This collage features the front covers of Worldwide issues over its 35 years of existence. At the centre is the cover of the first edition, dated October/November 1990. Worldwide saw the light during a missionary month and continues its mission of proclaiming the Gospel; this is the reason for its being.
Credit: Worldwide archives.
MISSION IS FUN
“OH, GOSH, MY SANDWICH!”
BY FR NENO CONTRAN | COMBONI MISSIONARY
IN THE beautiful city of Malaga, Spain, various institutes gathered for a week of Missionary Animation: White Fathers (Missionaries of Africa), Spiritans, Combonis and the Mercedarian Sisters of Berriz. They visited schools, parishes, youth groups and sodalities.
Sister Anna was being hosted in the convent of the Sisters of St Vincent where Fr Stefano went to look for her. They were supposed to go and talk to the students of a school called “Los Olivos”. Hallmarks of Fr Stefano: bushy beard, hair that the wind of that day made even more tousled, a sheep skin jacket on his shoulders, Russian pilgrim-style sandals—in short, the typical Comboni of the road in the 1980s.
He pressed the doorbell and heard the steps of someone approaching. An eye peered at him from the inside through the peephole; then, the steps faded away. A few moments of silence followed. Finally, the door opened, but only a hand appeared with a sandwich for the ‘begging tramp’. Fr Stefano took it, thanked her, and remained there waiting. The Sister who performed the act of charity lingered behind the door, keeping an eye on the peephole. Since he didn’t give signs of going away, she asked, “Do you need something else?” “Yes. I have come to look for Sister Anna to go to the school.” “Ah, you are the missionary!” “That’s right.” “Oh, excuse me!” apologised the nun, quickly snatching the sandwich and leaving the missionary empty-handed. He hadn’t even had breakfast and was already eating with his eyes the sandwich which he had not asked for but had been given with such courtesy.
(Published in the February-March 2015 edition of Worldwide).
TWO FUNERALS IN KILDARE
Fr Jorge (not his real name) was fairly new in the parish of Waterval. He was asked to hold a funeral and burial service in the home of one of the parishioners who had just passed away in the community of Kildare.