Month: April 2015

Good bye to Victor Sambari Sanou, Kasama, Zambia

Good bye to Victor 09It is for me a great opportunity to celebrate the great event of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ with my parishioners at Saint Anne`s Parish in Kasama. This very day I say good-bye to all the people I met in Kasama. At the end of my stage I am happy with my experience. I was a witness here at Saint Anne Parish. I have learnt many things from my community members and from my parishioners. I am happy to go and meet my parents, my friends in Burkina Faso, but at the same time I will miss the people I was living with in Zambia. I am touched by the affection of my people in Zambia and especially in Kasama. I will cherish their words: “Brother Victor all the best and come back please as a missionary”. Lesa mupale bonse! Victor Sambari Sanou

The death of Amorain’s father

Amorain WayikpoOn behalf of Amorain Wayikpo, our second year candidate here in Merrivale, we inform the death of his father Jean Wayikpo who died this evening in Togo. Mr. Wayikpo’s death has just been announced by a confrere who called from Burkina Faso. The father got stroke few days ago and he has been in hospital until this evening when he passed away. Amorain is already in contact with his family and we wait for further arrangements in view of burial before buying a plane ticket. Amorain says it might take few days before the actual day of burial is announced.
Let us keep Amorain and his family in our prayers.
Fraternally, Quinbert Kinunda, M.Afr

Garisa attack in Kenya that left 148 dead

Maurice Aduol Odhiambo 05I greet you in the name of the Risen Christ; Happy Easter to all. Yesterday I received a message from home that a cousin of mine by the name Suzanne (from the same maternal grandfather), was among those who perished during the Garisa attack. She was in her final year of studies. Let us remember the entire family at this difficult moment and pray for her soul and all the souls of those who died during this attack that may their souls through the mercy of God may rest in peace. AMEN! 

Maurice Aduol Odhiambo, 1st Year Theology, Merrivale, South Africa 

garissa-attack Kenya 2015

Kenyan families mourn their best and brightest after Garissa attack

Bonne fêtes de Paques de Jérusalem

Bruno PerleinJe vous souhaite de bonne Fêtes de Pâques depuis Jérusalem.

Bruno Perlein, M.Afr

Le tombeau est vide

Pâque du RessuscitéAlleluia!
Le tombeau est vide; la mort n’a pu garder prisonnier l’auteur de la vie.
Que la Paix du Christ Ressuscité t’accompagne et te guide.
Amen! Alleluia!
Sébastien Kalengwe, M.Afr

“We are persecuted but not abandoned” – Persecution of Christians in Niger.

Zinder MapBy: Lefterius Kalonga Mwamba

It happened so fast on Friday 16th January! It surprised everyone who believed in the peace building that the Catholic Church in Zinder has been promoting over the past 75 years. The rapidity of the attack clearly unveiled that it was not spontaneous but strategically planned.

Already, the atmosphere dramatically changed few days before the attack. Extremists managed to propagate their planned attack. This was done in Hausa, the local language. It is evident that the preaching in mosques was not but the spreading of a terrible fanatical hatred.

The threats of the attack came to the ears of our Christians through young children and some friendly neighbors. Some parishioner rushed to see Fr Leo Laurence, the Parish Priest, to explain how they were receiving death threats. We got hold of a text written in Hausa on small pieces of paper confirming the Friday 16th attack. Translated into English, it was written; “we want to show the dark side of our stomachs”. This proverb expresses the desire to slaughter.

Two days before the attack, remembering the assault at our church building in 2012, Fr. Laurence wrote a letter to the Office of the Governor asking for protection. He went himself to see the Governor who assured him that security measures will be put in place. The day before the attack, many Christians could no longer stand the threats. They came to the Parish house searching for security. They were about thirty people including a two years old boy, an old woman and a seven months pregnant lady. Fr Leo Laurence (India), Fr Ghislain Mbilizi (DRC) and Venant Bukuru (Burundian in second year of stage) welcomed them. At that time, I was in a village called ‘Dan Bako’ practicing my Hausa. The Christians ate and prayed with the M.Afr community.

The first offensive act of violence started at 08:00 hours. Fueled tyres were burning at the main gate and at the doors of the church. Then, young men started stoning the Christians. Commotion in town begun and various extremist groups where openly coming out with flags chanting ‘Allahou Akbar’(1). Fr Leo took videos and pictures to show how fast the events were spreading. But, the Governor only sent unarmed Police Officers at 16:00 hours who ran for their own lives upon noticing how dangerous the situation was.

As the mid-day prayer was being said in our small chapel, Muslims where then holding their Friday communal prayer which usually does not go beyond 15 minutes. At the same time, Fr Leo and Venant where moving around watching. In one go, the mass was already at the mission school which was put ablaze. Surrounded by many mosques, the insurgents were coming from all directions. Their aim was to kill Christians. In an attempt to save lives, Venant brought everyone, including five Sisters of the Assumption, in a small hidden room behind the garage. It was total chaos.

The inferno that saw our four cars torched prevented the attackers from entering the hidden room due to heavy smoke and explosions. Some collapsed because of the heat and smolder. They woke up hours later at the emergency department of the hospital. Leo, Ghislain and Venant sustained deep cuts by jumping the fence covered by broken bottles. Seeing their blood pouring, an old Muslim man saved them in his house. Following the blood stains on the ground, the attackers reached easily the house. Even though threaten, the old man denied sheltering our wounded confreres. Only a curtain was separating them from their enemies.

The army finally came to restore some peace three hours later. In the meantime, seven people were dead, lying on the ground. More were shot later on by live bullets. Another one was burnt to ashes at the mission school. Some Muslims rejoiced about it thinking that at least they have succeeded to kill one Christian, only to discover that even that one was a Muslim. It was a miracle that no Christian was actually killed.

The military camp became a refuge for at least 400 displaced people, both Catholics and Protestants. After four days, came the decision to move everyone to another mission school at a distance from the city Centre. On that day, having a swollen knee, I was chased by four men. Praise be to God, the army quickly intervene.

We remained with what we were wearing. Our house and church, the Sisters’ convent, the Mission School and other Protestant churches together with shops belonging to Christians where completely burnt down. Most of Christians’ houses where attacked. Today, we are scattered in surrounding countries; Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Ghana and Burkina Faso. Only a few have remained in Niger.  

We are grateful for the spiritual and moral support we found during this painful experience. Fr Leo Laurence and Fr Ghislain Mbilizi are on holiday respectively in India and DRCongo. Venant Bukuru went back to Burundi while waiting to go to Abidjan for Theology. As for myself, I just received a new appointment for Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso for my second year of stage.

I pray that the Risen Lord Jesus Christ may give us all a persevering heart in his mission to witness him as the only light and hope in our broken world. I pray for the Christians persecuted throughout the world and indeed those of Niger. May Christ comfort them. 

Happy Easter to you all!

(1) Allahou akbar : The Takbīr (تَكْبِير), also written Tekbir or Takbeer, is the term for the Arabic phrase Allāhu Akbar (الله أكبر), usually translated as “God is [the] greatest,” or “God is great”. It is a common Islamic Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims; in formal prayer, in the call for prayer (adhān), as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress, to express celebration or victory, or to express resolute determination or defiance.

Allahou akbar ou Allahu akbar (الله أَكْبَر), parfois improprement écrit « Allah akbar », est une expression arabe qui signifie « Dieu est [le] plus grand ».

RwandAir

Rwandair PlaneOur Origin

We began operations on 1st December 2002 as the new national carrier under the name Rwandair Express (passenger Air transportation as the core activity) for Rwanda with a concession to carry out airport ground handling (ancillary activity) at Kigali International airport, Kanombe. In March 2009, we registered a new trademark “RwandAir” which is our current operating name.

Operating from Kigali as our hub, the airline boasts of a young fleet of two Boeing 737-800NG, two Boeing 737-700NG, two CRJ900NG and a Dash8-200 and has chosen to provide a memorable travel experience to every single passenger on our routes. Later this year we will take delivery of a brand new Bombardier Q-400NextGen.

RwandAir_logoWe serve most East African Community capital cities as well Johannesburg and Dubai with daily flights. Recently, we introduced Flights to Lagos in Nigeria, Accra in Ghana, Juba in South Sudan and intend to expand to Doula in Cameroon. Our Current destinations include Lusaka, Nairobi, Entebbe, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg, Brazzaville, Dubai, Lagos, Accra and Juba. We have code share agreements with SN Brussels on the Kigali-Brussels Sector and Ethopian Airlines on the Kigali-Addis Ababa Sector.

“Our values commit us to continuously pursue excellence in everything we do. We know that our staff remain our most valuable asset and we remain focused on creation of a culture of transparency, integrity and teamwork.”

RwandAir CEO John Mirenge

Flight Schedules

FlightWB 101. Frequency: 3 x Weekly on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

Departure to Lusaka at 10:00. Destination to Kigali at 22:20.

Flight: WB 100. Frequency: 3 x Weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Departure to Kigali at 18:45. Destination to Lusaka at 21:05.

Also Johannesburg to Kigali via Lusaka three times a week.

Malawian Airlines

The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Christophe Amade, M.Afr, as bishop of Kalemie-Kirungu, DRCongo

News.va LogoVatican City, 31 March 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed: – Fr. Christophe Amade, M. Afr., as bishop of Kalemie-Kirungu (area 71,577, population 5,950,013, Catholics 3,663,230, priests 100, religious 125), Democratic Republic of the Congo. The bishop-elect was born in Mune, Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1990. He studied theology at the London Missionary Institute, England, and holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. He has exercised his pastoral ministry in Funsi in the diocese of Wa, Ghana, and has served as lecturer and subsequently rector of the Consortium of Philosophy in Jinja, Uganda, and lecturer in philosophy at the Consortium of Philosophy in Kumasi, Ghana and at the St. Augustin University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is currently provincial superior of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (“White Fathers”) for Central Africa.

Christophore_Amade_2015BRDC : le Pape François nomme un Evêque à Kalemie-Kirungu et deux auxiliaires à Kinshasa

Rome, 31 mars 2015 (caritasdev.cd): Le Pape François a nommé le 28 mars 2015 le Révérend Père Jean-Christophe AMADE ALOMA, de la Congrégation des Missionnaires d’Afrique, Evêque de Kalemie-Kirungu ; l’Abbé Jean-Pierre Kwambamba Masi, prêtre du diocèse de Kenge, Evêque auxiliaire de Kinshasa et le Révérend Père Donatien BAFUINDISONI MALOKO-MANA, de la Société de Jésus, Evêque Auxiliaire de Kinshasa. Ces nominations ont été rendues publiques le 31 mars 2015. Le nouvel Evêque de Kalemie-Kirungu dans la Province du Katanga est né le 18 janvier 1961 à Mume, dans l’Ituri, dans le diocèse de Mahagi. Après ses études primaires et secondaires, l’Evêque nommé a étudié la Philosophie au Grand Séminaire « Notre Dame de la Ruzizi des Missionnaires d’Afrique centrale à Bukavu de 1973-1979. Il a fait son noviciat à Fribourg en Suisse de 1984 à 1985. Il a étudié la théologie à London Missionary Institute de 1987 à 1990.  Le 25 juillet 1990, il est ordonné prêtre. Après son doctorat en Philosophie à l’Université grégorienne, le Père Amade a été en 2010 appelé comme formateur dans la maison de formation des Missionnaires d’Afrique du Ghana et comme professeur au Collège Universitaire des Spiritains. Depuis juillet 2014, le Père Amade est devenu le Provincial des Missionnaires d’Afrique avec résidence à Bukavu jusqu’à cette nomination comme Evêque de Kalemie-Kirungu.

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