Mbi bala ala…
(A greeting in Sango)…
During this time of Lent we have received the grace to experience moments of joy…
…On Sunday, March 19, two sons of Central Africa, Dreyfus and Romain were ordained to the priesthood as Comboni Missionaries by Card. Dieudonné Nzapalainga, archbishop of Bangui. The Comboni parish of Our Lady of Fatima was decorated for the occasion and throughout the morning it filled up with people wanting to share in the joy of the moment, something that does not happen every year, especially with a double ordination… a sign that even in the midst of difficulties the Church of Central Africa and the Comboni family are slowly growing…
…The next moment of joy took place the following Sunday, March 26, in the cathedral of Bangui with the episcopal ordination of the new bishop of the diocese of Bambari, a new shepherd for this remote area which is still living through troublesome days of instability and insecurity…
… these were moments of joy lived through dances, singing, showy dresses, palm branches, drums and choirs…
…but the people felt fully involved, including in the sorrowful moments typical of Lent, confessions, the Way of the Cross and the Easter Triduum, in a special way the women and the mothers kneeling during the entire celebration at the cathedral or on the red clay of the entrance to Fatima parish. The Comboni missionary shows us that the sorrow and the suffering in the history of Central Africa, not only in the past but in its daily form, brings people to identify with the history of this “man beaten, tortured, killed and crucified…
…however, after moments of pain, joy returns in the Easter Vigil, and again in the morning Mass with dances, fires, lights, the blessing with water, the choir singing Alleluia… because Life wins over death, Joy trumps Sorrow…
…Happy Easter to all and forever from Bangui: The spiritual capital of the world!
Greetings, hugs, kisses, prayers and THANKS…
Simone, CLM in Central Africa
