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BACKGROUND
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
Abobo Parish has
been officially established on August 2002. Appointing Fr Miguel
Melendo as Parish Priest in a Eucharistic celebration participated by
many of the Pastoral agents of the Prefecture.
They were
Christians around in our villages since the establishment of the
settlers 20 years ago from the south of Ethiopia, specially from
Kambata area. Some were baptised but they could not have the
assistance of a priest for years. Even though some of them remained
catholics while other pass to several protestant churches existing in
the area.
From the year
2000, pastoral visits and catechetical sessions were made from the
Fathers, sisters and brothers of the Prefecture sited in Gambella.
They were weekly sessions of teaching based on doctrine and prayers,
following the manual "Our Journey Together".
At present the
Pastoral has been organised with a small team of pastoral agents made
up by the parish priest, the foreign very committed volunteers and the
catechists. We meet once a week to prepare the catechesis to be given
in the chapels also weekly in Abobo, Village 14 and Village 17. The
catechumenate is long (no less than 3 years).
The teaching follows the style of "Our Journey Together", revised,
enlarged and adapted to the people's experience and understanding.
Emphasis is made on learning Christian values and live them in the
middle of the community. No special help is given to catechumens and
instead we insist in the service to be given to the people and to the
needy. We insist also in celebrate the liturgical year, developing
different types of celebrations: for peace, reconciliation,
thanksgiving, faith, different steps in Christian life etc.
LOCATION
Abobo Parish is
located in Abobo town, at 45 km south of Gambella, the capital of the
region and site of the Apostolic Prefecture. Abobo is also capital of
the Zone called "Anuak" and even the site of the Woreda "Alwero Openo".
In the parish
there are at the moment 3 places in which there are catholic
communities
-
Abobo town
-
Village 17 or
Perbongo (at 5 kms of Abobo)
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Village 14 (at
some 2 kms of Abobo)
Other places,
Dumbang, Ukuna Kijan and Bedpul have been visited after some requests
of pasto)ral assistance, but because of the past problems of security
there has not been a follow up of these places up to now.
MAIN EVENTS IN
THE PARISH
Taken into
consideration the short life of the Parish we highlight the following
events:
-
On the year
2001, the Apostolic Prefect requests a plot of land in Abobo town in
front of the Health Centre, still not functional. The Woreda
assigned, by letter, a compound of 150 x 150 m. Two wells with
potable water were dug by the Prefecture. In this way it was
facilitated that,
-
On the
beginning of 2002 one priest-doctor and one doctor volunteer, came
to prepare the Health Project of Abobo. On the 15th of September of
the same y,ear 2002, the Health Centre of Abobo was inaugurated and
the responsibilities given officially by the Regional Government to
the doctors in charge. By this time the community was already formed
by 3 doctors.
-
On the
beginning of February 2004, and because of the problems between
ethnics groups and the tensions in the community the Health Centre
and the Parish were temporarily closed and all personal evacuated to
Gambella. For three months the personnel in charge of Abobo lived in
the Prefecture of Gambella and in AA, working and looking for the
reopening of the Parish and the project. At the beginning of May
2004 we were back to work, trying to contribute as soon as possible
to the normalisation of the situation and the service of people.
SPECIAL
ACTIVITIES OF THE PARISH
· The
responsibility of the HEALTH CENTRE, is the project that has
taken most of our energies in the Parish, to give a proper service to
the people in all fields, professional, personal, development and
pastoral, trying to be a sign of Christ in the middle of the workers
and sick people. It is important to underline that this is the only
health institution in the Apostolic Prefecture and also that we have
an official agreement to run a building that belongs to the Ministry
of Health. The Health Centre is attracting gradually more and more
people from all over the region
· Other-activities
regarding DEVELOPMENT are also related with the Health Centre but done
as well in the surroundings of Abobo: HIV- AIDS, Health education,
community health, Hygiene, water (wells) and sanitation.
· We
have also done a food distribution, under a strict survey, done in
favour of the more destitute persons in the worst moments of food
shortage.
· Other
activities oriented towards EDUCATION and working with children and
young foreseen in the future whenever we get more personnel.
WE CONSIDER
RELEVANT TO STRESS THE MAIN POINTS OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
·
Our
social programme makes clear that we do not give goods to individuals.
We insist in educating people to support themselves and to help each
other. We try to explain that our commitment is to help the people
through the common service of the Health Centre and to support the
efforts of the people in putting together, resources, work and ideas.
·
Our
Pastoral is centred in a long Catechumenate, orienting people towards
the commitment of a free service to others and especially the more
needy.
·
We
want also that our project may be oriented in a professional way and
follow the needs of the people and the guidelines of the Government.
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