Celebrating Christmas

This year, the feast of Christmas was marked by a solemn celebration in the church, in which our children received a plastic bag with assorted biscuits. After that, we went to visit one of our members in hospital, a liberian called Moises, who, yesterday, got his legs burnt by gasoline. We prayed for him and gave him a little sum of money collected during the mass.

He was very surprised and grateful for our gift, which he did not expected. We took the chance to visit other patients in the same ward, some of whom we recognized as our neighbors or relatives.We were horrified to discover that the hospital  in which Moises is being treated (Hospital militar principal) is brand new but ... without electricity.

Visit to Mrs. Olympia

Following a consolidated tradition, our community decided - on the eve of Christmas day - to pay a visit to Mrs. Olympia, whom our readers know very well by now. She is the "mother" of seventeen orphans whom she rescued from sickness, starvation and maybe death.
As soon as we arrived we were greeted by cheers of joy. We quickly realized that the house is in very poor conditions and even partially fallen down. Actually her older boys (aged 19 and 18) were working at a new house in the courtyard, while we were there.We offered a bag of rice and an envelope with money.
Once more, we were surprised by the courage and strength of this simple woman, who accepted to be the mother of such a multitude of children.

Take courage, Mrs. Olympia, with your example you give honor to the people of Guinea-Bissau.

The story of Mrs. Olympia

Sometimes you discover wonderful people near you, in your area. They are doing marvelous things without making noise, simply trying to put in practice the Gospel in everyday life. One of these people is Olympia.
She lives in my parish and I regularly meet her at mass, on Sundays. But I didn’t know about her private life until this year. Here is her story.
She grew up in an orphanage for girls, run by the Franciscan Sisters, at Bor, a little village on the outskirts of Bissau. She studied to become a teacher. At the end of her studies, she started immediately teaching (in primary school) and is still doing so. In the meantime, she got married to an army officer, who would later become general and be appointed Chief of the Army Staff in Guinea-Bissau. His name was Verissimo Correia Seabra. He was killed in 2004, during a rebellion within the army. They had a girl, who is presently living in France and is already married with three children.
She was deeply shocked by the death of her husband, whom she loved a lot, but refused to give up. She had already started receiving motherless children in her home and stubbornly continued to do so. They were giving her the force to believe in life and in God’s love.
She is presently living with fifteen children, all of them orphans, coming from different families and backgrounds. She saved them from starvation, sickness and, probably, death. The oldest one is 20, the youngest is 3. They are all attending school, except for the little ones (who are five), because she hasn’t got the money to pay kindergarten for them.

Mrs. Olympia in her courtyard

Teaching her kids to sing

Mgr. José Lampra Ca is the new auxiliary Bishop of Bissau

The ceremony, which took place last Saturday, November 12, was a bit long (nearly four hours), but lively and exciting.In front of a joyful congregation of about 3,000 faithful the new bishop was ordained in a simple and solemn Eucharistic celebration. The president of the celebration was Mgr. José Camnate, titular bishop of Bissau, surrounded by seven other bishops coming from the nearby dioceses (Senegal, Cabo Verde and Bafata) and some 115 priests. Mgr. José Lampra Ca was born in the Biombo region, in 1964. He is presently serving the Diocese of Bissau in the quality of professor of philosophy at the Great Diocesan Seminary.

 

New bishop to be ordained on November 12th

The Diocese of Bissau is about to have a new bishop. His name is Mgr. José Lampra Ca. He was born in a small village of  the Biombo district and belongs to the Pepel ethnic group. He will  help Mgr. José Camnate as an auxiliary bishop. At the moment of the nomination, he was serving as the director of the Diocesan Minor Seminary, office that he had to quit because of the new responsibilities. However, he will continue lecturing at the Great Seminary, where he is a professor of philosophy.

The ceremony of the ordination will take place on November 12th, at 10 AM in front of the Cathedral of Bissau. Don't miss it!!!

Fr. Celso retained in Italy

Fr. Celso, due to come back at the end of this month, will be obliged to remain in Italy for treatment. He's got hepatitis C - a lever problem - and will have to undergo a period of observation and medical treatment. He wrote a letter to fr. Renato, saying that he feels very well and was not conscious of being sick.

We wish him fast recovery and assure our communion in prayer.

Father Renato meets the bishop of Tripoli, Mgr. Martinelli

It happened at the beginning of september 2011, in a beautiful holiday resort near Venice. Fr. Renato was spending a week at the seaside, when he got the chance of meeting Mgr. Martinelli, the bishop of Tripoli, in that same place. The reverend bishop was following a week-programme of rehabilitation for his right arm, which has become insensible. Fr. Renato, on the contrary, was attending a course of franciscan spirituality.

Fr. Renato, Mgr. Martinelli and sr. Rosina

The bishop told him of the difficult conditions in which his christians - all strictly foreigners, since the country is islamic at 99% - are living in the country, the innumerable sacrifices they have to face in order to keep their faith alive and strong. His Church is really a community in time of persecution.

News from Fr. Celso

Fr. Celso sent a message to Fr. Renato, in which he says he is getting better. He is presently at Reggio Emilia, in Northern Italy, at his sister's house.

Fr. Celso with his sister and her husband

Message of fr. Celso from Italy

11.08.11 (Feast of St. Clare of Assisi)

My dear friends,

I am writing these few lines from Italy where I’ve been since the end of July. I should really have been in my mission in Guinea Bissau at this time rather than here. The cause of this is because of my health: I got an unknown fever for ten days or so that would not go away. The doctor advised me to come to Italy to the Don Calabria Hospital at Negrar (Verona) which has a wing dedicated to tropical diseases. Thanks be to God that after two days there they discovered the virus that produces this fever and after 8 days I was out of hospital. I will have to return to Guinea in September if all goes well.

Father Celso in Italy for treatment

Because of a mysterious fever which the physicians at Cumura were not able to identify, fr. Celso is presently in Italy for observation. Fr. Renato was able to talk to him on the phone todaly (August 3). He said that he is doing well, since the fever has gone down. 

Thank you, Lord!

Fr. Celso with two little friends (N'Dame)

The community pastoral council holds its first seminar

For the first time in its life, the community pastoral council held a seminar at Bra. The theme chosen by the organizers was: "Go into the world and proclaim the Good News to all creation" (Mk 16, 15) and the topics were: Nature, purpose and function of the parish pastoral council and The spiritual growth of the members. The members received two talks offered respectively by Fr. Celso and Fr. Renato, the two spiritual assistants of the English-speaking Catholic community. At the end the participants shared about the internal affairs of the community and concluded the meeting with a prayer. The president Paul Ikwelle thanked the two priests for their effort and encouraged the members to carry out the teachings received.

The members of the community pastoral council with the two spiritual assistants and other guest priests

One of the teachings: "The aim of the council is to make the life and activity of the parish ever more closely conform to the gospel" (Paul VI):

A bit of history

It is good the recall how the English group started. It was at the end of 2005 we met some English speaking people in a Cyber Café in Bissau. We asked them where they were from. Some said from Nigeria, others from other countries. We proposed them to meet from time to time in order to form a little group. They agreed. The first meetings were held in the Curia. One of them was elected as chairman. His name: Nfor Dama, from Cameroon. We celebrated the first Mass in N’Dame in June 2006.

Later on, for family reasons, Nfor had to leave and return to his country. Thanks to God, the group continued and today is composed of about 70 people.

Here is what Nfor recently wrote from Cameroon, after receiving the news of the Holy Trinity Day Feast:

“I am happy and grateful for the good news. May the grace, the mercy and the blessing of God be with you all. I am happy to hear my efforts have made a change and finally God answered my prayers. English Mass at last has come to stay, God’s willing”. 

The first picture shows Nfor (the second one from the right) and the second picture the first Mass in N’Dame.

                                                                                                          Fr. Celso

The Holy Trinity celebrated its 4th anniversary

Last Sunday, some 70  membres of the Holy Trinity community celebrated the feast of its saint Patron (the Three Divine Persons) and, at the same time, the4th anniversary of its foundation at St. John the Baptist Parish, Bra (Bissau). The celebration was presided by the Rev. Fr. Renato Chiumento, surrounded by four priests (Fr. Celso, Fr. Domingos Ihala, Fr. Wenceslaw and Fr. Jorge). Two sisters were also present (Sr. Estela from Nigeria and a sister from India). The atmosphere was really fantastic. We shared a meal together under the trees, in the open air.

The community at the end of the celebration

After the Mass we shared a meal together under the tree

Invitation

Dear friends,
you are most welcome to our feast that will take place next Sunday, at the parish of Bra/Bissau. The celebration will start at 11.30 AM. Don't be late because the places are limited!
We are waiting for you! Come and be blessed by God!

OUR WEEKLY PROGRAM

1. Holy Mass - every Sunday, at 11.30 AM at S. John the Baptist Parish (Bra)
2. Prayer meeting - every Wednesday, at 6.030 PM, at S. Pedro Church (opposite Sitek)

OUR GROUPS
1. Choir group
2. Reader group

More groups are scheduled (couples, children, youth). Please, feel freee to come and visit us.