Mission in Action
Vol. XVI
No. 8
SEPTEMBER 2004
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Staying On
THE "WHITE NUER"
The Nuer are the second largest ethnic group in South Sudan. They are nomadic shepherds and occupy a vast region in the upper course of the Nile. Among them, despite all the difficulties, lives a 70-year-old missionary.
Here oilfields are plentiful and attract the attention of both the government and the rebel forces, which have been engaged in a bloody conflict from the early ’80s up to now, when peace seems finally in sight.
As a result, the Nuer, though living on very fertile land, have known famine and the terror of the relentless bombings of the government forces, forcing them to shift ceaselessly from one place to another.
Dramatic situation
It is this drama of the Nuer people that Fr. Antonio La Braca, an Italian Comboni Missionary, has been sharing for the last eight years. When his community was evacuated from the mission of Leer and the mission itself was destroyed, Fr. Antonio was far away visiting some villages. It was at that point that he had to choose between finding refuge beyond the border, in Kenya, or stay with his people. He had to face his fears and at the same time the demands of his missionary vocation.
He chose to stay and the leaders of the local Christian communities welcomed him. He took up his residence in Old Fangak, an old colonial town, and from there he visits the 10,000 Catholics of the vast area, organized in about one hundred communities.
Prayer and action
When in Old Fangak, Fr. Antonio begins the day at three o’clock in the morning. He spends a few hours in prayer and at seven he celebrates the Eucharist with the people. The morning is taken up by pastoral meetings, formation of the catechists and of the lay leaders. In the afternoon he devotes his time to study, personal reflection and preparation of homilies and catecheses.
Most of the time, however, Fr. Antonio is out to visit the villages where he stays for weeks and sometimes for months in a row. Enormous are the distances he has to cover, many the rivers to be waded and the swamps to be crossed. During the rainy season, mud is everywhere.
Bible at center
The Christian communities he takes care of have as their center the Word of God: the community reads the Bible, shares, discusses and takes decisions in its light. “These Bible sharing meetings are very exciting,” says Fr. Antonio. “However, the shortcomings of the communities still remain evident.”
Among them there is the influence of superstition. Many people ask for baptism thinking that it is a remedy against the evil spirits and sickness. Few are those who accept the long preparation of the catechumenate in order to change their life according to the values of the Gospel.
Self-help
Fr. Antonio does not promote projects of development. He does not consider them part of the work of a missionary. He limits himself to promote small scale, local self-support projects: for example, groups of women involved in income generating projects through which they support the full time catechists of the Christian communities.
On the other hand, he invites and encourages projects run by charity and development agencies. For example, Caritas has provided a fishing boat and fifty nets for each community that requested it, while demanding a minimal monthly tax so as to extend the project to more communities.
An elder now
The years 2000 and 2001 were particularly difficult: attacks and bombing became more frequent. Fr. Antonio had to escape from one place to another together with the people, with them suffering hunger, drinking putrid water, and putting up with very hard conditions.
Fr. Antonio is now almost 70 years old and is considered as an elder by the people. Accordingly, he is treated with great respect. “They thank me – he says – for the mere fact that I am with them always, both in good and bad circumstances. They call me a ‘white Nuer’!”
Further service
Fr. Antonio takes advantage of his reputation to further serve his people. He wrote to the leaders of the rebels – who control a large area in South Sudan - asking them to promote the fight against superstition, to declare the equality of the sexes, and the abolition of the dowry system which is detrimental for the dignity of women. “They assured me that the letter has been delivered. Will it be of some use?” wonders Fr. Antonio. Now that he is growing older he makes himself more familiar with the thought of death. Dangers are still present in the area, but he does not regret having lived as a missionary among this people, sharing their life and their suffering, bringing them the strength and the hope of the Gospel of Jesus.<WMCopyright © 2004 World Mission Magazine