Cairo — "I am tiptoeing into this new world, which contains extraordinary human, cultural and spiritual riches," writes Anselmo Fabiano of the Society of African Missions, who recently arrived in Cairo.
More precisely, the missionary from the Cairo district of Shoubra writes. "I am taking my first steps to discover this new missionary reality," he says. "First of all, it is an Arab country with a strong Muslim presence, five times a day the chant of the muezzin resounds, inviting us to prayer and to a relationship with God. I am fascinated by being able to interrupt my activities for a moment to share a moment of silence with these brothers in prayer."
"Cairo is a boundless megalopolis, a constantly busy and sleepless anthill," writes Father Anselmo, describing his impressions of the city. "At any time of day or night, you can walk through the city and always find it engrossed in a thousand activities. You never sleep here, it's a constant honking, traffic, people coming and going. Motorcycle taxis are everywhere, the buses have no doors and do not even stop to pick up passengers. The bus slows down and the conductor stretches out an arm to pick people up. The huge, yellow-brown buildings are stacked on top of each other, almost preventing you from seeing the sky."
"The hectic and chaotic atmosphere of the city contrasts with the silence you breathe when you enter our cathedral parish of St. Mark. It is incredible to be able to pray with the very small Christian community in such a large church, where numerous faithful once flocked. Here in Cairo there are very few Catholics left; there is only one diocesan priest in the whole city. The majority of Christians are Coptic Orthodox," he reports.
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"At the moment, our daily life consists above all in discovering this world that is so rich and so different," continues the Italian missionary. "The first challenge is the Arabic language, which is slowly penetrating my ears and, with a little ingenuity, I am beginning to pronounce a few words and small sentences. At the moment, the people I meet, especially the children and the elderly who speak a little French, are my Arabic teachers," he admits with gratitude. Over a coffee and a laugh, they are the teachers of everyday life."
"With the brothers of the African missionaries who welcomed me, namely Father Peter from Nigeria, Cyriac from Ivory Coast and Matthias from Togo, and two other seminarians, Florindo from Angola and Patrick from Nigeria, we began our charitable service together with the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta in a center for the elderly and disabled," writes Father Anselmo.
"We help the sisters in the small and humble services of the home, we dedicate ourselves to the children and the language of play overcomes all language barriers. With our simple presence we try to get in touch with the people we meet in everyday life."
"I am about to start a language course with the Comboni Fathers in the Zamalek district, trusting not only in my personal commitment and my studies, but also in the breath of the Holy Spirit." "What can I say," concludes the young Father Anselmo, "the path seems rich and full of new opportunities where I can put myself at service and proclaim God's presence in everyday life."
