Since 2019, his life and apostolic work have been deeply linked to Madagascar, after the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission entrusted him with a vital task: seeking funds for the construction of new seminaries in Africa and Madagascar. His recent documentary, “A Journey of Faith and Hope in Madagascar”, is not just the story of a personal journey, but a warning about the urgent need to build facilities where future missionaries and leaders of local communities can be formed.
he Space Crisis in Seminaries The desire to consecrate one’s life to God flourishes strongly in Madagascar, but the lack of infrastructure hinders this momentum. Currently, the main seminary was originally built to house about 40 seminarians, but today around 80 young men live and study there. The situation is so critical that Father Jašo relates with sorrow: “Every year we could have 500 or 600 more seminarians, but we have nowhere to put them because there is no space.” The Congregation needs to build new, dignified, and structured seminaries, with the necessary rules and steps, to ensure good pastoral formation for the future.
A Journey to the Roots: Fort-Dauphin and the First Missionaries To understand the magnitude of the mission, the film documents the arduous journey to Fort-Dauphin, the historic place where St. Vincent de Paul sent the first missionaries in 1648. It is an exhausting journey of approximately 670 kilometers that requires almost three days of travel, crossing destroyed dirt roads and stretches of up to 300 kilometers without any kind of infrastructure.
Traveling these roads, Father Jašo remembers the immense sacrifice of those first 17th-century missionaries. Those men of faith ventured into the unknown after a terrible 18-month boat journey, in which many lost their lives before reaching the island. Despite everything, the seed planted in 1648 managed to survive the passage of time.
The Vital Need for Missionaries in the Peripheries Today, the reality in the region remains a huge challenge. Thousands of people live in conditions of extreme poverty, immersed in a daily struggle for survival that is evident in homes and families. In these isolated communities, marked by a lack of infrastructure and a shortage of drinking water, people often see the foreign missionary (whom they call “vaza”) arrive with the profound hope that he will bring help, closeness, and kindness.
In this context of abandonment, the presence of new Vincentian priests is fundamental. As Father Jašo points out, even in places where there is great material misery, there is always a deep thirst for God. But furthermore, missionaries not only bring faith, they also bring a new approach to things, a certain stability, education, and hope for local communities.
Do you want to collaborate? You can make your donation by bank transfer to our foundation:
Fondazione Missione Vincenziana
ETS Via dei Capasso, 30 00164 ROME
CF: 96633110588
Det. Reg. Lazio N. G10807 (Del 25.08.25 rep. n. 157152)
IBAN: IT76X0542416000000001004346
Reason for payment: Madagascar
To learn more about this reality, we invite you to listen to the full testimony of Father Jaroslav Jašo, CM, in the documentary “A Journey of Faith and Hope in Madagascar”.
