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Fr. Efren de Guzman svd

Angola Diary

By Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD

July

5 and 6

Armed men raided one of our villages in Bengo, around 60 to 70 kilometers from the capital of Luanda. They killed five of our community members. They took away the crops of the community ad wounded some men. When I learned what happened and decided to bring some food to the people, the police at first did not want to let me pass and reach the area. But realizing the gravity of the situation, they allowed me to help our community. The orphans were crying to me, begging me to transfer then to our other villages because of what happened. A lot of them were traumatized and wanted to abandon the place. One feels so helpless in the face of such a situation because one can’t really do anything to stoop the abuses of the military who are very undisciplined and poorly paid, as a result. They prey on helpless people, robbing them of whatever little they have.

Angola Diary

Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD

January

January 12, Friday

One of our beloved lepers died. His name is Macupa, 39 years old. Our leper catechists read the psalm 116: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” During our shared homily, another leper said: “People usually think of the dark side of death. For us lepers, death is a blessing from God. For us lepers, death is not gloom but glory.”

Angola Diary

By Efren de Guzman, SVD

Dearest MISYON Friends,

May the Love be the real joy of our life. What a privilege to have time to write you through my stories are sometimes sad. Will I write what’s really happening to me or things that will not worry you? Some friends were saying: “We all have problems. But sometimes it’s good not to tell them to our loved ones and make them unhappy. “But how will they know what to pray for it if I don’t tell them our latest news. I told you already what happened last December when we got involved in a shooting incident. Thank God we survived!

The War Goes On

By Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD

For twenty years now a civil war has been in progress in Angola, the government forces being led by President Dos Santos and the UNITA rebels led by Jonas Savimbi. Elections were held under the auspices of the United Nations, but UNITA were not prepared to accept the result. Since they have access to $500,000,000 a year from diamond mines, unscrupulous arms dealers continue to supply then with arms. So, also, they supply the government forces who have oil reserves. Fr. Efren de Guzman, the intrepid SVD priest, and his brave companions continue to do what they can for the poor and the afflicted. Here is one of his recent reports!

Killing Children

On April 8, at 6:00 in the morning the government soldiers of the military camp in Funda, 40 kms from our convent, attacked the people near the camp. They cut off arms and legs of men and women; children were thrown violently to the ground. Some of the soldiers had lost their mind and accused people of having killed one of their soldiers so they could have some reasons for putting our people in prison.

Angola Tribal War

By: Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD

 Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD has been in Angola fir many years.  Now at a time when the country has been torn apart by civil war, he sees his work as bringing reconciliation. An impossible task you would say that true - impossible without faith that Jesus has Risen and that we walk with him in the darkness but towards the light.

God’s love and peace be with you and all your beloved ones! Sometimes words are not enough to express what I have experienced here for the last months. I seem to forget the last time I wrote you.

More Pain in Africa

By: Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD

War Again!
As we go to press the peace talks in Ivory Coast have broken down and civil war has broken out yet again in weary Angola. Fr. Efren de Guzman, our correspondent in Angola and our intrepid missionary writes and tells us about the hardships.

Angola’s Agony

By:  Fr. Efren de Guzman

For more than fifteen years Angola, in Southern Africa, has been wrack by civil was. The Marxist government was backed by Cuba and Russia while the rebels led by Tomas Savimbi were backed by U. S. and South Africa. Now that the cold war is over, peace is beginning to break out or at least the fighting is stopping. Fr. Efren de Guzman, a Filipino priest working in Angola assesses the problems and the challenge to the Church in helping to serve them. It seems in many places the Church is an institution with credibility which can help heal wounds and build peace.

Cease Fire
The Peace Treaty of May 31, 1991 brought about a great euphoria and the hope to the Angolans. This allowed them free movement in almost all places of the nation without fear of ambuscades and land-mines.

After-War Chaos
In the midst of all this joy, certain incidents surfaced in some places, a natural consequence of the 16 years of insinuations, vengeance, robbery, violence and hatred.

The Singing Priest in Angola

By Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD
Is a Filipinos Priest in Angola

Josefa
One month after my arrival in Angola, I met a young catechist named Josefa. She was a good animator- active and joyful in the formation of the catechists.

Illness Strikes
One day she got very sick, a kind of ulcer with complications in the stomach caused by hunger. She brought to the hospital. We visited her, brought communion and prayed together.

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