Martyr in Burundi

Chapter 5. Never enough time

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July 8, 1995: Fr. Maule with Pope John Paul II before his return to Burundi

Father Maule was obsessed with the mission; he was not content to be just a pastor. The pastor guides his own flock; the missionary goes out to search for all the sheep. He carried this concern in his heart.

Father Mario Pulcini, who lived with him for a few months, recalls: “Father Ottorino loved Burundi and its people, and he gave the best of himself to them. His day began early and finished late, after numerous activities and meetings. He seemed to fear that he did not have enough time to do everything he had in mind; and he always had so many things in mind! He was particularly blessed with the ability to identify even the smallest needs and, consequently, he was always inventing new initiatives and new projects. It may be an exaggeration to say this, but I believe he had something of a real prophet in him: never satisfied with what he had already achieved, he was always looking for new solutions, despite the danger and the risks involved, and new ways to make the Church’s presence among the people more authentic and courageous”.

In all the formation courses he gave to catechists and leaders, he always stressed that the spiritual aspect had priority over the social dimension. This emphasis produced its fruits, visible for all to see.

In the words of Father Pulcini: “Catechists, leaders of communities, youth movements and others are the rich legacy he left us, the fruit of his sacrifices, efforts, dedication and trust in others. He loved to meet the people in the outstations and on the hills, in their huts and in the shade of the banana trees. He was never in a hurry to get back home. He felt at home among his people. He spoke willingly with them and they appreciated and loved him”.

Pastor and Prophet

Father Ottorino’s days in Buyengero were intense. His successor, Father Maestrini, says: “I can testify to just how much pastoral and social work he did in spite of the fact that his strength had waned after a bout of viral hepatitis that forced him to follow a special diet and to slow down. He never had time to rest, jumping from one building yard to another.

He supervised the carpenters, the solders, the bricklayers, the plumbers, yet he never neglected in any way his pastoral activity. He guided retreats, prepared meetings, presided the formation meetings of the community leaders and other sectors of Christian life (catechists, Caritas, Catholic Action Movement, etc.): these always took precedence. This workload kept him busy to the extent that we only saw each other in the morning and at night. In spite of all this, he never showed signs of tiredness and he always wore his characteristic smile.

He had thought up the good idea of subdividing the various outstations into basic ecclesial communities in order to simplify their Christian life. Thanks to this, many lapsed people returned to the practice of their faith which they had abandoned because of the great distances involved, or for other reasons.

The basic Christian communities with a more human dimension allowed us to develop further the formation and catechesis. Some said that he had a rather harsh temperament and there may be some truth in this. Nevertheless, during the one month that I spent with him, he distinguished himself for the care he showed towards me. When he came back from visiting a community, or he saw me a little down, he would pour a glass of good wine from home to cheer me up.”

Jack-of-all-trades

All prophets have a rather difficult character but their heart is in the right place. When he saw the people of Burundi assailed by hunger, illness, war and hatred, he did what he could to soothe their wounds and show them the way to peace, justice, liberty and progress. This is what all prophets do. 

We feel that the half hour religious instruction they receive each week is not enough; therefore, we have proposed catechism lessons given by voluntary catechists after Sunday Mass. The parents and a good group of Christians have accepted the proposal. We have 112 catechists to spread among the outstations and we are now making arrangements for their formation. We are confident it will turn out well.
Fr. Ottorino Maule

Father Mario Pulcini recalls: “Father Ottorino was a jack of all trades. Without any previous experience, he trained bricklayers, carpenters, and many other workers. He also directed many building sites thanks to his great organizing ability and his intelligence. He trained people to work alone without any supervision and he was always available with useful advice. The construction work that was completed during his time here consisted in much needed schools, churches, dispensaries, formation centers for girls, etc. They are simple structures, built with the collaboration and enthusiastic participation of the people, as well as with the help of many Italian friends.

He was such a practical man that everything he built can be managed by the people without any difficulty. More than anything else. I wish to stress that, during those four years of construction, he gave many people and their families an opportunity to work, learn, eat, and build a future for themselves. I also believe that this could be a partial explanation of his violent death”.

The road of the prophet often leads to martyrdom. Father Maule was aware of this, but he did not turn back. The biggest challenge in Burundi consisted in searching for peace between the two ethnic groups. Father Ottorino helped everyone, but the Hutu were the biggest of the two groups and suffered more violence than the others.

Consequently, Ottorino Maule was looked upon as an enemy by some Tutsi, an enemy to be eliminated. Like the prophets in the Bible, he raised his voice in defense of the weak and would not keep quiet about injustice, hatred, bloodshed. He was not just a pastor: he was a missionary, and the mission demands that the truth be proclaimed from the rooftops.

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