Daniel Comboni
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Sacrament of Confirmation in the parish of Dilla, Ethiopia
Friday, May 24, 2024
Father Juan Antonio González Núñez, Apostolic Administrator of Hawassa, asked me if I would like to accompany him to the parish of Dilla for the Mass of the ‘Meron’ (the Sacrament of Confirmation) he had scheduled for Sunday 12th May. I immediately said yes. Also because the parish of Dilla was started by the Comboni Missionaries many years ago and, by the way, was the site of Father Juan Antonio’s first apostolic commitment when he arrived in Ethiopia a long time ago. The parish was later handed over to the Salesians, who built a beautiful church there.
On our way there, Father Juan Antonio also proposed that I give him a hand in the administration of confirmation, since there were 148 boys and girls who would receive the sacrament, some from the centre of the parish, others from the various chapels far away. “And I will also ask the parish priest and his vicar to help us,” he added.
When we arrived, we found over 600 people waiting to begin the entrance song.
I was very happy with the spirit among the people during the celebration. The singing was beautiful and the participation in the rite very sincere. Above all, I was very pleased to see the large group of young people receive the sacrament with great devotion, visible in the seriousness of their faces as they were anointed with the sacred chrism.
Let us pray for all catechists and members of Christian communities around the world who help young people, not only to prepare properly for the sacraments, but also to have their hearts open to the experience of God in their lives.
Father Pedro Pablo, mccj