When the young Muslim men came to ask Rev. Victor Mosele to help them start an Islamic Youth Center across the street from his Roman Catholic church in Sierra Leone he wondered what their imam would say about that. "But father," they replied, the imam was the one who told us you could help us."
Later, when they returned to ask him to speak at the dedication of the new youth center, they told him that was the imam’s idea as well. Momentarily perplexed he decided to speak on "Abraham, our father in the faith." He said the talk was well received.
"If a Muslim is not a fundamentalist they are very easy to get along with," Mosele told a workshop at the What Next Prayer and Missions conference, that was held this past week at St. Paul’s Catholic Center, 723 State Street, and HighPoint church, 7702 Old Sauk Road. The conference was held to mark the bicentennial anniversary of the Haystack Prayer meeting, a key event in the history of Christian missions in North America. It was coordinated by an ad hoc inter-religious committee.
Mosele was born in Italy and served as a missionary in Sierra Leone for 30 years. "There are more things in common between Christians and Muslims then there are in disparity," he said. Christians and Muslims worked together in Sierra Leone to oppose drug use and pre-marital sex. When he was held captive by a rebel army, Muslims were among those who worked to try to free him.
Mosele is one of two priests currently assigned to St. Paul’s Catholic Center on the University of Wisconsin campus. He leads worship services and counsels students but his heart is still in Sierra Leone.
"I’m always ready to go back," he said, but he acknowledge his return might pose political problems. Twice he was captured by rebels. He was freed the first time, and fled to freedom the second. He expects to have a book out soon that tells his story. The title is, "Running For My Life."
As a missionary Mosele was in charge of building and operating schools to educate children. One of the most disconcerting aspects of his captivity, he said, was that he recognized some of his captors as children who had been educated in his schools. One day one of his captors told him how much he was loved and respected. He was surprised by that. But after all, he was told, you still have both of your hands. The rebels were known for hacking off limbs of their captives.
Mosele always found it curious that some people he dealt with on a regular basis did not respond to the Gospel message, but other people would walk for miles to attend worship services.
The ranks of Catholic missionaries are thinning, he said. Currently there are about 75,000 Catholic missionaries who have dedicated their lives to serving in a foreign land. "That’s half of what it used to be."
But he also said that all Christians are missionaries. "By the very fact that you are baptized, you are a missionary," he said, noting the words of Jesus to his disciples before ascending into heaven, "you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth."
"God wants all people to be saved," he said, "but he works through us. If we don’t cooperate with Him we have the power to render God incapacitated. The greatest obstacle to spreading the Gospel on earth are the Christians themselves."