… dalla Sierra Leone
Evangelisation in Mongo Parish
Being the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World
The foundation of the Mongo Parish almost 4 years ago was a courageous project of evangelisation in a rather large area, inhabited mostly by the Koranko tribe. Compared to other places, such as the Limba tribe area, the small numbers of Catholics in the parish after a lengthy missionary presence shows that the Koranko people are not easily converted, especially from Islam. Even after some years as a Parish, there has been no significant increase in the numbers. Culturally and religiously, the Mongo people seem to be influenced a great deal by Islam. This background seems to be the reason why the people of Mongo do not easily embrace Christianity. In such a situation, missionaries can be doubtful and wonder if it is worth the effort to invest time and energy in the evangelisation of this place.
Evangelisation should not be looked upon as just a number of people who convert to Catholicism. In some places where there are only a few such people, our presence is still needed. Unless there is a missionary personnel problem, for example, it should not be necessary to withdraw our presence. It may even be one of our priorities today, when multicultural and religious phenomena are a reality in the society. There must be something to do for evangelisation. As evangelisation faces different challenges in different places and situations, it is a matter of how we respond to the challenges of our mission, and how we give meaning to evangelisation itself.
When evangelisation faces cultural and religious challenges, such as the strong influence of Islam in society, we are called to redefine the purpose of evangelisation in that particular situation, the priorities, a realistic project, the necessary attitudes, motivation or spirituality. I believe some insights from the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (EG 82-83) can help us to evaluate our evangelisation.
What is the meaning of evangelisation, especially in places where there is strong religious and cultural background, such as Islam? In this situation, evangelisation or mission is not, first and foremost, a matter of being anxious about numbers. If this is the most important motivation, it means that we are throwing ourselves into an unrealistic project (ref. EG 82). As a result, work becomes more tiring than necessary, even leading at times to illness. Far from a content and happy tiredness, this is a tense, burdensome, dissatisfying and, ultimately, an unbearable fatigue’. (ref. EG 82). Perhaps some missionaries have had this kind of experience.
Instead, in this situation, evangelisation is more about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The lack of numbers is not an obstacle to being a missionary Church. We should be able to be satisfied to do what we can reasonably do (ref. EG 82), by doing mission through our Christian witness of Gospel values and openness to dialogue with other religious members, especially in promoting human dignity through education and other ways of dialogue. In interfaith dialogue, the issue is not who is the best, so that the other is converted, but to turn to God who is ‘a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (John 4:2). Of course, we will welcome and offer catechumenate classes to those who are ready and willing to become Catholics, as we have always been doing.
Doing mission in this kind of situation calls for patience to allow processes to mature; we cannot want everything to fall from heaven (ref. EG 82). It means that we should be able to wait; we should not want to dominate the rhythm of life. Today’s obsession with immediate results makes it hard for pastoral workers to tolerate anything that smacks of disagreement, possible failure, criticism, the cross (ref. EG 82).
Instead of being attached to a few projects or vain dreams of success (ref. EG 82), we should have more real contract with people. We should not be more concerned with the road map than with the journey itself (ref. EG 82). Evangelisation is done in journeying together and dialogue with members of other religions and cultures. This will be possible if we also scale down our arrogance, prejudices, misinformation and superiority (ref. EG 256).
I believe that the impression that we are wasting time and energy in doing mission in difficult places like Mongo (just one place among many others) is not necessarily true. “The problem is not always an excess of activity, but rather activity undertaken badly, without adequate motivation, without a spirituality which would permeate it and make it pleasurable” (ref. EG 82).
My ten months presence and mission experience in Mongo is a very short period of time, but it has been quite interesting and challenging too. Some insights from Pope Francis in the Evangelii Gaudium (82- 83) encourage me to continue working for evangelisation with ‘adequate motivation and spirituality’. My hope is just what Pope Francis told the Church, ’let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelization!’ (ref. EG 83).
Mongo, 30th October 2014
Sudarmanto Franciscus X. sx
