Feriole – “…called by the Lord to proclaim the Gospel to the nations, particularly in Africa, and knowing the aim of the Society of African Missions, I swear to remain a member of this Society for the whole of my life, in order to take part in its missionary life and activity…” With these words, Anselmo Fabiano, a seminarian of the Society of African Missions , who on Sunday, 6 September made his perpetual oath of belonging to the Society of African Missions, Province of Italy. The celebration took place in the SMA-OLA community of Feriole, in the province of Padua, in the presence of his family, SMA confreres, the Sisters of Our Lady of Africa , and numerous friends.
“It was a day of joy, thanksgiving and deep emotion, marking an important moment in Anselmo’s life,” said an SMA statement sent to Fides. Mass was presided over by Fr. Ceferino Cainelli, Provincial Superior of Italy, who in his homily spoke of the “two families” that have accompanied the young man on his vocational journey: his family of origin, where he received the faith and where his vocation first matured, and his SMA family, to which he now belongs definitively through his perpetual commitment. Anselmo chose his mother, Dalia, and Fr. Giuseppe Brusegan, a confrere of the SMA-OLA community of Feriole, as his witnesses. Their presence highlighted the bond between his family of origin, his vocational journey and the missionary community that have accompanied him throughout his formation.
Anselmo’s perpetual commitment marks the completion of the first major stage of his journey, which began on 1 August 2022. After spending a month in the mission of Monassao, among the Pygmy peoples of the Central African Republic , he spent ten months in Benin at the “Brésillac Centre” for the SMA International Year of Spirituality for seminarians . In September 2024, he then arrived in Cairo, Egypt, for a year-long missionary experience .
Upon returning to Italy, he completed his institutional theological studies and obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Theology of Padua on 25 June. He is now preparing for the next stage of his journey: on Saturday, 12 September 2026, in the Cathedral of Como, he will be ordained a deacon together with three diocesan companions. Following his ordination, he will leave for Egypt, where he will continue his studies of the Arabic language and take part in the pastoral life of the Choubra parish. This experience will also provide further preparation for his future priestly ordination.
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