The Community of the SVD marks already more than 15-years of its presence in Madagascar.  With his 16 priests and a brother we are very much involved in pastoral activities. The need of the hour is to reach the word of God to those who have not yet received; which means we are still in the First evangelization.  In this apostolate several services and activities are undertaken by the missionaries.

1.Missionary Service in the districts in the countryside 

This apostolate is typically of the first evangelization.  Since 1990 SVD missionaries took charge of various missionary activities by involving non Christians as well to bring the good news to those areas where some of the good old ancestral traditions are Very much strong. The SVD’s are engaging themselves in various districts of the diocese.

- district of Vohilava 61 villages (since 1990)

- district de Mahavoky 60 villages (since 1991)

- district of Pangalana 65 villages (since 1993)

Seeing the developments and progress in the diocese we have handed over the district of Tsiatosika to the diocese which is already able to ensure the animation of district. This district was animated by the SVD during 10 years.  This district which is by and large not very far from the town can give access to priest in the town to render the service which requires, and also the growing number of the diocesan priests was the principal reason of our decision. 

A/ Pastoral visits in the Interior Villages

Each one of our districts has been served by at least two of our   missionaries. Our main task is to do the regular visits in the villages and be with the people and animate them in every sphere of their lives. We understand that the presence is the best form of evangelization.  The Missionaries have to go on foot for tens of kilometres, because the practicable roads do not exist or are very bad.  The distances, the frequent tropical diseases, the difficult conditions of the life are the daily companions of our missionaries who devote itself for this apostolate.  However, our effort does not go in vain seeing the response of the people which is very grateful of our presence and our solidarity with them.  This answer is our right reward seeing the fruit of our work as we continue to bring the good news of Christ. 

B / Training of the Animators or Catechists

Our presence in village areas cannot be permanent, we need tens of the catechists, or animators who during our absence ensure animation and a prepare people in villages before reception of the sacraments.  Very often the level of these collaborators is very low and we endeavour as often as possible to offer an adequate training to them organizing different sessions and training course of any kind.  Such as Catechetical sessions, biblical, of health, on development etc. 

C / Animation of the pastoral groups

To look further into the religious training of our Christians of any age several pastoral groups are organized.  In such a way the children, the women, the young people and the families find their medium favourable of the growth of religious and social developments.  According to the program of the diocese one often organizes annual or monthly gatherings on the level of the district or diocese of these groups to reinforce their activities and their identities.  They are the groups of the orientation for the marriage, celebrations of the mass, of the rural development etc. 

D / Organization of the pilgrimages

The annual pilgrimages make significant activity of the district. At present each of our districts has a Shrine or a cross which gives the feeling as crowned place of the prayer and brings unity among the Christians.  Several hundreds of people are able to follow and render time for the prayers and have lively celebration of the Word of god.  During 3-4 days one continues the religious formation but also in those days we organise some of cultural events, which helps them to bring out their hidden talent. This form of the communication of the faith and the communion is very effective and for this reason that we need to programme it at the beginning. 

E / Evangelization and education

It is a fact that without education of the children and the young people, there can not be effective evangelization. Several villages required a school of our own.  Often in spite of the presence of a school run by the government, this lacks some discipline and progress from the part of the teachers. Very often we could see teachers are not very committed to their task. The presence of the catholic schools in each of our districts helps our budding children to look forward and build their future. The Schools are also favourable places of human progress and religious formation. 

F / Apostolate of health

Due to extreme poverty in Madagascar our missionaries involve in looking after health care as well.  Very often each district facilitates the  purchase of drugs necessary, offers a significant  contribution for operations, ensures the transport of the patients,  food etc.  We also involve our benefactors in helping to meet our needs in health care as well. We ensure also in operating of a dispensary in collaboration with an Italian association «Costruire insieme ".  For a few years we have organized with them a house of reception of the badly nourished or abounded children.  At present with the help of this association we are hoping to have a special centre to ensure this apostolate. 

2.  Missionary Service and the parish apostolate

With the request of the diocese we the SVD’s have made known our presence in the town of Mananjary.  The parish offered a good occasion for us to be made known our spirituality and charisma of the society.  After having rendered 3 years service the diocese asked to continue our presence in the cathedral.  The most significant aspects of our presence in the parish have boosted the surroundings and development of every aspect. 

- Reinforcement of the communion and the opening of the parishioners to the universal Church,

- The development of the biblical apostolate (creation of a biblical group),

- Apostolate of patients (regular visits of the patients at the hospital and the house, the creation of a group pastoral which deals with patients: (“Friends of the patients"), 

- The development of material structures of the parish, 

We the SVD’s in Madagascar understood that the time has come for us to move to other cities or diocese by taking up a Parish. This presence will typically offer us new prospects for the apostolate of the SVD. In this line of the thought we are ready to use a parish either in the town of Mananjary or with the capital.  The step of realization of this project is continuing. 

3. Missionary service and 4  various dimensions  SVD

A/ Justice and peace

In our missionary service in Madagascar each day we face the injustice and corruption.  These are especially poor and simple people who undergo consequences.  Very often they especially seek a help of our missionaries in the cases of the defence of their properties, the grounds, legitimate defence to the court, to release from the prison etc.  Especially for the conscientisation of people we organize training courses with regard to the law and land ownership. 

Apart from this one of our fellow-member ensured a service to prison as chaplain.  Its work consisted especially on the legitimate defence of the prisoners, to ensure daily food, to ensure the medical care.  It succeeded in building a dispensary inside the prison which is a remarkable fact in Madagascar. 

B / Biblical apostolate

We take account of the importance of the biblical apostolate.  Lately we increase the effort to multiply and better organize biblical groups either in our districts or in the town of Mananjary.  Our constant concern is to get more knowledge of the Bible to our entire collaborators, especially our catechists.  In addition to this, various biblical sessions continue either in villages or especially in the Catachétique Center and Biblique of the Diocese.  We plan to launch out in the biblical apostolate to the capital once we make our contract with the bishop of Antananarivo. 

C / Social communication

After having achieved its vocational training one of our fellow-members was called and named like National Coordinator of an Audio-visual Centre close to the Episcopal Commission of Madagascar.  The team works organizing this new Centre and its activities. 

Moreover one prepares several emissions with the Radio diocesan in Mananjary.  The Centre Catéchétique and Biblique which is under our responsibility continuously prepares religious emissions and programs for the Radio " Aina " " in Mananjary.  One also continues to prepare a Newspaper of connection - «Vaovao Mad «on our missionary’s activities in Madagascar. 

D / Animation missionary

Thanks to the initiative of a fellow-member who took charge as missionary animation. It organized several groups of «Young missionaries» who spread itself on the level of the diocese being a strong and visible sign of the spirituality of the SVD.  Besides our fellow-member ensures also the animation of «Childhood Missionaries «at the level of the diocese, as director diocesan of work Pontifical Missionaries.  Another initiative is organising a Missionary Day in every year. And during the time of holidays the young people of various areas of Madagascar gather to make three weeks of mission of Christian community or the make visit where the priest does not arrive very often.

4. Missionary Service and Special Activities.

- Centre Catéchétique and Biblique

Since 1993 the Diocese entrusted to the SVD the management of the Catéchétique Centre and Biblique in Mananjary.  The goal principal of the Centre is the continuing education of the hundreds of the catechists of the whole diocese / at least 500 people /. Thanks to the 4 sessions for one month on the spot and also several in the villages, the team of the Centre ensures their preparation and formation.  The SVD benefits from the Centre to develop the biblical apostolate organizing certain sessions for the catechists and the laity who are   committed. It was already said that the team of the Centre engages currently much in the radiophonic communication preparing of the religious programs.   

-    Administrative service with the Episcopal Conference of  Madagascar

More and more our Congregation was made known in Madagascar and gains the confidence of the local Church.  For 4 years one of our fellow-members has been committed in charge of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar as Administrative Secretary.  His service is appreciated by the bishops and thanks to his presence and the promotion of our Community increases doing better to be made known the SVD at the national level. 

-    The Community of the " Bank of Solidarity " - small-credit for  the poor

Into practice putting our option for the poor one of our fellow-members launched the idea of a «Bank of Solidarity» which gathers more than one hundred of the women.  One grants to these women a mini-credit to improve the economic situation of their families.  The credit is employed to make go several activities by increasing the lent sum.  After having received enough time the sum is returned and the candidate can again lend a widened sum.  This form of the social apostolate makes the people more responsible for their destiny and causes the creativity to gain the life.                           

-    Charismatic Groups

There is more than 10 years one of our fellow-members founded the Charismatique Movement in the diocese of Mananjary.  The Movement began like the collecting instrument of the first evangelization of the abundant fruits.  Currently the charismatic group count nearly 1500 people in all the districts of the diocese. Very often we conduct Retreats, inner healings, hundreds of conversions, these are the signs of the action of the Holy Spirit among us.  The presence of the Movement makes the Church local more authentic and credible to the eyes of believing and especially not baptized.  The groups testify accurately to the devotion deep to the Holy Spirit according to the spirituality of the SVD and our Founder, Saint Arnold Janssen. 

- Prophetic Dialogue with the culture       

The Malagasy culture medium is a constant challenge in our service missionary.  We are attentive to recognize the positive values of the Malagasy culture.  The respect and the sincere dialogue help us to collaborate with non Christians for the common good.  Several initiatives testify to our profitable collaboration with the kings of the villages. 

In the field of the enculturation a remarkable initiative suggested by our fellow-member is a rite of blessing of kings.  It seems to us that it is an initiative pioneer in all Madagascar. 

5. Missionary Service and formation

A.  Continuing education of missionaries of the SVD 

More and more the SVD in Madagascar has to render a service specialized for the local Church and not just being a missionary in the interior parishes. For this reason we are open to send young and dynamic missionaries to get specialized in various fields.  At present we have the fellow-members who finished the studies

- Social Communication,

- specialized on:  Spirituality,

- Spiritual Direction

- Anthropology and theology. 

B.  Training of future missionaries

- training of young candidates

After 15 years of our mission in Madagascar the training of our candidates for the life missionary life has begun.  This year two of our fellow-members after their university formation take charge of the formation. In Fianarantsoa there is also a community of formation. In September we will have already 11 applicants.  For the moment we do not have a house of formation but one rents a share in the Oblats Fathers.  It is hoped that Généralat will grant the next year the permission to build our own house of formation. 

- youth hostel

Not badly of the boys of the villages aspire to the missionary life and specially to give them a better future; since they lack better education in the villages we have our own youth hostel. Seeing this situation we prepared a simple house for shelter where the boys who would like initially to finish their schooling.  It is a form of the promotion of the future vocations but also a kind of the realization of the option for the poor.  Currently this house counts 11 boys.

Our mission in Madagascar is in full expansion.  In spite  of the difficulties which one crosses, the enthusiasm and  the availability to carry the Good News is very remarkable in many the  fellow-members.  With great hope we look at the future of our Congregation in Madagascar.  We need new missionaries, either of the priests, or of the brothers or even of the seminarists who would give themselves for the first evangelization.  We invite new missionaries cordially.  The new prospects open before our Community.  It only remains to answer accurately the voice of the Lord, who sends us wanting that everyone is saved.