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"There was nothing
left"
ne of those missionaries, Bishop Biguzzi came to the Sierra Leone in 1974, after serving in the U.S., where he learned English and became a citizen. Nearly 20 years ago, Pope John Paul II ordained him bishop of Makeni. Established in 1962, the rural diocese takes up the northern half of the nation.
The Holy Ghost Fathers from Ireland and the Xaverian Missionaries from Italy were first missionaries to evangelize the area, home to 1.7 million people today, around the middle of the last century. Village visitations and schools were among the main avenues of evangelization. Individual Christians grew into communities and formed Christian families. The first diocesan priest was ordained in 1977. Now there are 29 diocesan and 20 Xaverian priests there, the bishop said.
In 1991, Liberians invaded Sierra Leone's eastern province, the site of diamond mines. The Liberians and rebels entered Makeni, destroying and looting churches, schools and government buildings and killing people, he said.
"There was noting left. We lost everything the Xaverians built over 50 years," said Bishop Biguzzi, who fled to Guinea. "The entire territory of the diocese was affected. Tens of thousands of people were displaced and many lost their lives."
Yet the bishop was quick to add, "The faith of the people was not shattered. The living Church remained. With the coming of peace at the end of 2001, we began a slow but steady period of reconstruction. People have returned home, our parishes have been reopened and our pastoral plans have been redefined."
Even a parish, like Christ the King, which has received aid for rebuilding, remains "mission minded," having donated half of the diocese's total $6,000 World Mission Sunday collection donation. The bishop added, "They think of the poorer people. They feel the need to contribute despite being poor."
Sierra Leone has become a model for interreligous relations. Most of the country is Muslim with Catholics making up about 5 percent of the nation's 10-percent Christian population.
"We live together peacefully," Bishop Biguzzi said. "There is mutual respect. It's not just religious tolerance, but a spirit of harmony and cooperation."
'The kids come running'
The people of Sierra Leone have another great friend in 54-year-old Tom Johnson Jr., who has been associated with the Xaverians. This home repair contractor has been visiting the African nation often since 2002, after falling in love with its people when he served in the Peace Corps from 1989 to 1991.
Johnson has raised more than $130,000 for surgeries for people ravaged by a host of diseases and deformities, such as Pott's Disease that causes fracture of the spine; cleft palettes; club feet; cataracts; hernias; and burns to the hands and feet, mainly due to cooking fires.
There in Sierra Leone, where he plans to return Nov. 9, the good-hearted Johnson also helps facilitate the travel of doctors to the region and the surgeries, which take place in nearby Guinea and cost roughly $6,000 each.
"It's the most unbelievable thing," he said. "The people are so grateful. The kids come running. They've recovered. They couldn't do that before. It's amazing."
To raise much of the money, Johnson and the musical group he plays fiddle for, The Dicey Riley Band, play benefit concerts, featuring traditional Irish and Celtic music. The band will play two upcoming concerts - on Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. at Assumption Church, Morristown, and on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at St. Lawrence Church, Chester. The suggested donation is $10 per adult with children free. For more information, call (908) 879-5371.
Johnson's efforts also receive funds from the Knights of Columbus, George Washington Council 359, which recently gave $2,500 and the N.J. State Council Knights of Columbus, which gave $1,000, according to his Website,
www.africasurgery.org.
Now back in Makeni, Bishop Biguzzi emphasized during his trip to the U.S. his urgent message on behalf of his people - "Our needs are many."
"There is a great demand for chapels. We need support for our seminarians and catechists, for our charitable institutions, for education of children and youth, for empowering of women, for the purchase of vehicles for priests and pastoral agents," the bishop said. "Our people are very generous but Sierra Leone has not yet defeated poverty or achieved significant development. The Church is the beacon of hope. We are grateful to all those who wish to help us," he said.
(News Editor, from The Beacon, Diocesan Catholic Paper of Patterson, NJ)