Month: October 2013 Page 1 of 4
SAP Financial Council gathered in Woodlands on the 29th October to review the 2013 financial year and come up with a consolidated budget for 2014. Tremendous work professionally done with Didier Lemaire from South Africa, Jean de Dieu Bukuru from Mozambique, Paul Namono from Malawi, Jaya Brodhan from Zambia under the leadership of Karl Kälin, Provincial Treasurer.
Let us support their dedication in guiding our Province on the side of finances in order to answer the call from the Lord to be good stewards as it was pointed out in the opening prayer for the meeting; “Men of hope inspired by Christ, we pray and work in community for a better world” (from the SAP Pre-Capitular Assembly of 2010).
Builder of Bridges between People – Passion for dialogue
Our confrere Etienne Renaud passed away in June this year. From the many testimonies offered at his funeral, two phrases seem to summarize his missionary vision and life: Builder of bridges between people – Passion for dialogue. This is the legacy that Etienne passes on to us as we continue on our missionary journey in our stormy world.
I invite you to meditate on Etienne’s words which he pronounced in his homily, 25 years ago, when for the first time as Superior General, he received five young men – from different races and nationalities – into the Society on the day they made their Oath (Toulouse, 2nd January 1988):
“You are going to find a continent in search for unity, countries confronted with racial and tribal conflicts. The communities of the Missionaries of Africa, not only international but also inter-racial will be a sign and a call. The group you form today is a symbol of what will be our communities of tomorrow.
You are going to find a continent in search of justice, countries confronting the problems of corruption, violation of human rights, inequalities in the sharing of meagre resources. You will have to open your hearts to be in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed. The struggle for justice is not optional. The Church everywhere must be a sign of hope.
In the countries where you will be sent, you will find people marching on the way to God, using other paths different from the one that Jesus opened for us. I think, in a special way, of Islam and all types of religious movements springing up in Africa. Remember that the unique solution for a Christian is to go up to the end of the Gospel demands, to be contagious of Jesus Christ, in the respect of other religious paths.”
May his soul rest in peace.
Nnyombi Richard, M Afr.
See Video funerals of Etienne Renaud
And an article written by Fr. André Ferré
Aujourd’hui, les Missionnaires d’Afrique de l’Ouest vous proposent de visiter de nouvelles pages sur leur site www.mafrwestafrica.net:
Dans la rubrique « Actualités » :
« Ordination sacerdotale de David Gnadouwa » : notre jeune confrère a été ordonné le 28 septembre à Atakpamé et est parti en mission en Tunisie.(lire la suite)
« Merci du Père Richard Baawobr à la PAO », la lettre de remerciement de notre Supérieur général et de son conseil, suite à la tenue du conseil plénier à Ouagadougou. (lire la suite)
« Baobab Echos N° 17, octobre 2013» – le dernier bulletin de notre province d’Afrique de l’Ouest (lire la suite)
« Les statistiques de l’Eglise catholique », En vue de la Journée Mondiale des Missions, Dimanche 20 octobre, l’Agence Fides a présenté des statistiques choisies de manière à offrir un panorama de l’Église missionnaire dans le monde. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages »
« Homélie de Mgr Touabli au CFMA » Vincent Kiye, étudiant au Cenfre de Formation Missionnaire d’Abidjan, partage ses réflexions suite à l’homélie prononcée par l’évêque d’Agboville, Mgr Alexis Touabli.(lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Justice et paix » :
« Le centre Delwende à Ouagadougou». Ce centre, créé par les sœurs Missionnaires de ND d’Afrique en 1966, accueille des femmes qui ont été chassées de leur village et de leur famille sous prétexte de sorcellerie (lire la suite)
« L’or tue les enfants », un article du Père Maurice Oudet sur les méfaits du développement des sites aurifères au Burkina et au Mali (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud – vu du sud » :
« Le rôle essentiel des petits producteurs », un article paru sur le site abcburkina.net, où le Père Maurice Oudet se réjouit que la place primordiale des petits producteurs commence à être enfin reconnue.(lire la suite)
Sharing Trentaprile is published 4 times a year by the Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa.
Simply click on the picture to read the content.
In this issue; the future belongs to the youth, our contribution to prepare them.
MIMSAF 2014 Calendar is now on sale.
Please, contact the webmaster of SAP Blog or Mr. Joseph Kamanga on 0977821289 in Zambia.
Yesterday we just celebrated Zambia’s 49 Independence Day. Though very far, I was able to celebrate the Day along the Dead Sea with Session participants. I had a vanilla ice cream before going to take a bath in the salty Dead Sea. It seems it is the lowest point on earth, 400 meters below the sea level, and you can feel it. Along the sea, they also discovered scrolls and it is believed that John the Baptist lived there. What a marvel and wonder! Many people come to the sea for healing and bathing, but also for conversion. Before coming to the Dead Sea, we visited the Negev Wilderness and Beersheba, the Homeland. There you see how mighty our God and his providence is. Attached are some photos for 24th Independence day. It ended with a lovely cake in the evening with the St Anne’s community.
Have a joyful weekend,
Phelim Malumo, M.Afr
Last week was a particularly bad week for the Diepsloot community, a sprawling township of tin shacks and hunger on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Two toddlers aged three and two had been found murdered and raped and the community was rightly enraged. This was the Missionary of Africa parish where Fr. Louis Blondel was brutally murdered some four years ago, by a group of teenage tugs. At that time Louis had a vision of building a Community Centre with the particular intention of taking care of the very youth who murdered him.
The violent scenes in Diepsloot were offset by celebrations in another part of the township where a life was celebrated and love and hope enkindled. This Centre is a gift from the Blondel family to the youth of Diepsloot and will make them realise they are not alone in their poverty, there are those who care and those that want them to have a better chance in life. The Archbishop of Pretoria William Slattery asked the community to accept the gift there were been given in memory of Louis, and said they should care for it as it was their centre. He assured the community that Louis’s spirit would always be there with them, watching over them and encouraging their efforts towards a better life.
His sister Francoise and her husband Alphonse had travelled from France to be there for the opening. His sister described the opening as emotional but also a happy one because it kept his legacy alive. She said the realis
ation of this dream could be the first step towards reconciliation. She went onto say “we are not angry and there is no vengeance in our hearts, and this could lead to full forgiveness”.
With Louis’s sudden death and the remaining confreres Guy Bourgeois suffering a stroke six months later, the Missionaries of Africa were forced to hand over the parish to the Archdiocese. The Centre now remains a fitting legacy to a wonderful man and our short presence in Diepsloot.
Seán O’Leary M.Afr
See also one article written by Michel Meunier, M.Afr for MISSION MONTH (one for the Archdiocesan newspaper (ADnews) and two for the weekly national newspaper (The Southern Cross).
From a Mission Church to a Missionary Church
From yoyo to hula hoop
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2013
See also the following link:
Father Louis Blondel Centre
In this part Carl shares with us about his own way to deconstruct and to process systemic violence. He introduces the term “new historicities” as a tool to question oppressive dominant discourses in history. He gives us insights from attachment theory in order to understand the dynamics between child soldiers and their commanders. He creates awareness on the demands of being exposed to traumatize people and living in traumatized societies. Finally, he shares about the role of imagination and the new understandings of power. READ MORESee also the first part of the interview: Interview with Carl Stauffer
Standing (from left to right): Jean-Baptiste HABONIMANA, with spectacles (Burundi), Lema Eshetu DADI (Ethiopia), Levison Wallard Joseph GOODWELL (Malawi), Audace NIYONSABA, with a blue tie (Burundi), Bimal LAKRA (India), Mubalama Marcellin IRENGE, with a smile (DR Congo), Cirimwami Romain CUBAKA, with a blue collar pollo (DR Congo), Jacan Vincent de Paul WANOK (DR Congo), Justin Barera SEBAKUNZI (staff member ), Francis BOMANSAAN (novices master), Anthony Ifeanyichukwu EZENWEKE (Nigeria), Leonard HATEGEKIMANA (Staff member), Oswald MALYA (Delegate superior), Alvin ESCABUSA (Philippines), Jean-Louis GODINOT, “Mpundu” with a blue cap (staff member), John William NKHOMA (Malawi), Timoteo Jose CHOE, (Mozambique), Jean Paul MUNYANEZA (Rwanda), Geoffrey Mugeni MUCANI (Kenya).
Squatting position (from left to right): John Modrings, GONDWE (Malawi), Endale Nigusse, ABIDISA (Ethiopia), Armand BAMOUNI (Burkina Faso), Kokou Alain SOSSOU (Republic of Côte d’Ivoire-RCI), Niteesh EKKA (India), Lini AGABA (Uganda), Munga François NYEMBO
