【慈幼通訊社
─
2016 年
07月
19
日巴西大原野訊】
─
四十年前，波洛洛人（巴西南部的原住民）的土地見證了一位它最喜愛的兒子流血捨身。一位年輕人這樣回憶說：「魯道夫神父救了我們的人民及土地。他愛護小孩，以及當我們的土地、文化、生命、夢想面臨重大的危機時，他為我們抗爭。」他為人民奮勇捨身，在
Meruri 傳教站當院長時，為地主所殺。「當西滿看到武器攻擊時，立時走到魯道夫神父那裡，站在中間，為摯友神父捨身。」7月15日，在 Meruri 舉行他們殉道四十周年。
魯道夫神父「是一名很全面的神父、一位兄長、簡樸的院長、樂於與人共處的神父。」巴西大原野會省省會長 Gildasio Mendes 神父這樣形容魯道夫神父。「他親近受苦者、會說預言、為愛而流淚。他所了解的，無非就是要去愛，並為愛捨身。這位殉道者所以犧牲性命，是因為他知道這樣的見證是傳揚福音最明確的方法。這就是魯道夫神父的一生。」
魯道夫神父晉鐸的座右銘是那麼的貼切。「我來是為服侍他人並交出自己的性命。」這句話正表達了，「他深信一個跟基督，以及跟他捨身服務的人民訂立的愛的盟約。」魯道夫神父富人情味，認識他的人，都見證著他對生命的熱忱、與人共融的精神、兄弟般的親切以及不懈工作的熱誠。
他在一封給家人的信中寫道：「母親：今天的傳教士也要願意犧牲自己的性命。」他在一次探訪家人時說：「母親，沒有比為主犧牲更美麗。」
"Mother, there's nothing more beautiful than to die for God":
the martyrdom
of Fr Rodolfo Lunkenbein and Simão Bororo
(ANS - Brazil –Campo Grande, 19 July 2016) – Forty years ago, the land of the Bororo saw one of its favourite sons shed his blood. As a young man recalls: "Fr Rudolf saved our people and our land. He loved children and fought for us when we were running a great risk of losing our land, our culture, our lives and our dreams." He died defending his people, killed by landowners in the Meruri mission, of which he was Rector. "When Simão Bororo saw the weapons he went directly to Fr Rudolf and stood in the middle, dying to defend his friend, the priest." On 15 July the 40th anniversary of their martyrdom was celebrated in Meruri.
Fr Lunkenbein "was an all-round priest, an older brother, a simple director, a priest close to his people." So said Fr Gildasio Mendes, Provincial of Brazil-Campo Grande. "He was able to break down the Gospel and put it together again and then proclaim the message. He was close to those who were suffering, he would prophesy, and cry out for love. The only thing he understood was the reason to love and to give his life. The martyr lays down his life because he knows that this witness is the clearest way to preach the Gospel. This was Fr Rudolf’s life."
Fr Lunkenbein’s priestly motto was no mere coincidence. "I have come to serve and to give my life," a phrase that expresses "the profound conviction of his covenant of love with Christ and with the native people for whom he gave his life". Fr Rudolf was a man full of humanity and those who knew him testified to his enthusiasm for life, his spirit of solidarity, his fraternal closeness and his tireless devotion to work.
In one of his letters to his family, he wrote: "Mother: the missionary today must also be willing to sacrifice his life." And on one of his visits to his family he said: "Mother, there's nothing more beautiful than to die for God."