The first seven mercedaries from Africa formed over a year in the Archdiocese of Valladolid (Spain) have just carried out their simple promise and will continue their training in Cameroon, where they will carry out four years of theology studies before their solemn profession.
A year ago, seven young people from Burundi, Cameroon, Congo and Rwanda arrived in Valladolid to be part of the first experience of a novitiate in Spain with African novices.
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Until then, this stage of his religious formation and vocational maturation, after three years of philosophy studies, was carried out in Angola. But it became more difficult to overcome the legal entrance requirements, so the provinces of Castilla, Aragon and Italy of the Order of Merced, decided to transfer the novitiate to Spain.
Thus, the seed of new African mercedary vocations, the result of the missionary presence of the order in the continent since 1968, can continue maturing.
As The Archdiocese of Valladolid reportedon September 6 Yannick, Janvion, Aristote, Olivier, Eric, Clovis and Jean Claude committed themselves to “follow Christ with greater perfection” through the votes of poverty, obedience and chastity common to religious life, plus the individual of the mercedarians: “give life for the redemption of captive Christians.”
The head of the Mercedaria community of Valladolid, Fr. José Ignacio Postigo, has affirmed that this experience has meant “a total revolution”, which had initial difficulties such as adaptation to European custom, the winter cold in the city, or the idiomatic difficulties because, in addition to French and its respective native language, when they arrived in Spain they almost did not speak Spanish.
This year of novitiate, which should serve “for the recollection, the deepening of the spiritual and the prayer”, has also left a mark on the parish that the mercedaries run in Valladolid, where they have surprised and attracted many for the contrast of their “rhythms, palms and dances” with the traditional bribery of the Spanish plateau.
After the seven pioneers, this new African novices and one sixth come from Puerto Rico arrive.
Nicolás de Cárdenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish and journalist’s husband and father with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specialized in socio -political and religious information. I have worked more than 10 years in defense of human rights and I have accreditations in journalism and comprehensive communication. Since July 2022, I am a correspondent for ACI Press and Ewtn News in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.