Enthusiastic young missionary
The year 2012 marked a turning point in the vocation and mission of Father Manuel João, a Comboniani missionary. Father Manuel was born in Penajoia, on the banks of the River Douro, in northern Portugal. After receiving the priesthood on August 15, 1978, Father Manuel spent the first years of his priesthood in the Comboni community in Coimbra, in charge of missionary and vocation flexibility for young people. In 1985 he was sent to Togo, a country in West Africa; Father worked there as a missionary until 1993 and was called to Rome to collaborate in the formation of young candidates of the Comboni order. In 2002 he returned to Togo and was elected Provincial of the Comboni Order of Togo, Ghana and Benin.
Something unexpected happened
At the end of 2010 something unexpected happened to him, as Father Manuel told his friends: “Next December 28 I will leave Togo and return to Europe not knowing what awaits me. I was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The disease is developing and will take me with it and invite me to have a different outlook on life. As I revisit places and people, my mind goes back to the past, remembering when I first arrived at the mission, a young missionary full of dreams and enthusiasm. 25 years have passed! Everything was new to me then, and I embarked on this expedition, with both mind and body. The initial difficulties, the adaptation to the climate, the effort to learn the language and customs, the commitment and challenge of a new culture… did not dampen my enthusiasm. Today, many things have changed; Africa has changed and the people, the face of the Church and the missionaries…and myself have changed, as a matter of course!”
Returning home is always a sad moment for a missionary
The illness took Father Manuel forever away from Africa. For him, this separation was like a step of witness: “It is extremely gratifying to see other young missionaries embrace the torch of missionary ideals that have made my life so much more enjoyable. we are alive, seeing them now ready to continue their common mission. But returning home is always a sad moment for a missionary who considers the mission base as his or her home.”
I see myself again like a baby learning to walk
Father Manuel, however, sees the forced return to Europe as a new opportunity and a fresh start. He explained to his friends: “I returned safely, trusting that God would continue to be true to His promise to me: I will always be with you, to give meaning to your life! Therefore, I return, confident that better is still to come! Like the wine that Jesus did in the miracle at the wedding feast at Cana! I end my mission in Africa by praising the Lord and accepting his call to continue his walk. With my uncertain walk, due to illness, I felt like a baby learning to walk again. Where he will take me on this road I don't know… But I feel that he invites me to trust, to let myself in his arms.”
Leave my safety and go on mission
The journey was dictated by the developing disease and limited range of motion, starting with the legs. Father Manuel was assigned to Rome to participate in the group that coordinates the regular program of the Comboni order. Father fought his illness first by moving on crutches and then in a wheelchair, surpassing the doctors' prognosis. But in 2016, he had to leave Rome to move to a community in the Italian province of Verona, where, as he said: “I could have been better cared for because of my constant companion, amyotrophic sclerosis. side, don't leave me." He went to Verona “in response to another call from God: to leave my safety behind and to go on mission, one more time. It is the penultimate mission, because the final mission will be given to us in Heaven. I am ready to live the mission with the dedication and generosity of the workers at the last hour of the Gospel parable.” And I assure you: “I do not go out alone, I carry you in my heart. I thank you for your friendship and prayers for allowing me to have the miracle of peace and joy that accompanies me in my illness.”
I praise God every day for the gift of life
In 2018, a turning point occurred on Father Manuel's illness journey. Dad had breathing problems and had to stay in the hospital for 4 weeks. Currently, I have to use an assistive device and have difficulty expressing myself to others. Still, he said: “I am in a good mood anyway and despite the difficulties and unexpected events of this illness, I am fine. I feel at peace, a gift that God has given me because of you. It is true that I find myself increasingly confined to my body, now practically paralyzed, but I have no shortage of smiles and readiness, and I praise God every day for the gift of life. Unable to use my fingers to write, or my voice to give commands, I had to learn to use the pointer with my eyes; I'm writing to you...with my eyes! That's the great thing about technology
Tags:
catholic