Freetown (Agenzia Fides) - July 8 marked the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the first Xaverian Missionaries in Sierra Leone (see Fides 7/7/2010). In all these years they contributed considerably to building up the local Church as we are told by Fr. Gerardo Caglioni, for years a missionary in those lands, in his testimony sent to Fides.
“The arrival - 60 years ago - of Xaverian missionaries introduced a new element in the life of the Church in Sierra Leone. The Vicariate of Sierra Leone (founded in 1858 with Mgr Brésillac) was divided, the Apostolic prefecture Makeni created and later became a diocese (1962). In this way the north of the country, entrusted entirely to the Xaverians, besides a commitment of being a fecund land for Plantatio Ecclesiae, received the important charge of becoming a local Church. And it is in this sense that the Xaverians have worked all these years. They had come as missionaries and now, after 60 years and two Bishops of the religious-missionary congregation, Mgr. Augusto Azzolini and Mgr Giorgio Biguzzi – they are about to hand over this Church - which they built in an intense and fecund period - to a member of the local clergy whome they themselves generated. On completing his 75th year Bishop Biguzzi will hand this Church to a native member of the young local Church.
The Xaverians (like the Spiritans and other religious still operating in the country) achieved much in so many years of work in Sierra Leone. Beginning with education in schools, and on to generous caring for the poor and the sick, they gave life to a dynamic and resourceful local Church. With parishes, out-stations, seminaries, catechetical and pastoral centres, convents, and countless other activities, they helped a Church grow and mature, a Church which today can proudly claim to be adult. I do not deny, as the First Synod for Africa affirmed, that the help of missionaries is still necessary, but I do think the Church is mature enough to feel self-supporting. I believe, in this specific case, the Xaverians can be proud of their work (shorter or longer period) in Sierra Leone.
After arriving in a land still foreign to the Gospel, practically without any structures whatsoever, now, sixty years later, they entrust this adult Church of Makeni to the African community which they generated, filled with dynamic centres and activities, and a well prepared almost self-supporting clergy. The multiplication of the dioceses of Sierra Leone appears to be imminent. The first Christians of 150 years ago have multiplied but above all they are committed to orienting and directing their future with a personalised, made to measure Church. Numerous priests and lay faithful want to make the decisions they think are best for the future of their Church. In fact, the Holy Ghost Fathers first, and then the Xaverian missionaries, were joined by many other religious institutes and communities of consecrated persons which enriched and positively stimulated this land of Africa. And continue to do so.
Following the terrible decade of civil war caused by RUF, many civil organisations came to this national territory to facilitate civil e moral reconstruction. They acted as positive leaven for the whole country. In this field too the Xaverians made a significant and competent contribution which we shall not describe here. Its fruits will be narrated by history when the time comes. I will close with a prayer. May so many years of work and sacrifice for the proclamation of the Gospel in this land of Africa be the fruitful seed of the Gospel parable. Precisely because the seed dies it will bear fruit. The Xaverians today are in a time of recession. Most of our missions are now run by local clergy and many Xaverian Missionaries are elderly and in poor health. New vocations, especially on the old continent, have difficulty in budding. Perhaps the time has come for this seed to entrust itself to the earth and let nature play its part. It is up to the good Lord to bless this seed for a new life in the future . (Fr. Gerardo Caglioni, SX) (Agenzia Fides 21/7/2010)
