Militants have set fire to a mission station in Chipene, Mozambique, on the border with Cabo Delgado province. Two priests and two nuns survived, but Sister Maria de Coppi was murdered.
(Vatican News Network)The Kimboni group in Chipene, northern Mozambique, was attacked by armed groups on the night of September 6-7. The identity of the attackers has not yet been identified. Maria De Coppi, an Italian nun of the Congregation of Bonnies who had been preaching in the country since 1963, was shot and killed in the incident at the age of 84. Two priests of the Faith of Faith Mission in the Diocese of Concordia-Pordenone, Italy, managed to escape: Fathers Loris Vignandel and Father Lorenzo Barro. Two nuns escaped with them.
The armed group had approached the mission station 24 hours before the incident, but had not crossed the natural border with Cabo Delgado province, the Lurio River. For months, armed groups have carried out wanton violence there. During the night of 6-7 September, many buildings of the mission station were burned, including the parish room, the dormitory and the recently opened computer room. And the room where the missionaries were hiding was not set on fire.
“Everyone is fleeing.” “The situation here is very tragic.” “Many people are resting in the woods.” This is what Sister De Copi sent to her niece Bottani at 8:17 p.m. on September 6. Several voice messages from Sister Gabriella Botani were posted on the website of the Missionary Sisters of Kimbonny. Sister De Copi finally said: “Lord protect those here.”
It was Alex Zappalà, the director of the Pordenone Missionary Centre, who was in contact with Father Veneder and Father Barrow at that horrific moment. Zapala told this news network what had happened, from the first warning call at 9pm to Father Vinidel’s fear a few hours later. Just as he heard the first shots, he sent a message: “See you in heaven.” Later, at 3 am, a fire broke out in the mission station, and the two priests hid in two rooms, fortunately neither were found by the attackers. , and did not fall into a sea of fire.
In a message of condolence, Sister Enza Carini, secretary-general of the Missionary Sisters Kimboni, wrote: “We pray for the eternal rest of our sister. She will certainly intercede for the peace of the people of Mozambique and for the country she loves so much. .”
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