New MSC at the Mozambique Mission

Hello brothers and sisters! I’m Fr. Roney Lima, MSC from the Province of Rio de Janeiro. I have been here for four months at the Mission in Mozambique.

Since I entered the formation house in 2008, I had contact with confreres and their stories that strengthened my impulse to go to missions outside the country. In 2017, my novitiate class had the opportunity to accompany all the preparation of Fathers José Eduardo and Benedito Cortez (at the time Master of Novices) in the process of opening the mission in Mozambique. It was at this stage of formation that I felt that I could be one of many of our brothers available for the mission. From then on, I began to share this desire with the confreres.

In 2022, during a provincial assembly, Fr. Humberto Henriques, general counselor, spoke to our province about the difficulties of the mission in Mozambique in terms of the availability of confreres, especially native Portuguese speakers. Upon hearing such a call, which converged with my yearning, I was sure that my life as a consecrated person should take this path. After several conversations with my Provincial, Fr. Ronnie, confreres, friends and family started a 40-day prayer time, asking the Spirit of God to enlighten me with the best answer about my participation, my small part, in building the kingdom of God here and now. And today, I’m here in response to all the time of prayer and preparation.

Fr. Roney Lima, MSC along with Fr. Eduardo, MSC (left), Pemba´s bishop, Dom Juliasse and Fr. Edgard (brasilian of the Saletinos)

I arrived here on the 26th of March of this year. In the first month, life here proved to be amazing. The landscape is beautiful and extremely contrasting with poverty. I visited almost all the villages that our quasi-parish Santo Antônio de Metuge serves. Only 2 communities left that we didn’t reach due to the destruction caused by a cyclone.

In the first 15 days I was diagnosed with my first malaria (I tried to escape, I couldn’t) and with typhoid fever. I stayed for a week being medicated and accompanied by Fr. Jose Eduardo. During these days that I was sick, I received visits from our parishioners who were very concerned, as well as the religious men and women who are here. I felt a true climate of solidarity and a spirit of communion. Thank God I recovered and didn’t have any sequelae.

The people here always say that religious men and women respect their history and treat them like real human beings. This is impactful, as we need to come from as many places as consecrated to remember and restore awareness of human dignity.

Even living in a simple reality, they exude faith and joy. When we are gathered to celebrate they always offer the best they can: the best harmonies of songs with a lot of dancing; the colorful ‘capulanas’ that become true gala costumes and even the offerings of their ‘maxambas’ (plantations).

Some people ask me: what about nostalgia? Well, I miss you most days. I remember my father, my brother, the confreres and friends. And that’s good because it helps me not to forget where I come from and what brought me here. With every good memory I have, I offer the people here the love I received through my presence and pastoral activities.

Brothers and sisters, many of us have the desire, inner disposition and readiness to go on a mission. Encourage! Strengthen missionary ties! Meet our missions! The “wealth” we need may be in the “yes” still kept in the heart.

I carry one certainty with me: “He is happy who entrusts himself to God”. The Lord has offered me great joy even in situations of great challenge and instability.

Here, together with them, I offer my best. At the other end of the world you are offering the best you can. EVERYWHERE we are making the Sacred Heart of Jesus loved. May it be like this forever, with each breath we take, with each sweat on our hands, with each beat of our hearts.

In the heart of Jesus,

Roney Lima, MSC.