CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- African students studying in Rome are finding a home away from home in an outreach program dedicated to accompanying them spiritually, culturally, and socially.<\/p>\n\t\u201cWe think of home a lot\u2013our parents, our families that we left behind\u2026 therefore this is our second home,\u201d Leodmila Amona of Mozambique, told CNA on March 30.<\/p>\n
\tAmona is a participant in the Servizio Universitario Africano outreach program, based in temporary space behind Rome\u2019s famous church of St. Peter in Chains.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWherever we live, we come here in Sundays to stay in a family, in a real Christian family,\u201d the 26-year-old university student added.<\/p>\n
\tAmona has been part of the Servizio for several months. She said she finds it encouraging because \u201cas students we also need to sustain our faith,\u201d which can be difficult in a new culture.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe come from Africa with a certain type of faith,\u201d she noted, but Rome has \u201ca diversity in Christianity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tReaching out to students like Amona is the work of Father Tobechi Anayadike, the outreach program\u2019s chaplain, who is in charge of the pastoral care of African university students in Rome, especially lay students.<\/p>\n
\tFr. Tobechi spoke of \u201caccompanying\u201d the students in their lives, \u201cespecially their participation in the life of the Church, so that while studying here in Rome, far away from home, and from their parents and the parishes and families back at home, they will not forget their religious roots, their faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe hopes that his work in the Servizio will help the students \u201cgrow in that enthusiasm and typical joy for which the African young people are known.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe Servizio is not only an outreach for African students, but an opportunity for young people to work together. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\tSister Doris Pogle, a Missionary Sister of Divine Mercy who serves in the Servizio, said young people \u201care trying to work with them together, to reflect together so that our time for the studies here won\u2019t put us far from the gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe want to take care of our values so that the things that are better in our culture, we won\u2019t forget them\u2013especially respect for life, respect of all people, defense of what is sacred,\u201d explained the sister.<\/p>\n
\tJane Wathuta of Nairobi, Kenya described the Servizio as \u201ca point of reference, a meeting place, a place to share spiritual, cultural, and other experiences\u2013and also to grow together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe Servizio Universitario Africano began in 2005 when several African students attended a Marian prayer vigil during a European-African Day for university students in Rome. Pope Benedict XVI noticed their joy and enthusiasm and asked for a report. He eventually wrote that he wanted a coordination of university pastoral care for African students in the city. Fr. Tobechi was asked to be the chaplain.<\/p>\n
\tThe students, along with Fr. Tobechi and several religious sisters, have Mass together every Sunday. They also organize conferences, attend lectures, and offer a social network for African students in Rome.<\/p>\n
\tAlain Christian was introduced to the Servizio by a friend from his home country of Cameroon who also studies in the city.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt\u2019s very hard for foreign students who are coming in Europe, abroad for the first time, and they need support. They need help from other people who came here before them. This was an opportunity for me to be in touch with the African culture that\u2019s behind me,\u201d explained the young man, who is pursuing his master\u2019s degree in political science.<\/p>\n
\tThe Servizio\u2019s many activities have \u201chelped us increase our academic competencies, and to develop a network, a social network\u2013knowing many people, many lecturers, many colleagues who can help us,\u201d noted Christian.<\/p>\n
\tThe program\u2019s leaders hope that the Servizio\u2019s reach is far wider than Rome itself.<\/p>\n
\tAccording to Fr. Tobechi, the African bishops have asked that its activities \u201ctouch home\u2013touch the students and the young people at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt\u2019s already doing that,\u201d he added. Since the students \u201care central to the events of the life of the Church\u2026 they become opinion leaders, reference points for their (fellow) students, for their colleagues, from wherever they may be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tWhen, for example, Pope Francis was elected, friends in Africa called, \u201cnot the priest, not the religious that you see,\u201d but rather, \u201ctheir fellow students who are here,\u201d Fr. Tobechi explained.<\/p>\n
\tIn the future they hope the Servizio can move out of its temporary space to a permanent site in order to better serve students who come to Rome for a time before they return home to Africa.<\/p>\n
\tSr. Doris reflected, \u201cI hope that with students, working together, they can be missionaries in Rome, and also missionaries of God in our country, in Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Rome, Italy, Mar 30, 2014 \/ 10:21 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- African students studying in Rome are finding a home away from home in an outreach program dedicated to accompanying them spiritually, culturally, and socially.<\/p>\n
\t“We think of home a lot–ou…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\n
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