Dear Friends,
 
I have just returned home from Torino where on October 7 we celebrated the centenary of our Mother House (where our first missionaries were formed starting from 1909) and the anniversaries of religious vows and ordination of various missionaries. You would not believe it, but I was one those who celebrated 50 years of religious life.  In this mood I wish to journey with you through these 50 years.

October 2, 1959: at the end of my Novitiate I consecrate myself to be a Consolata missionary by taking the vows of obedience, chastity and poverty. I was 20 and happy to be a missionary. Two days later I was destined to continue my studies in Rome. It was my first time in the Eternal City where I spent the next 10 years graduating in philosophy, theology and Sacred Scripture. Those were the unforgettable years of Pope John XXIII, Vatican II, Paul VI, opportunity to breathe the Church as Catholic.

October 1969-1975: I am assigned to Torino as professor and formator in our theological seminary. It was the period after Vatican II with many changes and debates, not easy life, yet enriching experience living with young seminarians and giving Biblical courses to groups of lay people eager to know the word of God.

1976-1988 Kenya: I am assigned to Kenya and I served for six years teaching Bible in various seminaries in Nairobi and giving retreats and workshops to youth and religious men and women.  Then in January 1982 I was elected Provincial Superior of my community and for six years I got involved in the life of our many missions in Kenya, a challenging and beautiful experience witnessing the growth of the Church in Africa. In October 1978 I had the great surprise to experience a WWME weekend and since then working with married couples and families will become my best "hobby" for the rest of my life.

1988-2001 USA: A surprise assignment to USA gave me another perception of the Church. It was a real "new world" for me, yet an opportunity to get many new friends and experience the love of American Church for the missions. After six years in New Jersey I spent seven years in Washington DC, with young missionaries studying at CUA and this offered me the opportunity to go back to study and get a PhD in Biblical Studies with a dissertation on "Aquila and Priscilla a missionary couple". I discovered than even St. Paul could not be a missionary without the cooperation of married couples!

2002-2007 Kinshasa: After my studies in DC I was asked to go and share my Biblical wisdom in Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Everything was ok, I had just to switch from English to French, a language I had studied 40 years earlier. It worked and I enjoyed my life in Congo, a very lively Church in a country destroyed by years of wars and millions of casualties. I lived in our Consolata seminary and taught Bible in two theological centers of Kinshasa, giving also my assistance to the Marriage Encounter community of that city.

2008 Italy: After 32 years in other continents I was asked to serve in Italy in the area of "missionary animation".  I am now in our Consolata community of Bedizzole in the Diocese of Brescia (where Pope Paul VI was born), in the vicinity of Lake Garda. It is a sort of new land for me and I am enjoying both the area and the people as I visit many parishes to preach about the missions, meet missionary groups and give Biblical courses in various parishes.   As you can guess I am also involved in Marriage Encounter and Retrouvaille. 

My dear, I can hardly believe that already 50 years have gone by since I took my vows. I have not always practiced them perfectly. As I ask God for forgiveness for my infidelity, I thank him for all he has given me during these 50 years (among his gift is your friendship and love for me). If I had to start anew I think I would take those 3 vows and become a Consolata missionary again.

God bless you.
With love and gratitude,
Fr. Mario Barbero IMC