Jesus often spoke of the need and the urgency to go and preach the Gospel to all the world (cf. Mk 16:15). Many missionaries have taken these words seriously throughout the history of the Church. They left everything to go and proclaim the Good News and to give witness to the joy of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Friar Marius-Petru BÎLHA a, from the Province of St. Joseph, the spouse of the BVM in Romania, has also embraced this journey. For a long time, like yeast in dough, this desire to go forth, or rather to return to the missions, has been fermenting in his heart.
These great callings are always accompanied by the Spirit of the Lord and of great people. This is also true for Friar Marius who was encouraged, supported and prayed for by Pope Francis whom he met on the afternoon of January 9, 2021 in a private visit in the Casa Santa Marta where he was received by the Holy Father, blessed, and received his missionary cross. There were two key words that Pope Francis offered Friar Marius on how to live well in the missions: to draw near to the people and to always be merciful.
As soon as possible, Friar Marius will leave for the mission in Honduras to work with his confreres of the Provincial Custody of Mary, the Mother of Mercy in Central America.
“You will do well in Honduras, I will pray for you,” were the encouraging words spoken by the Holy Father to Friar Marius. He will always carry them in his heart as a renewed motivation and a continual invitation to give of himself without reserve.
With joy we also wish to sustain our Friar Marius with our prayer and fraternal concern as he leaves for this new mission to which the Lord has called him.
Friar Teofil PETRIȘOR
