Fr. Antonio made us to reflect on that special place Our Lady Consolata occupied in our Founder Allamano’s life and heart, the confidence that She developed in her throughout his life and the role Our Lady Consolata played in the foundation of the Institute, so as to make Her an essential part of our Charism, we cannot help but feel encouraged to seriously examine the place She is really occupying in our life and vocation, as well as in our pastoral methodology here in Ethiopia: “…We share in Mary’s motherly mission to take to the world Christ our {mosimage}Saviour, the true Consolation” (Const.11). For our Founder Allamano, as we know, it is not simply a matter of sentiments or of devotion as it is held by the whole Church, but an unfailing mother particularly “Ours”, part of our spiritual identity as Consolata Missionaries, “Our name and surname”.
If the liturgical Feast we celebrate throughout the year meant to help us grow in our Christian life, than the yearly Feast of Consolata must do the same: help us to strengthen our identity as Consolata Missionaries the way our Founder, Allamano, wanted us to be: people consecrated for life to the mission Ad Gentes…living in brotherly communion, professing the evangelical counsels, regarding Mary as model and guide (Cf.Const.4). And this becomes even more challenging and imperative during the special time we are called to live as Institute, that of striving towards holiness of life: “Saints first and then Missionaries”.
May our Lord, through our Lady Consolata, bless our Congregation, Parents, Friends, Relatives, Benefactors and ourselves! Amen.
Fr. Jean-
Marie Bilwala,Imc paraphrasing Fr. Antonio Vismara, Regional Superior of Ethiopia.
