Claretian Formation

CLARETIAN MISSIONS IN AFRICA

ANGOLA

Luanda (Founded in 1992) Province of Portugal.

The Bishop of Luso offered in 1969 to the Claretian missionaries a vast sector of his diocese and the Portuguese province accepted the call. The zone was an authentic mosaic of tribes: Quiocos, Quimbumbos, Luenas… Some of them with very difficult languages and quite ancestral customs. Not infrequently there were faith groups that walked as much as 60 km. by foot in order to attend the Sunday Mass. The guerrilla climate was something habitual. In 1974 the mission of Tchamutete was established. The increase of violence, however, ended up with the expulsion of the missionaries in 1977.

In 1992 the Portuguese missionaries returned to Angola, but this time they went to Corimba, in the outskirts of Luanda, where the Congregation started in the midst of great difficulties, due to the effects of war. The missionaries had to attend also to the refugees. The missionary consolidation seems to grow rapidly and full of hope.

Lubango (Founded in 1997) Province of Portugal

This is a new foundation whose aim is to attend to a vast pastoral zone –around 100,000 people, many of which are war refugees—and to collaborate in the formation of native Angolan candidates to the consecrated life. The Claretian team takes care of the parish of the Immaculate Conception, in the outskirts of the city of Lubango.

CAMEROON

Akono (Founded in 1970) Delegation of Canada.

When the Archbishop of Yaoundé, Msgr. Zoa, explained to the Claretian Congregation the needs of a vast sector of his diocese, the province of Canada responded accepting the responsibility.

Although the official languages are French and English, it is necessary to know the native language in order to reach the people. There are several mission centres from which the missionaries must distribute the work throughout an area of 860 km2. The centres are Akono, Abang-Mindi and Nkol-Bisson. The people are poor but not miserable. They live in a subsistence economy. Almost all of the 15,000 inhabitants that compose our mission are already Catholic, thanks to the previous work of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the work to be done is not always that of implanting Christianity, but rather of cultivating what is already there. The pastoral work of the missionaries is centred on the formation of lay leaders and native catechists. To this effect they take care of the Lay Formation Centre of Akono (CEFOLA) where they impart formation sessions to the laity of a diocesan zone.

In addition to this pastoral work they also participate in the formation of the Claretians of Central Africa. The noviciate is in Akono. The first noviciate was established in 1978 and it marked a new stage in the experiences of the mission. The Claretian theologate of the entire Central Africa (Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Zaire, Guinea and São Tomé) is operating in Yaoundé since 1988. In 1983 the first Claretian from Cameroon was ordained.

Bamenda (Founded in 1986) Province of Nigeria.

In 1986 the Claretians of the province of USA West, after helping in the development of the Claretians in Nigeria, opened a new missionary field in West Cameroon, diocese of Bamenda, with two missions: Babanki-Tungo and Batibo. Lately the latter was abandoned and, for reasons of community life, the parish of Ndop was assumed. We are referring to the English speaking zone of Cameroon in the boundary with Nigeria.

It has 30,000 inhabitants, about 10,000 of which are Catholic. The geography of the place is mountainous woodland and located 900 meters above sea level, enjoying a mild and not very humid climate. The roads are generally dusty and relatively good, except during the rainy season. The Christian communities are rather young, hardly 15 to 20 years, and the customs of the traditional African religions are predominant. The missionary work mainly consists in making almost initial evangelisation, and presenting the Good News with simplicity.

In 1993 the mission was placed under the jurisdiction of the Province of Nigeria.

IVORY COAST

Abidjan y Bouaflé (Founded in 1990) Province of Poland

The first Claretian Missionaries arrived from the Province of Poland on 17 June 1990, to take charge of the two mission posts in Ivory Coast. One is in the zone of Abidjan (Vridi), diocese of Grand Bassam; once they familiarised themselves with the local language, they spread to the second in Bouaflé, a rural zone of the diocese of Daloà, in the interior of the country, with 135,000 inhabitants and 22 tribes, mostly animists. Since 1970 the Religious Sisters of St. Anthony M. Claret work in Ivory Coast.

Being a Catholic in Ivory Coast is, in a sense, a distinctive sign of social uplift. Only 10% of the population are Catholic, and they belong to the upper middle class. There are committed lay persons, but they are few. The growing material welfare chokes all spiritual interests and leads to a comfortable uncommitted Christianism. The Church-run schools have indeed offered faith, but without real missionary rooting. On the other hand we must not forget that the evangelisation started in Ivory Coast scarcely one hundred years ago and, in some regions, less than 50 years ago.

The need for more missionaries is urgent, due to the proliferation of sects. In 1993 the first native Claretian missionaries of Ivory Coast made their profession. The prospects of the mission are indeed optimistic. In 1997 the first native Claretian priest was ordained.

GABON

Franceville (Founded in 1975) Province of Italy.

Everything started when the Italian Claretians committed themselves to work with the Gabonese exiles in Equatorial Guinea. When they returned to their country, they asked for these missionaries until they decided to commit themselves to start a fixed mission. The revolution and the period of persecution had just ended.

Franceville is the capital of Haute-Ogooué, to the Southeast of Gabon, with some 18,000 inhabitants and near 7000 Christians. The Claretian mission has some 25,000 inhabitants in 3 parishes: Mingara, Okondja and Akieni. They speak their native tongue in addition to French, which is the official language. The number of Catholics is about 11,000.

Their priorities are the building up of Christian communities and the youth ministry. Human development is always at the basis of any missionary animation. Lately a Church has been constructed in Okondja, a symbol of the effort and growth of this community. A great step is also being taken with regards to literacy. In this work, the Claretians of Nigeria are collaborating and are currently thinking of the possibility of taking charge of some mission area. The Missionary Sisters of St. Anthony M. Claret are also collaborating in this mission. In 1997, the first two native Claretians of this missionary zone were ordained priests.

Libreville (Founded in 1995) Delegation of Equatorial Guinea.

In 1995, the Province of Equatorial Guinea deemed it appropriate to found the new community of Libreville as a welcome house for the missionaries from the interior of the country, or those who are passing through; also as a Mission Procure for the French-speaking Africa. At the same time they serve a parish.

GHANA

Damongo (Founded in 1997) Province of Nigeria

The diocese of Damongo is located in northern Ghana, West Africa, and is made up of two administrative districts, namely West Gonja and Bole. Damongo comprises a territory of about 24,627 square kilometres. The area is now divided in five parishes. The diocese is estimated to have presently a population of 221,000 inhabitants and is predominantly rural in nature, with very few towns that exceed 5,000 people. The transport network is rather poor, with secondary roads that are impracticable during the rainy season. The postal service is also extremely poor; even today traditional means of communications are being used, such as drums, musical instruments and messengers. The literacy level is very low, to the extent that in some places for every 10 communities, only one person can be found who can read.

In the diocese, besides the Catholic Church, there are also the Pentecostal and the Methodist churches, the church of Musama Discop Christo, Islam and the traditional religions. There are more than 20 ethnic groups in the diocese and it is very difficult to communicate the Christian doctrine in an illiterate milieu. The multiplicity of dialects or languages prevents the missionary from learning one that may serve as a means of communication for all.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Bioko and Río Muni (Founded in 1883) Delegation of Equatorial Guinea.

These were the first missions taken by the Claretian Missionaries. This fulfilled the dreams of Fr. Xifré. The first expedition was composed of 12 missionaries, selected from among very many volunteers. A great many missionaries died there, victims of the inclement weather and the arduous apostolate, but the enthusiasm was constantly increasing among them. “The Most Rev. Fr. General, wrote Fr. Armengol Coll, at his return from the Eternal City, manifested to the Noviciate the hopes that Rome had placed in us. He described with vivid and, sometimes, dreadful colours the reality of the equatorial countries: the many wild beasts, serpents and poisonous animals that swarm there, etc. And seeing how eagerly we listened to his stories and how ardently the young men desired to be sent there in spite of all these difficulties, he was filled with joy.” The missionary adventure took the lives of many missionaries: the statistics tell us of 50% dead and 25% rendered useless through sickness in just a few years. This however never daunted the missionaries.

In 1968, Equatorial Guinea obtained its independence. The Claretian missionaries, both Spaniards and natives, including the Claretian bishop Msgr. Nze, were working in 10 schools, the press, radio and TV, 23 colleges, in addition to the parochial work. Almost 80% were Catholic: the most Catholic nation of Africa. But the events came suddenly. Soon trials and persecutions began and the missionary activity gradually diminished. In 1970 the first missionaries were expelled and in 1971 the Claretian bishops too abandoned the place. In 1975 all seminaries, schools and colleges were closed. The Church was reduced to silence. Only the native missionaries and one Spaniard were able to remain in the country, though they were arrested, first in their houses and later in public prisons.

The coup d’état put an end to the nightmare. Since then the mission has been reorganised. The Congregation is presently trying to promote missionary life in Guinea through the provinces of Spain. Its objectives are: to rebuild the morale of the Christian communities through the servants of the Word, education and promotion of the people. There are three dioceses in Guinea: Malabo, Bata and Ebebiyin. The Claretian missionaries, one of which, a native, is Bishop of Ebebiyin, are working in all three of them. Emerging from their own ashes, the Claretians started gathering promising young men in 1980; the first ones have already been ordained. The present challenges are: the formation of the laity, the training of catechists and the promotion of lay ministries.

KENYA

Mombasa (Founded in 1991) Province of Nigeria.

With this new position, the Congregation makes itself present in the East coast of Africa. Since January 1991, two Nigerian priests are working in Mombasa. Their main activity is learning the native language, the Swahili, the understanding of the reality of the country and some pastoral work. In 1992 they were entrusted with the care of the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Shanzu, in the outskirts of Mombasa, with 50,000 inhabitants, 3,000 of which are Catholic. They dedicate themselves in a special way to the tourists who visit Mombasa, Kenya’s second industrial city and its main port.

The diocese where this Claretian enclave is rooted has 51 diocesan priests, most of which are native. Almost all of the 18 religious working there are foreigners.

A project is on the move to establish in Nairobi the Mission Procure and the Claretian theology house for Eastern Africa, comprising Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

NIGERIA

Owerri (Founded in 1973) Province of Nigeria.

The Claretian seed that was to bear fruit in Nigeria was providentially carried by Fr. Christian Ihedoro who worked first in Guinea as a teacher for the Nigerians. He studied in Spain and when he was about to return to Guinea after the civil war, he was denied entry because, during the trip, his passport and visa were stolen, and he was forced to go to Nigeria.

The Claretian work started in the diocese of Owerri, territory of the Ibos, 65% of which are Catholic. The basic work was vocation promotion and formation. This ministry soon gave positive results, and Nigeria became one of the organisms of the Congregation with highest number of vocations. The missionary work they were already performing in the parish of St. Patrick, near the formation centre of Maryland and the noviciate of Utonkon spread in 1987 to other parishes: Bacita, Jebba and Ogbomosho, where Islam and the traditional religions are dominant. This zone is inhabited by a great number of workers from neighbouring industries belonging to many ethnic groups with a strong tribal conscience, which makes mutual understanding and even communication very difficult.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Kingandu (Founded in 1962) Province of Germany.

In 1962, the German province took under its care the Mission of Kingandu, which had been founded in 1929 by the Jesuits. The beginnings were difficult because the Republic of Congo (former Zaire), independent after 1960, was in a chaotic situation: revolts, secession moves, rebellions and degradation at all levels, which made missionary work most difficult. The country came into a relative calm when the army took over the government under the command of General Mobutu. The Mission went through a difficult period in the 70’s, especially in 1972 and 1975. The recourse to authenticity provoked a serious conflict between Church and State under president Mobutu: prohibition of Christian names, of religious movements, closure of seminaries, etc., all of which greatly limited all missionary activity. Many missionaries abandoned the country, others were expelled; but from 1975 on, the situation began to normalise. The Church came out of its conflict strengthened: the conflict had elicited in many lay people a positive awareness of their responsibilities. In addition, the conflict had also been positive for the resurgence of vocations.

The countryside is made up of a series of plateaux deprived of trees and covered with wild grass about one meter tall. There are two missionary zones: Kingandu-Pay with more than 100,000 inhabitants and Mukila-Kindi (a mission accepted in 1982) with about 20,000 inhabitants. These zones are poor, with great dependence from the chiefs of clans, lack of communications and of health and education infrastructures. In 1964 the first native priest was ordained, and the team began to increase. In Mont Ngafula a great number of Claretians from various African nations are being trained since 1982.

The basic work is initial evangelisation, formation of catechists, youth ministry, vocation promotion and human promotion: teaching, health and agricultural development. Lately the situation has again become most difficult for the missionaries.

SÃO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE

São Tomé and Principe (Founded in 1927) Province of Portugal.

These islands are located in the midst of the Atlantic, astride the Equator. The climate is tropical, hot and humid. The Congregation came to these islands on 1 November 1927. No priest had set foot there for eight years. The great religiosity of the natives was all mixed with superstition and polygamy reigned there as a normal thing. The Claretian missionaries had to face many obstacles and they strove to overcome them with a great spirit of patience and perseverance.

In 1974 the revolution changed everything. Starting in 1978 a persecution began which culminated in the confiscation of the central house of the Claretians of São Tomé. In just a few years, a long period of apostolic work came to nothing. In 1981 a new dawn of faith broke again. The diocese is being basically run by Claretian missionaries. The population is approximately 100,000 inhabitants. The Claretian Fr. Joao Freitas Alves became the Apostolic Vicar and with great decision he restructured the entire pastoral plan. The basic priorities were: catechetics, youth and family ministry and formation of catechists. In September 1944 for the first time there were priestly ordinations in the island: three Claretian young men were ordained. The missionaries are fully committed to catechetics, teaching, radio, press and the lyceum.

TANZANIA

Musoma (Founded in 1994) Province of Chennai.

Musoma is located in the eastern part of the country, on the banks of Lake Victoria. It has a population of one million inhabitants, about 5% of which are Catholic. The Missionaries of Africa or White Fathers were the first evangelisers of this region of Tanzania.

The Claretian missionaries arrived in September of 1994, coming from the Province of Chennai with the intention of learning the language and collaborating in the pastoral plan of the diocese of Musoma. In this part of Africa there is abundance of vocations. They are working in the Makoto Centre, a centre that offers courses and seminars for lay people.

Morogoro has been selected to house the postulants of the entire Eastern Africa (Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya).

UGANDA

Jinja (Founded in 1995) Province of Bangalore.

After serious study, the Province of Bangalore decided to found a mission in Uganda. Our missionary presence started in the diocese of Jinja, to the Southeast of Uganda. In 1966 the Bishop offered to the Claretian Missionaries the direction of the Diocesan Catechetical Centre and part of the parish of Kiyunga, 55 km from Jinja. The interreligious school of philosophy of Jinja was chosen for the formation of the Claretians in the Eastern part of Africa and in 1999 the noviciate of Eastern Africa was inaugurated.