iovanni Berardino Moscatello

Without a doubt the most important but least known by the Morronesi. He was born in Morrone (then called Morrono) in 1536. A famous lawyer, he practiced at the Regia Udienza in Lucera. He wrote several works; the most important are: Paxis civilis regii consilii et magnae curiae vicariae, >proxis fidjussoria e proxis civilis.

icola Cinelli

priest and Latin scholar

icolangelo Cinelli

in 1870 he published a scientific text on various diseases caused

by ant worms in cereal plants.

ngelo Colagrosso

 provincial councilor in 1862

uigi Parente

a holder of degrees in both philosophy and pedagogy, he was an educational director, a writer and also a great enthusiast of Morronese History. He was a winner of many literature competitions for non-fiction, narrative, theater, philosophy and pedagogy. He was also the editor-in-chief of the international periodical of culture called “Pungolo Verde”.

iuseppe Romano

born in Morrone in 1898, artillery major, died in action in el-Mehili

in North Africa. For this heroic act he was decorated with the gold medal of military courage.

ante Valentini

born in Morrone in 1920, elementary school teacher and musical composer of more than 300 Italian songs in Napoletano and Molisano dialect. His most famous song “il passerotto” (lu passariell), won 3rd place at San Remo in 1953; it was sung by Carla Boni. A multifaceted artist, he was also a painter.

ister Angela Antonelli

Sister Angela Antonelli was born in Morrone del Sannio (Campobasso) on November 14th, 1925. Once she obtained her primary school teaching certification at the Gelasio Gaetani Institute in Rome, she entered into the congregation of the nuns of San Giovanni Battista (Casale Pio V Rome). In her novitiate year she already offered herself as a volunteer in Africa and immediately after taking her religious vows, she left for Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) along with Sister Cornelia Morrone, another molisana from the province of Campobasso. It was the 22nd of May, 1948.

After a very long and adventurous flight, on the 14th of June, 1948, the young missionaries reached the little community of Saint Joseph in the Rhodesian forest. Sister Cornelia, a professional nurse, opened the doctor’s office in a hut and the teacher, Sister Angela, improvised and taught outdoors giving sewing lessons, hygiene lessons, infant care classes to the women. Meanwhile she perfected her knowledge of the local language, Chibemba, as well as English, the official language.

Neighboring villages heard of the Sisters’ presence through the grapevine and the ill that came to visit them was always more numerous. At times compresses and clean water were all that was needed to cure certain infections, such as ones in the eyes, and rumors were abound that the two white women were wonders…with much marvel and apprehension of the witchdoctor.

Today the hut of Sister Cornelia is a big rural hospital. Unfortunately, this marvelous woman is no longer with us to bear witness to her extraordinary missionary life.

With the arrival of other Italian and American nuns the activities extended to Kitwe, Chingola and Solwezi, where Sister Angela had set into motion a cooking course in the shade of a banana tree. Today that initiative has become “Homecraft College”, the most prestigious school of Economic Domesticity that there is in Zambia, and one that has certified hundreds of teachers.

Sister Angela had quickly learned to live alongside the incredible suffering of the African people, relieved only at times by the uncontaminated beauty of that cruel land and its magical forests. It is impossible to describe the colors and voices of Africa, the rain season, the grazing animals that are everywhere, and the terrifying force of Victoria Falls, a gift from the great Zambesi River.

Many times at the break of day fresh lion footprints were around the Sister’s hut.

Scholars were already arriving after having walked for hours in the forest. The sick and the women with children wait in line for vaccinations. Lepers wait in their huts for the arrival of the Sister that, punctually and with patience, begins the vaccinations wrapped in a citenga (the traditional clothing that the Zambian women wear) over her white clothing. She also wears her old comfortable shows so that she can pedal hurriedly; she

travels by bicycle. She brought food and medicine; she washed the wounds of lepers and helped women watch their children. She attentively listened to every request, always smiling.

Becoming soon a superior, Sister Angela tried to realize a dream that she had in her heart since the first day of the mission: THE INSTRUCTION AND EMANCIPATION OF THE ZAMBIAN WOMAN.

A missionary wrote: “The women in Africa are a gigantic resource. They have the weight of life on their shoulders: they feed hungry mouths, they raise children, they look after the elders, and they care for the wounded, whether the wounds are from war or from diseases. They do as much as they can without the sufficient means…only education gives dignity to a woman, it permits her to become a true fountain of development”.

In 1960 Mother Angela founded a group of Zambian Sister’s, while the activity centers, born from her dream of solidarity, increased thanks to the generosity of many. Today the Sister’s work in schools, social organizations, and humanitarian organizations.

In 1964 Northern Rhodesia was granted independence from England, changing its name to Zambia. This state is still one of the poorest countries in Africa and devastated by AIDS. AIDS has caused more victims in Zambia than any war, and has left around half a million children orphaned. These poor people arrive by the thousands everyday from the Congo, Angola, Zaire, and also from other war-torn countries.

In this eternal emergency the missionaries do all they can for everybody…

October 7th 2000, Sister Floriana Tirelli, a young nurse and teacher, was assaulted and killed in the Kitwe forest by a group of mercenaries (perhaps Congolese) that also stole the ambulance, the only one in the area. That night children, lepers, and her fellow sisters were all very nervous. She was the “smile” of the mission and she had a dream, the same one as Mother Angela: solidarity. From that dream there grew 15 activity centers.

1 ST. JOSEPH MISSION: rural hospital, elementary school, upper school for deaf-mutes (120 alumni), sewing school and parish organizations

2.KITWE MWINILUNGA: nursery school, primary school, upper school, parish organizations, mess hall for the street kids in collaboration with the Anglican Church

3. KITWE ST. MARTIN: orphanage for abandoned newborns or children orphans by a deceased mother

4. CHINGOLA: nursery school, primary school, upper school, parish organizations

5. ITIMPI: novitiates (living quarters assigned to religious novices), family assistance for the terminally ill from AIDS, parish organizations

6. NDOLA: "Child to child program". Childcare for children that don’t have access to governmental schools with rehabilitation facilities. The Sister’s carry out rehabilitation programs and act as nutritionists. There is a clinic for victims with AIDS

7. ST. FRANCIS MISSION: Assists children of lepers, rural hospital, maternity center, school of economic domesticity with biennial courses for girls that otherwise cannot continue school

8. SOLWEZI city: home and rehabilitation center for disabled children

9. SOLWEZI city: social and parish organizations, sewing school for women

10. MWINILUNGA: nursery school and sewing school for women

11. MWINILUNGA LWUAWU MISSION: Elementary school and upper school, rural hospital and maternity center.

12. LUSAKA: nursery school, parish organizations

13. CHIPATA: home and rehabilitation center for disabled children, teaching in the elementary schools

14. MALAWI: nursery school, elementary school, social and charitable organizations

15. SOUTH AFRICA: home for abandoned children, assistance to physically and mentally disabled children

In spite of her old age, Mother Angela continues to be both a good example and a source of sweetness for her fellow sisters and volunteers that work alongside her while confronting innumerous obstacles.

In difficult moments she repeats that “one needs to always hope in the Divine Providence, working…”

“…like that time in the forest when they brought me a premature baby. The mother had died at birth. The infant had just started to breathe…an incubator was necessary. In our hut there was a clean box (a shoebox): I filled it with some cotton wool and I made a crib out of it.”

Today that baby is a beautiful woman and a well-known professional. At the 50th anniversary celebration of the religious life of Mother Angela at Kitwe (March 3rd, 1997) MWABOMBENI MUKWAI hugged her happily saying: “Mother is truly a mother to all of us”.

On the same day a fellow Sister said of Mother Angela:

“…During all of this time she has always served everybody with so much love, humility and solidarity. She is loved for her affection, and for her humble, joyous, and motherly character. Her great spirit of sacrifice, her deep religious convictions, her silent dedication to work, and her readiness to always listen to everybody has made her precious to every Sister in the Battistina Family, among which there are many that have been guided by her not just in religious teachings, but also ones that have been guided in various other professional sectors”.

On different occasions Mother Angela was a spokeswoman for Zambia in International Assemblies in both the United States of America and Italy. On the 24th of October 1983, she was decorated by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr. D. Kenneth Kaunda, the Medal of Order for Distinct Service for “the human promotion of the Zambian woman”.

Today Sister Angela lives and works in the mission of Lusaka.

Whoever wants to send a donation can write to:

Sister Angela Antonelli, ST. JOHN'S CONVENT P.O. BOX 32457 LUSAKA, ZAMBIA, C. AFRICA.

TEL. 002601251125

Sister Angela died in 2013

 

 

Detailed news in the Italian version.