Our Sendi Mission dedicated to Sacred Heart of Jesus was started by Holy Spirit Fathers in the year 1921 and handed over to SVDs in the year 2009. Since then our confreres are doing a wonderful mission work in the area covering the Municipality of Quipungo. This mission has 16 village chapels, boys and girls hostels, a school up to 9th class, a dispensary and animal farm of cows, poultry, piggery and goats.
Presently there are two confreres: Bro. Júlio Ausin, svd who is in charge of the boys’ hostel and Fr. Oscar Tundeno, svd, the parish priest. They are rendering their valuable services to the mission. Sisters of Holy Spirit (Spiritanas) are looking after the girls’ hostel. This mission is more than 1000 kms from the capital city Luanda and it is situated in the middle of the jungle, 13 kms away from the main road.
On the way from the main road to the mission we come across only one village. For me, as mission secretary it was a memorable experience during this Christmas Season as I was there for the first time. The first surprise was during the night Mass of Christmas. It was raining heavily and we had Mass at 10 pm and the church was full of the faithful who came to attend the Christmas Night Mass and got over 1.30 am. I was not expecting this kind of response of the faithful during the night and as it was raining and usually people in the city don´t come for the Mass when it rains. Another surprise was on the next day. We had mass outside the church which began at 8 am and got over 12 noon and the crowd was 5 times more than the vigil mass.
After the mass I asked the parish priest how come there were so many people when you don´t see houses nearby the mission. He said there were many villages in the middle of the forest. Still more surprising was the Sunday of the Holy Family when 120 children baptized and the celebration of 20 marriages in one of the centres of the village.
This shows how people are faithful and responding to the mission of Christ. When people show positive response the missionary does not feel bored and lonely. So I could see the enthusiasm, commitment and dedication of two of our missionaries.