In January, young Africans from several countries began the first stage of their journey at the SMB Missionary Training House in Harare (Zimbabwe) as members of the Missionaries of Bethlehem. Welcomed by the formation team, they committed themselves to community life: prayers, biblical and missionary studies, manual work, and shared meals. Among them was to join a candidate from Asia: Arulpragash, originally from Sri Lanka. Delayed by circumstances beyond his control, he ultimately rejoined his brothers in Harare, where he successfully completed this first stage of formation. Here is his testimony, which we are happy to share with you, friends of Étoile de Bethléem.
I am Arulpragash from Sri Lanka, and I have the honor of being the first Asian candidate accepted by the SMB. From my childhood, I felt a call to serve God by serving the poorest. Discovering the SMB’s daily reflections on Facebook – Étoile de Bethléem – I embraced their charism: humility, missionary zeal, and love for the forgotten.
Moved by their commitment to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, I dared to write to Fr. Ludovic Nobel, Superior General, to express my desire to join them. To my great joy, I received his reply on October 28, 2023 – a date made all the more symbolic as it coincides with my parents’ wedding anniversary.
After consulting the local ecclesiastical authorities and completing the necessary verifications, the SMB General Council officially accepted me as a candidate.
Fr. Ludovic then invited me to begin learning French in view of an ecclesiastical diploma at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), the Society’s birthplace.
I completed my courses in May 2024 and applied for a visa to Switzerland, unfortunately denied. Despite this trial, I found new momentum when Fr. Ludovic invited me to Zimbabwe, one of the SMB’s mission territories in southern Africa, to begin my initial formation there.
On February 10, 2025, I thus began my year of Community Experience in Harare alongside my African brothers.
Living in the SMB training house was a tremendous blessing. As the only Asian, I discovered true fraternity there: prayer, study, manual labor, and shared meals revealed the profound meaning of community life. Despite our diverse cultures, the love of Christ and our common mission united us; their joy and faith deeply inspired me.
After nearly two years of waiting, I finally met Fr. Ludovic in person on April 15, 2025, during his canonical visit. This encounter was a profound confirmation of my vocation. His humility, spiritual depth, and missionary passion gave me a clear vision of the life to which I am called. I saw him not only as Superior General but as a spiritual father embodying the spirit of Bethlehem — simplicity, presence, and love for all.
This meeting marked a decisive turning point. Today, I am more convinced than ever that God is calling me to follow Christ in the charism of the Missionaries of Bethlehem.
My heart burns with the desire to bring the light of Christ to those living in darkness and to walk alongside the suffering and the forgotten — just as the first Missionaries of Bethlehem did.
