Pedro Opeka
Encyclopedia
Pedro Pablo Opeka known also as Padre Pedro or Father Pedro, is a Catholic
priest from Argentina
of Slovene descent, working as a missionary
in Madagascar
. He exemplifies a new type of missionary: not someone committed to converting and preaching, but someone fully dedicated to the poor, helping them to build their future. For his service to the poor, he was awarded the Legion of Honor.
, to parents of Slovene descent. He grew up in the streets of Buenos Aires. Already as a child, he worked with his father as a bricklayer. At 15, he decided to become a priest and enter the seminary of the Lazarists
. At 20, he went back to Ljubljana
in Slovenia, to further his training. Two years later, he went to Madagascar where he worked as a bricklayer in the parishes of the Lazarists.
He finished his studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris
. He met the Taizé Community
and travelled all over Europe.
.
In 1989, his superiors nominated him director of a seminary in Antananarivo
, the capital. But when he saw the dump from the hills of the city, he discovered people rummaging among garbage to find something to eat and sleeping in huts made of hemp propped between mountains of waste. Pedro Opeka began talking to them, to convince them that they could leave that misery and abuse. This is how Akamasoa (“good friends” in the local language) started.
called Akamasoa to continue his work with the Malagasy people
. He appointed a team of staff helping him to manage the daily activities and to provide continuous support to poor people.
Today Akamasoa sustains nearly twenty thousands people, nine thousands children, of which seven thousands go to school, namely, four thousands families. Houses have been constructed, as well as schools, clinics, and centres for training and production. Jobs have been created, thanks to the stone and gravel quarries, to the craft and embroidery workshops, to a compost centre next to the rubbish tip to divide and sort the rubbish, to the jobs in agriculture and construction (bricklayers, carpenters, cabinet makers, operators and street pavers).
Akamasoa lies about 12 km from the center of Antananarivo, on the road in the direction of Tamatave.
, recognizes his 20 years of public service of the poor in Antananarivo. This award recognizes the ongoing fight led here against poverty by this man of faith and his 412 co-workers: physicians, midwives, teachers, engineers, technicians, and social workers, all of them from Madagascar.
In 2009 Opeka received the Golden Order for Services, which is the highest national decoration of Slovenia
.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
of Slovene descent, working as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. He exemplifies a new type of missionary: not someone committed to converting and preaching, but someone fully dedicated to the poor, helping them to build their future. For his service to the poor, he was awarded the Legion of Honor.
Early life
Opeka was born in Argentina, in San Martin, a suburb of Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, to parents of Slovene descent. He grew up in the streets of Buenos Aires. Already as a child, he worked with his father as a bricklayer. At 15, he decided to become a priest and enter the seminary of the Lazarists
Lazarists
Congregation of the Mission is a vowed order of priests and brothers associated with the Vincentian Family, a loose federation of organizations who claim St. Vincent de Paul as their founder or Patron...
. At 20, he went back to Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
in Slovenia, to further his training. Two years later, he went to Madagascar where he worked as a bricklayer in the parishes of the Lazarists.
He finished his studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris
Institut Catholique de Paris
The Institut Catholique de Paris, or the Catholic University of Paris, is a private university located in Paris, France. The institute was founded in 1875, under the name Université Catholique de Paris, by Maurice Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst....
. He met the Taizé Community
Taizé Community
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of about 100 brothers who come from Protestant, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions. The brothers come from about 30 countries across the world. The monastic order has a strong...
and travelled all over Europe.
Mission in Madagascar
On 28 September 1975, Opeka was ordained priest in Buenos Aires and was nominated responsible of a rural parish in the South-East of Madagascar, VangaindranoVangaindrano
Vangaindrano is a city in Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Madagascar.The city is near the mouth of the Mananara river at the southern part of the east coast. It's connected to the north by national road RN 12. The road continues south but that section can't be used by ordinary vehicles, due to its bad...
.
In 1989, his superiors nominated him director of a seminary in Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, the capital. But when he saw the dump from the hills of the city, he discovered people rummaging among garbage to find something to eat and sleeping in huts made of hemp propped between mountains of waste. Pedro Opeka began talking to them, to convince them that they could leave that misery and abuse. This is how Akamasoa (“good friends” in the local language) started.
Creation of Akamasoa
Opeka created a local non-governmental organizationNon-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
called Akamasoa to continue his work with the Malagasy people
Malagasy people
The Malagasy ethnic group forms nearly the entire population of Madagascar. They are divided into two subgroups: the "Highlander" Merina, Sihanaka and Betsileo of the central plateau around Antananarivo, Alaotra and Fianarantsoa, and the côtiers elsewhere in the country. This division has its...
. He appointed a team of staff helping him to manage the daily activities and to provide continuous support to poor people.
Today Akamasoa sustains nearly twenty thousands people, nine thousands children, of which seven thousands go to school, namely, four thousands families. Houses have been constructed, as well as schools, clinics, and centres for training and production. Jobs have been created, thanks to the stone and gravel quarries, to the craft and embroidery workshops, to a compost centre next to the rubbish tip to divide and sort the rubbish, to the jobs in agriculture and construction (bricklayers, carpenters, cabinet makers, operators and street pavers).
Akamasoa lies about 12 km from the center of Antananarivo, on the road in the direction of Tamatave.
Awards
In 2007, Opeka was named a knight of the Legion of Honor. The award, decreed on 12 October by the President of FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, recognizes his 20 years of public service of the poor in Antananarivo. This award recognizes the ongoing fight led here against poverty by this man of faith and his 412 co-workers: physicians, midwives, teachers, engineers, technicians, and social workers, all of them from Madagascar.
In 2009 Opeka received the Golden Order for Services, which is the highest national decoration of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
.
External links
- Association "Friends of Padre Pedro"
- Father Pedro compared with Mother Theresa. Metro (Associated Metro Limited)Metro (Associated Metro Limited)Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
, London, September 25, 2009.