AFRICA/ANGOLA – Father Avò’s mission: to find people as Jesus found them, even in the most absurd situations
Monday, 29 July 2024
SMA
Luanda (Agenzia Fides) – “Without catechists, nothing can be done here,” says Father Renzo Adorni, a missionary in Luanda in the parish of Bom Pastor. “In our parish we had many, about 400; and we also sent them to the new parishes that we founded and entrusted to the local clergy – continues the priest of the Society of African Missions -.
In recent years, ten new priests have been ordained: young people born and raised in our neighborhood. We have directed them to the diocesan seminary, without sending them to the SMA, because our job is to create a solid Church, with a local clergy. However, this year we have also started a missionary vocation group, for those who want to be like us, ready to go to other countries to announce Jesus.”
“Our schools – says the missionary – have trained engineers, nurses, doctors, technicians who work on oil platforms, people employed in administration, in government… They have not distanced themselves from the Church and now they help us in many ways, such as nurses who spend two or three hours a week teaching catechism to children or adults when they could be dealing with their personal affairs”.
“I am already old: many people do not know my name because they do not call me “Father Renzo”, but they say “Avò”, which means grandfather in Portuguese. At 85 years old I can no longer walk through the neighborhoods as before, with these legs I get tired easily. Now it is ‘the mountain that goes to Mohammed’!” – says Father Renzo happily. “Every day many people come to see me. I have never met so many people as now. They come to talk about their problems, to ask for help, to talk about their families, their children, their fear of fetishes and witchcraft… Or even to pay tithes. Each Christian pays 240 kwanzas a month (about 20 cents) to support the Church. But I never meet a person without having prayed together. This impresses people, who then say: ‘Go there, to that priest; he will help you to pray’. It is something wonderful. And for me a new discovery. Before, I welcomed people, talked, did a lot of work… Now, instead, I pray, and people leave satisfied.”
“If I were twenty years younger, I would ask to go to other dioceses. There are two very large ones that ask for help: Luena, a third of Italy, which only has ten priests, and Cubango, even larger, with few vocations and enormous difficulties. I ask the Lord to inspire in young people this same missionary desire of mine: because it is worth it!
This is my mission today: to find people as Jesus found them, even in the most absurd situations.” After Ivory Coast and Nigeria, Fr. Renzo was in Angola with Fr. Luigino Frattin from Treviso and Fr. Denu Paschal Wisdom from Nigeria. Theirs is a huge parish, on the northern outskirts of the capital: a poor area, with many difficulties, but also with great opportunities for happiness. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 29/7/2024)
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Publish date : 2024-07-29 12:30:21
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