AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICA - “Who sings, prays twice”: Carmelites are releasing a CD for the 50th anniversary

Wednesday, 5 January 2022 evangelization   music   religious institutes  

Bangui (Agenzia Fides) - Christian preaching also happens through music. And "whoever sings, prays twice", St. Augustine already knew. Based on this conviction, the Mission of the Discalced Carmelites in Central Africa has published a collection of songs and a CD at the end of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries, which are intended to pay homage to the founders of the mission. As Father Federico Trinchero told Fides, "it is a gesture of gratitude to all the friends and benefactors who have supported us over these fifty years". "The songs", says the missionary, "are all composed and sung by our seminarians. The texts, inspired by the Carmelite tradition, are written in Sango, French, Spanish and Italian: a balance of mutual influence for listening and dancing". The songs can be downloaded from a special link on the Internet or on CD from missioni@carmeloligure.it.
In 2021 the Discalced Carmelite Mission in Central Africa celebrated its 50th anniversary. The first four Italian missionaries - Father Agostino Mazzocchi, Father Niccolò Ellena, Father Marco Conte and Father Carlo Cencio - arrived in Bozoum on December 16, 1971.
The missions in Africa - Father Trinchero recalls - were a great desire of St. Teresa of Avila, who he said "I would like to travel the earth and proclaim the Gospel": these words have become the motto of the Jubilee in Central Africa.
With the arrival of the first nuns in 1934, the first Carmel was established in the Congo. Later, in 1956, confreres came to the Congo, who over time settled in various countries across the continent (see Fides, 29/12/2021). (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 5/1/2022)


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