Our FSP Publishing Center in Nairobi recently launched an interesting new book entitled, Cardinal Massaia. It concerns the prophetic figure of the great Franciscan missionary, William Massaia, who lived and worked in Ethiopia for 35 years during the second half of the 19th century. The founder of the Ethiopian capital Addis Abeba, the spiritual father of great saints and a brother of the poor, Cardinal Massaia gave his life for Ethiopia.
He offered the Church the witness of such missionary zeal that the newly-begun St. Paul Film department, under the guidance of Fr. Alberione, dedicated its first film–Abuna Messias–to him. The film, which portrays the travels of Massaia (primarily on foot) throughout Abyssinia to bring the Gospel to everyone, won the 1939 Venice Film Festival Award.
And today two Daughters of St. Paul are also making adventurous and courageous trips throughout Ethiopia to diffuse this new book among the people, who have warmly and appreciatively welcomed them on their visits to parishes and schools. The book on Cardinal Massaia is very relevant for Africa, and above all Ethiopia, today because it can help the people rediscover the strength of their Christian roots and provide them with light for the future.
