Would you like to go to the seminary?” Until 50 years ago, such a question was very typical to be heard by Italian children, and Franco Cumbo answered: “Yes, I would like to go. But I don’t like to be a priest!” His father said, “You go first, then you will see….”
A few weeks later, the ten-year-old boy left Sicily to go to the peninsula, an unknown place. After two days on the train, Franco arrived at Ducenta and entered the PIME minor seminary; the beautiful journey of his missionary life had just started.
Everything was about the Mission in the seminary: the teachers were missionaries who had spent many years in China, India, and Japan. Their lives and narrations were fascinating. Cumbo was already filled with enthusiasm, and a year later, he decided: “I will be a priest and a missionary like them”.
He was ordained with 14 other PIME fathers on 2 July 1972, and a few months later, he arrived in Hong Kong. The first three years were dedicated to learning Cantonese and English. Father Cumbo knew that the real challenge was Cantonese, but his teacher Father Doimo did a great job! In 1975 Father Cumbo received his first assignment and was assigned to Sai Kung until 1979, the year of his first vacation.
Every missionary’s first vacation is a special occasion. Returning to your family and home country is an unforgettable experience. However, at the same time, Father Cumbo realised that Sicily was no longer his home; he already had another one – Hong Kong! He returned to Hong Kong full of energy, about to embark on the most crucial period of his life.
We wanted to live with people, without a project, and face the challenges of everyday life together. Our ideal was not to speak about Jesus but to ‘be Jesus,’ and do what Jesus would have done in that place
He dreamed of staying close to the people, maybe among the workers in a factory. He wished to share his life with the poor.
One day he travelled to the Yaumati typhoon shelter to visit his confrere Father Franco Mella, and he immediately thought: “this is the right place”. Bishop Wu permitted three months of experience, and at the end of this period, he decided to stay. People listening to Father Cumbo speak about those ten years living on the boats will feel that it is an experience that has affected his life in every way.
“We wanted to live with people, without a project, and face the challenges of everyday life together. Our ideal was not to speak about Jesus but to ‘be Jesus,’ and do what Jesus would have done in that place. About 5000 people were living on the boats. The environment was unfit for families with children and the elderly; they needed to go from ‘the Egypt’ to ‘the promised land.’ Meeting these people, who became our friends, we discussed with them issues like housing, schooling, and assisting those in need. We wanted to help them improve their living conditions, make them realise that children should go to school and have the right to live in a house”.
After ten years of exodus from the boat to the public house, the boat families were resettled on land, and the old boats were dismantled.
After a break of five years of service in Italy, Father Cumbo returned to Hong Kong and was appointed to St. Stephen’s Parish in Kwai Chung. He has also served at St. Matthew’s parish, Tuen Mun, and now at St. John the Apostle parish, Shek Yam.
Father Cumbo continues to share his experiences in the parishes during our meeting. However, his voice also reveals a kind of suffering that is probably in the hearts of many other priests. Priests sometimes feel embarrassed because they must spend a lot of time and energy on matters that don’t seem to be related to the lives of people. While living with people on the boats, there was not this kind of suffering!
At the end of our meeting, Father Cumbo repeated the slogans that attracted him when he was a child in the seminary. These slogans have always influenced him and are still relevant to our society in Hong Kong today: “Life is beautiful only if it becomes a gift”. “Selfishness is the only problem that keeps us away from happiness”.
We wish Father Cumbo continued joy on his life’s journey!
By Father Franco Bellati, PIME
