OUR STORY
The acceptance of the Angolan mission was the result of a process that had already been going on for a long time. The Sverbita foundation in Portugal had as its primary concern the training of missionaries for the evangelizing action of the Church. Fields of missionary priority, within the best tradition of the Congregation, had always been assumed after an express request from the central bodies of the Church or local churches. This spirit of openness did not completely exclude any territory. Various circumstances hastened a decision that became almost unpostponable: the assumption of a space for evangelization in the former Portuguese overseas.From the first months of the beginning of the foundation in Tortosendo (Portugal), Fr. Caio de Castro, when seeking recognition and tax exemptions, finds himself faced with the delicate issue of the Congregation's non-presence in overseas lands. He informed Rome of this and hinted at the objective convenience of opening, in the near future, a mission in one of the overseas territories. At the end of 1964, Fr Adolf Spreti, assistant general, meeting While visiting our missions in Congo, his tour also included a trip to Angola and Mozambique. He would locally appreciate the feasibility of moving the Congregation to those territories. Once in Angola, the diocese of Luanda proposed a peripheral area, lacking religious assistance and evangelization; With this information in hand, he immediately returned to Rome and proposed to the General Council the assumption of that missionary territory. The following year, Father Spreti, visiting Portugal (February 19th until mid-March 1965), discussed this project with those responsible for the Portuguese Region. The positive welcome he received from everyone left him optimistic.
Months later, an experienced missionary from Congo, the Brazilian Fr. Elírio dal Piva, and Fr. Wilson Alves, also Brazilian, who was finishing his Theology course in Germany, in Santo Agostinho. But in the same year, Father Elírio had holidays in his homeland. Before going on vacation, he visits Luanda and sees the mission site in the Terra Nova region. The 20th of March 1966 was the date set for the ceremony of handing over the missionary cross to the two confreres who would begin the mission in Angola (Luanda). Everything was carefully prepared. To preside, the apostolic nuncio, Msgr., was invited. Maximilian of Furstenber; A former Spanish missionary from Mozambique, later ordained bishop in Brazil, D. Manuel Konner, had also been invited, as well as the bishop of Leiria, D. João Pereira Venâncio.
On that day, practically the entire region was concentrated in Fátima. Students from other houses also came. The liturgies, accompanied by appropriate scripts, were well attended. The common spaces of the Seminary were adorned with panels alluding to the Congregation and the Mission of Angola.
Three days later, on the 23rd of March, Father Elírio took the plane to Luanda. A little later, on the 27th of April, Father Wilson Alves embarked on the “Infante D. Henrique”, with the same destination.
With the presence of these two missionaries, the Angolan mission had positive development. The diocese of Luanda assigned them the area of Terra Nova, Cazenga, Ragel and Mosseques. It was in this way that the Portuguese Region extended to the distant lands of Africa. By the end of the decade, the mission will be reinforced with the arrival of other missionaries from Portugal: Father Brito, Father Américo Gonçalves Ribeiro, Frt. Manuel Felgueiras and Brother Gerardo Gaspar Esteves. In the first months of 1974, before the 25th of April, the Caungula mission was also opened, approximately 800 km away from Luanda.
After the 25th of April 1974 and the decolonization process which will progressively lead to the independence of former overseas possessions, Angola's missions will be affected in the transition of that political change. By administrative act, the General Curia decided to make those two missions (Luanda and Caungula) directly dependent on the Generalate. The new legal situation did not shake the natural connection that Portugal continued to maintain with those missions and confreres; As a result of this, and also by the express will of the Generalate, the financing of the current expenses of those missionary areas continued to be borne by the Portuguese Province. This situation will continue until the constitution of the Angolan Province in 1993.
Fr. José Eguizábal Garcia was appointed the first Provincial Superior. Since then, many missionaries have passed from the Land of Angola and many parishes/missions have also been opened such as; Parishes of Christ the King, Saint Magdalene, Saint John the Baptist, Almost Parish of St. Joseph Freinademetz, Almost Parish of the Divine Word, Sanctuary of Kifangondo, N'zeto, Tomboco, Kakolo, Kakulama, Kaungula and the Mission of Sendi.
At this moment, the Missionaries of the Divine Word work in parishes, missions, training, education, missionary animation, vocational promotion, health, disadvantaged children, etc.
VISION
Angola's current situation is one of peace, national reconstruction and economic growth. However, the standard of living remains very precarious for the majority, due to corruption, theft, waste of the public treasury, impunity, lack of opportunities, illiteracy, etc. The difference between the rich and the poor is increasing at the same time as new socio-political and religious challenges are emerging, such as: incipient democracy, participation in social decisions by civil power and the growth of various religious denominations as well as migratory flows with the growing presence of Islam.
We, Missionaries of the Divine Word, sharing our life and intercultural mission in Angola, feel encouraged by the charisma of our Founder, Saint Arnold Janssen, encouraged by the missionary zeal of Saint Joseph Freinademtz, we are called to prophetic dialogue that is a reflection of kindness creator, savior and vivifier of the Triune God.
COMMITMENT
Our SVD identity is based on the Trinitarian Mystery: we feel called by the Father, sent by the Son and inspired by the Holy Spirit to live our religious and missionary vocation in fraternal communion, forming international and intercultural communities, inserted in the local Church and guided by a profound experience of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, announcing new life in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Aware of our gifts and limitations, we seek to highlight the four characteristic dimensions in our missionary action (Biblical Pastoral, Missionary Animation, Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation and Communication) while remaining open to new challenges.
We want to be and establish bridges in the prophetic dialogue between:
• The different classes and ethnicities
• New religious movements
• Rich/and ruling class and with the poor/marginalized
• AIDS and tuberculosis patients and society in general
• Different age groups
We privilege the places of Dialogue:
* In the promotion of lay people and volunteers focused on our characteristic dim
ensions
* In the Religious and Apostolic Life Institutes that work with us
* In education and teaching
*In communication and mass media
