– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade
(bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)
I am the youngest of eleven brothers and sisters. My father was a farmer of little pieces of land. Thirteen people lived in the same small house. No electricity, no running water, no radio, no TV. I had one pair of shoes to go to Mass on Sunday and the rest of the week I was supposed to save the shoes for the following Sunday. Because I was the youngest I was one of those who had the privilege of going to school and learn how to read and to write. But I have to confess that, very often, I questioned myself the reason why I had to go to school.
I was sure that my life was already destined. I didn’t think that I needed to go to school in order to water the plants, to dig the earth, to feed the two cows my father owned, to feed the only pig and a few chickens my family used to raise, and so many little things that were part of all those families that lived in the same neighbourhood. It never crossed my mind to go to a secondary school and continue my studies. My life, like the life of my friends, was already destined. Oh… by the way, it never crossed our minds (me and my friends) that we were poor. We were all equal. Poor were those older men and women who would walk from house to house begging for something to take home and prepare meals for their families.
One Christmas day I got a Christmas gift. It was an orange. It was so yellow and so beautiful that I didn’t have the courage to eat it. When I was in California I told the story of the only Christmas gift of my childhood. A few days later I got a bag of oranges from a family. Since then I always found a yellow orange on the top of the altar on the First Sunday of Advent and a box of oranges was delivered to my Parish residence on Christmas Eve. When I left California, 12 years ago, the same family gave me a plastic orange that I still treasure in my room. It is still yellow and beautiful and full of memories.
A gift of an orange
Well…I thought that my future was already destined. Studying and taking a course was only for the rich. Even today, the poor are not allowed to dream. And I had no dreams for my future besides continuing the life of a poor farmer like my father, my brothers, sisters and my neighbours, or to emigrate.
But God has a great sense of humour. One day I was in the kitchen with my mother and my sister Agostinha when, all of a sudden, my sister threw me this unexpected and very strange question: «Bernardino! Wouldn’t you like to be a priest?». My answer was: «Yes». I was twelve years old.
My mother started getting information on how to go to the Seminary and on October 15, 1950 I entered the Seminary. I didn’t enter the Seminary to study my vocation. I entered the Seminary to be a priest.
On June 12, 1965, in a football field of the Diocese of Quelimane (Mozambique, Africa) I received from the hands of my Bishop the Sacrament of priesthood. It was 54 years ago last Wednesday.
Father Bernadino’s Ordination
When I tell my story it is frequent and normal to ask always the same question I was asked when I was 69 years old. And the question was: «But when you were 12 years old what did you understand about priesthood»? My answer was: «I am 69 years old and I still do not understand».
Mass at the church in Moçambique
Priesthood is a mystery that has been slowly revealed to me every day, especially when I deal with the poorest of the poor, when I celebrate the Eucharist and all other sacraments and especially when I alleviate the suffering of the world. I don’t know if I have been a good priest. But one thing I know – I have been a very happy priest.
And I will never understand my priesthood and Christianity if it is not PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE.
Love and Peace
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
Mahalo thank you Father for your witness. I am the 11th son and 13th child of a family of 15. We were a happy family, a community of relatives. We did not have what our neighbors and classmates had. But we did not identify ourselves as poor. Mom even had us collect food for the poor. We did not fully understand until many years later when we all came to realize that our family was the richness that God has blessed us with. In today’s world the poor remain and we must give to them our gift of gratitude … God bless Father …I pray some day to meet you, aloha, Paul Kevin Kealiikea o Mano Neves, Hilo, Hawaii …
I know you have been a wonderful and understanding priest Father Bernardino who is much loved and appreciated by many people. I pray that you still have many years ahead of you and we shall take time to talk more next time I come
Love and peace
I have brought your message home to the many saints in SKYE and look forward to joining you in October is your name not Nathanael dear Father