Fr Gladimiro Pacheco Cruz talks to us about his missionary experience, particularly among young people.
It took me 17 hours to travel the 310 kilometres from Bangui to Our Lady of Liesse, the parish in Grimari where I have been working since 2023. I was returning from holidays in my home country, Ecuador. My community partner, the Togolese Comboni Father Abraham Amuzu Kofi, was happy to see me because we would again be working together in pastoral ministry.
In addition to the community in Grimari, a city of about 25,000 inhabitants where we are the only Catholic presence, we also serve 41 chapels organised into eight sectors. They are all autonomous and have their own catechist and yayakota.
The former is responsible for formation and presides over the celebrations of the Word, while the latter is responsible for administration. We try to visit all the chapels frequently. During the dry season, from November to April, we prioritise the more distant chapels, because when the rains arrive, the roads become impassable.
In the parish, I work with young people, a service I love. However, I encounter challenges, such as the fact that many of them become parents before they turn 18. Life isn’t easy, and they have to work in the fields or take on other activities, such as making bricks or selling firewood, to earn a living. All of this significantly impacts our work.
Three years ago, we created the Parish Youth Commission, which meets regularly. In addition to the core of seven or eight young people who work with me, we can count on the support of representatives of established parish groups.
I like to promote youth leadership. Even though I’m close to them, I try to stay in the background so that they can be the real protagonists. Everything is moving more slowly than expected, but we are starting to see the first results.
For example, they organised a week-long forum on sexuality and responsible parenthood, which 46 young people attended. As well as addressing the topic from a faith perspective, a doctor, a midwife, and the local police inspector, who discussed the legal aspects of the matter, helped us reflect.
The Commission also organises quarterly Masses for young people and summer camps for children during the holidays; the next one will be held in August. I think it’s wonderful that young people are involved in the formation of the youngest.
Although the Commission works well, the situation for young people in the rest of the parish is more precarious, which is why we are trying to replicate this model in the larger chapels in the areas we serve, with optimistic expectations.
