Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Brescia (Agenzia Fides) – On October 17, the “Cuore Amico” Awards for 2009 will be presented to their winners. The award is also referred to as the “Missionary Nobel Prize.” The ceremony will be held in Brescia, in the UBI Bank Conference Room. The objective of the award is to highlight the missionary testimony, the great work that the Church carries out in favor of the poor in “third world” nations. The candidates for the award are examined for their life of faithful witness to the Gospel love for the most despised of this world and in sharing in the poverty and hard work carried out towards their growth and autonomy in respect for every culture and tradition. This objective is carried out through a series of community initiatives, not only in terms of aid, but also in terms of authentic human promotion on various levels.
The “Cuore Amico” Award will be presented to Fr. Giuseppe Zanardini, a Salesian who has been working as a missionary in Asuncion (Paraguay) since 1978. Since 1985, he has been working especially with the natives of the Ayoreos ethnic background. He built the “Casa Indigena” in Asuncion, a center for native families of all ethnic backgrounds who come from Chaco and from the forested areas, allowing their access to hospitals, administrative offices, etc. He is also the author of a book for children of the Ayoreos ethnic background.
Sister Vittoria Cenedese, of the Congregation of Sisters of the House of Nazareth, has been working as a missionary in Burundi since August 1966. She has been working mainly with the youth, many of whom later wish to enter the Congregation of the House of Nazareth. She has greatly served the sick and need and opened a health center for preventive medicine and treatments.
Lastly, Francesca Lipeti, a lay-woman, has been living with the Maasai since 1995, sharing in their extreme living conditions. She earned a degree in medical surgery, with a concentration in tropical illnesses. Through an agreement with the Diocesan Missionary Center, she left for Kenya, where she established a medical center in the region of the Maasai, following the insistence of the people themselves. Francesca began working in Lengesim in 1995 in a difficult environment. Sustained by a solid and profound faith, she has never been afraid of the daily difficulties and has always been courageous in her mission. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 9/10/2009)
