| Spain – Young Angolans on the way to Madrid |
| RMG – African Children’s Day |
| Angola – Feast of Mary Help of Christians |
His history as a missionary began in 1981 when as student in the John XXIII Institute he heard a talk about African by Fr Milán Zednicek, a Salesian who nowadays is also in Angola.
Having arrived during the civil war which raged between 1975 and 2002 due to the conflict between the “MPLA”, supported by Cuba, and the political group “Unita” supported by the United States and China. The war ended with the death of Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, the “Unita” leader, who never recognised the election victory in 1992 of the “MPLA”, who are still governing the country today.
The first destination for Martin Lasarte, in 1990, was Lwena, the capital of the Province of Moxico. There, as a deacon, he became the coordinator of “Caritas” and in charge of food distribution and of the promotion of small agricultural cooperatives. That was a very painful year, of famine, and total isolation and of attacks on the city. While he was in Rome completing more specialised studies, the guerrillas entered the city and killed over 500 civilians.
Having returned to the country in the first months of 2001, he settled in Luanda, as a teacher and formation guide of the young Salesians. At the end of the year he returned to Lwena, as parish priest and Rector of the mission, at one of the most difficult times for Moxico. In the parish, covering 90,000 square kilometres, he was involved in a great variety of activities: pastoral ministry, food distribution, agricultural training, cooperatives, rural schools, literacy programmes, drilling for wells, health centres and bridge building.
At the end of the war the country began a new stage in its history: it was possible to go out at night, to visit nearby towns, for families to meet together, young people and adults began to study; overseas investments arrived and an agreement was signed with China. Things began to open up and there was collaboration, freedom, education, and an awareness of individual rights, but also a great deal of corruption.
The present government of Angola supports social activities in the country and has made agreements with the Catholic Church and other Churches. Thanks to this agreement Salesian schools are free and can be attended by even the poor. “Every year 11,500 students enter the Salesian schools and about 4,000 the vocational training centres” says Fr Lasarte.
Since 2008 Fr Lasarte has been living in Luanda, where he coordinates pastoral work and voluntary service. He gives courses in Sacred Scripture in the Major Seminary and works with an institute for street children on the outskirts of the capital.
The full text of the interview, in Spanish, is available on the site of “El País”.
Published 18/06/2010
