My Life's Story
by Fr. Alfredo G. Africa Jr., MSP

I would like to start with my simple vocation story. Family prayer is an integral part of our family’s life. Devotional practices such as praying the rosary, angelus, and way of the cross especially on Lenten season, novena prayers of different saints and the likes kept the family together. Sunday obligation will surely never be missed out for it would mean a punishment. In short, I grew up in the atmosphere of prayer and devotion and a strong faith in God.

My vocation to the priesthood started as a child’s dream. I was still in elementary grade as far as I could remember when I first thought of becoming a priest. Heaven has been pictured as a state that everybody should dream about to live in. That’s where I want to be. And to get there is by way of becoming a priest since the priest is the closest to God if God is at the altar where the priest celebrates mass and apparently commune with Him.

I was born on May 12, 1962 to very devout parents who raised their children with the fear of the Lord and a strong faith in God. I have six other siblings and I am the fifth in rank from the eldest. Next to me is the only girl, the princess in the family (aside from my mom of course). Our family is not really that poor but just had enough means to meet both ends and send the children to school. After high school I entered the diocesan seminary and received my degree in philosophy. Proceeding to the theological studies I decided to join the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP), a missionary congregation established by the Filipino Catholic Bishops in 1965. It was the happiest moment of my life when finally I was ordained priest on January 27, 1990 together with other four classmates as the MSP celebrates its 25th Anniversary. To me, it was the fulfillment of my dream.

One of my three choices was to go to Papua New Guinea (PNG) as a missionary priest. My superior readily granted my desire to go to the “land of the unexpected” right after my ordination, (Papua New Guinea has been advertised as the Land of the Unexpected). This is the mission that somehow shaped and influenced my way of looking at my priesthood. Then I realized that it wasn’t that easy to be priest and go to heaven. (Now I even doubted if ever I can get there ahead of many other people). Trekking the bush mountains, wading streams and rivers, climbing up hills and crossing valleys are ordinary way in order to reach the villages and meet the people in my mission area. Not to mention getting sick of malaria and exposing myself to the danger of snake bites and blood sucking leeches on the way to the village. Nevertheless, this PNG mission experience has left a new impetus and an indelible imprint in my priestly vocation.

Coming to the United States as the first MSP missionary is the beginning of the new chapter of my missionary journey. There is no point of comparison with my first mission experience but the missionary challenge place at par.  To be in constant connection with the Source of spiritual strength and power is a great missionary challenge in this country where everything is handily available and accessible.

I wish to be the sign of gratitude to God for all the gifts that God has bestowed upon me especially the gift of faith and vocation manifested in the joy that’s truly coming from the depths of my heart. As much as possible, I would like to witness our Society’s charism: “Ours is a joyful missionary spirit flowing from deep union with Christ through Mary and in the power of the Holy Spirit willing to spend ourselves and be spent in Gratitude to God for the gift of faith received.”