austraLasia #1883
"We
have to follow what the Gospel says....": the witness of a new
missionary
LUANDA: 20th June
2007 -- Pedro Sachitula is just 25 years of age, from
Angola. He comes from Chinguar (which can be written in various other forms),
Bié province, where there were in fact no Salesians (there is a community in
Benguela and one in Luena but these are miles away, even as the crow flies).
Nevertheless Pedro was attracted to Salesian life in a way that Salesians the
world over can attest to: the value of simple, direct literature... a
well-illustrated life of Don Bosco, and the value of personal witness, even a
go-between - how many have come to the Salesians via another person, perhaps
another Religious of another Congregation (in Pedro's case a
Sister).
Meet Brother Pedro Sachitula sdb, who is about to
set off for Papua New Guinea on a missionary adventure - but not just a human
adventure, romantic as all that may sound. Brother Pedro, it is obvious from the
interview he gave to austraLasia, did not come down with the last rain shower.
He represents an Africa that has known Christianity and Catholicism for
centuries - think that the first diocese of Angola and Congo was established in
1596! We should not be amazed that Africa now sends missionaries, not only
receives them. In fact Brother Pedro is the second African Salesian (the
first being from Ethiopia) to be missioned to Papua New
Guinea.
Brother Pedro made his novitiate in Mozambique in
2003. The 'lingua franca' there was Portuguese, but Pedro already
demonstrates an extraordinary language capability. We could have conducted
the interview in Italian ("I learned Italian during my novitiate"), but in fact
we conducted it in English, a language he has 'picked up' during a three month
stint in Nairobi and picked up well.
How is it that a 25
year old, who has done one year of his practical training in Luanda, is now
heading for PNG - did he ask for that? "Well, my missionary vocation seemed
already with me from the prenovitiate - visiting local villages where the
Salesians were. I first thought of myself as an African missionary in Africa,
but I wrote expressing my willingness to be available 'for mission', wherever.
It was something I discussed along the way with my novice master, and after that
with my Rectors". 'Rome' wrote back - would you be prepared to go to PNG? He
said yes.
And what of family, so important in a young
life, so important in African culture too? That question brought a pause, a
moment of thought and, at that youthful age, a touch of wistfulness, but that
was when Pedro said: "We have to follow what the Gospel says....and I am not the
first young missionary to leave family and friends", but he acknowledged that it
was not easy, yet his mother had encouraged him to follow God's
call.
Brother Pedro Sachitula came to Rome first late last
year to do the missionary preparation course and receive his mission cross in
Turin. He has completed his visa applications and is due to fly out in a week's
time. Our thoughts and prayers go with him.
_________________
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