The Consolata missionaries celebrate with joy and gratitude to God, ten years of presence in Angola (2014-2024).
By Dani Romero *
In response to the 2005 XI General Chapter held in São Paulo (Brazil), new paths were opened on the African continent, with the opening of a new presence of the Consolata missionaries in Angola. It was August 1, 2014 when the first three missionaries, Father Fredy Gomez (Colombian), Father Dani Romero (Venezuelan) and Father Sylvester Ogutu (Kenyan), arrived in the diocese of Viana. There they began their mission in the newly founded parish of Saint Augustin, located on the outskirts of Luanda, in the Capalanga neighborhood.
After two years, in 2016, a second mission was started in the diocese of Caxito, in the agricultural area of Funda, where the new Consolata parish was started. Desiring to reaffirm the charism ad gentes of the Consolata missionaries of a mission beyond borders, in 2018 a new missionary adventure was started in the diocese of Luena in eastern Angola, precisely in the remote territory of Luacano, with the creation of the parish of Saint Mary Mother of God.
Three communities in ten years of Consolation
We are grateful to God for the wonders of these first years of mission, for the joys and sorrows, for the dreams and for the great openness and welcome of the Angolan people. The Consolata mission in Angola has as its main objective the evangelization and human promotion, helping to consolidate the local Church, creating new Christian communities and accompanying families and young people.
Blessed Joseph Allamano, founder of the Consolata missionaries, always encouraged his sons and daughters to uplift the social and human environment in their evangelization. This has been one of the great challenges and tasks carried out in recent years in Angola. The most important social and humanitarian activities of the mission in Angola include caring for malnourished children, training and empowering women to become autonomous, adult literacy and the accompaniment of young people.
In 2014, we began our mission in Angola during the year dedicated to Blessed Joseph Allamano. Now, in 2024, as we celebrate ten years of presence, we have the delightful news of the canonization of our Founder by Pope Francis in Rome on October 20. This is a great sign that our Founder and our Mother Consolata continue to bless, care for and protect their missionaries.
This joy is not only shared by the Consolata missionaries in Angola, but by the entire Consolata Family, that faithfully continues to adhere to the charism received from the Holy Spirit through the Blessed Allamano and Our Mother Consolata.
Ten years of mission, ten years of consolation, ten years of evangelization. We continue our journey with the same faith, dedication and love that have brought us here, seeking more and more to announce the message of hope and consolation in every corner of Angola.
Thanksgiving Mass
The Catholics of the diocese of Viana in Capalanga and of the diocese of Caxito in Funda gathered on Sunday 4 August 2024 to celebrate, with joy and gratitude to God, the ten years of presence of the Consolata Missionaries in Angola.
The thanksgiving celebration held in the parish of Saint Augustin, in the diocese of Viana, was presided over by the Superior, Father Sisto Elias, who came from Mozambique specifically to represent the Region of Mozambique and Angola. He gave testimony of the dedication and hard work of evangelization and human promotion carried out by the missionaries in these ten years.
In his homily, Father Sisto expressed his deep gratitude to the Angolan people for welcoming the missionaries and walking with them in this mission of evangelization and human promotion. He highlighted the challenges faced and the results achieved, underlining the importance of collaboration and community spirit.
Present at the celebration were Father Fredy Gomez, Father Dani Romero, Father John Kyara and Father Douglas Getanda, points of reference of the mission in Angola, and from the distant mission of Luacano, Father Fernando Chissano and Father Bernard Maina. All this symbolizes the continuity and commitment of the Consolata Missions Institute in carrying out its evangelizing mission in this land of Angola.
Moments of sharing and fraternization
Following the Mass, there was a moment of fraternal agape, a sign of the communion and fraternal spirit that characterize the local Catholic communities. In the afternoon, recreational activities took place, including singing performances, and cultural and religious events. These activities were not only a representation of the various cultural realities of our communities, but also a way to strengthen the bonds of friendship and solidarity among all the participants.
Thanksgiving and future hope
The celebration was also attended by a group of young Italian volunteers belonging to the “Servizio Empegnase” association. Their presence underlined the international and intercultural character of the mission of the Consolata Missionaries. The celebration of the tenth anniversary was an opportunity to thank God for the blessings received and to renew the commitment to the mission.
The community expressed the fervent desire that the mission continue to bear fruits in Capalanga, Funda and Luacano, asking God for an increase in missionary vocations. This event was not only a celebration of the past, but also looking to the future with hope and determination, with the great desire to strengthen the presence and activity of the Consolata missionaries in Angola.
The hope is that the Consolata Missionaries’ missionary effort may continue to thrive, bringing hope, faith and love to the various communities. This ten years celebration is a significant milestone, but also a reminder that there is still much to do and many people to whom to announce the Gospel.
* Father Dani Romero, IMC, Venezuelan missionary in Angola.
