Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Praia (Fides Service)- Capuchin Fathers have been present in Cape Verde since 1947: a Franciscan presence among the poorest and most humble people. “A presence which has grown with time” Fr Ottavio Fasano, head of Foreign Missions Centre Centro Missioni Capr Verde told Fides. This community depends on the Capuchin province of Piedmont. “Today there are 10 Italian Capuchins and twenty local religious and students, a community of 34 in” said Fr Ottavio.
“In Cape Verde Capuchins run 8 mission stations, 7 of them are parishes. There is a novitiate in the capital Praia where local boys are accepted and then sent to study theology in Portugal or Italy” said Fr Ottavio. “Our religious are engaged in pastoral animation with groups, youth groups in particular. We also run a series of projects for human and social development”.
One of these is St Francis Health Centre opened in November 2002. “A new hospital built on the island of Fogo, on an area of 20,000 sq mt with five buildings housing 6 clinics, 3 laboratories and 2 operating theatres, 1 plaster room and 1 intensive care unit, 20/30 beds for surgery patients and a house with 20 beds for former lepers, or patients who are alone or terminally ill. At the moment the hospital serves only two islands but we want to enlarge it to serve all the islands” said Fr Ottavio. “The staff consists of twenty local people who are assisted by Italian medical staff from the University of Genoa. To fund the hospital we have built a centre called “Houses of the Sun”, a structure for solidarity tourism. Besides helping to fund the hospital tourists can also enjoy a missionary experience”.
“To promote tourism we also started a Hotel School in Praia” said Fr. Ottavio. “This initiative was prompted by a positive experience of 20 young people from Cape Verde at the Mondovi Hotel School in Italy. At the moment ten local teachers are perfecting their skills as head waiter, chef, housekeeper etc..”
Capuchin Fathers also run 27 kindergartens for 2,500 children, a monthly magazine “Terra Nova” flanked since 1992 by Radio Nova which reaches all the islands. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/10/2005 righe 35 parole 416)
