by Antonella PrennaCerfroid – From his first encounter with Spanish missionaries to leading the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, Bishop Aldo Berardi reflects on a journey shaped by memory, faith and mission. As the Order of the Most Holy Trinity marks the centenary of its presence in on the island, Bishop Aldo Berardi back on the path that, forty years ago, led him to embrace the Trinitarian religious family.Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, a jurisdiction that includes Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is preparing to travel to Madagascar to take part in celebrations marking the centenary of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity's presence on the island, an anniversary that brings him back to the roots of his religious vocation.The bishop is currently in Cerfroid, France, the historic cradle of the Trinitarian Order and home to its motherhouse. He stopped there after celebrating the 35th anniversary of his priestly ordination on July 26 at Saint Martin Church in Ars-sur-Moselle .In an interview with Fides, Bishop Berardi retraced the stages of his vocational journey, which began with his encounter with the Trinitarian charism and the witness of the Order's first missionaries."The centenary of the Trinitarians' presence in Madagascar has a very special meaning for me. I am returning after forty years. Until now I had never managed to go back because something always stood in the way. During the Covid pandemic I was responsible for formation and had planned to visit our houses of formation, but we were stranded in Rome. Just when it finally seemed possible to travel, I was appointed bishop. This journey is a return to the roots of my vocation. As a diocesan seminarian, still searching for my path, it was in Madagascar that I found my religious family. I return as a pilgrim: we will celebrate together with the community before I travel to the Tsiroanomandidy area, where I lived for two years. It was a Malagasy bishop who ordained me to the priesthood."What first attracted him, he recalls, was the simplicity and spirituality of the Order, combining monastic life with apostolic commitment. "I was also deeply impressed by the dedication, courage and sacrifices of the first missionaries, who left knowing they would most likely never return to their homeland."The bishop's life has been a continuous journey across continents and cultures. "My vocation was born in France, in the Metz region, where I grew up, attended school and began my vocational journey in the minor and major seminaries. Then came Madagascar, where I discovered my religious family; then Rome for my studies, and finally Montreal, where I spent three years at the major seminary."Berardi entered the seminary in France at the age of sixteen. After studying at the minor seminary and later at the major seminary in Villiers-lès-Nancy for the Diocese of Metz, he chose to spend two years to civil service as an alternative to military service. It was during that period that he was sent to Madagascar, where he met Spanish Trinitarians engaged in the missions of the Diocese of Tsiroanomandidy. That experience led him to make the definitive decision to join the Order of the Most Holy Trinity.Today, the Trinitarians play a leading role in the life of the Church in four dioceses of Madagascar—Miarinarivo, Tsiroanomandidy, Ambatondrazaka and Maintirano—where their missionary commitment continues to contribute to the growth of ecclesial communities.
