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eMatrimony.org Supporting, Encouraging, and Challenging the WWME Community |
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| News - International Join Us In Prayers of Thanksgiving For Forty Years of Priesthood Fr. Mario Barbero Kinshasa, My dear Friends, December 8, 1965 an unforgettable moment: 40 years ago, I was in St. Peter Square in Rome witnessing the closing of the Vatican II: In presence of the 2,500 bishops who had gathered in Rome for 4 years, and of a huge crowd, Pope Paul VI declared solemnly the closing of the Vatican Council. As a seminarian studying in Rome at the time, I had the grace of witnessing the opening, the development and the closing of that event that deeply marked the life of the Church. December 19, 1965: a few days after the closing of the Council, in the church where I had been baptized I experienced another unforgettable event: my priestly ordination. The "film" of that day is still vividly present in my memory. The church was overflowing (in its 250 years of history it was the first time a priestly ordination was taking place there), so many of my relatives and friends were there. My brother priest Anthony who had inspired me to become a missionary priest like him, was at my side and my younger brother Thomas, by then a seminarian, was serving at the celebration. I remember vividly well the laying of the hands of the Bishop, the anointing of my hands with the Chrism, my promise of obedience to the Bishop. Then, outside the Church, followed the meeting with so many relatives and friends and parishioners. We took a picture with all my relatives, over one hundred of them; and of my immediate family. It seems impossible that 40 years have already gone by, but when I look at those pictures, I see that many of my relatives, the generation of my parents and uncles, have already gone with the Lord. And looking at the picture of my family I see my nephews and nieces, then teen-agers, are now parents and grand-parents, so I have no doubt that many years have gone by. Forty years of missionary priesthood, about 17,000 Masses celebrated (precisely 16,720: I have the habit of noting every day the date and place where I celebrate Mass) in Italy, Kenya, USA and Canada, Congo and other African countries. Masses celebrated in different languages, among Christians of different cultures, but sharing the same faith in Jesus Christ. All during these years I have seen the fruits of the Vatican II: a liturgy more participated by people, the massive involvement of lay people in the Church, the outstanding growth of the Church in Africa. So many people, in all these 40 years, have supported and enriched my life as a priest. I think in a special way of the many seminarians who have become priests (and several of them Bishops, in Africa), and the many couples and families who have opened to me their hearts and their homes in Africa, in North America and in Italy. For all this I can only say "Thank you Lord, thank you, my relatives and friends". And now some recent news: After my vacations in the USA and Italy I have returned to Kinshasa, on September 26, and I have resumed my various activities here. I live at the "Théologat Joseph Allamano" with two other priests, Fr. Sympho, Congolese, and Osorio, Mozambican and 18 Consolata seminarians, our community is composed of 6 different nationalities. I continue teaching Bible at the Institut St. Eugene de Mazenod (where our seminarians go for their courses) and at Jean XXIII, the archdiocesan seminary. I am still in charge of the English-speaking communities of Kinshasa and I minister to some religious communities, among them the Missionaries of Charity, the Sisters of Mother Teresa. Then I continue my commitment to the Marriage Encounter community of Kinshasa (that is slowly growing), convinced that the family apostolate has to be a priority of the Church. This afternoon here at our seminary we had a joyful celebration of the feast of the Immaculate Conception. During this celebration 15 of our seminarians have renewed their vows and one took his final vows ("for life") as Consolata missionary. As for the situation in the country, these days the attention is focused in the next electoral activities that should conclude the Transition period with "free, democratic and transparent" elections. Overcoming huge difficulties (like reaching villages in remote areas where there are no roads), the Electoral Commission has managed (with the assistance of the UN) to register about 24 million voters who will be able to vote in the Referendum on the Constitution (December 18) and then in Parliamentary and Presidential Elections. All this should happen before June 2006, the date of the end of the Transition. We hope and pray that this program will be implemented and that our country may have (for the first time in 45 years) leaders who have been elected by the people. The social and economic situation remains incredibly difficult, with very high unemployment and very low pay for the few who have a job. I keep wondering how people can survive and marvel at their creativity. In this atmosphere of great expectations, we are approaching to Christmas and to the New Year. As I thank the Lord for the 40 years of my priestly life (asking you to join me in thanking the Lord) I wish every one of you Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year, assuring you of my friendship and grateful prayer. Fr. Mario Barbero, IMC Théologat Joseph Allamano P. S. Those of you who wish to support my missionary service with the seminarians and the ME community in Kinshasa, could send their donations to: Consolata Missionaries With this instruction: Click here for a printable version (PDF, 12KB)
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