Visit of Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse and Fr. Pietro Ciuciulla to the North American Province

This disposition of the heart reminds us of St. Daniel Comboni, who said: "Come day come night, come sun come rain, I shall always be equally ready to serve your spiritual needs: the rich and the poor, the healthy and the sick, the young and the old, the masters and the servants will always have equal access to my heart. Your good will be mine and your sorrows will also be mine. I make common cause with each one of you, and the happiest day in my life will be the one on which I will be able to give my life for you." (St. Daniel Comboni, Writings #3158)

Animated by these sentiments of St. Daniel Comboni, Fr. Tesfaye and Fr. Pietro witnessed the work the Comboni missionaries are carrying on in St. Lucy parish, a poor neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey. The children and grandchildren of Italian immigrants consider this neighborhood home.

Newark is very close to New York City, which allowed for a quick visit to the United Nations Headquarters and Vivat International office. During this visit, Fr. Tesfaye listened to the Coordinator of Vivat International. Fr Tesfaye, who is a member of the Board of Trustees for Vivat International, was able to get a feel for the great work done by the group of religious men and women. This organization works with grassroots groups and influences government delegates at the UN.

The confreres in California joyfully met the two members of the General Council. They participated in the Sunday liturgies. Parishioners of Holy Cross Parish and Sacred Heart Parish, to which the Comboni Missionaries minister, were happy to meet our visitors. Apart from the celebration of sacraments, Fr. Tesfaye encouraged the confreres to “share the face of Comboni”. This includes taking care of:

• The mental health of the people God puts on our path.
• Migrants.
• The poor.
• Those in grief.
• The youth.
• The excluded.
• The general health of the people.

Fr. Tesfaye and Fr. Pietro were able to meet His Grace José Horacio Gómez Velasco, the Archbishop of Los Angeles and the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). He shared about the joys and challenges of the Catholic Church in the United States. Bishop Alberto Rojas, of San Bernardino, California, expressed gratitude for the evangelizing work the Comboni Missionaries are carrying on in his diocese.

The Comboni Missionaries in Cincinnati were happy to receive the visitors. Our first missionaries to the United States were welcomed by Archbishop McNicholas in 1939. We have been present in this Archdiocese ever since. Archbishop Dennis Schnurr briefed the visitors about the reorganization of the Archdiocese under “Beacons of Light,” for which he expects to rely upon the evangelizing energy of the Comboni Missionaries.

The community of La Grange Park, Illinois, welcomed Fr. Tesfaye and Fr. Pietro and had Mass with friends of the community. We also visited some old friends and donors of the Comboni Missionaries. During this visit, the Superior General and Assistant General also expressed gratitude to the Comboni Lay Missionaries which operate out of the La Grange Park mission center.

Another stop took Fr. Pietro and Fr. Tesfaye to Monroe, Michigan, where the Ladies Auxiliary of Monroe keep memories of our presence there many years ago. Despite the cold, the visitors stopped over at St. Joseph’s cemetery to pray for our deceased confreres who are laid to rest there.

Despite the cold, ice, and snow in Kitchener, Ontario (Canada), the Father General and the Assistant were warmly welcomed by the faithful of St. Joseph and St. Ann Parishes. Fr. Tesfaye was able to concelebrate in the Ge’ez rite during the celebration with the Eritrean community presided over by Fr. Mussie Abraham. The leaders of the Eritrean and South Sudanese communities expressed gratitude for the pastoral closeness they receive from the Comboni Missionaries.

It had been our hope to show Fr. Tesfaye and Fr. Pietro Niagara Falls and enjoy the sight of this beautiful natural wonder, yet the cold chill would not permit a long stay out of the car. A quick “Japanese visit,” that is, a stop for a few photos, was enough.

Thanks for your visit. May God, St. Daniel Comboni, Our Lady of Guadalupe accompany you towards the forthcoming XIX General Chapter and reward you for the service to the whole Institute of the Comboni Missionaries!