Aid to the Church in Need: Mozambique: A new chapel 17 years after the end of the civil war

Mozambique: A new chapel 17 years after the end of the civil war

Posted by Project description on 14/8/2009, 10:25 am
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Mozambique – a colourful celebration 17 years after the end of the civil war

By Eva-Maria Kolmann

The people of the village of Nyapapa are rejoicing. In colourful procession, they wind their way towards their newly built chapel. Their pastor, Bishop Adriano Langa of Inhambane is the chief celebrant at Holy Mass and he formally blesses the chapel. There are many children there, and women in colourful costumes sing and dance, many of them with a baby strapped to their front or their back with a long cloth. With dancing, singing and the sound of the drumbeat they praise the Lord. Then at last the moment has come, the moment for which the faithful have waited so long, and the church of St Mary Magdalen, built with the help of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), is finally consecrated. It is a big day for everyone. In a letter to ACN Fr Diamantino Antunes writes: "During Holy Mass the whole congregation remembered our benefactors, prayed for them and gave thanks for them. It was a beautiful moment, and we felt that we are not alone".

Opening of the chapel of St. Magdalene in Nyapapa, on 26/7/09 by the bishop of Inhambane assisted Fr. Gabriel

But the parish of Guiua, to which the village of Nyapapa belongs, has not always known happy times. On 22 March 1992 some 23 people were murdered here in brutal fashion. A group of catechists had been invited by the local priest to an ongoing training session in the pastoral centre. The course was to have lasted one year, and so the catechists had brought their families too. They came long distances; many had to travel 250 miles (400 km). It was a dangerous journey, for the civil war was still raging that had brought 16 years of immeasurable suffering to Mozambique and which was to end finally just a few months later. But their desire to serve the Church and their fellow people in this country was stronger than their fear and so the catechists set out with their wives and children. The first evening after their arrival they celebrated a joyful feast, for they had finally reached their destination. Their relief was great, but short lived, for that same night they were ambushed by a horde of rebels. Among these there were also child soldiers, urged on with alcohol and drugs and turned into pliable instruments trained to kill. An orgy of violence began. Two catechists were shot dead immediately.

Only shortly before, Sister Therese Balela of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary had plaited the hair of the little girls and then gone into the house, when the rebels arrived. Without thinking of herself, she tried to bring her fellow sisters to safety by barricading them into a room. Then she ran into the chapel to rescue the Most Blessed Sacrament. One of the attackers saw her through the window and shot at her; however the bullet missed the courageous nun.

The rebels began their grisly work outside, eventually separating the children from the adults. Some of the people were tortured. When the adults realised that they were going to die, they asked the soldiers to allow them to pray. At this they were murdered with knives and axes. Even little children were brutally butchered. Some of them survived, despite their terrible injuries but in all, 10 children and 13 adults were murdered. Many more would undoubtedly have died had the priest not succeeded in informing the bishop who called the army for help. Surprised by the government troops, the rebels fled, their bloody work unfinished. Otherwise there would most likely have been no survivors at all.

Today there is still a memorial behind the pastoral centre, next to the graves of these martyrs. On a cross in front of their graves are inscribed the names of all the victims. The graves are simple, with a green wooden cross on each, bearing the name of the victim. Behind it a small thatched chapel has been built. Each month, on the 22nd of the month, Catholics from the entire region gather here and commemorate the dead with a Holy Mass. Likewise, each year in this special place, the catechists who have completed their training in the pastoral centre make their solemn promise, in the presence of the bishop, to serve the Church. The catechists who suffered martyrdom here are an example for them.

The Bishop and the parish community outside the chapel of St. Magdalene in Nyapapa. Fr Diamantino Antunes is in the left of picture with the beard.

The pastoral centre of Guiua, which today is under the care of Father Diamantino Antunes, is an extremely important place, given that in the diocese of Inhambane as a whole there are far too few priests for the almost 300,000 Catholics. The Annuario Pontificio, or Pontifical Yearbook records some eight diocesan priests and 38 religious priests for the current year. In an area approaching 30,000 square miles (72,000 km ²) there are just 22 parishes, each of which also has numerous widely scattered villages belonging to it. That is why it is essential for the few priests to be supported by catechists – and for chapels to be built in the villages, since the parish church is often too far away and yet the people want to be able to gather to pray together.

The Catholics in Nyapapa are delighted at their new chapel of course, but the parish of Guiua is a big one, and Father Antunes is already hoping that ACN will also be able to help the faithful in the village of Maunzo to build a chapel of their own. He has asked for a grant of $8,000. It is 5 miles from Maunza to Guiua – 5 miles to walk if they want to attend Mass in the parish church. For the women, children and the elderly above all this is a tall order, but like everywhere else in Africa, God comes first for the ordinary Catholic faithful. But then again, to have a chapel would bring God into their midst, into their own village.

Let us show the people in Maunzo that they have friends around the world. Let us help them, so that they too can celebrate a joyful occasion! To make an on line donation please click on the website link below.

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy See, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. ACN is a Catholic charity – helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Fr Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An outstanding Apostle of Charity”, the organisation is now at work in about 130 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 46.5 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information, please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org