Greetings from Bangalore Message sent on Saturday, April 13, 2013
Hello,
I am very glad to inform you that I had a nice and safe trip to Bangalore. The confreres Sabu and Binu and the students are really treating me well. I feel very much at home here. There is a huge amount of people here, never seen in my lifetime. But they are friendly and welcoming. I feel very much in security…
I said mass in French on last Sunday for the African community residing here in Bangalore. They are mostly students from Ivory Coast, Cameroun, Togo, and Kenya.
I was able to meet the doctor last Monday. I completed the medical checkup yesterday. I will be admitted at the hospital next Monday in the afternoon to be operated on Tuesday.
The doctor is confident that the surgery will go on well and that I will be able to leave the hospital the following day, Wednesday. I will be going back every day for a certain while for the rehabilitation.
I rely on your powerful prayers to pull through the ordeal.
Greetings to the confreres and greetings from the confreres here.
God bless, Sawadogo Rayimwendé Patrice
Author: Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP) Page 105 of 113
Greetings from Bangalore Message sent on Saturday, April 13, 2013
Hello,
I am very glad to inform you that I had a nice and safe trip to Bangalore. The confreres Sabu and Binu and the students are really treating me well. I feel very much at home here. There is a huge amount of people here, never seen in my lifetime. But they are friendly and welcoming. I feel very much in security…
I said mass in French on last Sunday for the African community residing here in Bangalore. They are mostly students from Ivory Coast, Cameroun, Togo, and Kenya.
I was able to meet the doctor last Monday. I completed the medical checkup yesterday. I will be admitted at the hospital next Monday in the afternoon to be operated on Tuesday.
The doctor is confident that the surgery will go on well and that I will be able to leave the hospital the following day, Wednesday. I will be going back every day for a certain while for the rehabilitation.
I rely on your powerful prayers to pull through the ordeal.
Greetings to the confreres and greetings from the confreres here.
God bless, Sawadogo Rayimwendé Patrice
“Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already. You can see it now” (Is. 43, 19; 5th Sunday of lent)
We are reminded that our God, is the God of surprises, of the unexpected as shown from recent events in the Catholic Church.
First there was the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI. Then the unity of the Cardinals in Conclave who elected Cardinal Mario Bergoglio from Argentina. The choice of the name Francis. The humility and simplicity in the approach of Pope Francis, has raised many expectations throughout the Church.
At the same time there is continuity in the Church. We remain committed to the Year of Faith introduced by Benedict the Pope emeritus.
As a diocese are we focussed enough on the task at hand? Beliefs in witchcraft and in Satanism are weakening the faith in Zambia. What are we doing to eradicate or at least to weaken the belief in and the fear of witches and evil spirits? How can we change a culture of suspicion, fear and false accusations which are the bedrock of this belief? In the Church, the people of God, we need to promote a culture of respect, mutual trust and co-operation, which can replace one of suspicion and false accusations.
Satanism has been introduced and spread in Zambia by the Pentecostals. Unfortunately some of our charismatic members have inadvertently been stressing the presence of Satan in our world, and promoting the fear of Satanism. The exaggerated use of the Prayer of Deliverance has also contributed to this belief. We need to closely accompany the members of the charismatic movement, to encourage them but also to intervene when and if they step out of catholic doctrine.
Do we believe that the Year of Faith can make a difference and bear fruit in our diocese?
“Watch for the new thing I am going to do” God is at work but counts on our active participation. Let us 
continue to recite the prayer for the Year of Faith in our parishes and in our communities.
May the Peace and Joy of the Risen Lord fill your hearts and enable you to see the grace of God at work amongst us.
Very. Rev. Fr. Mike Merizzi. M Afr
Apostolic Administrator – Mansa Diocese
continue to recite the prayer for the Year of Faith in our parishes and in our communities.
May the Peace and Joy of the Risen Lord fill your hearts and enable you to see the grace of God at work amongst us.
Very. Rev. Fr. Mike Merizzi. M Afr
Apostolic Administrator – Mansa Diocese
Dear missionaries,
We have just received a document from André Schaminée which you can read below. As attachments, you can also open a letter from Fr. Richard K. Baawobr, M.Afr and Sr. Carmen Sammut, MSOLA inviting us to share a common retreat on the 30th April, feast of Our Lady of Africa. A PDF file of 8 pages will guide you through this recollection. Please, let me know if you prefer a hard copy of this PDF files, as some of you might find it difficult to download it because of poor Internet network. Your Sector Superior may also help you.
Fr. Serge St-Arneault, M.Afr Dear Confreres, To all of you: a good continuation of the celebration of Easter. May this feast be for us and for the whole Church, under the guidance of the new Pope Francis, a nice occasion to renew our faith in Him, who offers us his New Life and who sends us with a Mission of bringing this Joyful News to all those whom we meet in our apostolate. This year our Lavigerie family commemorates the Antislavery Campaign of Cardinal Lavigerie. We have now reached the half-way point of this celebration. Carmen, the Superior General of the MSOLA and Richard, our Superior General, propose to us a recollection on this theme for this month of April. You find their letter and the text of this recollection attached to this e-mail. They can also be found on our website mafrome.org This message is sent to all Provincials and the Delegate Superior. I invite you to let all communities of your Province or Delegation have a copy. It is equally sent to all Formation Houses. Fraternally, André Schaminée
Fr. Serge St-Arneault, M.Afr Dear Confreres, To all of you: a good continuation of the celebration of Easter. May this feast be for us and for the whole Church, under the guidance of the new Pope Francis, a nice occasion to renew our faith in Him, who offers us his New Life and who sends us with a Mission of bringing this Joyful News to all those whom we meet in our apostolate. This year our Lavigerie family commemorates the Antislavery Campaign of Cardinal Lavigerie. We have now reached the half-way point of this celebration. Carmen, the Superior General of the MSOLA and Richard, our Superior General, propose to us a recollection on this theme for this month of April. You find their letter and the text of this recollection attached to this e-mail. They can also be found on our website mafrome.org This message is sent to all Provincials and the Delegate Superior. I invite you to let all communities of your Province or Delegation have a copy. It is equally sent to all Formation Houses. Fraternally, André Schaminée
Based in South Africa, Merrivale is our Forth Phase Theological Studies aiming at the formation of new
missionaries. Time is distributed between studies at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, personal and community prayer, apostolate and various community activities. Here is how Tomasz Podrazik is witnessing his life experience.
I appreciate the fact that our studies are taking place in the context of adaptation into a new milieu, a new country and culture. We get to know people through our apostolates, by reading newspapers, watching news and meeting personal friends. In this way, we begin to see the situation of the people from a different angle. Their life story marks their hearts deeply. As a missionary candidate, I see the importance to learn from the people. A confrere who went back to his native country told us recently that he was still searching for a deeper understanding of the local culture up to his final departure. Indeed, the mission of Jesus Christ is an unending one. No matter how little my contribution might be, it is precious because of being part of a global mission which is the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
At the moment, we are unable to foresee the future of our missionary life. Few days ago, someone showed me two photos. One was taken in 2005 in St Peter’s Square after the election of Benedict XVI. The other one was taken last month after the election of Pope Francis. The first photo portrayed the people waiting for the announcement of the new Pope. But, on the second one, every person had a stretched arm trying to take a picture using a mobile phone. It was a crowd of cell phones. Technology is only one example of changes which is taking place. Similarly, in a fluctuating world, we have to make an effort to be ready to adjust to unforeseen situations. Every possible future appointment will bring challenges which we are not able to anticipate.
In that regard, life at Merrivale can be stressful as we are precisely exercising in a spirit of openness our capacity of adaptation by facing for instance new commitments related to swooping duties within the community. The question is not only about being open towards future challenges but also about exercising the ability to leave the past behind and move forward right here in our formation house.
Tomasz Podrazik
St. Joseph’s Theological Institute has been registered with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1977 (Act No 101 of 1977). The Institute is home to more than 200 students and 40 staff members, comprising a mosaic of different cultures from more than 20 African countries, with frequent representation from Asia, Europe, South and North America. Apart from the cultural richness of our members, we are also blessed with the rich diversity of charisms with most students coming from more than 20 male and female religious congregations within the Catholic Church.
Standing from the left: Fr. Raphael Gasimba /DRC; Douglas Momanyi Ogato /Kenia; Fr. Francis Novienyeku /Togo; Br. James Calder/Canada; Konrad Millanzi /Tanzania; Ryan Contamina /Philipines; Alphonce Byishimo /Rwanda; Amani Bulambo Dieudonné /DRC; Fr. Quinbert Kinunda /Tanzania; Harrison Banda /Zambia; Tomasz Podrazik /Pooland; Antony Alckias /India; Claver Mutombo /DRC.
missionaries. Time is distributed between studies at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, personal and community prayer, apostolate and various community activities. Here is how Tomasz Podrazik is witnessing his life experience.
I appreciate the fact that our studies are taking place in the context of adaptation into a new milieu, a new country and culture. We get to know people through our apostolates, by reading newspapers, watching news and meeting personal friends. In this way, we begin to see the situation of the people from a different angle. Their life story marks their hearts deeply. As a missionary candidate, I see the importance to learn from the people. A confrere who went back to his native country told us recently that he was still searching for a deeper understanding of the local culture up to his final departure. Indeed, the mission of Jesus Christ is an unending one. No matter how little my contribution might be, it is precious because of being part of a global mission which is the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
At the moment, we are unable to foresee the future of our missionary life. Few days ago, someone showed me two photos. One was taken in 2005 in St Peter’s Square after the election of Benedict XVI. The other one was taken last month after the election of Pope Francis. The first photo portrayed the people waiting for the announcement of the new Pope. But, on the second one, every person had a stretched arm trying to take a picture using a mobile phone. It was a crowd of cell phones. Technology is only one example of changes which is taking place. Similarly, in a fluctuating world, we have to make an effort to be ready to adjust to unforeseen situations. Every possible future appointment will bring challenges which we are not able to anticipate.
In that regard, life at Merrivale can be stressful as we are precisely exercising in a spirit of openness our capacity of adaptation by facing for instance new commitments related to swooping duties within the community. The question is not only about being open towards future challenges but also about exercising the ability to leave the past behind and move forward right here in our formation house.
Tomasz Podrazik
St. Joseph’s Theological Institute has been registered with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1977 (Act No 101 of 1977). The Institute is home to more than 200 students and 40 staff members, comprising a mosaic of different cultures from more than 20 African countries, with frequent representation from Asia, Europe, South and North America. Apart from the cultural richness of our members, we are also blessed with the rich diversity of charisms with most students coming from more than 20 male and female religious congregations within the Catholic Church.
Standing from the left: Fr. Raphael Gasimba /DRC; Douglas Momanyi Ogato /Kenia; Fr. Francis Novienyeku /Togo; Br. James Calder/Canada; Konrad Millanzi /Tanzania; Ryan Contamina /Philipines; Alphonce Byishimo /Rwanda; Amani Bulambo Dieudonné /DRC; Fr. Quinbert Kinunda /Tanzania; Harrison Banda /Zambia; Tomasz Podrazik /Pooland; Antony Alckias /India; Claver Mutombo /DRC.
By Claudio Zuccala, M.Afr
Our students from Lechaptois Formation House in Balaka put up a good show at the Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe on March 26th. In front of a small but very keen audience our candidates presented two plays: “Cheap Labour” and “The Changes Identity of Slavery”. The first depicts a plantation owner in the States who is convinced to buy slaves by an unscrupulous slave trader but who is then convinced by a missionary into looking at them as human beings and eventually granting them their freedom. The second tackles the problem of modern day human trafficking: it’s the story of two young people, brother and sister, who are allured by promises made by an agent based in America only to be savagely exploited once they get to their destination.
After that we had a lively discussion on the broad issue of modern forms of slavery in Malawi with a panel made up by our confrere Jos Kuppens, Sister Florence Mwamba, the director of the Tikondane project (street children), Habiba Osman Norwegian Church Aid Programme Coordinator on Human Rights, and Raphael Sandram, voicing the concerns of the Malawi tobacco tenants. Leading the debate and weaving together the different parts of the evening was TV moderator and journalist Wisdom Chimgwede who did an excellent job.
The only disappointment was the late arrival of Luntha TV. There was some serious hiccup and the TV crew only turned up half way through the show so I don’t really know what will happen to the DVD which they were supposed to produce. Pity really for an otherwise well prepared event. A few minor details can be improved on but certainly not the enthusiasm, hard work and good will of our candidates (plus the staff at Balaka and another couple of confreres) who have given their best.
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- Panel: Raphael Sandram, Habiba Osman, Jos Kuppens, M.Afr and Sister Florence Mwamba, MSOLA.
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- Jos van Boxel, M.Afr, member of the General Council – Rome
Picture sent by Claudio Zuccala, M.Afr
New Website of St. Lawrence Home of Hope
St. Lawrence Home of Hope is a centre for the homeless children and youth where we receive and give shelter to the homeless that are found on the streets of Lusaka.
It has a dual purpose:
1. A rehabilitation centre where we offer a new home and a new start for the children.
2. It is a “half-way home” where we intend to re-integrate the children back in their families, back to their real” homes and main stream society.
The centre was founded in 1998 by the Catholic Women’s League of Lusaka at the request of the then Archbishop of Lusaka. R.R. Medardo Mazombwe. The project was put in their hands in order to respond to the growing numbers of “street children” in Lusaka. They are in charge of advocacy, sourcing funds, developing infrastructure and taking care of the running costs. From its inception the Catholic Parish of Good Shepherd was involved in its establishment, development and running of it as it was within the boundaries of the parish. The first basic structures were built within the property of St. Lawrence Community Centre which was part of the Good Shepherd Parish which, in turn, is in the hands of The Missionaries of Africa.
Our goal is to rescue children from the vicious circle of homelessness (street-drugs-abuse-crime), rehabilitate them and their families and to re-integrate them back into their home environment (when and if possible).
The Website includes:
Why?
How do we do it?
Programmes
Children’s Stories
Galeries