In December 2019, at the invitation of the Apostolic Prefect Br Angelo Antolini, we started a new presence in Robe (West Bale - Oromia), 400 kilometres far from the capital Addis Ababa

The Apostolic Prefecture of Robe covers an area of 102,769 square kilometres, comprising a total population of 3,976,768 inhabitants of which 0.03% are Catholics. Muslims, on the other hand, represent more than 97% of the population.

The missionaries are engaged full-time in actions of very first evangelization and integral human development in the urban and rural area of Robe and in other smaller centers in the West Bale region (of which Robe is the capital) and in East Bale, an area more than 4 hours away from Robe.

In both the West and East Bale regions, there is uneven and insufficient economic development, clearly found in the economic development index recorded in the UNPD 2020 Report, equal to 0.470, a value that ranks Ethiopia 173rd out of 189 countries.

Fr Emanuele Ciccia, one of the first missionaries of the Community in Ethiopia, shared these reflections after the first months:

“We see three priorities: attention to the last, working in a network with the positive forces of the territory and offering a presence of the Gospel. We wish to make the presence of the Community a presence of quality and to witness the Gospel by being there.

I think the announcement starts by offering our friendship, by making us available to meet on public transport or, simply, by shopping at the market. This is why we are investing in everyday life and in being as close to people as possible. It is about abandoning comfort zone, “brazenly” taking a first step of sympathy towards others and “getting down to the street”… when you move, when you get down to the street, it is inevitable that God will make something happen!

In the Acts of the Apostles, not surprisingly, Christians were called “those of the Way”.

Contacts

Emmanuel Catholic Church – Apostolic Prefecture of Robe
P.O. Box 45 – Robe (West Bale) – Oromia – Ethiopia
info.rb@villaregia.org
Tel. +251 97 289 1996 – WhatsApp: +251 93 855 0224

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