Today, 15th of February 2024, we celebrated the 11th Death Anniversary of Fr. Francisco Andreo in the Mission of Mizan Teferi.

The celebration began with a prayer and Sarai gave a brief history of the life of Paco, founder of the MCSPA. She explained how Paco was an example for all of us in charity and generosity, highlighting the love he had for Africa.

Paco was also very insistent in planting fruit trees as a way of turning the desert into a garden. For this reason, in the morning, an activity with the children was carried out in which each child planted a papaya seed in a water bottle, committing themselves to taking care of it until it bore fruit.

In the afternoon, during the ceremony, some avocado and lemon seedlings were blessed with water from the River Jordan and one seedling was planted in the school compound. Each person added a handful of soil to this avocado plant.

Later, everyone had some tea, bread and bananas under the mango tree at the mission. The ceremony concluded with the distribution of more seedlings which the people joyfully took back to their homes.

By Amanda Falgas Apprentice
Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia.

This past week, a delegation of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia made up of the Cardinal Archbishop of Addis Ababa, H.E. Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, Msgr. Markos Gebremedhin, Bishop of Jimma-Bonga, Msgr. Seyoum Fransua Bishop of Hossana, and Msgr. Lesane-Christos Matheos, Bishop of Bahar-Dar, visited Madrid for three days.

They passed through Spain on their way back from a forum for the Bishops, which took place in in Lisbon, and the congregation Work of the Church hosted them those days while passing through Spain.

Members of the MCSPA have been able to organize several meetings in Madrid so that the Bishops could present the reality and needs of their country.

They visited Cáritas Spain, Ayuda a la Iglesia Necesidad, Cáritas Madrid, Manos Unidas, and Fondo para la Nueva Evangelización, as well as the Pontifical Mission Societies, and the Mission Delegation of Madrid. We thank them for their interest and support for the Church of Ethiopia, through their support of multiple projects, and its commitment to the future.

On Tuesday, the delegation of Bishops, MCSPA missionaries, secular members and volunteers from the MCSPA, were able to visit the Cardinal of Madrid, Don Carlos Osoro.

During the visit Jesús and Sara, volunteers from the mission of Muketurri, Ethiopia, and Mónica Falgás, secular member of the MCSPA, explained their commitment to the community and the missions of Ethiopia, as well as their commitment to the local church in Madrid through of the parish of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Pio XII, Madrid.

Don Carlos, was interested in the situation of the church and Ethiopia. Cardinal Berhaneyesus made an introduction to the situation of peace after the war in Tigray, and then each bishop explained about his diocese. The bishops explained that they are finishing a strategic plan for the next 10 years and that the main objective of this plan will be to invest heavily in education, as the main instrument of change in Ethiopian society.

That same afternoon, the bishops were able to celebrate mass in the parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Pio XII. Many people attended the mass, including the director of the pontifical mission works, Father José María Calderón, and the mission delegate of the archdiocese of Madrid. Father Calderón also invited some Orthodox Ethiopians who live in Madrid, and who gather to pray in his parish.

A lot of young people came to mass, and there was a very missionary atmosphere. The cardinal spoke about the similarities between Ethiopia and Spain as two countries with a very ancient Christian tradition. After the mass there was a time to chat and greet everyone in the church and outside the church.

The bishops have sincerely and earnestly thanked the logistical support of the MCSPA while in Madrid since their regions are in great need of support and solidarity from the universal Church.

Fr. Angel Valdivia MCSPA

The Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia, Archbishop Antonie Camilieri, visited the Apostolic Vicariate of Jima Bonga at the invitation of Rt. Rev. Markos Gebremedhin, the local bishop. The invitation was to officiate at the blessing of St. Paul’s Church in the compound of the Brothers of Charity in the town of Bonga.

Apart from the blessing of St. Paul’s Church, the Apostolic Nuncio also visited several communities in the Kaffa region to learn about the realities of the Catholic Church in this part of the country. At all his visits, we could see his joy in sharing a few days with so many faithful, who, with all their simplicity, offered him their heartfelt joy.

At his visit to Agaro Bushi, Archbishop Camilieri said that he had no words to express what he felt, that it had been the best welcome ever given to him in his life. He said that joy is a characteristic that good Christians should have and seeing them so happy, singing and dancing, left him in no doubt that that is what they are.

Sarai Zavala Acosta

MCSPA