Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Freetown (Agenzia Fides)- “The creation of the “ Apostolic Vicariate of Sierra Leone” by Pius IX, on 13 April 1858, marked a new start for Catholic missions in this part of West Africa which had been abandoned for too long ” says Italian Xaverian Missionary, Fr. Gerardo Caglioni, an expert in the history of the Catholic Church in Sierra Leone, in another contribution sent to Fides on the occasion of the 150 anniversary of the death of Mgr Melchior de Marion Brésillac, the country's first Vicar Apostolic (see Fides 23/6/2009).
With the appointment as Vicar of Mgr De Marion Brésillac, Sierra Leone - and surrounding countries Liberia and French Guinea - resume the happy experience of the 17th century when Jesuits and Capuchin missionaries planted vivacious and dynamic Catholic communities in that distant part of black Africa. Unfortunately, - no one is certain how it really happened - those Christian communities, which had germinated is such a generous and singular manner with the conversion of kings and leaders of those historic African societies, were suddenly extinguished, abandoned by hierarchical ecclesiastical, which chose to move to other territories better disposed and with better climatic conditions.
With the Bull Universi Dominici, dated 23 September 1857, this missionary field is reopened and the newly founded missionary group SMA (Society for African Missions) - founded to proclaim the Gospel in Africa - was entrusted with pastoral care in that part of the earth.
Brésillac, who obediently accepted the task (by no means easy) received from Propaganda Fide, promptly organised his mission and in January 1859, sent to Freetown, chosen as the centre of the fledgling Apostolic Vicariate, the first missionaries: Fr. Louis Réymond, Fr. Baptiste Bresson and Brother Eugène Reynaud.
Not long afterwards a second group was ready, composed of Fr. Louis Riocreux, Brother Gratien Monnoyeur and Melchior De Marion Brésillac himself, and landed in Freetown on 14 May.
On their arrival, Freetown was devastated by a virulent epidemic of yellow fever but despite prohibition from the ship's captain and rumours that Europeans in that city were dying like flies, the missionaries disembarked. The rest of the story is known. In a few days five of them died and one survivor was forced to return to France.
Recently a delegation of SMA missionaries - sons of Brésillac - returned to Sierra Leone to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of the first Bishop of Sierra Leone, their Founder. Although only bishop of this territory for just over a month, he started apostolic succession, which since then has continued, fecund and promising.
On the actual anniversary of the death of Brésillac, 25 June, the delegation retraced the path from the port where their confreres had landed 150 years ago, to Circular Road Cemetery, situated on a hill overlooking the old colonial city of Freetown. In this way they rendered homage to a man who sacrificed himself for the Church and became the fruit-bearing seed of Christ. Like seed sown in Africa, he, with his four confreres, gave life to a dynamic local Catholic Church, today more than ever promising.
A growing Church, promising for the near future, a few new dioceses in which to organise the territory pastorally, even though frequented by traditional Muslim groups, it remains singularly open to the announcement of the Gospel and to accept Christ the Saviour. (G.C.) (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 1/7/2009 righe 40 parole 576)
