Holy Providence Never Sleeps!

We are sending you, interested readers of our large Province the latest news. World Church at Freiburg has decided to give financial support of the theology students in India and Philippines. Dr. P. Birkhofer was personally approached by Fr. Luigi during our courtesy visit on September 19th. On behalf of the Diocese of Freiburg, Dr. Birkhofer has issued a letter announcing the award of 24,000 € to support our students.
The second good news is the Media conference which was held on November 28th at the local office of Caritas at Pforzheim. The reporters detailed the project in the Solomon Islands which has been given full support by Director Lemke. Director, Johannes Frank Lemke is a good friend of the Guanellians and a personal friend of mine since I was the active social assistant at Caritas from 1966-69. Caritas is accepting donations from interested parties on behalf of the Servants of Charity for a community center in Noro, New Georgia that will provide basic services to the local people of the Solomon Islands. It is estimated that the first phase of this project can be completed with 20,000 €.
The brochure from Caritas illustrates the top corners of a true neighbor’s tender love and their commitment to serving those most in need.
Pray with me to the Lord for a positive outcome of our present intensive efforts.
During Advent let us focus our intentions for a good and coordinated development of Guanellian intensive engagement in neighboring European countries such as France and Great Britain.

Gero Lombardo, German Guanellian Procure

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Germany Welcomes New Born on the Solomons

Since last August, we have been attentively following the slow increase of this mission which is really at the end of the world. Our Catholic agencies are also open to Oceana. Since the beginning of the new mission shelter on the Solomon Islands, our Procura was feeling committed there for several reasons. Among them the fact that for a short period part of this new state was German Territory until 1920. During the last visit of Fr. Luigi, we felt compelled to create a new charity bridge and proposed a joint visit to Caritas Pforzheim Management. The new Guanellian priest from Noro to the director of CPM to accept this Guanellian ‘newborn’ as a target of a fundraising campaign before Christmas.
Meanwhile a new flier in German containing relevant news from Msgr. Luciano Capelli, Salesian Bishop of the Gizo Diocese, along with drawings of the common shelter will be printed in a few days for mass publication among the generous Catholics in our district. This campaign will start mid-November and the amount raised will be directly transferred to the account of the Gizo Diocese. Photos received from our confreres on the Solomon Islands will adorn the German flier. We hope that this campaign will be useful for the start of the Guanellian presence at the end of the world.
May the Lord bless this charity campaign as a sign of our long commitment in all new DPP charity missions there, but also in the Philippines and recently also in Tanzania.
We would also like to thank confreres in the USA and personnel involved in the DPP News for diffusing our small contribution in creating new missions of charity at the periphery of the world. Let us commit in doing good before approaching His birth.

Gero Lombardo, German Guanellian Procure

German Antenna Broadcasts

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Pforzheim – The beginning of a new year full of dreams and hope obliges us to reflect upon the past 12 months and the cold experiences of a troubled world. But between the ashes of our dreams and memories, every day it rains new wishes and graces as a timid attempt to exorcize the days to come as an impulse to retake our walk along old itineraries always listening to the new growing seeds, which grow up without rumors. This suggests a Poet! We have dreamed and listened to what other religious orders do in our country, what is the aptitude and response of the conscience of the German Catholics towards increasing poverty, naked desperation, the destruction of families, and the total disorientation of an entire generation. These are the facts. We have learned what the others do and we tried to imitate their decisions. The motto for 2015 is, “Be a carrier of faith, but first become yourselves a personification of God’s blessing and loving Fatherhood.” This message of Kindermission – Aachen was mobilized on January 6th to more than 75,000 young boys and girls, who traveled thousands of streets in our cities and villages; begging financial support for the poor, sick, and disabled children around the world. Every year their carols in front of each building touch the hearts of believers and non-believers alike; each small coin helping to carry out prestigious projects, like ours in Legapzi, Manila, Congo and India.
Our structure at Legapzi was selected as the best developed project in the Philippines, with support from the Stern Singers and the help of Mrs. Steiner of Aachen for 3 long years! An interesting article was written by the Kutsch Family reporters of Aachen, who had visited Sagrada Familia in 2013. The news appeared in the local press on January 5, 2015. Fr. Battista Omodei, with one of his special pupils, is happy and his smile speaks for itself! Mrs. and Mr. Kutsch also organized a private Charity Gala and collected 5000 Euros for the a.m. Sagrada Famila at Legapzi.
Following this appreciation we have proposed to Mrs. Beate Jantzen to select both our projects in RD Congo for 2016. There, Kindermission has donated a brand new ambulance for the Lemba Mission which collects Aids patients, street stranded and abandoned youth 24 hours/day.
Now we await the authorization from the Bishop’s Office at Freiburg in order to continue our activity as agreed “Mission Procura.” The General Council has already appointed our entity as an integral part of the missionary Guanellian work in Germany in favor of our missions around the Guanellian provinces.
Therefore during Lent let us pray, “Indue me Dominen, novum hominem.”
O Lord make of me a new charitable person!

Gero Lombardo,  German Guanellian Procura

Canonical Visit to 21st Daugther of Guanellian Family

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Pforzheim – It all began on December 19, 1842 in Fraciscio, cradle of the Guanellian family and root of the charitable charism.The tiny town at the Swiss-Italian border crowned with the majestic Alps, has become the homeland of the many sons of St. Louis Guanella, light to generations of Servants of Charity and Daugthers of St.Mary of Providence. Now, after 100 years since his visit to Treviri/German Palatinate, the charism has also arrived with God’s grace to Pforzheim. Just days before celebrating St. Louis Guanella’s birthday, the German entities MCI confreres Frs. Wieslaw and Rocky, Inge and Gero, the Procura founders, were pleased and honored to receive the first canonical visit by Fr. Alfonso Crippa, Superior General, and his councilor Fr. Luigi De Giambattista. In a casual atmosphere they met some of the Italians at Pforzheim, Bretten. A fraternal agape was offered in honor of our friend Dean Bernard Ihle on December 13. The previous day Vice-Dean, Dr. Johannes Mette, parish priest of St. Antony Church, met our Superiors. During holy Mass on December 14, Fr. Alfonso explained to the Italian faithful the essence of the Guanellian charism and thanked the lively alumnus of the Sicilian boarding school in Naro, who has held the torch of the Guanellian flame high in this hospitable country since 1962.
They praised the enormous and involved pastoral work of the confreres who will begin to help German parish priests in vacant pastoral sites around our vicariate. In January, Fr. Rocky will celebrate Holy Mass at our parish church, St. Alexander, Tifenbronn. Fr. Alfonso and Fr. Luigi have re-confirmed their decision to officially incorporate our Procura to the General House of Rome. Therefore we invite all confreres in Latin America, Africa,and Asia to contact us and send their projects, because with the Procura’s new status, we will approach all solidarity agencies at Munich, Aachen and Cologne, who, for 5 years, have been supporting Guanellian projects from Mexico to Kinshasa, Manila, Cuddalore and Saigon.
With enthusiastic praise of our Procura for having mediated the arrival of two Guanellians to the Diocese of Frieburg and for the intensive activities of our confreres during their first year of mission among Italian, Polish immigrants, the local vicariate priests sent a personal letter of thanksgiving to our new archbishop, Stefan Burger. Both Fr. Wieslaw and Arokiadoss have done a good job and have won the sympathy of their parishioners.
We have now the chance to submit the request for the minibus needed at Sivagangai to our friends Mrs. Heidrun and Stephanie of Missio-Munich. Patriarch Gregory III sent a sorrowful appeal for the 3 million Melchite Catholics in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palistine asking our Procura to mediate funds for the destroyed hospital of Damas and for Catholic refugees in Jordan and Turkey. With friend organizations in our state, Baden-Württemberg, and the Archdiocese of Freiburg we’ll do our utmost to collect donations from Christian hospitals. Through this German relief association many 40 “Containers have been sent to Lattakia/Syria. Medical equipment and furniture has been donated by the Daugthers of St. Josef from  St.Trudpert Hospital, which is related to the German Pious Union.
2015 is the Year of Consecrated Life. May the Lord through the intercession of our Patroness, Our Lady of Divine Providence, and our Founder send many more “arms, minds and hearts burning with charity” to His vineyard because as Jesus pointed out to His apostles, “Pray because the harvest is quite big, but the laborers are few!
Oramus fratres, ut operatores pacis et amoris ad acerem suum veniant! Brothers let us pray the Lord to call more workers to His vineyard of peace and love. May the new year be a year of peace, love and charity!
Gero Lombardo,  German Guanellian Procura

Guanellians in Germany Discover Christmas Traditions

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Pforzheim – The weather has become really chilly, but the squares of our adoptive town are decorated with many splendid arches. Every corner attracts with illuminated windows, and the air smells of fresh Christmas cakes. The Old German Christmas traditions are still alive, although old Pforzheim has become a cosmopolitan ambiance; especially on weekends when you meet people from all four corners of the globe. This is because Germany is still an open society and offers many employment opportunities to thousands of new Italian immigrants. As you see I’m not a missionary at the Guanellian front narrating religious events, but a simple layman who is trying to bring Germany and its traditions closer to the readers of the DPP newsletter.
During the first Sunday of Advent, Inge and I made a promenade into downtown. The pictures we’re sending you should bring you to the place where our two confreres have created the 21st tent of charity. Pforzheim has become the German “motherhouse” for present and future activities. On December 14th we’ll have the honor and pleasure of introducing the successor of Father Guanella to his 21st daughter. During their visit to the MCI Italian mission, they and our confreres as well the Guanellian Procura will meet with Dean Berhard Ihle and his Vice-Dean Dr. Johannes Mette who is the parish priest of St. Anthony Church. It is just 100m from the offices of the first Guanellian mission in our beloved country.
Furthermore, we are going to accompany Fr. Alfonso and Fr. Luigi to the annual Lutheran Desk caring for homeless people, poor and abandoned children, and immigrant families under the significant Motto, “I was hungry and you invited me to share with you bread and water.”
Other intended meetings will be with the local Charitas because of its impact in the city spectrum as a lantern of charity. Mr. Lemke, Director of Charitas Pforzheim, is a friend of our MCI because he has known the charism of the Guanellians from my former employment at Charitas since 1966.
Before next Christmas, we will re-activate our old contacts at Missio-Munich, Kindermission at Aachen, Adveniat and Miserere Catholic and Lutheran Solidarity agencies. As thanks for their constructive help during the past year, we’ll send them a Sicilian almond cake so that in 2015 when we knock at their door, they will not disregard our applications and requests for financial help for our Missions.
Finally we have the pleasure of informing our English readers that our Procura has been officially incorporated into the entities depending on the General House in Rome. We intend to continue sharing our activities with all Guanellian provinces. Therefore we’ll also send our news stories to our Spanish and French publications, as well as to the official Guanellian News.
May the start of Advent link us to prepare our hearts and minds to the arrival of the Savior Child.
Venite adoramus Dominum, qui hodie pro nobis natus est.
Come and adore the Lord, because today he was born for us.
With best wishes for a grace filled Christmas Night, we offer our prayers for a new, holy and blessed 2015.

Gero Lombardo,  German Guanellian Procura

Back to the Roots

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Pforzheim – June was an intensive month.  It was rich in events and new experiences, but it also provided us with an opportunity to reflect deeply to rediscover our old roots, our own DNA. We found our traditions, family ties, and devotion to our saints with plenty of hilarity! After the first pilgrimage to Lourdes, our two Guanellian parish priests accompanied an additional pilgrimage to a famous German shrine. This one is known as, Our Lady of Zwiefalten, where more than 1000 Italian devotees of our confederate State of Baden-Württemberg met with the archibishop of our original diocese in Agrigento; Monsignor Montenegro. The Pforzheim Group enjoyed the opportunity and made our confreres happy by demonstrating so much faith and devotion to God’s Mother!
In mid-June we had the pleasure of a visit from Vicar General Fr. Umberto Brugnoni, who stepped onto German soil for the first time and felt with his hands and heart the progress of our presence in this beautiful and generous country after only six months. After a casual meeting at our Procure in Tiefenbronn, we toured the northern part of the large Guanellian parish, which will be served by Fr. Rocky after his vacation in India.
On June 21st we celebrated the traditional St. Calogero Feast. Father Umberto presided at the solemn Mass, and was assisted by Frs. Wieslaw and Rocky. Every last seat in the small Church was full. A short procession with the statue of our black patron, Calogero, took place through the city center of Pforzheim, and ended with the benediction of homemade devotional bread. As Sicilians practice around the globe in all Naresi communities, many devotees offered donations.  At the end, our co-organizer and President of the St. Calogero Committee, Mr. Ignazio Minotta, presented an envelope with 400 Euros for the disabled children at Poonamallee, India. My emotion and that of our confreres, was overcome by the presence of twelve former alumni of the St. Calogero Institute at Naro; crowning the feast with a souvenir picture of he and our confreres. Most of them arrived in Pforzheim in the early 60s, and are still great supporters of the Guanellian parish along with their growing families and friends. The next appointment will be at the 2015 St. Calogero Feast when the newly re-founded Commitee of the Friends of St. Calogero will be more active in fundraising for other Guanellian projects in the missions of Africa and/or Asia.
As far as our work at the Procure is concerned, we patiently wait for an answer concerning the Sivagangai Projects. We spoke recently with Fr. Kulandaisamy during the Provincial Meetings in the USA, and asked for his patience until the end of June. Please pray that this project, the other new projects for Vietnam and the supported “Don Mimi Leprosy Center at Tale/Mindanao, Phil.” may find generous donors in the coming weeks. For these specific projects, we have entered a new phase with Sr. Cecille, FMM, who is coordinating the documents with Fr. Charlton Viray so that the testament of Fr. Mimi can be combined with them.
I would like to say a few words about beloved Sr. Giulietta Saginario, the last surviving member of this generous family who has granted the Guanellian family three priests and a nun. She has given a testament and left the inheritance of her family to the Leprosy Center at Tala for children of leper parents. She is very sick and all the friends of Fr. Mimi should accompany her in this delicate moment of her earthly life. As an adopted brother of the Saginarios, I invite you to join me in this prayer crusade around the world: But Fiat Voluntas Dei also for Sr. Giulia!
Let us praise the Lord that he allows us to be his “cooperators” in seeking and distributing funds to his “precious and weak sisters and brothers.”
Laudate Dominum quia mirabilia fecit :
Praise the Lord Who works miracles every day!

Gero Lombardo,  German Guanellian Procura

First Guanellian Pilgrimage to Lourdes

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Pforzheim – On May 27, 2014 the first Guanellian pilgrimage led by Fr. Wieslaw Baniak, parish priest of the Italian community at Pforzheim, will mark an epocal event for the whole congregation. I’m really sure that Father Guanella will be pleased to see that his dream of August 1912 has now been fulfilled.  For the first time, a son of Fr. Guanella will accompany fifty-five Italian pilgrims to Lourdes. Following their return on June 2, 2014, we’ll be able to share with you many impressive and emotional pictures.
We have sent along a humble photo of our departure to Lourdes. After the joyful meetings of Palm Sunday and Easter, our Guanellian Parish of Barfüßer Church is going to prepare the celebration of our black Patron of the far and beloved home Naro: San Calogero, who for 50 years has been honored by the devoted community of Pforzheim and the hinterlands with affection. Because of this, an old project for fundraising in favor of the Guanellian missions has been re-activated. Two decades ago the San Calogero friends Club had contributed a substantial donation for the building of the new San Calogero elderly home to replace the old home for poor and abandoned children during darkest period in Sicily after WWII. It was special for me because of my birth in the Guanellian family in 1948.
The liturgical feast is June 18th but for practical reasons we’ll celebrate it on June 21, 2014. First with a solemn Mass in our small church, then a long procession with the statue of San Calogero and finally a traditional ‘spaghetti dinner’ featuring long and joyful dances. The offers donated by the devotees will be sent to our General House in Rome for the rehabilitation center for the developmentally disabled at Poonamallee. This is also an homage to our believers in India for having donated one of their sons to us, Fr. Rocky Antonyraj.
The pastoral activities of our Guanellian mission is increasing with the sympathy of our neighboring parish priests Dr. Johannes Mette and Dean Ihle, as well as that of our neighboring Italian missionary Father Antonino Grassia at Mühlacker. The counterpart of the Guanellian parish is dedicating time and efforts to provide expected financial help, allowing for the purchase of a mini-bus for the disabled boys and girls of Sivavangai. A recent call from Mrs. Lioba Stenner announced that this project will be submitted in June 2014 to the awarding commission. At the same time we are searching out new sources for the Saigon Projects.
Special thanks from Missio Munich goes out to Fr. Charlton Viray, for his initiative in dedicating two commemorative plates for their generous donations at Quezon City, Manila Main Building and the Physiotherapy center. Shortly, a report on the visit of the Kindermission Delegation to Legapzi will appear on the local German press of Aachen.
It has been announced that our great benefactor, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch is about to be replaced by a new Archbishop by the name of Domkapitular Stephan Burger. Archbishop Zollitsch has been a great ally, who formally accepted our Guanellian presence in the great Archdiocese of Freiburg. We thank Archbishop Zollitsch for his service, and welcome our new shepherd Archbishop Stephan Burger, wishing him well as he assumes his new position.
Finally, June in Germany is traditionally a harvesting month, and both German entities, the Parish and the Procure must thank the Lord for his copious signs of benevolence. May Holy Providence continue to hold its hands upon us and assist us to be true and tireless Servants of the Poor.
Benedicat Dominus operam nostram!

Gero Lombardo,  German Guanellian Procura

D-Day for the Guanellians in Germany has Finally Arrived

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While absorbing the rosary during this Marian month, I often considered asking you for your thoughts, because normally our monthly subjects do not share the emotional moments of our confreres from around the world. The reason is because I’m a poor layman who tries to make day-to-day a sense in my late spring. Therefore, we always try to give short descriptions of our events that include our highlights, our efforts and sometimes our defeats.

That said, I would like to be more positive this time about pointing out our targets and gifts of Holy Providence. This story is articulated with many ‘D’s’. So lets begin with:

*DC – Democratic Christian Party. Our Iron Lady once titled Mrs.Germany, Angela Merkel, has won, thanks to our votes as real German citizens. She is now providing continuity,welfare and stability to our beloved adoptive country.

* Don Santi has been a ‘good shepherd’ of the Italian community since 1992. Now because of his pension age, he will hand over MCI Pforzheim to our confreres Baniak and Antonyraj on 1-15-14. We owe him gratitude and respect for all of his tireless activities during his long apostolate. And I am the first to know what he has done during my cooperation with him as a pastoral assistant. Thank God some misunderstandings will be clarified during the next Salesian-Guanellian summit on October 10, 2013. During those talks Fr. Luigi will define handing over the modalities of the offices,archives and former personnel. This is to secure a real continuity of services to our friends.

* Don Robert Roth, secretary of Msgr. Klug, has to be my best ‘key councilor’ in all former steps;

before, and during the first approaches of our arrival into Germany. We also thank him for all of his mediations and continous assistance to our student confreres while they attend the German courses in the Diocesan Languages high school.

* Don Baniak, SdC, will return from Poland soon and on October 1^st he will take over his vicariate at Boxberg-Ahorn, not far from the ancient Franconian town of Würzburg. Inge and I will go there

and introduce him to his new Church of St. Aquilinus at Boxberg. Fr Baniak will assist a large vicariate with eight different  churches.

* Don Edgar Wunsch, parish priest of this pastoral unity, is waiting for our confrere, Wieslaw, along with his polish assistant Fr. Dulik. Both are leading the pastoral unity which counts over 8,000 Catholic believers.We thank Fr. Edgar for his spontaneous sympathy for our congregation. On 12-10-13  Fr. Luigi and Fr. Rocky Antonyraj will assist with his official introduction to the Catholic community of St. Aquilinus. Inge and I will of course, be ‘godparents’ of Fr Wieslaw. Fr. Edgar was chaplain at St.Francis Church of Pforzheim in the 70’s.

* Dr. Johannes Mette, a former classmate of Fr. Edgar, (a pure case of Providence), was the long time curial priest at Freiburg, and for almost five years was the parish priest of the pastoral unity of Pforzheim West.  Most importantly, he is a neighbor to the MCI Pforzheim St. Antonius Church, which is only 100 m from our future Mission offices.

* ‘Don Rocky,'( a nickname Inge and I have given this sympathic young Guanellian from Chennai), has received permisison from our mentor, Bishop Klug, to say the Holy Mass every Sunday  in the Abbey of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Freiburg operated by our Dehonian friends. In fact, the national delegate of all Italian Missions in Germany and Scandinavian countries is Fr.Tobia Basanelli, (another strange combination). Fr. Bassanelli was the one who has accompanied Fr. Luigi, Fr. Baniak and I to Vicar Bishop Klug on October 12th when the contract among the Guanellians and the Archdiocese of Frieburg was concluded.

*David  Father, is an  Indian diocesan parish priest of our neighbouring towns of Friolzheim-Heimsheim, and an ex-patriot from Sivagangai. He knows many of our confreres like Fr. Peter Sebastian, appreciates our engagement in India,  and now hopes to develop a good friendship with our Benjamin, Fr. Rocky.

*  Donations: The cooperation with Charitas Pforzheim during the present fund raising campaign has strengthened my ties with this solidarity entity. I’ll mediate close cooperation with Mr. Lemke managing director of Charitas Pforzheim, which has five elderly homes, one disabled center, and many  kindergartens. Their significant Mottos are:

–          Open your eyes and act, because no one should believe alone. (It refers to the suffering children of divorced parents).

–          Leave traces and a scent of your earthly appearence through your lived solidarity.

–          Be a precious leit motif for all German Guanellians.

We should not have to wait for people to come and knock at our Mission door, but we must move and visit the jails, hospitals, homes for the elderly and abandoned , and suffering individuals!

There is a lot to do and for this reason we ask for your prayers and spiritual assistance. The work we have to do with our congregation in Germany will bring many surprises, and Holy Providence will show us the right path. Therefore we close with a simple prayer: May the Lord, through the intercession of our Holy Mother Mary, Queen of the Rosary, and our saints Louis, Clare, and Aurelio: bring patience and great hope to his plans. We ask the Lord to put his paternal hands on our shoulders so that we may be able to put our own hands on the shoulders of our sick, poor, abandoned brothers!

Potentia Domini mirabilia facit!

The Long Journey from Naro to Pforzheim Ends after 65 years!

It was a sunny day on September 1, 1948 when a young aspirant, Gero Lombardo, was introducted to former Father General Luigi Alippi. He was happy to greet this first young Sicilian boy who had asked to enter the Guanellian seminary, and since that day, many goals have been achieved. However, back then no one could have imagined that he alone would bring the Guanellians to Germany; those funny priests who had arrived only months before in his beloved Sicily. Now this long difficult journey has come to an end, and why the Lord linked Gero to His wise plan is now clear. Although he would not become a priest, he remained deeply commited to the ideals he was taught as a Guanellian seminarian.

Today’s story unfolds with Father Luigi DiGiambattista accompanying Fr. Baniak, SdC from Krakow to Germany. Before their arrival, Mother Inge Lombardo worked tirelessly to make a positive first impression for the German culture. Her patient, attentive dedication made the task possible. She did a good job, meriting the gratitude of many Guanellians who enjoyed her hospitality during the preparations. After visiting Dean Ihle an inspection took place of the flat at St. Josef House in downtown Pforzheim, the official residence of the German Guanellian community.

On Sunday, June 30th our confreres concelebrated Holy Mass for the Mother General of the Daughters of St. Josef and two parish priests. After Mass Fr. Luigi presented them each with a blessed medallion in gratitude for their long relationship with the Pious Union in Rome. Gero then took the opportunity to thank the nuns for the work at their hospital in Pforzheim, where many Italian children were born, including his dear son Fabio! The group proposed to their Mother General a closer relationship between the SdC and the DSJ in India, where they are present at Kerala, TN, AP.

The next day the group travelled to the St.Trudpert Abbey, home of the German Pious Union since 1919. There are more than 100,000 members, significantly more than Gero‘s earlier estimate of 15,000. Provincial Mother Germana and Sr. Bernita, director of GPU, and Sister Emmanuela, well known among the Italians of Pforzheim because of her 25 years of service at the Catholic Hospital of St.Trudpert welcomed us. Superior Msgr. Eric Hensler also welcomed our confreres during a short meeting after dinner.

On July 1^st the group met with Vicar Bishop Klug and introduced Fr. Baniak before beginning his full immersion in the German language. Bishop Klug invited them to discuss the accomodations for both confreres at the MCI Pforzheim and their residence at St. Joseph house. Bishop Klug then made a generous promise to finance the purchase of all needed furniture in the religious residence!

A week later the group picked up Fr. Antonyraj from Stuttgart and gave him a quick tour of his future Pforzheim home. He was happy to stay at the Guanella House in our small town and enjoyed the warm Italian welcome for the night. On July 10^th we accompaned him to Freiburg to meet the bishop’s secretary, Deacon Roth, at Borremaeum College to initiate his six month German language course. We visited the famous Freiburg cathedral with Fr. Baniak, Deacon Roth and Fr. Arokiadoss, and then returned home; mission accomplished! Thanks be to God and to the Blessed Mother, our Patroness of Holy Providence. We were filled with joy and gratitude. Now with united forces we can accomplish more from Old Germany! Viribus Unitis fortior sind!

Despite the intensive work involved in organizing all these steps, we have not forgotten the pending projects that the Procure proposed to our benefactors. Those in the Philippines seem to have been approved: PT Manila and Nourishment Program Legapzi. Frs. Viray and Omodei will receive official confirmation shortly. We also hope that both the Sivaganai van and Vatluru kitchen will receive generous donations. Two projects in „Mother Africa“ Kinshasa for Children Aids Prevention and a van will be accepted with great joy by our tireless Brother Mauro and the Lemba community.

May God continue to bless all our mentors in Germany as well as our Curia in Rome and of all our

brothers on the front lines of charity in Philippines, India, Vietnam and Africa!

Gero Lombardo GGP

Guanellian Journey to Germany