An all-terrain vehicle for the Diocese of Bangassou
Since June 2024, Italian Carmelite Father Aurelio Gazzera has been coadjutor bishop in the Diocese of Bangassou, a particularly difficult region in the southeast of the Central African Republic. This vast area of almost 135,000 km² is almost half the size of Italy and large parts of it still lie in the hands of rebel forces who regularly launch attacks. Moreover, it is inaccessible, covered in rainforest, and lies on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan—both crisis regions in the grip of armed conflicts.
Right after his arrival in Bangassou, Bishop Aurelio spent a few days in a village where, shortly before, the rebels had burnt down several houses and murdered at least 12 people. “The people are deeply traumatized. I wanted to encourage them and the priests,” the bishop writes. But simply giving comfort is not enough for him. Already before he became a bishop, this Carmelite friar and priest earned international acclaim for his courage, risking his life to negotiate peace with various armed groups and more than once succeeding in persuading the rebels to withdraw, thereby saving many lives. Some of the men in these groups even repented of their crimes and began to live as upstanding citizens. More than once, however, Father Aurelio came very close to death. But he is not afraid, for in his words, “A shepherd defends his sheep from danger. And so I would do anything to promote dialogue with the various rebel groups. With what limited strength I have, I want to be a sign of peace.”
Bishop Aurelio spent last Christmas in Mboki, a parish that has been closed for two years now on account of the war. “For years now, throughout the region, the various rebel groups have been committing raids, looting, violence, and murder,” he says. “All the way along the road, there is not a single village left, for the inhabitants have all fled. During my visit there, I could still hear shooting almost every night. In April 2023, the parish priest of Mboki was threatened, shot at, and injured in one arm. In the last couple of months, the territory has been back under the control of the regular army and the UN MINUSCA forces, and life is slowly getting back to normal. I chose this place to celebrate Christmas at, because it is where life is most difficult and where people have suffered most that God is most at home!”
In order to be able to visit the parishes in his diocese and support and encourage his priests and people, Bishop Aurelio has to travel long distances. But his present car is already over 10 years old and worn by the very bad road conditions, often breaking down on him. On one occasion, he was left stranded for several hours until well after dark, in the midst of the rainforest, trying to get the vehicle going again. And given the presence of the armed rebels in the forest, that is a very dangerous situation to be in. On another occasion, it took him seven hours to cover just 20 metres, through an enormous stretch of deep mud.
We would like to provide him with a reliable, all-terrain vehicle, enabling him to reach his destination safely.
Thank you for helping us with this project, so Mgrs Aurelio Gazzera can continue his mission for peace!
