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“A moment of gratitude”: Catholic Priest on 40th Anniversary of Evangelization Movement in Angola

Fr. Afonso Patrice Fernandes. Credit: Radio Ecclesia

By João Vissesse

Luanda, 20 July, 2024 / 8:00 pm (ACI Africa).

The 40th anniversary of the Movement for Fundamental Evangelization and Renewal of Life in the Spirit (MEFREVE) in Angola is an opportunity for members to give thanks to God for His graces and blessings over the last four decades, the National Chaplain has said.

Fr. Ézio Tinazzi, a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.), founded MEFREVE in 1984 to foster evangelization at the grassroots. Represented in 15 Catholic Dioceses of Angola, the movement has more than thirty thousand members in the country’s 15 Provinces.

In his homily during the opening Mass of the Third MEFREVE Congress and the 40th Anniversary celebration, Fr. Afonso Patrice Fernandes exhorted the members to strive for holiness by living exemplary lives.

“This 40th anniversary is a moment of gratitude. It is a time to give thanks to the Lord for placing among us many servants, brothers, who have been giving their time, lives, and will to proclaim the Gospel, to find concrete ways to proclaim God's Word, and to let people know that he is with us,” Fr. Fernandes said during the Thursday, July 18 Eucharistic celebration at Panguila Spirituality Centre in Angola’s Catholic Diocese of Caxito.

This movement, he went on to say, “has endured disappointments throughout these 40 years, and we are here at this Eucharistic celebration to thank God for being faithful to His promises to us.”

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“The movement has faced various challenges and joys throughout its journey but remains committed and faithful to God's plan,” the Angolan Catholic Priest said during the July 18-21 event realized under the theme, “Cast your nets and you will find.”

Fr. Fernandes continued, “We have to trust in the Lord because the suffering of the present time, the difficulties that life offers us, the moments of crisis and affliction that beset us can be overcome.”

The challenges, he said, should “not make us lose hope; they should “not take away our peace”; instead, they should “make us walk together.”

The MEFREVE Chaplain further said, “We can be sure that God is with us and gives us his encouragement, strength, companionship and helps us to be living witnesses of his love and mercy.”

“We want to be consistent with this tradition of our faith, with the values received from our brothers, who, challenged by the times, have been able to live faithfully,” Fr. Fernandes said.

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He continued, “We too want to live as disciples of Jesus, whether in evangelization, in the encounter with our brothers, in our relationship with our neighbours, or in our willingness to do all that He teaches us and all that He shows us.”

The OFM Cap. member further said, “Our vocation is to live up to our Baptismal commitments, which require us to give up all illusions, and selfishness, and to put others at the heart of everything that we do.”

“We should see in other people the loving presence of God,” Fr. Fernandes emphasized, adding, “As baptized children of God, we have the privilege of living this vocation with faithfulness, and this is the mission of MEFREVE and other apostolic movements of the Church.”

João Vissesse

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate. 

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