On September 14, during the celebration of the Mass of the Triumph of the Cross, Brother Yakob (Ethiopia) pronounced his vows of chastity, poverty and obedience for life in Rimont (France). This feast is the feast of “Meskel” (the Cross) that we celebrate as a solemnity in Ethiopia.

The mass started with the entrance procession, there our brother went forward with great enthusiasm to the altar, then he went to take his place. Several people who loved him followed him online on Facebook. After listening to the reading of the Holy Gospel, the first part of the consecration ritual began with the invocation of the Holy Spirit followed by the homily of the Prior General. Brother François-Xavier showed us the depth of the mystery of the cross, linked to this act of self-giving of the life of our brother.

“Yes, I do”

Brother Yakob expressed four times his desire to consecrate himself for life; to then prostrate himself and listen to the invocation to all the saints. The whole community gathered implored the intercession of heaven so that the blessing would descend upon him. A few moments later, his act of consecration was read and then the signature of the act of consecration. The perpetually professed brothers welcomed him into the Great Family of Saint John, and then the celebration of Mass continued.

At the end of the Eucharist we had the traditional aperitif where we were able to meet several of his compatriots and share with them. During the meal the apostolic sisters gave us a surprise: they shared with us a song in Amharic and we all raised our hands to give thanks with the chorists.
Thanks be to God, it was a fraternal celebration full of joy.

For the Brothers of St. John in Ethiopia, the rainy season always rhymes with summer camps for youth, families, and the disadvantaged. Following a request for help from the Missionary Sisters of Charity, this year we chose to go to Wonji — two hours south of Addis near Adama — for the Charity Mission Camp from July 26 to 29.

This mission was different from the previous years. It consisted in teaching English and Ethics in the morning for 5 days in the Catholic school of Wonji for 600 students divided into 5 classes from kindergarten to 4th grade.

A total of 6 girls and 9 boys from Addis Ababa, Debrezeit, and Hosanna were trained a few days before the camp by Brothers Matthieu de la Croix and Philippe François to fulfill this teaching mission so important today for young people who lack orientation and are often unaware of the moral values essential to succeed in life.

Besides the morning classes given to the students, we could enjoy the hot springs of Sodere (20 km from Wonji).

We also cooperated with the diocesan priests of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish in Wonji: discovery of the pastoral ministry in the three “camps” of families of workers in the sugar cane fields, a soccer game with the youth of the parish, and a beautiful vigil of adoration on Thursday evening with a preaching on the works of mercy by the parish priest Abba Yohanes.

Strong and enthusiastic about this experience, 5 young people from the camp and others from Addis Ababa volunteered to continue for another two weeks this experience of teaching and tutoring the students of the Catholic school with the agreement of the parish and the Missionary Sisters of Charity of Wonji.

We give thanks for having been able to bring a little knowledge and light to the young people of this city during their vacations in response to the call of the prophet Hosea: “my people perish for lack of knowledge” Hosea 4,6

South Sudan: The land trodden by St. Daniel Comboni

The visit of Pope Francis to South Sudan, scheduled for 5-7 July 2022, has motivated fr Moise Etienne and fr Philippe François to visit this country in the footsteps of St. Josephine Bakhita (1865-1947) and St. Daniel Comboni (1831-1881).

St. Daniel Comboni, the founder of the Comboni Missionaries whose charism is to “Save Africa with Africans“, wrote to his parents in 1858 while he was a missionary in Sudan: “We will have to work hard, sweat and die: but the thought that we sweat and die for the love of Jesus Christ and the salvation of the most abandoned souls in the world is far too sweet for us to give up this great enterprise...”.

He was ordained bishop in 1877 and appointed Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa. He died four years later of an illness in Khartoum on 10 October 1881 at the age of 50 years.

Despite the cancellation of the Pope’s trip because of his knee, we decided to maintain our journey as we had already booked our plane tickets….. Despite several setbacks as soon as we arrived at the airport in Juba, the capital,  our first impression of the reality of this young country was a feeling of wonderment mixed with dismay at the poverty. We were able to meet some religious communities in Juba (Fr. Richard, rector of the major seminary of Juba, Mgr. Eduardo Hiboro Kussala, bishop of Yambio, Fr. Luis, provincial of the Comboni Missionaries, Fr. Moses Raja and the community of Indian priests of the MMI fathers, Fr. Waldemar, responsible for the Salesian formation center at Gumbo-Juba) and visited some places (the Blue Nile, the city of ministries) while waiting patiently for the flight to Yambio.

The bishop of Yambio, Mgr Edouardo, whom we met in Juba on the occasion of the arrival of Cardinal PAROLIN, Secretary of State of the Vatican, spoke to us passionately about his diocese located in the West of South Sudan, close to the Congo DRC and the Central African Republic, and shared with us “the wonders of his land”. Barani Edouardo, as he is called, showed us the strengths and challenges of his diocese.

Have you ever experienced being greeted to the point where your knuckles hurt? Welcome to Yambio. Our departure was postponed several times due to a lack of space on the plane, but we finally landed in Yambio. We admired the beauty of South Sudan -forest and various market gardens with red dirt roads- during an hour-and-a-half flight at low altitude in a small Cessna 208 Caravan plane with 20 passengers.

As soon as we arrived, the warm welcome of the resident priests at the bishop’s house and of the laity allowed us to experience the Church family of God. With only two days in Yambio, the socio-pastoral coordinator, Fr Charles, had organized an intense program to visit part of this large diocese, starting with a meeting with Father Thomas, vicar general, and an interview with the Catholic radio station “Anissa Radio”

Everywhere we went, those we met – the Brothers of Christian Instruction in Rimenzé, the Sisters of Nzanré, the hospital of Saint Theresa, the minor seminary, the philosophate, the diocesan retreat centre, the women’s promotion centre in Gangara, the NGO Solidarity – all let us know with the same refrain the deepest thirst of this part of Africa: “Our country needs education“.

During this short stay, we were able to discover the young church of the diocese of Yambio, alive and dynamic, acting with perseverance and hope in the face of real challenges.

Father Charles states: “The church is the main actor in the development of the region of Yambio“, in unison with this quotation from Populorum Progressio of the Second Vatican Council: “Development is the new name for Peace“.

We left full of enthusiasm despite the fatigue by the same plane to Juba on 9 July, the day of the 11th anniversary of the independence of the youngest country in the world, before returning to Addis Ababa on 10 July.

In connection with this trip and a Sudanese lay leader, Simon Dukpuro, Brother Philippe François organized in Addis Ababa on 23 July 2022 a day of sharing and training on the theme “Actors for Peace and Reconciliation in South Sudan” for 20 Sudanese Catholic students from 9 state universities in Ethiopia.

Following the example of Pope Francis who knelt on 11 April 2019 in Rome to kiss the feet of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Vice Presidents Riek Machar and Rebecca Nyandeng to be peacemakers as brothers in their country, we are invited to pray unceasingly for Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation in South Sudan.

Every December 27, the brothers of Saint John celebrate their patron saint in all the countries and continents where they are established. This year, although we were in union with our brothers throughout the world, we also wanted to live it, particularly in communion with the church of Ethiopia whose liturgical calendar is a little different from the Roman calendar used by all the Catholic faithful. This first experience took place on January 12, according to the said calendar.  To well prepare for this feast, a novena in honor of Saint John was organized and crowned on the last day by a vigil of prayer and adoration. To make the Ethiopians discover the figure of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, we also gave teachings on the life and works of the beloved disciple of our Lord.

Many people were invited to this feast, namely the priests of the archdiocese, the oblates and friends of the community, the young students and many other people. The young people invested a lot of time with the brothers so that the celebration could take place in a good atmosphere.

Concelebrated by a group of about ten priests, the Mass of Saint John was celebrated in the Ethiopian rite with G’eez as the liturgical language. Around this sacred and magnificent altar, the priests began the mass with the presentation of the offerings: the fruit of the work of men that would become the Body and Blood of Christ during this holy celebration.  In his homily, the preacher, Abba Gabriel, a Capuchin, explicitly emphasized in his fervent preaching that the priory of the brothers of St. John in Entoto is like Mount Sion, a place of spiritual renewal where one comes to meet God and contemplate him. It is a pleasant place where one breathes the fresh air of the mountains and nature, a sign of profound life. The mass was animated by a group of young people gathered for the occasion.  The sublime songs performed by this youth choir accompanied by the piano expanded our hearts and raised us to heaven.

After this beautiful Eucharistic celebration, there was a teaching on the figure of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist by Father Daniel (exegete) followed by a short presentation of the community by Brother Philippe François. This allowed our guests to know better our charism and our apostolates in Ethiopia and in the world. At noon the prior, Brother Philippe François blessed the festive meal carefully prepared by the mothers under the guidance of one of our oblates. We enjoyed the delicious dishes accompanied by sweet and alcoholic beverages that gave a better taste to our mouths.

In joy and good humor, we continued the feast with musical animation and games.  The simplicity and the closeness of the brothers during this feast favored the reinforcement of our fraternal links with the local clergy and the young Ethiopians.

As in a choir, everyone played their part in a beautiful harmony sot that this first experience becomes a success and that it remains engraved forever in our hearts. We are delighted with the efforts made by each one for this beautiful realization which makes us think that it was the first and not be the last.

We would like to thank all those who supported us spiritually, morally, financially and materially. May God repay you a hundredfold!

The coming back of School of life

From the beginning of October, the school of life started with a new promotion. Eight young Ethiopians (4 girls and 4 boys) spontaneously created an atmosphere full of joy, life and benevolence within the priory! These 9 months among us want to foster growth and spiritual discernment, and it is with pleasure that we see them progress and appreciate the teachings, the times of community life and the apostolic activities. In particular, once a month, they provide reading for about thirty neighborhood children and provide entertainment for orphans It is greatly appreciated each time!

The French speaking parish

The French speaking Catholic community of Nazareth school run its activities this year, thanks to brothers Benoit David, Mathieu de la Croix and Moise Etienne, in conjunction with Father Daniel Assefa, French speaking Ethiopian and chaplain of the community.

Catechesis, choir, altar services, group of bible study and youth chaplaincy are the main activities they run together. This community with more than 15 nationalities shows especially during Sunday Mass its fervor and its joy of living through songs of praise. This  creates an environment of trust and friendliness for its members despite the diversity.

For the  youth chaplaincy, the first outing to Entoto Park (10 minutes by car from the priory) has already created a great feeling of friendship and enthusiasm.

All the brothers thank you for your prayers and your support which we always
need to live We would like to end by wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022.

From August 5 to 9, the brothers of the Saint John community in Addis Ababa organized a summer camp in Dire Dawa, in eastern Ethiopia. Seventeen youngs participated in this mission-oriented “charity camp”. They helped the Missionary Sisters of Charity, established in the city, for several days.

These times of service, which were a very rich experience for everyone, were accompanied by times of spiritual renewal. Each day, the youngs participated in Mass and a time of prayer, often adoration. A daily formation with Father Philippe François, the camp leader, also allowed them to deepen their reflection on the theme of the camp. They were able to share Gospel passages and reflect on their experiences of service each morning. In particular, they discussed the question “who is my neighbor?” and around the Gospel of the Good Samaritan or on the theme of peace. On the last day, a round table discussion allowed them to express what had marked them the most, encounters, shared moments, a word received. They were invited to ask themselves how they could concretely implement what they had learned during the camp. And to what extent it will mark their lives.

Finally, the youngs benefited from animations and cultural visits, especially of the city of Harar. Everyone was very happy with this wonderful week!

From 05 to 09 August was held the traditional Teenager camp. For the second year in a row, the camp was held in the priory of the brothers in Entoto. However, for those who have the impression that they have already experienced it and are no longer impressed by the place, this teenager camp was one of the first events to use the basement of the chapel where several rooms are available to host such events. The teenager campers were the first to actually inaugurate these rooms.
The theme chosen for this year was justice. During the first two days, the young people were led to reflect on justice, first in a workshop and then by following the teaching of Brother Paul-Clement. One of the innovations of this camp was the music workshop offered by our Oblate from the Netherlands, Bernadette, who has been living in Ethiopia for ten months. Listening to religious music that evoked justice allowed the young people to explore this subject more deeply by sharing in small groups.
The afternoon activities were varied according to the day. On Friday, the young people were able to take advantage of the good weather for a walk in Entoto Park. On Saturday, all the young people visited the House of the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Sidist Kilo.By performing some songs or participating in games with the residents of the sisters. They were able to bring them joy.
A vigil of adoration on Saturday evening allowed the youth to pray for peace in the world and especially in Ethiopia.
On the eve of the end of the camp, during the festive evening, the young people were able to express their talents as actors, by presenting group after group, theatrical plays evoking justice.
On Monday, after the closing mass and a hearty meal, the young people had to say goodbye.
We look forward to the next edition, which we hope will not be disrupted by any kind of health or security conditions.

Want to see the inauguration of the chapel in 5 minutes?
One of our young people edited a dynamic video with images and key moments of this great step of our foundation.