AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - Serabu marks centenary of evangelisation. Many couples chose to get married on this important date

Monday, 24 October 2005

Freetown (Fides Service) - Recently crowds of Catholics gathered at Sacred Heart parish church for the conclusion of celebrations to mark the centenary of evangelisation in Serabu, in town in the central southern part of Sierra Leone, which is part of the archdiocese of Freetown, the capital. “Many couples chose the important date as their wedding day ” said local Church sources.
Serabu is a town and area with a strong Catholic tradition and many important Catholics were born there including the Archbishop of Freetown and Bo Joseph Henry Ganda, born to Catholic parents. His father was an important figure in the local Catholic community. The Vice president of Sierra Leone, Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa, another Catholic from Serabu was educated at the local Catholic school.
Evangelisation in Serabu was started in 1905 by Irish Holy Ghost Fathers, or Spiritans.
The Church has built major social centres, schools etc. A small clinic built in 1947 by the Sisters of Cluny next to their convent school, grew to become the central hospital in 1951. In 1955 the hospital was entrusted to Irish Holy Rosary Sisters who added a training school for nurses.
Both structures however were destroyed in the civil war in the 1990s.
Thanks to funds provided by the European Union the hospital and school for nurses are being rebuilt and should be opened next year. “After centenary celebrations, the re-opening of Catholic healthcare centres will be another reason for the people of Serabu to rejoice” said local Church sources.
Seeds sown by missionaries are bearing fruit vocations in Serabu on the rise. Besides Archbishop Joseph Henry Ganda, four priests and 7 or 8 women religious are also from Serabu. “Spiritans in Serabu are all either local men or missionaries sent from Nigeria and Ghana. A wonderful example of collaboration among sister Churches in the same continent which is promising for the future” say local Church sources.
Sierra Leone has just emerged from a civil war which destroyed most of the country’s infrastructures. On 31 December the UN peacekeeping force will leave and this will mean the national army and police will be responsible for law and order. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 24/10/2005 righe 36 parole 424)


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