Father Roy: “Courage for Today and Stubborn Hope for the Future”

As I sit down to write, I hear the nearby muezzin calling the faithful to midday prayer. It reminds me that I am living in a Muslim environment, but also that we Christians—and Combonis as well—still have a task to fulfil in Sudan: we want to continue being a sign of stubborn hope, in the most characteristic style of our dear founder, St Daniel Comboni.

It is a hope that shines like a beam of light amidst the darkness that still surrounds our compound at Comboni College Khartoum (CCK). Most of the neighbouring buildings stand tall but silent, bearing witness to all the chaos and destruction that this insane civil war has brought to this land.

A city slowly coming back to life

At night, as I take a short walk in the courtyard of the Senior Secondary School, I often ask myself: what assurance do we have that violence will not once again be unleashed upon the Sudanese capital?

The answer? We trust that God, in his infinite mercy, will not allow such evil to happen again.

While Khartoum tries to recover some of its former life during the day, Omdurman, across the bridge over the River Nile, is teeming with activity both night and day. These are clear signs of a nation struggling to regain its footing and longing for peace.

Personally, I remain committed to Comboni’s ideal of “saving Africa with Africa.” His memory continues to spur us on, even though from time to time we hear the sound of drones being shot down by the Sudanese Army—the very army whose presence is making life here in Khartoum possible once again.

Keeping the flame of faith alive

At present, we are six Comboni Missionaries in Khartoum: three in Khartoum itself and three at Masalma Parish in Omdurman. Our task is to keep the stubborn hope of the Comboni Missionaries alive and kicking in Sudan. This demands courage from all of us, and I feel honoured to be part of the group of missionaries entrusted with keeping the flame of faith alive here.

Every Sunday, we go to celebrate Mass in different churches and chapels. There are only four Comboni priests, together with two or three diocesan priests, trying to meet the spiritual needs of all the Catholics in Khartoum and Omdurman. The faithful welcome us with joy and relief every time we come to celebrate the Eucharist with them. They are happy to see their shepherds struggling alongside them.

A new beginning for Comboni College

My daily routine at the moment is focused on registering boys and girls for the primary and intermediate classes at CCK. Parents come to us because they want a quality education for their children. The new academic year is scheduled to begin at the start of October.

We have already registered more than one hundred pupils, and we still have the whole month of September ahead of us. No one knows how many more will come. We may not be able to meet the demand, because ours is currently the only Catholic school available.

The other schools were badly damaged, and other congregations are only considering returning once they are assured of peace and stability. At the moment, that remains anyone’s guess.

And yet, seeing the little ones arriving every day for interviews and watching the school grounds slowly come back to life fills me with gratitude. I give praise and thanks to God, who is allowing us once again to follow the dream of St Daniel Comboni in his beloved Khartoum.

Father Roy Carlos Zúñiga Paredes, MCCJ