Fresh News from the Worldwide Network of the Xaverian Missionaries – 11.19.2024
Since November 5th is the Feast of St. Guido Conforti, founder of the Xaverian Missionaries, our communities and regions in different parts of the world used this time to come together, pray, reflect, and plan for the future. Here are some of those experiences.
ST. GUIDO MARIA CONFORTI PARISH – MAKENI – SIERRA LEONE: PRESBYTERAL ORDINATION
On Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 11:00 am, in the parish of St. Guido Maria Conforti, Makeni, Sierra Leone, our confrere Mark Bangura Gbama will be ordained to the priesthood through the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination by Bishop Bob John Hassan Koroma, bishop of the Diocese of Makeni, Sierra Leone.
MOZAMBIQUE – DG VISIT – ASSEMBLY – SPIRITUAL EXERCISES AND COUNTRY SITUATION
For our Delegation in Mozambique, the days around November 5th were intense and beautiful. On October 25, 2024, we received our confreres of the General Direction, Fr Fernando García Rodríguez and Fr Fabien Kalehezo T’Chiribuka, who, soon after, visited the two communities in the north, Charre and Sena, 500 km from the city of Beira. They met with the two urban communities, Dondo and Inhamizwa. Together, we then met in London on 3 and 4 November 2024 for the second of the two annual assemblies. The following day, in the formation house in Inhamizwa, we celebrated the Founder’s Day with a retreat led by Fr Fernando and the Eucharist, with the participation of our young people from the Propaedeutics and the Gamix (Friends of the Xaverian Missionaries) group.
After the departure of the DG confreres, we gathered from 7 to 13 November 2024 in the Marera Spirituality Centre for the week of spiritual exercises guided by Fr João Linha, Rector of the Beira Propaedeutic Seminary, who helped us reflect and pray on the topic: ‘Community life: a place of sharing and joy, of sense of belonging in communion and growth in faith’.
The sense of fraternity and gratitude to God goes hand in hand with a sense of concern about the political situation in the country. After the elections on October 9, 2024, accompanied by fraud and irregularities on the side of Frelimo, the party that has uninterruptedly governed Mozambique for 49 years, the discontent that had been boiling in the social fabric for some time due to corruption, authoritarianism, inequality and lack of opportunities for the youngest broke out in demonstrations and street protests harshly repressed by the police, and that has so far (November 11, 2024) left 35 dead. (Andrea Sacchetti s.x.)
CAMERUN – CIAD CIRCUMSCRIPTION: ANNUAL ASSEMBLY NORTHERN ZONE (CHAD)
We had our annual Assembly in Bongor, Chad, from November 4 to 7, 2024.
In an atmosphere of fraternity, we met with the brothers of our different communities in Chad and with Fr Tonino Melis. Fr. Sergio Galimberti and Fr. Antxon Serrano Insausti were absent for reasons of leave and previous commitments, respectively.
We began with a moment of sharing: each community presented its Life Project, the joys and challenges in the apostolate, the new experiences undertaken, and the future in some of our communities, Tagal, Bongor, and N’Djamena.
We took time to present and share the work of the Commissions in view of the journey to becoming a Delegation (of Chad).
We then proceeded to talk about the preparation of the January assembly, the DG’s visit, collaboration and conventions with the dioceses of Pala and N’Djamena, some other projects, etc.
The Assembly designated Fr. Jésus Manuel Calero Perera as the correspondent of the Center for African Studies for Chad.
In communion with our brothers present in Cameroon and with all the members of our missionary family, we celebrated our holy Founder with the renewal of the vows of our young brother, Emmanuel Nshokano Kajibwami, in his formative period in Bitkine. (Gilbert Mbula Niyitegeka s.x.)
CAMERUN – CIAD CIRCUMSCRIPTION: ANNUAL ASSEMBLY, SOUTH ZONE (CAMEROON)
From November 4 to 8, 2024, the confreres of the Cameroon zone gathered in Douala for the annual Assembly. We celebrated the feast of our Founder, together with the Final Profession of Arnoldus Heriyanto Kurniawan and the renewal of the vows of nine other brothers of the International Theological community of Yaoundé.
Sister Lucia Citro, a Xaverian Missionary of Mary, animated the moment of preparation for the celebration of the founder.
Exploring the theme of “Pilgrims of Hope”, we had a pleasant moment of prayer, exchange and sharing. All the communities shared their respective “Life Projects,” and then we addressed common topics, among others: the path of the new configuration of the Circumscription, the work of the commissions, and the economic situation of our communities. We ended the gathering by listening to the various family news and setting appointments for the next few days. (Gilbert Mbula Niyitegeka s.x.)
BURUNDI-BUJUMBURA: HOUSE OF THE MARTYRS OF FRATERNITY
On the solemnity of our Founder, Saint Guido Maria Conforti, the community of pre-noviciate and noviciate (named after “The Martyrs of Fraternity”) in Burundi was joined by the Lay and the Xaverians working in Burundi as well as the confreres of Kilomoni (RDC). The nearly 100 participants had a moment of recollection led by Fr Cassien Nshimirimana. The topic was “The Xaverian charism as the appropriate response to Christ’s missionary mandate”. During the sharing, the participants underlined the urgency of our charism nowadays. Then, the Regional Superior, Fr Philbert Ntahimpera, presided over the Eucharistic celebration. In his homily, he reminded the assembly of the necessity of the Mission ad gentes as intended by the Founder. After the Mass, all the participants shared a glass of wine while enjoying the various songs, dances and plays prepared by the novices and pre-novices. (Cassien Nshimirimana s.x.)
INDONESIAN CIRCUMSCRIPTION: PHILOSOPHY AND NOVITIATE COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE TOGETHER
On Sunday, November 3, 2024, in preparation for Founder’s Day, we gathered together with the members of the philosophy community. Six formators and forty-seven brothers from the two communities came together for the day. We had competitions, created a photo mosaic, and enjoyed sports. We prayed the novena and celebrated the Eucharist. Fr. Petrus Hardiyanto, vice regional of the Xaverian Indonesia circumscription, acknowledged the many vocations as a sign of how blessed our circumscription is. Then, on Tuesday, November 5, the pre-novices and novices joined the philosophy community and participated in the celebration for the renewal of vows by the second-, third–, and fourth-year brothers. These two days were, for us, a joyful time of togetherness. Indeed, the founder unites us all in one Xaverian family. (The Novitiate Community of Bintaro, Indonesia)
INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGATE – MALIGAYA – MANILA – PHILIPPINES: “OPEN HOUSE” III EDITION
The third “Open House” event, which saw the Theologate of Manila open its doors for a day of missionary animation, was held on Sunday, November 10, 2024. This year, 260 people participated in this event, which, through a step-by-step process, gave the participants a better understanding of the Xaverian Charism and the life of the Theology community. Indeed, the theme of this year’s event was to provide a deeper appreciation of the life of the Theology Community. The Open Day was preceded by several months of work in collaboration with the Commission of Animation of the Delegation, the Community of the Philosophy in Project 8, and the Lay Xaverians. The positive comments were many. (Matteo Rebecchi s.x.)
PARMA – MOTHER HOUSE: EUROPEAN FORUM
The first symposium of the European Forum was held on Friday, November 8, 2024, in the conference room of the Mother House. It was a day of reflection on the challenges of mission today in Europe. It was organized by a working group of representatives of the Xaverian Missionaries from European circumscriptions, the Missionary Sisters of Mary – Xaverians, and the Xaverian laity… (Paolo Tovo s.x.)
ROME – XAVERIAN COMMUNITY
On Saturday, November 02, 2024, the Xaverian missionaries living in Rome gathered at the Collegio Conforti for a day of reflection, prayer, celebration, and feast in preparation for the solemnity of St Guido Maria Conforti. The day began with a retreat led by Fr Pascal Atumissi Bekububo sx on the theme of ‘resilience’ in the life of the Founder and his children. During the Eucharistic celebration, presided over by the preacher, several brothers shared a personal thought or a prayer based on the proposed topic and their own experience. Lunch followed, prepared by various hands and hearts, colours, ages, services… all ‘home-made’. The hall welcomed everyone: 25 brothers of 10 nationalities. The youngest… in his 25 (years) and the oldest… in his 68 (years).
On Tuesday, 05 November 2024, in the chapel of Viale Vaticano 40, in the simplicity and dignity of the community evening prayers, our confreres Herybertus (Erick) Jakpen Metta Ndeto and François Shamavu Mateso renewed their temporary vows as brothers among brothers.
