My missionary experience in land of coffee origin: Ethiopia

Berhampur: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt: 28:19)

This mandate of Jesus Christ to his disciples is the ‘Magna Carta’ ((“Great Charter”), a call not only for them but also to all who want to be His followers.

Therefore, I must say with all sincerity that, it was my all-time dream to be a missionary priest since my childhood after the example of the Spanish missionaries whom I had been seeing coming to our village in Odisha, Eastern India, for Mass and in the hostel of Aligonda where they were coming in great numbers.

I am proud of myself as I was baptized by a Spaniard priest. I was prepared for the first confession by another Spaniard priest and was recommended to join the apostolic school, Bhanjanagar, also by a Spaniard Vincentian priest.

This great desire to be a missionary was always at the back of my mind all through my priestly life till at last a chance dawned to go to Ethiopia on a sabbatical year, in 2017. I spend three years till 2020 in Ethiopia.

I was invited by the Vincentian fathers of the Congregation of the Missions (CM) to help them as the Rector, formator and teach in the major seminary.

I had been already 12 years in seminary formation, both in minor and in the major seminary of my North India CM province. So, to be in formation was not a big deal for me.

The socio-economic condition of Ethiopia is not satisfactory. It is the second-most populous country in sub- Saharan Africa. It is rated as the poorest and most heavily indebted countries in the world, ranked least out of 208 countries.

Of the total population of Ethiopia, 56% are Christians and the Catholics are only 0.07%, the least among the Christians.

Working among this least minority of Catholics especially in seminary training and teaching, I came in direct contact with candidates and seminarians of the country from different congregations and dioceses studying in CFIPT (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy & Theology) as well as in CMRS (Congregation of Major Religious Superiors).

To teach and interact with the future priests and religious of the country was a wonderful and unique experience for me.

My contribution to the Catholic Church of Ethiopia is that on the occasion of the “The Year of the Word of God”, as declared by Pope Francis, I composed music in Amharic language and it was released by Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel, C.M, Archbishop of Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, last May.

I have experienced a deep sense of receptivity from the young people as well as from different religious communities whom I was ready to serve whenever they needed me. Therefore, in a short period, I could earn the confidence and trust of both people and religious.

Moreover, I too got a few golden opportunities to preach retreats and conduct seminars to both diocesans as well as religious of the country.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, I celebrated Masses for different religious communities of the Congregations. These were occasions to know the state of affairs of the country as well as the lifestyle and the situation of the religious in the Catholic Church.

What impressed me most is the deep-seated love and respect of the people for their culture, traditions and their religious belief. An outstanding example that I can cite is that during the pandemic when all the religious places of worship throughout the world remained closed yet in Ethiopia the Orthodox Christians defied the government orders not to go to churches by attending all the religious ceremonies on Sundays and other feast days as usual. I was amazed to hear them say, “The Lord is there to save us”.

Another beautiful practice that is in vogue among the Ethiopians is their unique type of greetings and the individual freedom and respect they have for others, more especially to elders.

Though Ethiopia is a land-locked country yet its topography is smeared with varied beauty which attracts tourists from time immemorial.

The country takes pride in the Biblical figure, the Queen of Sheba. It is a land known for the first origin of coffee, a land where the first human species had its origin, a land where even today monks who live in caves, a land of a marvel of stone hewed monasteries and churches unique of its kind. The claim of pride, that the county that it was not under any colonizers ever, is a land of simple, loving, God-fearing and good people that attracts many tourists.

Though I left Ethiopia after a term of my service in the seminary of the Vincentian Fathers of Ethiopian province yet the sweet memories always flush through my mind again and again.

The most memorable moment in my life was that during the corona pandemic time, I was able to go to different religious communities for offering Holy Mass when other priests were scared to go out for service.

I wish I could continue my mission there if there was an agreement between the two provinces and the Vincentian bishops of Ethiopia. I hope that one day again I will return to this wonderful country.

(Father Mathew Nayak is a Vincentian from North India Province of the Congregation of Mission. He was a missionary in Ethiopia for three years and recently returned to India).