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From Fides Service by Fr. Gerardo Caglioni, s.x.Nov. 11, 2010
The First Four Xaverians sent to Sierra Leone: Frs. Stefani, Calza, Azzolini, Olivani
On July 8, 2010, the Xaverian Missionaries celebrated the 60th
anniversary of their arrival in Sierra Leone.
In this reflection sent to Fides, Fr. Gerardo Caglioni, who has been a
missionary in that land for years, describes the contribution made to the
development of local populations and the relations with Islam.
"The arrival of the Xaverians in Makeni, in the Northern Province, marked a
significant change in the history of that country. It meant its full
development, thanks to the education promoted by the missionaries. The Holy
Ghost Fathers, who had already arrived in the British colony in 1864 with Father
Blanchet and Father Koeb, had limited their presence to the Freetown Peninsula
and slowly, with the progress of the railroad, had penetrated into the southern
part of the country, much more prosperous and developed. They never ventured
into the North, with the exception of Lunsar (1933), an important iron mining
center, to minister to the families of many workers from the South.
Upon the request of Propaganda Fide to entrust the northern part of the British
Protectorate to the Xaverian Missionaries, the Spiritans were compelled by the
Holy See to also open a mission station in Makeni (1949), to give opportunities
to those who came to have a reference point and thus be able to work in the new
territory. The Xaverians immediately got to work. A few days after their arrival
in Sierra Leone, Fr. Azzolini wrote to his superiors: "This morning, the 11th
[1950], Fr. Calza and I left for our destination, Makeni. Fr. Olivani and Fr.
Stefani left in the afternoon for Lunsar... It is my great pleasure to inform
you that both here in Makeni and in Freetown, the Fathers were very good, kind,
friendly."
In Makeni, they found themselves catapulted to the extreme limit of what had
been, albeit for a short period, the Muslim empire of Samori Touré, right on the
busy trade route linking Freetown, the colonial capital, with the interior,
which had belonged to the Muslim empires of Futa Jallon and Samori Touré, born
from the terrible Jihad of sword fighting. This was the trade route that
promoted Arabic for communicating between one chief and another, for recording
commercial contracts or keeping accounts, and which now, with its commerce, was
peacefully spreading the religion of Islam.
The Xaverians, on those ancient trade routes built the new world of Sierra
Leone, spreading the Good News which was announced in schools at all levels. The
methodology experienced by early Christian missionaries of the seventeenth
century, the Jesuits and the Capuchins, was to preach the Gospel and to
establish Christian communities on the coast and up the rivers into the
interior. It was an easy way to get from one place to another, in a land where
roads did not exist. The Muslims, from the other side - which spread from the
vast desert of the Sahel - entered the territory of Sierra Leone by descending
from the north, along the main rivers of the country. The Xaverians, who were in
the center of the country, did nothing but the opposite of the Muslims and, from
where the railroad ended, they ventured out to the boundaries of the country.
The Xaverians were really the last to arrive and, according to the rules of the
game, had to adapt or submit to those who had come before them, especially the
many prolific Protestant groups."
“Since around 1824, there was a set rule in the Colony: the group that would
come first would have the exclusive rights over that territory. The Xaverians
used a method that time later proved to be effective: personal contact with the
leaders and local authorities. They spared no effort, I do not speak in terms of
money or material resources as they were very limited, but with personal
energies, sacrifices, their way of life, etc.. and they multiplied their
availability as much as possible in order to be present first and for everyone.
Two significant examples from Bishop Azzolini, "Fr. Calza is laying new
foundations for new stations near Makeni, where he is much appreciated and
admired and he has, in fact, managed to obtain permission for the construction
of the house and school from the leaders of the city, while the Father who was
with us thought it almost impossible. I am very busy with the school and visits
to the families of Makeni ... I feel the duty to inform you that our position is
such that if we lose a place, we will never regain it. The first who come to
start a school have taken over the location forever and no one else has more
chances [to occupy]. Here the school represents the future of the Church and
Christianity. So, we've tried to take key positions in order to control the
schools already built and keep an eye on other possibilities and avoid
Protestant schools and government schools that would have prevented or could
prevent our entry. Our presence also gives a lot of confidence to the
authorities and gives the people the impression of an effective school, and
everything is for their benefit."
In this regard, I think it particularly significant a photo from the 1960s that
shows Bishop Azzolini with a large delegation of Paramount Chiefs in Makeni to
plead the cause of education and the construction of schools in their chiefdoms.
This presence and action of the Xaverians, particularly effective, changed the
educational parameters of the country. The north, in 60 years, has reached the
same level of development as other more developed parts of the country and can
now compete - at the same level - with every other area of Sierra Leone.
Makeni today boasts of having a Polytechnic University, which evolved from the
school founded by Bishop Azzolini and Fr. Romano Rolli. There is also a
university, the Fatima Institute, strongly desired by Azzolini's successor,
Bishop Biguzzi. Finally, to celebrate the 60 years of their presence in Sierra
Leone, the Xaverians are opening in the mountains on the border with Guinea, the
last mission among the Fula and Koranko: Mongo Bendugu. There, where a young Fr.
Calza would travel on his motorcycle in the 1950s, and after him many other
Xaverian, the population now sees a dream come true. Thus begins the new
Xaverian mission of Mongo Bendugu, the most recent Xaverian bastion. The people
are convinced that this is the path to true development."
