The cloud was tense, with a lot of mixed feelings, it was the 15th of December 2024, that marked an historic day in the life of Gambo mission of the region of Ethiopia. However, king Solomon shares his wisdom that:
By Edgar Nyangiya *
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heavens. A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1ff).
As Consolata Missionaries family in Ethiopia, neither did we kill, tear, scatter, refrain from embracing, give up nor throw away Gambo mission, it is in line with our charism, when the faith grows, we are obliged to move and let the local ordinary keep cultivating and watering the faith that has already been sown.
Brief history of Gambo Mission
Gambo mission as a Catholic territory was started by Fr. Francis Gole, Ofm Cap. It was one of the outstation of Mine mission (now Weragu mission). Fr. Francis was an Ethiopian priest born in Mine, Weragu, West Oromia. He became a Catholic from Harar Vicariate run by the French Capuchin Fathers. Catholicism from Harar came to Midakidu, then Mine afterward Weragu. Now that Weragu had a big land for Coffee plantation, it later became a parish and Mine the outstation.
Upon becoming a priest, Fr. Francis took it to himself the task of spreading Catholicism to other parts of Ethiopia. As he proceeded to Arsi in Oromia region, there was atrocity action in Mine where a Capuchin priest was killed by one local man. The prime minister then, who was friendly to these missionaries promised to compensate the Catholic Church by giving them a land for the mission. The land that was given was from Negele Arsi going up to Alem-Gena.
This is where Gambo parish and her outstations are found until today. They thought of building the church at Negele, but the place was infested with Malaria; they decided to go upwards where they settled in Alem-Gena in the year 1924. Due to the Italian invasion from 1935, the church of Alem-Gena was destroyed, the foreign missionaries had to be deported from the country. Hence it was Abba Francis who remained as the forerunner of the growth of the Catholic Church in the region.
By this time, he had moved beyond Arsi and entered the southern part of Ethiopia. He found very active people in faith and hardworking in farming. Fr. Francis being a man of the people or a good shepherd, he was gifted in that he spoke more than seven local languages, that is how he managed to transmit Catholicism to many people. Some of the languages he spoke include; Amharic, Oromo, Hadiyinya, Kambatenya, Walayitenya, Sidamenya, etc.
In developing the Church in Gambo, he took twelve families from Kambata region and brought them to Gambo, he worked with them in building the Church and in farming the vast land that was under them. He could not rely on the Oromo people in these activities since they are by nature nomadic.
After the war against Italians, the Consolata Missionaries went back to Ethiopia and took over Gambo mission in the year 1973, replacing the Capuchins. They developed Gambo mission and most of the missions and parishes that are now found in Meki Vicariate. Now with Gambo mission handed over, we remain with two missions (Weragu and Halaba) this Meki Vicariate.
The Consolata Missionaries who have worked in Gambo mission since its inaugural to December 2024 are: Fr. Giovanni De Marchi, Fr. Lorenzo Ori, Fr. Silvio Sordella, Fr. Tarcisio Rossi, Fr. Paolo Angheben, Bro. Vincenzo Clerici, Fr. Renato Saudelli, Fr. Renzo Meneghini, Fr. Giovanni Monti, Fr. Leandro Chequela, Fr. John Wao, Fr. James King’ori, Fr. Domenico Zoldan, Fr. Jorge Amaro, Fr. Jorge Pratolongo, Fr. Giuseppe Giovanetti, Bro. Mark Waweru, Bro. Francisco Reyes, Fr. Eduardo Rasera, Fr. Francesco Ponsi, Fr. Ghebre Egziabher Gebru, Fr. Oscar Clavijo, Fr. Gabriel Kinfemichail, Fr.Tamene Asaro Safato, Fr. Sandro Dalanora, Fr. Alvaro Palacios, Fr. Didier Sunda, Fr. Nebiyat Asnake Ejigu, Fr. Marco Msogoya, Fr. Timothy Wanyonyi Wanjala and Fr. Edgar Nyangiya Makori.
Handing over occasion
Christians from all the local Churches gathered in the main center to witness this historic occasion. From their faces, though sad, you could feel the silent “THANK YOU” to the Consolata missionaries for what they have done to them and to the community at large. In his introductory remarks, the main celebrant Fr. Kidane Ashuro, vice regional superior, graciously thanked all the Christians for being accommodative and welcoming to the Consolata missionaries. Accepting to work closely with them all these years. He took chance to highlight to them that once our goal as Consolata missionaries has been achieved of growing a Christian community to know Christ, we are obliged to move to other places for this is our call.
Hence, making the day a thanksgiving day; to God for all the blessings and achievements that the Consolata missionaries were able to accomplish during their tenure. Thanksgiving to all Christians and people of good will, more so the benefactors, who made the mission possible and thanksgiving for what Gambo mission is today. It is evidently God’s doing.
On his part, Fr. Timothy Wanyonyi in his sermon being the first week of Advent in Ethiopia, introduced the advent season by giving its meaning; Advent from the Latin word, “Adventus” meaning waiting for the coming of someone or something. As Christians, he noted that we are waiting for the coming of the promised Messiah, the king of peace as presented in the first reading from prophet Jeremiah.
In order to receive this righteous king in our hearts, families, society, churches and countries, we have to prepare well by removing all that might block Him from coming into our hearts, families, churches etc. Part of our preparation entails going for the sacrament of penance. He further pointed out that, advent is the season of repentance, returning to Him as He comes to us through those whom we meet daily.
The faithful were invited to interrogate themselves on how they relate among themselves, within their families and with anyone they meet. That Christ is bringing peace in our broken selves, families and neighbors. To welcome this king of peace, we have to leave all the hatred amongst ourselves, so that he may find a peaceful environment to live with us. The preacher concluded by picking from the gospel, that the time of leaving the hatred is now because we do not know the time of his second coming. We just need to convert so that when the Lord comes, he meets us ready to receive Him. Mother Mary being our role model in always being ready to live God’s will, let us pray through her intercession, that we may remain strong in our daily spiritual journey.
Finally, he invited the Christians to live in peace at all levels. That peace is created by the individuals and promoted in the entire country. As they pray for peace in the country, they have to be peace makers themselves. Thanking them for welcoming all the missionaries who have worked in Gambo mission. Their successful apostolic work was possible through their cooperation and love. He invited them to extend the same love and cooperation to the incoming priests from Meki Vicariate.
The Eucharistic celebration was quite solemn, well animated with nicely sung songs by the youth choir. The entire celebration was really a thanksgiving ceremony as anticipated, though with one notable not so good image to us Consolata missionaries and to the faithful, that, the vicariate team for the reasons well known to them, choose to give a cold-shoulder by avoiding and not attending the entire celebration.
With somber moods and sad faces from the community, who were both our Christians and non-Christians, the missionaries officially exited the mission after a shared meal with the Christians. For all the benefactors and missionaries who worked hard to bring change in Gambo mission, we say thank you and we glorify God because of them; and for those who have gone before us, we keep praying that God grants them all eternal rest in His Kingdom.
* Father Edgar Nyangiya, IMC, Region of Ethiopia.
