Senegal

DISCOVERING THE CHILDREN OF SENEGAL

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By John P. Mallare CICM

John P. Mallare, a seminarian, was born in Baguio City and entered the CICMs in 1995. After his studies in philosophy and theology he was sent to Senegal in 2005 for his internship. You may learn more about the CICM missionaries at www.scheutmissions.org and at www.missionhurst.org .

Never as a child did I dream of going to Africa. Like any other small boy, I wished to become a ‘normal’ journalist, doctor, engineer, or businessman. I never imagined living in a world outside the 49-square kilometers of my native city, Baguio. Moreover, the only things that I knew of Africa were that black people lived there and that the fiercest animals inhabited the place.

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FROM THIS DESERT . . . LIFE SPRINGS FORTH

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By Fr Anthony Pizzaro CICM

Father Pizarro last appeared on these pages in January-February this year. We thank Missionhurst, www.missionhurst.org, the magazine of the CICMs in the USA for this article.

I met Abdoulaye Badji for the first time in 2002, here in the parish. His job-hunting itinerary read like a travelogue. He hails from the southern part of Senegal where a localized rebellion made it impossible for bread-earners to eke out a living for their families. First leaving his native region of the Casamance, he searched for a job in neighboring Gambia but soon discovered that life was more difficult there than at home. After a few months of unemployment, he continued on to Dakar, the capital of Senegal. He worked in a dockyard there for a very meager salary.

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‘THE FACE OF MY BELOVED CHRIST’

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BY FR ANTHONY T. PIZARRO CICM

Father Anthony has written for us a number of times. His ordination to the priesthood by Bishop Prudencio Padilla, Vicar Apostolic of Tabuk, on 8 November 2003, was the CICM bishop’s first. This is an edited version of the speech the new priest gave after the ceremony.

My sister Chato made use of the image of marriage. A love relationship is at the very heart of marriage. My love story with God started in this chapel almost ten years ago. Young as I was, idealistic and full of passion, I found myself confronted with the classic question: What do I want in life? A very existential question that could have been answered by: marry your girl, rear a family, and be happy in your career. Or by: use your talents; make a lot of money; travel; be famous and powerful. A strange inspiration dawned on me while I was contemplating the question in this chapel a decade ago. Why not live a simple life dedicated to pure service and unconditional love for the poor and the lonely? The third option was appealing but I knew it was difficult and would entail much sacrifice on my part. Yet I was bent to give it a try, if only to fulfill a dream, if only to accomplish a mission.

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And far away…some children smile

 

By Fr Anthony T Pizarro CICM

No, this is not a publicity campaign using the ever-admired slogan on the bumper stickers of the one million or so tricycles that the city of Tuguegarao is known for.  This is the story of how my beloved alma mater, St Louis University of Tuguegarao, has come to the aid of some people here in Senegal, of how SLU has extended its social awareness across the world to the people of this west African country.

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