Rome, January 29, 2001

 One hundredth anniversary of the Founding of the Institute

Dear Missionaries of the Ethiopian Region,

On our return from the continental meeting of Superiors of Africa in Maputo at the beginning of December, 2000, Fr. Norberto Louro and I began the canonical visitation of your Region on the first Sunday of Ethiopian Advent. The climate and the riches of the liturgy that mark this time permeated our encounters with individuals and communities – especially those encounters involving prayer. This same fair weather and liturgical spirit have been present throughout our stay which came to an end on the Ethiopian feast of Christmas, January 7, 2001. This time together has been a special gift from God, certainly for us, and for you as well, we believe. 

The four weeks we spent in your region allowed us the opportunity to visit all our communities with calm and hold a final assembly at which all the missionaries were present. We had a chance to make contact with so many religious communities, bishops and the Apostolic Nuncio as well. Our most heartfelt thanks go to Fr. José Martín Ruiz, the Regional Superior, who did so much to make our visit go smoothly. We are sincerely grateful to all of you for the warm welcome and the many things about your life and work that you shared with us. While we were with you we had the beautiful and pleasant experience of feeling “at home.” Your fraternal cooperation and openness made discernment, dialogue, analysis of the circumstances in which you live, so much easier. We were able to form an idea about what our presence in this country might mean in the future.

 Looking at the past to understand the present and plan for the future

The Liturgy of Advent reminds us constantly of the importance of “remembering.” This “remembering” is not just reminiscence, but a serious effort to find in our roots the most significant and authentic elements of our recent and remote history; from these roots we derive new impetus for the present and the future as well.

We read in Deuteronomy, “But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather tell them to your children and to your children’s children.” (Dt 4,9).

We might paraphrase the biblical text: Woe to the Institute, and woe to the missionary who does not draw living water from the stream of his own charism, or his own history; woe to us if we forget those wonders of the Lord our eyes have seen and contemplated! This is a life-long commitment and a methodology for future generations of missionaries.

We made three special “recollections” during our visitation.

1. The first took us back to the dawn of our history as a Missionary Family: Joseph Allamano, a young Turin priest, prayed for guidance from the Holy Spirit to discern the will of God; he read and he studied so that he might establish guidelines for his new Missionary Institute. A particular dream took shape in his heart: to continue the work of Cardinal Massaia in Ethiopia. Years later he wrote explicitly to Cardinal Gotti: “In my mind and in that of our early benefactors, the Consolata Institute for Foreign Missions had one goal from the beginning: continuing the work of evangelization begun by Cardinal Massaia in Kaffa, among the Galla people [Oromo] where his wonderful apostolate met with so much success” (Tubaldo, Giuseppe Allamano, II, p. 109).

In this our anniversary year, I would suggest that you, the direct heirs of our Founder’s apostolic program, think back on that “dream” and scrutinize the motivations that prompted Giuseppe Allamano to see his missionaries continue the work of Cardinal Massaia among the Oromo people. I don’t think it would be very hard to perceive elements of great importance to our missionary spirituality – such as:

- We are destined to live out our mission among people on the very edge, where difficulties and challenges are greatest;

 - To confront these situations successfully we must have fire in our hearts. We must cultivate a missionary zeal ready for any challenge – something our Founder so often emphasized, something the Tenth General Chapter called “the soul of mission.” (cf. XCG, pp. 82-84);

 - Ethiopia has presented problems and difficulties to missionaries of all eras – not just the Massaia. Still today these problems and difficulties are your daily bread. May the bravery of those who went before give you the courage to face today’s trials.

2. Our second recollection concerns IMC history in Ethiopia: the first period, 1915 to 1942, and more recent times, 1970 to the present. Two recent books written by confrères recount the events of our work in Ethiopia[1]. They offer interesting insights into missionary methodology that remain valid today.

- In a country where Christianity is already strong, our missionaries were interested in initial evangelization – they sought out people and places where the Gospel had not yet been proclaimed;

- Another objective that was never overlooked: formation and guidance of local priests and religious;

- In times before the Magisterium of the Church had given any clear guidelines on ecumenism, our missionaries tried to be good neighbors to the Orthodox Church;

- In a country where there were few Catholics or catechumens, the missionary became a circuit rider; he established simple and humble contacts with people, and accompanied these contacts with works promoting human welfare.

3. Our third attempt to relive our past was a comparison of the present situation of the country and our missionary work with what we saw on our previous canonical visitation six years ago. The political situation in recent years has not been easy – especially relations with neighboring Eritrea. A “pointless” war produced many victims, and increased poverty among the most vulnerable segments of society. The country’s main problems have not diminished – rather they seem more severe than ever: corruption, cronyism and tribalism. There are some hopeful signs of economic improvement in agriculture, roads and the country’s infrastructure.

As far as the IMC is concerned, we noted with satisfaction the progress that has been made in these last six years: a minor seminary has been opened and vocations are increasing; there is tireless and fraternal collaboration with the Consolata Missionary Sisters; the number of missionaries in Ethiopia has increased to the extent that what was a Delegation has now become a Region; practical steps have been taken to open a mission in the Apostolic Vicariate of Nekempti (Wollega). In spite of all this we did not fail to note that certain problems that existed during our previous visitation are still present.

The point of this quick overview of the recent past is to spur the Regional community into taking concrete measures to solve remaining problems and reinforce successful projects.

 IV Regional Conference

We celebrated the Fourth Conference a few months ago. It provided an excellent opportunity for reflection, discernment and planning for the whole Region. The canonical visitation could only reaffirm the decisions made at the conference and support efforts to carry out its directives.

Before focusing our attention on certain practical aspects noted during the visitation we would like to recall the goals set by your Conference. They will help to shed light on what we say later. We consider these goals the very “soul” of your regional planning. The future of your region will no doubt depend on how faithful you are to these ideals.

- “The personal journey of faith: is at the heart of life and renewal for our Region. Every missionary is called to constant growth and re-training. This is in response to God’s Word and is based on the central values of our life . As we grow, we gradually discover and identify these central values. They must be continually re-discovered in the context of our own life; we must recognize and choose them anew day after day.” (IV Reg. Conf., p. 12).

- “Religious consecration: We must remember, above all, that we have been called and sent by God. The Trinity is the beginning and the end of our mission. We must give witness to the Absolute, God, to the values of the Kingdom and to the mission as communion. To bring this about we must strengthen our relationship with Him and allow ourselves constantly to be challenged by His Word. Afterwards we must renew our consecration as Missionaries of the Consolata. This implies re-discovering and living the charism of our Founder. We must follow his “spirit” in the way we live out our consecration. The heart of his charism is evangelization, but an evangelization that is carried out in a particular way” (ibid., p. 14).

- “Our communities: Since our communities are consecrated to Christ, He must occupy the first place in all our plans – our communities ought to reflect His image. We must insist on living and working together as a sign of mutual help and trust […] Local superiors should display leadership in this area.

A peaceful atmosphere of fraternity, sharing and respect is necessary if we are to carry out our mutual commitments in community” (ibid., p. 18).

- “Permanent Formation: The Tenth General Chapter emphasized the urgent need for ongoing and permanent formation aimed at renewing the missionaries, the communities and the Institute. This formation covers various areas: human, intellectual, psychological, spiritual, professional, missionary and charismatic. It must emphasize above all the renewal of the individual and be mindful of all the phases of a missionary’s life” (ibid., p. 25).

- Evangelization: From its very beginnings our Institute has felt the call to evangelize Ethiopia. Our missionaries have accomplished much in the past that is still appreciated today and that must be continued. Ethiopia is still a place of initial evangelization in line with our charism ad gentes. This is true for all the areas in which we are engaged.” (ibid., p. 28).

Two Situations

which may have an impact on the future of our mission in Ethiopia were taken into consideration during the visitation: a new IMC/MC opening in Wollega and the proposal made by the Regionals of Africa to weigh the possibility of opening a community in Djibouti to promote contact and dialogue with Muslims.

1. Shambo

This is the name of a small city in Wollega, in the Apostolic Vicariate of Nekempti. In midyear 2001 in collaboration with the Consolata Missionary Sisters we will open a mission in Shambo. Let me describe how we came to make this decision.

During the 1994 canonical visitation, the Vicar Apostolic of Nekempti and the Prefect Apostolic of Jimma-Bonga invited us to make a three-day visit to our old missions in Kaffa. Shortly afterwards, the Congregation for the Evangelization of People formally invited the Institute to return to Wollega, where our brothers and sisters had worked during the twenties and thirties. Although the Regional Assembly was in favor of this project we lacked sufficient personnel to do anything during these past six years.

During the visitation we met with the Consolata Missionary Sisters and set out guidelines for this new project:

- The new mission should have initial evangelization as its principal goal; there is no significant Orthodox or Muslim presence in the area. Steps should be taken to free the missionaries from the burden of complicated social work projects.

- The project should be studied, planned and carried out in close collaboration with the Consolata Missionary Sisters.

- We will research and formulate a missionary methodology that promotes close contact with the people, an austere style of life, simple means, direct evangelization, gradual commitment that will allow us to understand the situation and needs of the people, and particular attention to inculturation and collaboration with lay people.

We expect to begin our work in Shambo in June of this year.

2. Djibouti

The Tenth General Chapter made the following proposal to all the jurisdictions of Africa: “In one of the Regions, a study should be made on the possibility of opening a special presence among the Muslims, based on dialogue" (p. 814). In their first continental meeting, the Regional Superiors decided to respond positively to the Chapter’s invitation and to study the possibility of an opening of this sort within their jurisdictions. Of the various proposals presented at the December, 2000 Assembly in Maputo, the Ethiopian Region’s “Djibouti Plan” met with the widest approval. Before my return to Rome the Regional Superior and I visited the Diocese of Djibouti and were able to gather useful information for eventual discernment together with the Superiors of Africa.

Launching a mission in Shambo and the possible opening in Djibouti will have an enormous and positive influence on our missionary work in Ethiopia. Both projects emphasize two important aspects our last General Chapter strongly recommended to the Institute: initial evangelization and interreligious dialogue.

 Concrete directives for the life of the Region

1. Our presence in Ethiopia

For the last thirty years the Institute has been engaged in intense missionary work in Ethiopia. Since the creation of the Apostolic Prefecture of Meki in 1980 (it became an Apostolic Vicariate in 1992) our work has been largely centered in that jurisdiction.  The Regional House in Addis Ababa and the center in Modjo are only two foundations outside the Vicariate.

Over time the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki has grown to maturity. We need only cite the increased number of parishes and diocesan priests, the arrival of new religious communities, a veritable multiplication of social welfare projects, the building of a minor seminary at Meki and a major seminary in Addis Ababa, the birth of a new religious congregation of women.

The visitation made it clear that the time had come to begin looking elsewhere. Without depriving existing works of personnel, the time is ripe to continue our journey ad gentes; the diocesan clergy of Meki can begin taking over the work we have initiated. Our journey ad gentes could continue within or beyond the Vicariate. The foundation at Shambo in Wollega in the near future, and the development of evangelization at Ropi in the Vicariate of Meki are clear indications of the path we can follow.

When we speak of missionary projects we must bear in mind the criteria that must guide our work – some of them come from the Tenth General Chapter:

- Restructuring our work does not mean increasing personnel in the Region. Rather it means that we will hand some of our work over to the diocesan clergy so that we can take on other responsibilities – more directly ad gentes.

- Pastoral work and evangelization must gradually replace any other work in which we are involved. Of particular importance is the formation and training of leaders, the formation of genuine Christian communities, care for catechumens, missionary leadership in the local Church.

- The ideal number of missionaries in each community would be three (cf. XCG, p. 35) We cannot make plans for new projects or take on new responsibilities if they deprive local communities of sufficient members or degrade their quality of life.

- There is a healthy number of young missionaries in the Region. Their introduction to apostolic work should be gradual; they should not be obliged to assume responsibilities for which they are unprepared too soon.

- In drawing up new contracts with the Ordinary of the Vicariate we should spell out those commitments we can continue to make and those we will have to give up.

2. Young Missionaries

Of the twenty-five missionaries currently present in the Region, eleven have been ordained for less then ten years, and of these eleven five have only just arrived in Ethiopia. The Regional Conference expressed concern for missionaries in this age group and established some valuable guidelines that I will synthesize and include at this point.

- They (the young missionaries) should be given ample opportunity to learn the local language; their introduction to pastoral and missionary work should be adequate.

- There should be a formation program adapted to their needs; it should cover spirituality, inculturation in the new environment, and an introduction to missionary methodology. The program should be approved and supervised by the Regional Superior.

- We recommend to the young missionaries (and not only to them!) the importance of seeing a personal spiritual director.

- Above all the Regional Superior has the duty to supervise young missionaries.

I would ask the older missionaries to adopt a positive attitude towards their younger colleagues – help and support them above all by promoting a pastoral program and creating a welcoming community environment that reflects the values of our vocation. At the same time I would appeal to the younger missionaries that they be eager and ready to learn from those older colleagues who have years of experience and work in Ethiopia. They should integrate their personal activities into community and regional projects; they should contribute to these projects with enthusiasm and commitment.

3. Fraternal life and community

is the natural environment for the life and growth of a missionary; it is the place where he finds strength and renewed motivation for his service. Creating and protecting this environment is not something optional for us – it is a duty and an obligation. Both the Magisterium and the Institute have written a great deal on this subject. The clear and forceful words of John Paul II come to mind: “The entire fruitfulness of religious life depends on the quality of fraternal life in common. Moreover the current renewal in the Church and in religious life is marked by a search for communion and community.” (to the Plenary Session of the Congregation for Religious – November 20, 1992).

There are certain conditions that take fraternal life and community from the realm of reflection and wishful thinking and turn them into a reality.

- Let there be community life! This is what we are to understand from the exhortation of the Tenth General Chapter when it requires that local communities consist of three missionaries. It is only in this fashion that we can create a community in which a plan of life and program of work are possible.

- Every community should meet for common prayer at least twice daily.

- If the weekly community meetings required by the General Directory (25.1) cannot take place, there should be at least two such meetings a month.

- The Plan of Communal Living should be implemented ever more fully.

- Local superiors should feel responsible for service to their colleagues as is required by the Constitutions (27-28).

4. Missionary leadership, vocation promotion, and grassroots formation

In his January 25, 2001 message marking the first centenary of our Institute, John Paul II states: “On this hundredth anniversary, with gratitude to God, the Virgin Mary and your blessed Founder, embark again, with renewed fervor, on your journey along the paths of the world. If you continue to commit yourselves to your own specific vocation, to the reasons for which your community was founded, the Lord will comfort you with many vocations. Be courageous witnesses of evangelical hope.” There are two important affirmations in the Pope’s words:

- the field of vocations constitutes one of the “motivations” for the founding of our missionary family;

- the best method for fostering the birth and growth of vocations is the witness of our life and our missionary zeal.

Encouraged by these words of the Pope I would like to suggest certain

guidelines.

- Do not be afraid of assigning more personnel to regional vocation promotion and the improvement of formation.

- We should increase the number of students in philosophy. It is not so much a case of wanting more students, but the fact is that a community that is too small is less ideal for formation.

- We are in favor of the Regional Conference decision to set up a center in Modjo for missionary and vocation promotion. Make an effort to assure that it really is a “center for missionary and vocation promotion”. This very specificity will help you reach your goal. One should not overlook the fact that effective vocation work requires everyone’s collaboration. It cannot be delegated to only a few.

- Effective service to young people in the field of vocations should aim at promoting and reinforcing proper motivation that derives from a discovery of Christ and a desire to follow Him.

5. Administration and social work projects

Thanks to the work of our confreres and the generosity of our benefactors, the Ethiopian Region has been able to cover the enormous amount of money needed for ordinary expenses and the cost of social welfare projects. What has up to now been a fairly solid financial situation is apparently deteriorating. During the visitation we were made aware of facts that contribute to this deterioration, e.g. a considerable increase in the cost of running our parishes; fund-raising by individual missionaries seems less successful than it has been in the past; salaries for people involved in social work have increased; some of the expenses of the Vicariate are picked up by the regional administration; returning to the Vicariate the annual subsidy it gave to the missionaries.

Besides voicing these concerns of the Regional Administrator and the Regional Council, we would like to offer some suggestions.

- Given the amount of work involved in administration and the need to support the projects and work of our confrères, the Regional Administrator should be a full-time position.

- When the Regional Council gives their approval to new social or pastoral projects they should make an effort to keep the number of salaried employees modest; salaries constitute one of the largest and most consistent expenses in the Region.

Something should be said about social welfare projects: they are numerous and they constitute one of the heaviest financial burdens on the Region. We must take on these works in order to get work permits from the government. On the one hand they offer us an excellent opportunity to turn the “consolation” part of our ministry into a concrete reality, but on the other hand they take up a good deal of our time and account for much of our worries. Up to now we have discovered no easy way to lighten this burden. During the visitation, however, suggestions were made that we would like to share with you, bearing in mind that putting them into practice depends on a host of unforeseeable factors.

- Evaluate those social welfare works that depend directly on us to see if it is possible to eliminate direct involvement in them.

- Offer, whenever possible, complete responsibility for a project to those Religious Institutes working in the Vicariate who are already running the project.

- Avoid further growth of these projects if the expense of running them will be borne by the Regional administration.

- Each missionary should scrupulously follow those norms the Region has established for development projects.

6. Relations between the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki and the IMC

The ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Meki has been entrusted to the Institute since its creation (1980) and has been guided by the Institute to its present state of development. As we said above, the time seems ripe in the evolution of our missionary service in Ethiopia to move closer to a direct commitment to the work of initial evangelization.

This will come about gradually following the pace of local apostolic growth. It is a journey, however, that we must begin – even in the Vicariate. Let me mention briefly some of the steps to be taken:

- In drawing up contracts with the Ordinary, it would be appropriate to consider how long it would be before we withdraw from certain parishes.

- Missionaries should be willing to guide local priests in a gradual take-over of responsibilities on the Vicariate level.

- Religious Institutes should deal directly with the Vicariate – through written contracts if necessary. The Institute should always be ready and willing to offer any help and assistance that may be needed.

 Conclusion

This letter is dated January 29, 2001. One hundred years ago today that dream our Blessed Founder nurtured in his heart saw the light of day. It was born at the feet of Our Lady Consolata; it grew strong nourished with a healthy spirituality; it took its first steps toward that horizon that was to be its destiny: the missions.

When today we commemorate the birth of the Institute we repeat that same “dream,” we follow along that same path, we equip ourselves today – as in the past – with everything we will need to live out our mission.

May Blessed Allamano, to whom the Ethiopian Region is dedicated, help you carry out his plan for evangelization. At the dawn of our Institute, Blessed Allamano’s plan showed enthusiasm for the land of the Oromo; it was marked by the strong and prophetic style of Cardinal Guglielmo Massaia, but marked also with Allamano’s own peculiar charism.

May Our Lady Consolata, the Inspiration and Foundress of our Family, be at your side and give strength to all your projects.

In my name and in that of Fr. Norberto Louro, I extend my fraternal and cordial greetings to all of you.

   Fr. Piero Trabucco, IMC

     (Father General) 

[1] Giovanni Crippa, I Missionari della Consolata in Etiopia, Edizioni Missioni Consolata, 1998. Giovanni Tebaldi, La Missione racconta, EMI, 1999.