Another greeting more from Matadi

A warm greeting to all of you, dear and beloved ones,

The weekly Gospel of the past days leads us to meditate on the call of the apostles and their being sent to announce that God is near, to heal, to deliver ... as Jesus Himself did.

It is time for me to be sent to another mission! From this August, I will be part of the community where the novices of West African English speaking countries Province are. I will leave Liberia and move to Ghana, from Monrovia to Sunyani, from a mission among people, to a community that forms the future Salesian Africans.

I will have as Rector Fr. Chukwudi Akubueze, who has been young aspirant with me in Onitsha, and I will be the administrator of the community. It will be a different way of working for the Kingdom of God by accompanying, sustaining and training the new generations of the African Salesians.

Great thanks to all of you, for sharing the mission with me. You have always been close to me, and at the same time you have been brothers and sisters of the people of the mission showing affection, prayers, and continuous economic support. In Matthew's Gospel we read: "Whoever has given just a glass of fresh water to drink to one of these little ones, for they are my disciples, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward (Mt 10, 42).

My mission, your mission does not end here ... you can continue or maybe you move to another place and environment of this large common house that is the world. I know that respecting the missionaries of the Gospel, is for you not an emotional response of your heart ... but the testimony that your faith is serious. It is sure evidence that you are faithful to Jesus and to His Gospel.

A fraternal embrace with God's Blessing on you and your families, as we continue to pray for each other.

Fr Nicola Ciarapica

1^st August, 2017