Fr. F. X. Sudarmanto, SX
“Be a real Koranko Catholic!” was the message of Bishop Natale Paganelli sx to the Mongo Bendugu community during his visit on 12th – 14th March 2016. His visit was to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Parish and administer the sacrament of confirmation to 29 young boys and girls. It was really an encouragement for the community to hear that being a Catholic is not something opposed to their ethnic identity at all, but on the contrary an enrichment. He didn’t just pay lip-service to the idea of being a real Koranko Catholic, if we realise the fact that the people of Mongo Bendugu welcome the Catholic mission. Moreover, little by little some of them embrace the Catholic faith.
His arrival was welcomed by the Paramount Chief, Alhaji Sheku Finakalie Marah, by the section and town chiefs, mammy queens and elders of the towns. There were also groups of traditional dancers who joined the celebration. All shared the joy of having a new bishop as Apostolic Administrator in the Diocese of Makeni. People were happy with his visit for the first time as a Bishop.
In his homily during the mass Bishop Natale recalled the promise of God to take away the heart of stone and to put a new heart in the life of his people. It has happened through the ministry of the sacrament of confirmation when the Holy Spirit was poured out into their lives. He asked those who received the sacrament of confirmation to make a deep commitment in their new heart: to be “real Koranko Catholic” men and women forever and ever!
Bishop Natale also said that one day a pastor (of a Protestant Church) told him that this Koranko chiefdom needs a priest who can preach in their own language. The pastor is Mr. Moses Marah, now he is the section chief of Tambayabalia, who was also present at the mass. Therefore, the Bishop expressed the hope that in the future there will be Koranko priests who will preach in their own language, and hopefully they would be from among those who received the sacrament of confirmation that day.
After 5 years as a parish and many more years as an outstation, the Xaverian missionaries have come and gone, serving the community. Fr. Sudar, Fr. Louis and Br. Bruno who now are living in the parish, for sure, will not be in the parish forever and ever. But the community will continue to work for the Church and her mission. The anniversary of the Parish is a reminder of the responsibility of the community to grow more and more in their faith and commitment so that they will be able to carry out their mission in the society.
To carry out the mission of the Church, the community should seriously pay attention to the education, both in the family and in the school. The Bishop said that we have to set up a good Catholic family. A good Catholic family is the foundation for the Church to carry out her mission. We have to understand better and more deeply the Catholic family/marriage and animate the young to prepare for and marry in the Church. He also said that there is big school problem in Sierra Leone, and special challenges for the Catholic schools. But the Catholic schools still remain a strong and valid tool for evangelisation. We will not abandon them but rather put order in our schools, in coordination with the education secretary, managers, principals, head teachers, and of course with the government.
The celebration was crowned with a party, to share the joy of the day, in the parish hall. As a sign of gratitude, many groups offered gifts to the Bishop, from rice, chickens, goat and even cow. Altar servers and youth entertained the community with a concert, song and dance, and of course, we shared good food with plasas. Sweet oh... Mongo sweet oh...
“Be a real Koranko Catholic!” was the message of Bishop Natale Paganelli sx to the Mongo Bendugu community during his visit on 12th – 14th March 2016. His visit was to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Parish and administer the sacrament of confirmation to 29 young boys and girls. It was really an encouragement for the community to hear that being a Catholic is not something opposed to their ethnic identity at all, but on the contrary an enrichment. He didn’t just pay lip-service to the idea of being a real Koranko Catholic, if we realise the fact that the people of Mongo Bendugu welcome the Catholic mission. Moreover, little by little some of them embrace the Catholic faith.
His arrival was welcomed by the Paramount Chief, Alhaji Sheku Finakalie Marah, by the section and town chiefs, mammy queens and elders of the towns. There were also groups of traditional dancers who joined the celebration. All shared the joy of having a new bishop as Apostolic Administrator in the Diocese of Makeni. People were happy with his visit for the first time as a Bishop.
In his homily during the mass Bishop Natale recalled the promise of God to take away the heart of stone and to put a new heart in the life of his people. It has happened through the ministry of the sacrament of confirmation when the Holy Spirit was poured out into their lives. He asked those who received the sacrament of confirmation to make a deep commitment in their new heart: to be “real Koranko Catholic” men and women forever and ever!
Bishop Natale also said that one day a pastor (of a Protestant Church) told him that this Koranko chiefdom needs a priest who can preach in their own language. The pastor is Mr. Moses Marah, now he is the section chief of Tambayabalia, who was also present at the mass. Therefore, the Bishop expressed the hope that in the future there will be Koranko priests who will preach in their own language, and hopefully they would be from among those who received the sacrament of confirmation that day.
After 5 years as a parish and many more years as an outstation, the Xaverian missionaries have come and gone, serving the community. Fr. Sudar, Fr. Louis and Br. Bruno who now are living in the parish, for sure, will not be in the parish forever and ever. But the community will continue to work for the Church and her mission. The anniversary of the Parish is a reminder of the responsibility of the community to grow more and more in their faith and commitment so that they will be able to carry out their mission in the society.
To carry out the mission of the Church, the community should seriously pay attention to the education, both in the family and in the school. The Bishop said that we have to set up a good Catholic family. A good Catholic family is the foundation for the Church to carry out her mission. We have to understand better and more deeply the Catholic family/marriage and animate the young to prepare for and marry in the Church. He also said that there is big school problem in Sierra Leone, and special challenges for the Catholic schools. But the Catholic schools still remain a strong and valid tool for evangelisation. We will not abandon them but rather put order in our schools, in coordination with the education secretary, managers, principals, head teachers, and of course with the government.
The celebration was crowned with a party, to share the joy of the day, in the parish hall. As a sign of gratitude, many groups offered gifts to the Bishop, from rice, chickens, goat and even cow. Altar servers and youth entertained the community with a concert, song and dance, and of course, we shared good food with plasas. Sweet oh... Mongo sweet oh...