ETHIOPIA: Hawassa Celebrate the Consecration of their New Bishop
Rt. Rev. Roberto Bergamaschi, New Apostolic Vicar of Hawassa
By Makeda Yohannes, CBCE Communications and Public Relation Officer
New Apostolic Vicar of Hawassa
The Catholic Church in Ethiopia welcomed a new member to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The Apostolic Vicariate of Hawassa celebrated the consecration of Rt. Rev. Roberto Bergamaschi as the Apostolic Vicar of Hawassa on October 9, 2016 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Cathedral in Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia.
The consecration Holy Mass was presided by HE Berhaneyesus Cardinal Souraphiel, C.M., Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa, President of CBCE and AMECEA Chairman, Archbishop Luigi Bianco, Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia and Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia.
In his Homily Cardinal Berhaneyesus, said that the new Bishop is taking on the task of spreading the Good News that was entrusted to the Apostles by Our Lord Jesus Christ and he needs our support. “He is given the big task of witnessing the Gospel and inspiring the spirit of Justice and Sainthood, thus from today onwards you must respect our dear brother Bishop Roberto for he is your new shepherd and pray for him for it is when we stand by him and let ourselves be guided by him that he can be successful in achieving his task,” he said.
H.E. Cardinal Berhaneyesus, Archbishop of Addis and
Rt. Rev. Bergamaschi
He also implored the Apostolic Vicar of Hawassa to always remember that being a Bishop is not a title of authority but of service and he has been called God to be among the people and work with the people. The Cardinal said “just as Our Lord told Jeremiah that he must not fear to go forward as He will be with him, you are also not alone for God is always with you and brother Bishops, priests, religious Men and Women and the faithful are with you to support you in your service.”
H.E. Bishop Roberto on his part expressed his gratitude for being given the opportunity to serve the people in the Apostolic Vicariate of Hawassa and the Church in Ethiopia. “I have spent most of my years of service in Ethiopia, I consider this country my country. I have learned from the people of Ethiopia much wisdom, our people respect the elders and if we continue to pray and work with the elders I believe the challenges will be solved soon.”
He further said that “the will of God has brought me to Ethiopia as a missionary and now he has entrusted upon me the task of leading His people in the Apostolic Vicariate of Hawassa, everything happens because it is His will and if we follow his will everything will be successful.” He asked the priests, religious, catechists and the faithful to support him in his ministry saying “service of the Church is not a private effort but it is a task entrusted to all of us, by working together hand in hand we will make our Vicariate a paradise.” He concluded by asking the prayer of all for the success of his service.
The event was attended by Bishops, priests, the religious, leaders of different religions, representatives of the government officials and the faithful.
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