English 
Finally. The bishop of Oran had been expected for two years, since Mgr. Jean Paul Vesco had become archbishop of Algiers, leaving the see vacant. In October, the nomination of Father Davide Carraro, PIME, as bishop of Oran was announced (link pime.org). And now the celebration of the episcopal consecration, three days of celebration, 25, 26 and 27 January: prayer vigil on Thursday evening, solemn ordination mass on Friday and Saturday the first mass of the new bishop, at the sanctuary of Santa Cruz, above Oran.
We Missionaries of the Immaculate have a community in this diocese, in Mascara. However, we certainly did not want to be just the four of us welcoming a PIME father who becomes our bishop! The three sisters of the community of Hassi Messaoud, who had Fr. Davide as their parish priest for some years, when he was happily and discreetly a missionary in the Sahara desert, arrived in the small bus arranged for the occasion by Fr. Marco Pagani and brother Ottorino, PIME. The six sisters of the community of Algiers, in the diocese where he was vicar general for the last two years, took their places in one of the two large buses that transported Christians and Muslims from the capital. And from Tunisia the three sisters of the Tunis community came with Fr. Anand, PIME, who suddenly found himself the only confrère to arrive from abroad, given the non-granting of visas for the others who had requested it, including the vicar general of PIME Fabio Motta. Patience!
However, the bishop of Treviso, the diocese of origin of Fr. Davide, arrived along with his parish priest, Davide’s sister and brother. With hundreds and even more people, from near and far, Saint Eugene Cathedral was completely filled.
At this point, we do not want to rewrite what others have written very well:
Anna Pozzi on Mondo Missione, where you can find the article on the episcopal consecration and the interview with Davide after his appointment:
https://www.mondoemissione.it/africa/davide-carraro-del-pime-oggi-vescovo-di-orano/
Sr. Rosalie Sanon, from the diocese of Costantina, on the website of the catholic Church of Algeria:
Anna Possi on Avvenire:
https://www.avvenire.it/chiesa/pagine/davide-carraro-vescovo-in-algeria-la-vera-mission
A thought from Silvano Zoccarato, in the past his companion in Algeria:
http://zoccarato.pimemilano.com/2024/01/25/padre-davide-carraro-la-forza-sta-nelle-radici/
So now, we know everything.
That the motto he has chosen is God is love, that his appointment significantly came on the Sunday of World Mission Day, that he turned 47 on the same day of his consecration, that he is the first Italian bishop of the Church of Algeria, that he considers this call is a further service, “something that binds me in an even deeper way to this country and to this Church”, which is “a small, simple, essential Church, not tied to structures or works, but made more of presence and of meetings”. This is what a msgr. Vesco, the main consecrating bishop, said in his homily, “You have been a figure of kindness in the heart of our diocese of Algiers… This figure of goodness that belongs to you contributes not a little to the particular joy and flavor of this episcopal ordination of yours”.
However, we still managed to find three new things to say.
First, he told that Abdou, an Algerian theology student in Marseille and his friend and companion Azzedine, a Christian and Algerian, who died of cancer a few weeks ago, gave the episcopal cross to him.
The second, which at the party at the Santa Cruz sanctuary, the PIME family, actually including many friends, sang for him, Give thanks to the Lord, composed by Fr. Constant, PIME who replaces him as vicar general of Algiers (and those who could, also danced). A moment of true fraternal joy.
The third, a bee on his emblem, a small insect that suits him very well, active and interactive, worker, communitarian and gave the communities a jar of honey, symbol of the sweetness of serving, of the Word, of friendship.
Have courage, Davide!
MSI of Mascara
