– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade
MY 52nd ANNIVERSARY
I was 12 years old. The youngest of 11 brothers and sisters, from a poor family. I was having a little informal conversation with my mother and my sister, when my sister, Agostinha, surprised me with this question: « Bernardino, wouldn’t you like to be a priest? ». It sounded like a very strange question but without any hesitation I said yes.
My mother and I started getting all the necessary information and in a short period of time I entered the Seminary. It was October 15, 1950 when I entered the Seminary in Funchal. It was June 12th, 1965, when I was ordained as a priest in Quelimane (Mozambique).
One day, in California, a newsman, after a few questions, asked me: « But… Father, when you were 12 years old what did you understand about priesthood? ». My answer was: « I am almost 70 years old and I still do not understand it. »
Priesthood has always been a fascinating mystery that God has been slowly revealing to me through the celebration of the Sacraments, my Pastoral ministry, my prayer life and especially in my contact with the poorest of the poor.
Alleviating the suffering of the world, being a sower of hope and compassion, struggling for social justice, combating cruel bureaucracies and social inequalities, preparing lay leadership and Small Communities have always been some of my biggest priorities with a few successes and lots and lots of failures. The poor have always been my main masters. They are the ones who have taught me what priesthood is about. When I entered the Seminary I didn’t do it to study my vocation. When I entered the Seminary I did it to be a priest.
Now I am 79 years old. If I could go back in life I would choose to follow the same road. I never thought that it would be so difficult to be a priest, but I never thought that it would be such a fascinating and happy life. Everything I do, I do it with love and passion. When I look at a host that I just consecrated during Mass, sometimes I still feel tears in my eyes. And I still do not understand why and I don’t care to understand.
I am passionately in love with Jesus and his project of «bringing good news to the poor» (Lk. 4:18) to build, starting in this world, the Kingdom of His Father who is «Our Father who art in Heaven and on Earth». To summarize my Mission Statement as a priest, it would be: « I came to bring good news to the poor» (Lk. 4).
Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com
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