened by a musician of the parish and a small choir. A number of diocesan priests were unable to attend since it was a Saturday and they were busy in their respective parishes.

Mons. Pietro Brazzale, a great and passionate student of the human, Christian and missionary life of the Servant of God Fr. Ezekiel Ramin, as he usually calls him, commented on the Gospel passage of the multiplication of the loaves, reading it in the light of the experience of faith and self-giving of Fr. Ezekiel who placed at the Lord’s disposal everything he had, all that nature had given him, and that was indeed very much and gave it all to God. Mons. Brazzale insisted upon the charity of Fr. Ezekiel, also referring to the 36 sworn testimonies that were heard during the diocesan rogatory, testimonies he described as moving. It is now time to invoke the Servant of God as an intercessor.

Fr. Tesfaye – his coming to this celebration was a pleasant surprise – took the floor and thanked the family and the parish community who ‘reared’ Fr. Ezekiel in the faith, in the values of life and of the Gospel and who gave him to the Church and to the world as a witness. Before Mass, Fr. Tesfaye had gone to the tomb of Fr. Ezekiel at the Major Cemetery of Padova where, together with some Comboni confreres, he remained in silence and in prayer, to honour Fr. Ezekiel and his entire family. The same chapel contains the remains of Fr. Ezechiel’s parents, Mario and Amabile, his brother Gaudenzio who died aged 27 in a tragic road accident and at whose funeral Fr. Ezechiel presided a few months before leaving for Brazil, and his sister-in-law Gabriella. Fr. Tesfaye then asked God to grant new vocations for the proclamation of the Gospel. In conclusion, he informed the congregation of the great consideration with which the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints accompanies the normal iter of study and evaluation of the documentation presented for the recognition of the holy virtues of the Servant of God Fr. Ezekiel and of the prayer of intercession approved by Mons. Bruno Pedron, Bishop Emeritus of Ji-Paraná, a Salesian and also originally from Padova. A number of the faithful purchased the book of the letters of Father Ezekiel, Testimone della speranza, and everyone took home a copy of the holy picture with the prayer, thus declaring sotto voce that, in their homes, the picture of father Ezekiel is conspicuously present, inspiring both prayer and commitment. (Fr. Gaetano Montresor, mccj)

“O What a Summer 2021!” In the name of Afro-Italianism

After the gap of last year, the week from 24 to 31 July saw the return of, O What a Summer! held in the grounds of the house in Vicolo Pozzo, Verona. It was a week filled with music, fashion, African cinema, display and culinary stands organised by Fondazione Nigrizia, Museo Africano (MA), Festival del Cinema Africano and by the Afroveronesi Association.

At last, we were able to come in person to spend some evenings together with an exhibition which, since 2006, has become part of the Veronese summer season with meetings and events offered freely to the citizens, something that nourishes passion and curiosity for the world of Afro and Afro descent.

The exhibition this year was meant to highlight and bring to the fore the AfroItalian world and reality. This new Italy is a world waiting to be discovered which also renews our missionary narrative which sees Africa solely as a reality 5000 km away. The world of Afropeism is the reality in which we live and which we cannot avoid as missionaries. The confrontation with their desire to be the voice of the struggle for citizenship and against all forms of discrimination does us good and renews us. Above all else, it purifies us of the sometimes paternalistic attitude which sees this reality solely through the lens of the situation of migrants.

“O What a Summer 2021!”, attended by almost 1200 people on the first two evenings and an average of 100 for the cinema evenings, has demonstrated that culture and art can be brought together to promote the human values of all.

Saturday 24 July, was the turn of rap and hip hop music. The artists included such people as Numb, Koi and Natas; followed by Big Boa, F00rtissimo and the rising star Tommy Kuti who matured artistically to a degree with Afriradio and Nigrizia Multimedia.

Sunday 25 was the turn of the Fashion Shows with male and female models who paraded wearing the creations of BB Style, artisan brands of handmade AfroItalian fashion by Bruno Bruxtar Kpakpovi (Togo) and KeChic, a West-African tailoring business that derives from a fantastic social project providing work for the tailors at the Centre Handicapé di Dakar, together with friends and colleagues of Sheikh Diattara who first proposed the idea in Milanese territory. During the interval between the two fashion parades, a concert was performed by the singer Anna Bassi followed by the beautiful voice of Adriana, the musical group E.D.A with Sidy Casse, a young Senegalese singer, a former contestant in the X Factor musical talent show.

From Monday 26 to Saturday 31 July, there were six evenings of Cinema Africano sotto le stelle. These were films on the theme of migration: Travellers and Migrants of the Verona African Film Festival. There were five short and five full-length films by African and European directors accompanied each evening by a different guest speaker who, after the films were shown, chaired a moment of reflection and study of the themes covered by the cinematographic work”. (Fr. Fabrizio Colombo, mccj)

29^TH Anniversary of the death of Bro. Fiorini

The 29^th anniversary of the death of Bro. Alfredo Fiorini was celebrated in Terracina (LT) with various initiatives led by Reverend Fabrizio, the parish priest and well attended by the faithful. On Saturday 21 August, there was an afternoon devoted to children. On Sunday 22, the Mass was enlivened by the missionary group. On Monday 23, the very young visited the places connected with Alfredo: the homes and buildings dedicated to him, the hospital, the school, the library and his tomb … In the evening there was a missionary vigil led by Fr. Venanzio Milani. On Tuesday, the anniversary of his death, there was a Eucharistic celebration with a large congregation of the faithful, some priests of the town and some Combonis from the General Curia, among whom was the Vicar General Fr. Jeremias dos Santos Martins, and the Assistant General Brother Alberto Lamana. At 21.30, under the direction of the Alfredo Fiorini Association, there was a conference on “The new forms of slavery”: the scarlet thread that joins Africa to Agro Pontino. There were interventions by the journalist Luca Attanasio, the sociologist Marco Onizzolo and Fr. Venanzio Milani.

KENYA

Ordinations to the diaconate

Saturday 17 July 2021 was a great day for the parish of Mary Mother of the Church in Amakuriat, West Pokot, where we had the ordination to the diaconate of five confreres: Katembo Jean Paul Muhandiro (RDC), Jobo Stanislas (Malawi), Habtamu Masresha Tesema (Ethiopia), Silwembe Christopher (Zambia) and Kevin Oduor (Kenya). The Bishop of Kitale, Mons. Maurice Crowley, who ordained them, praised the Combonis for the good work they do among the Pokot people and challenged the men and women to be ready to offer their sons and daughters to serve the People of God.

In his homily, he encouraged the deacons to be men of prayer, ready to lead the people of God to the house of the Lord and, speaking to the people, he greatly emphasised the importance of peace. “We need a peaceful place where our women can go freely. Please, stop fighting over cows!” In conclusion, he encouraged the faithful to follow the guidelines of the Ministry of Health to combat the Coronavirus.

The celebration, accompanied by singing and dancing, was also attended by political leaders. One of them, the senator of the area, assured the Bishop that there was already peace between the Pokot and the Turkana: people may move freely from one county to another without fear.

The confreres of the nearby communities (Turkana and Pokot) attended in large numbers. In his speech, the Provincial Superior Fr. Austine Radol Odhiambo thanked the Bishop for agreeing to ordain the five Combonis and the parish priest of Amakuriat, Fr. Gervais Katya, for preparing the ceremony. Let us pray for our deacons as they prepare for their ordination to the priesthood in their respective provinces. (Fr. David K. Ahiro, mccj)

PORTUGAL

Fr. Rebelo confirmed as national director of the PMW

The Bishop in charge of the Missionary Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Portugal, Mons. Armando Esteves has confirmed the appointment of our confrere Fr. José António Mendes Rebelo as national director of the Pontifical Missionary Works. Fr. Rebelo will begin his service on 20 September 2021.

Our heartfelt congratulations go to Fr. Rebelo on his appointment together with our best wishes and prayers for his ministry at the service of the missions.

SUDAN

Khartoum Bahri Parish celebrates its Diamond Jubilee

Dedicated to the “Blessed Virgin Mediatrix of All Graces”, the parish of Khartoum Bahri has celebrated its Diamond Jubilee (75 years) on 15 August 2021. No other parish in the diocese bears this name and there are certainly very few with such a long history. Seventy-five years is a long time and it was marked by extraordinary services and the sacrifices of many priests, sisters, catechists, leaders, choir members and altar servers who made this parish what it is today.

The celebration took place on 15 August when the annual feast of the parish is celebrated. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako, Archbishop Emeritus of Khartoum, accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Sudan, the Provincial Superior, various confreres, priests, religious and a large congregation of more than a thousand of the faithful, mostly adolescents and young adults.

The Cardinal commenced the celebration by incensing the new bronze cross of the parish, brought specially from Italy and is now in the compound of the church, there for the veneration of all who enter. It is a bronze cross for a diamond jubilee that fills our hearts with hope for a golden future for the mission in Sudan!

During the celebration, H. E. Cardinal Zubeir invited the faithful not to lose sight of the role of our Mother Mary in individual Christian life. Our Lady has been decisive for the growth and survival of our Church during recent stormy years.

At the conclusion of the celebration, everyone present was given as a keepsake a small picture of the Blessed Virgin with the Child Jesus.

The Church in Sudan has a long history that goes back directly to our Founder, but the presence of so many young people points to the youth of the Church which is forever seeking new ways of affirming its presence in a hostile environment. Most of our young people come from South Sudan and from the Nuba Mountains. We prayed to the Blessed Virgin, who intercedes for all graces, the grace we need to proclaim the Gospel to all these young people whose families have been broken up and whose lives are full of challenges.

TOGO-GHANA-BENIN

The province is celebrating

Saturday 26 June and Saturday 24 July 2021 have become part of the annals of Togo-Ghana-Benin Province and will be forever remembered when speaking of ordinations. In fact, on these days, four sons of the Province received Holy orders: two priests and two deacons.

They are the Fathers Benoît Azameti and René Agbonou and the deacons Saurel Augustin Houinsou and Simon Agede.

The priestly ordinations were held in our parishes of Ste Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus and the Sainte Face de Kégué (Lomé) on 26 June, in the presence of an immense congregation from the home parishes of our confreres and those of the other ordinands belonging to the Discalced Carmelites (5 priests) and the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (2 priests and 1 deacon).

Despite the torrential rain that fell in Lome that day, the celebration was very beautiful and we wish to remember an expression from the homily of Mons. Nicodème Bariggah-Benissan, Metropolitan Archbishop of Lome: “If it for God to call you, it is up to you to act in such a way as to be good priests”, to be in the midst of a world hungry for meaning.

As for the deacons, Mons. Isaac-Jogues Gaglo, Bishop of Aneho (Togo) did not mince his words inviting the ordinands (3 priests and 7 deacons for the diocese of Aneho and 2 Comboni deacons) to endeavour to live close to Christ the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and is known by them. To nourish this intimacy, Mons. Gaglo exhorted the newly-ordained deacons and priests to treasure silence, the sacrament of reconciliation and the daily celebration of the Eucharist.

All these celebrations were followed by fraternal meals.

It is interesting to note that the Comboni candidates ordained in the course of the same celebration have been appointed to the same mission, Poland. Thus, Togo becomes an evangeliser of the land of its Patron Pope John Paul II.

We wish fathers Benoît and René a fruitful mission and we pray that the ministry of deacons Saurel and Simon may be a happy one.

UGANDA

Episcopal ordination of Mons. Wokorach

The episcopal ordination of Mons. Raphael P’Mony Wokorach, mccj, a Ugandan, as Bishop of the diocese of Nebbi, in Uganda, was held on 14 August last. The restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 meant that only a few invited people were admitted to the cathedral of Nebbi for the long-awaited consecration that took place five months after his appointment by Pope Francis, on 31 March of this year. He takes the place of Mons. Sanctus Lino Wanok who was transferred to the diocese of Lira.

The celebration was presided over by the Archbishop of Gulu, Mons. John Baptist Odama, who exhorted the new bishop – the fourth in the history of the diocese – to serve the people like Jesus the Good Shepherd: “Do not hesitate to give your life for the flock, the poor, the weak, the immigrants and the foreigners”.

Among the political authorities present was the Minister of State for North Uganda, the Honourable Grace Kwiyucwiny, representing President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The episcopal motto of Mons. Wokorach is: “To Serve with Humility”, because, as he emphasised, “Humility renders all service meaningful”.

In his address after the ordination, Mons. Wokorach said: “I see Saint Daniel Comboni as a model bishop. As I take on this responsibility, I remember how much his faith sustained him in the different situations of his life. He dreamt of Africa... Africa or death… He was an exceptional pastor, a pastor whose faith was strong, whose faith made his life sensitive to the various needs of his people … Saint Comboni stands before me as a great and exemplary Bishop, holy and capable”.

LET US PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED DEAD

THE FATHERS: Santos, of the Sc. Romeo Guarcax Yac (PCA); Faustin, of Fr. Metin Sèdoté Alex Canisius (C), René, of Fr. Billo Junior Bertrand Chrisostome (RCA); Ricardo, of Fr. Angel Camorlinga (EC).

THE MOTHERS: Sandra, of Bro. Marco Binaghi (C); Margaret Mary, of Fr. Martin James Devenish (LP); Bertha, of Fr. Jorge Elías Ochoa Gracián (NAP) and Fr. Francisco Javier Ochoa Gracián (M); Carmen, of the Sc. Fulvio Rigamonti (†).

THE BROTHERS: William Kossivi, of Fr. Afola Kossi Mensah Elias (EC); Mateo, of the Sc. Romeo Guarcax Yac (PCA); Antonio, of Bro. Bruno Barbiero (†); Abraham, of Fr. Endrias Shamena (RSA).

THE SISTERS: Agnese, of Fr. Enzo Tomasoni (I); Sr. Ester, of Fr. Giovanni Battista Bressani (†); Cesarina, of Fr. Giorgio Aldegheri (I); Victoria, of Fr. Joseph Anane (ET); Celeste, of Fr. José da Silva Vieira (ET); Virginia, of Fr. Marino Perghem (†).

THE COMBONI MISSIONARY SISTERS: Sr. M. Celina Pendin, Sr. Carmela Agnese Papini, Sr. M. Felicina Manzoni.