Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Bishop Francisco Antonio Ceballos Escobar, CSSR, Redemptorist Missionary, was appointed Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Carreño (Colombia) on June 10, 2010. He is in Rome for the Seminar for newly appointed bishops, organized by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (see Fides 09/06/2010). Fides asked him for his testimony regarding his missionary work.
“Puerto Carreño is a town that is located in the extreme eastern part of Colombia,” said the Apostolic Vicar. “Looking at a map, it seems that the location must be in the territory of Venezuela and in fact, it is a border area with all that that entails. On the other hand, our territory is so great that there are extensive areas that are uninhabited. For us, it is a common concept, but for other mindsets, like the European, they are unable to understand the really meaning behind 'distances.' For example, if I want to go to the nearest town in Puerto Carreño, I have to walk nearly 500 km and this area is also home to the Orinoco River, which separates us from Venezuela.
The population is very dispersed in many small towns, all around Puerto Carreño, and I can only count on 10 priests ... We suffered a lot when, more than a year ago, two priests were murdered. They were Redemptorist missionaries, from my own congregation (see Fides 20/3/2009). I think this can really be called a mission area. The community, however, is very loyal and the collaboration of the laity increases. The Redemptorist missionaries offer a great help and the religious province has been working for a long time in this area of Colombia. Just last year, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries. (See Fides 27/11/2009). (CE) (Agenzia Fides 11/09/2010)
