September 4, 2022, was a Sunday full of light and colour, a liturgy full of joy and art. In the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in the city of Huambo (Angola), the Redemptorist celebrated the jubilee of two confreres: Fr. Guilherme Salusase (50 years of consecration) and Fr. Bento Katchingangu (25 years of priesthood), as well as the welcoming of four young Angolans (Abraão Lussasse, Avelino Ezequiel, João Segunda Luteno, Adelino Salucondo) and a Mozambican (Jaime Novela), who consecrated themselves, by religious vows, as Redemptorists. In addition, three young Redemptorists renewed their vows.
People came from all the places where Redemptorists serve the people of God, relatives of the Jubilarians and of those who professed their vows, religious, lay associates and friends of ours. Confreres from all our communities were present, most of whom participated in the Vice-province’s annual retreat that took place the week before the feast. Mons. Zeferino Zeca Martins, Archbishop of Huambo, presided over the Eucharist, having concelebrated Mons. José de Queirós Alves, CSsR, Archbishop Emeritus, and several priests of the diocesan clergy.
It was a meaningful celebration, in a beautiful intertwining of three generations of Redemptorists, each offering its own richness: the wisdom of old age, the experience of maturity and the dream of youth. The fruitful interaction of these three elements allows us to strengthen fidelity to the charism and mission and to look to the future with hope.
In this celebration, the collaboration between the Redemptorists of Angola and Mozambique was also highlighted. They, within the framework of the reconfiguration of the CSsR, will form the Lusophone Region of the future Province of Central-Southern Africa. When, due to the pandemic, the General Government allowed the opening of temporary Novitiates, Mozambique and Angola joined forces to carry out this stage of formation. It started on September 8, 2021, with 5 Angolan and 2 Mozambican novices, and then they returned to communities in their countries of origin. The Novice Master and Socius were Fr. Ilídio Vieira and Paulino Cambungo, Angolans, and the novitiate took place in the B. Gaspar Stangassinger community, Humpata, southern Angola. The preacher of the retreat for the profession was Fr Ernesto Steeman, an Argentine missionary working for many years in Mozambique, thus reinforcing the collaboration between the two Units.
Fr. João Pedro Fernandez, CSsR
