 31 Agosto 2022NEWSFLASH ANTIOCH: August 2022
August has always been peak time for holidays and this year has been no different. Many of the Christians from Antioch spend it at Arsuz on the Gulf of Iskenderun. This August Fr Domenico went to Italy. ‘Service was ensured’ by Fr Francis and, after 15th August, Brother Okan, a Turkish Capuchin student from our province, who joined Fr Francis, and from 24th Fr Domenico again. The weather was extremely hot with highs of 38-40 degrees Celsius and a lot of humidity. Here are the main events of the month.
2nd August. In preparation for the feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven, the rosary begins every evening in the garden.
3rd August. A group of Portuguese pilgrims with 3 priests… Tiago, Paulo and Pablo.
13th August. Another Portuguese group (27) with Fr Miguel and a Mexican group (40) with Don Gilberto Cervantes.
14th August. This evening, Sunday, in our church there is the celebration of the Assumption. Tomorrow is a normal work day in Turkey.
15th August. The parish of Monchio (Mo) celebrates the sixtieth (!) anniversary of Fr Domenico’s first Mass. There is everything: a solemn celebration, the gift of a beautiful chalice, a commemorative framed card, an offering for the mission, a greetings card and finally refreshments with a lot of sparkling wine and various local specialties. I want, with all my heart, to thank all the local people together with the parish priest Fr Thomas, plus many parish collaborators especially Mariagrazia Casini as well as Fr Celestino Rioli, a Dehonian, whose turn it will be next year!
16th August. A Polish group (37) comes to celebrate with prof. Waldermas.
17th August. The baptism of a child, Charly Razik, and the arrival of Br. Okan, with Br Pietro another Capuchin student from Bari.
18th August. I am still in my hometown. We have an evening meeting in the church where I speak about my time as a religious and missionary in Turkey. In fact, during the pandemic I wrote over 325 pages of memoires with various added photographs. The meeting was led by Prof. Fausto Telleri, a well-known professor at the University of Sassari and my dear friend and fellow villager.
21th August. Theresa Alaja with her children and other family members, marks the first anniversary of the death of her husband Emil, first in the church and then in a restaurant in the city. This is a popular Eastern Christian tradition.
24th August. Fr Domenico returns this morning after a very adventurous journey including a 10-hour camp out at Bologna airport! A hallucinatory experience ...
26th August. Fr Francis goes with Br. Okan to conduct the Catholic baptism of a little girl Lara Sofia, in the Orthodox church of Arsuz. They also make a stop to visit Fr Gregorio Simonelli at his summer camp for young people
28th August. Okan leaves for Izmir. In October in Vignola (Mo) he will make his permanent profession and become a Capuchin friar for his whole life. Let's pray for him!
30th August. Today is a national holiday in Turkey – Victory Day. It is the 100th anniversary of the liberation of the Aegean from the Greek army. We are among the guests at the cocktail party in front of the prefecture.
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