Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Diocese of Nacala (Mozambique)
November 6th, 2016 marked the closing of the Jubilee Year that commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Nacala. Our confrere, Dom Germano, has been the bishop of this Diocese since the time of its foundation.
There in Nacala the evangelization in Africa began in 1948 with the celebration of the first Mass … Nacala was the port of entry for the Gospel”.
The anniversary celebration was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, Bishop Edgar Peña Parra. Seven other bishops concelebrated as well as priests and deacons from neighboring dioceses and from various religious congregations. Father José Luis Azevedo (Vice-Visitor of Mozambique) was among the confreres who participated in this celebration. Also participating in the celebration were countless women religious and faithful from throughout the diocese. This event was also celebrated in the parish of Saint Augustine where Father José Eugenio López serves as pastor.
The Vice-Province of Mozambique was founded in 1965. Nacala is part of the Province of Nampula, in the northern part of the country. There in 1994 the confreres from the province of Salamanca established a mission house which in 2011 became part of the Vince-Province of Mozambique.
At the present time the Vincentian Missionaries live together in one house and minister in three of the twenty-four parishes in the diocese (Saint John the Baptist, Saint Augustine and Saint Joseph). In addition to parish ministry the confreres serve in the diocesan seminary in Nacuxa, in various schools, at the radio station Watana and in the agricultural institute that is also located in Nacuxa.
The community is composed of three confreres: Father Eugénio López (from the Province of Salamanca and serving in that country since 2001), Father Nicholas Boniface Ikpeme (from the Province of Nigeria and serving in that country since 2015) and Brother Licínio Loureiro Miguelo (from the Province of Portugal and having arrived in that country in 2016). Another Vincentian Missionary will soon join this group. From the perspective of reconfiguration, in 2017 the confreres will add to their ministry the diocesan seminary of Saint Francis Xavier and will hand over to the diocese the administration of Saint Augustin’s parish.
Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM
Earlier this week,I was feeling so excited over your Confreres’ presence in Italy that I digressed into an exclamation concerning God’s grace. What I was trying to say was,”Wow,God has Vincentians empowered throughout the world!” I had never thought about this when I spent a total of nearly five years with many of you at Saint Joe’s and novitiate during the years from 1953-1958. As a result,due to my own lack of studious observances,I conceptualized Vincentians as rooted in France,and two U.S. provinces.
Now,I share your joy with all of you as depicted in Father Freund’s article concerning Vincentians working for Christ in Mozambique.I thank God with you and I thank Him for renewed fellowship with you as I walk this earth in my 81st year.
With you constantly in prayer….
Faithfully
Ed Ambrose