Author: Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP) Page 111 of 113
Erick Balderas Vega is originally from the State of Idalgo, close to
Mexico City. He grew up there together with three brothers and two sisters. Erick is the third child of the family and his parents are still alive. After his High School, Erick did his philosophy at the diocesan seminary. Then he spent a year at home before coming to our formation house in Guadalajara in 2006. He first met our confrere Sergio Villaseñor Salinas and saw in him what he was looking for, someone committed to missionary work in Africa. What really attracted him to the Missionaries of Africa is our international community lifestyle where he feels really at home. Erick spent a few months in Washington DC to learn English before going to Lua-Luo in Kasama for his noviciate. At present he is a stagiaire at the parish of Kabwata in Lusaka. Erick has to make efforts to overcome his shyness. He does not rush into things but takes his time to reflect before making a decision. His family will surely see in him a new person when he goes back home at the end of his stage. Erick has been recommended for further studies at Merrivale by his community of Kabwata. He is still waiting for his official appointment.
Justice & Peace in Mozambique
Our vocation in the Church is linked with our fight for more justice in society. Already the Second Vatican Council said explicitly that “the joys and hopes, the grief and the fears of the people of today meet an echo in our hearts” (GS 1). The Church feels intimately linked with the cares and needs of all people. The Second Assembly of the Bishops likewise emphasised the necessity of working for justice: “The task of justice is an integral part of the mission of evangelisation of the Church” (Justice in the world, 1971). Engagement in justice and peace is part of the missionary’s action in all Christian communities as it is prayed in the fourth Eucharistic prayer for various needs: may your Church stand as a living witness to truth and freedom, to peace and justice, that all people be raised up to a new hope.
In Sena Parish (diocese of Beira, Mozambique), the people managed to organise themselves for the protection of their land against a multinational that wanted 18 000 hectares of their land in order to grow sugar cane and produce ethanol for the european market. This multinational intended to expel the inhabitants to other areas lacking basic infrastructures like schools, hospitals, proper roads and stores. The person in charge of promoting justice and peace issues distributed documents explaining the Law of the Land to all churches and beyond. He was threatened at the Local Court, but people who don’t belong to our Church protected him. Then, with their Paramount Chief, people started to get involved. They finally succeeded to protect their land with the help of the Diocesan Commission of Justice & Peace. A lawyer assisted them too to be officially recognised as an Association. As a result, the multinational had to withdraw from the area. Sadness and fear were tr
ansformed into joy and hope for a better world. Seeing this success story other communities want to do the same. Together with prayer and worship in church the work of evangelisation means helping people to overcome powerlessness, ignorance and submission to the powerful. It is the will of Jesus to work against injustices and all inhuman conditions including slavery.
Norbert Angibaud, M.Afr
The Antislavery Campaign was officially launched in Rome on 9th November 2012. Each Province/Sector was asked to organize its own calendar of events already at the time of Richard Nnyombi’s visit which took place about a year ago. Though we got off to a somehow slow start, it doesn’t mean that nothing has been done yet.
In South Africa Michel Meunier had a calendar and a book mark printed for the occasion, gave an interview on Radio Veritas and a talk in Pretoria. In Malawi, as Bill Turnbull told us, “at the 8th December celebrations in Balaka, our students presented two excellent plays and a poem. The topic of the plays was human trafficking. They were lively, humorous, educative and straight to the point”. There is now a plan to repeat the performance in Lilongwe in front of a wider audience. In Zambia, on 26th November, our confreres in Kasama combined our Founder’s Day with their own little opening of the year of anniversary for the Antislavery Campaign. As part of their celebrations, they had an input on the Antislavery campaign of Lavigerie and its place within the history or our Society by Paul Johnston. FENZA centre is planning a conference on the topic in the next few months. At the moment we are also preparing a leaflet explaining a few basic facts about the campaign. It should be distributed in parishes at the beginning of Lent. I am sure that more initiatives were taken by others which I am not aware of. Please let me know directly or use this forum to share them.
Maybe this is the time to set aside a few commitments and concentrate more on this strong appeal that is coming from the Society. All of us are asked, as individuals and in our communities, to continue praying, sharing, reading and being up-to-date on the event.
For those in parish work is just a question of using the various means already at their disposal: talking about the campaign and its meaning in homilies, talks, Parish councils meetings and newsletters. Lent is coming soon: we received from Rome the Stations of the Cross adapted to what we are celebrating; if we are not happy with them let’s come up with something new but let’s make the most of this opportunity!
On a different level, in our countries we can easily go into schools, give interviews on the radio and have articles printed in the local newspapers. Our candidates in the different houses of formation are also warmly invited to give their creative contribution. Balaka has shown us the way, let others follow the example!
Following in the footsteps of the Cardinal who was capable of dropping everything and started touring the capitals of Europe to deliver his message, we are also asked to show some enthusiasm and determination in order to make known the slogan of the campaign: Let’s break the chains!
Finally, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the way we will close this year’s celebrations which should happen in September or thereabouts. The grand finale with the bus tour seems to be losing support by the day and surely it will not make sense if there isn’t an adequate preparation in the months leading up to it. Maybe the project was not properly presented and/or understood but it is becoming increasingly evident that it will be difficult to pull it off. Malawi has already withdrawn and Zambia will take a decision in the next few days. But even if this particular project does not get off the ground it does not mean that we should give up all.
In February, March and April I will be visiting the communities in South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi and I hope that such
occasion will present us with an excellent opportunity to find out where we are at, to clarify some issues and to share ideas and plans for the coming months.
Best wishes in all your endeavours, Claudio Zuccala, M.Afr
A Pastoral Statement. To the Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill. Grace, mercy and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
“This is what Yahweh asks of you, only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
On the occasion of our January 2013 Plenary, we want to take this opportunity to raise pertinent issues on the state of our nation.
READ MORE
How Customs and Popular Sayings Contribute to 
the Discrimination and Violence Against Women
by Evans K. Chama, M.Afr, Printed by Montfort Media, Balaka, Malawi, 2011
Contents: 1. What is Gender Equality? 2. Can there be Gender Equality in Marriage? 3. The Image of Women and Their Work 4. Raising a Female Child Today 5. I Will Marry a Woman Like Mum 6. How Much Does Your Daughter Cost? 7. My Wife, A Maize Field? 8. Women’s Dependence on Men 9. Love Potions, Are Women Just Nasty? 10. Romance 11. If Your Husband Does Not Beat You… 12. Why The Silence When Abused? 13. What Does Being a Widow Entail? 14. Property Grabbing: A Mere Criminal Act? 15. Approach to Gender Equality.
The wind of change is blowing, sending waves tossing up and down stirring up what has existed undisturbed for centuries. In this rousing the world is being hatched from its centuries-old shell to new birth. We are in the time of awakening, maturing too perhaps. Once again we are challenged to take distance from our own cultures and traditions, our own identity, in order to reflect in a disinterested way on our society and on ourselves. Certainty we marvel at our beauty that often overflows unnoticed, yet still, we also realise there is some mopping up to do somewhere. (…)
Books for sale at Woodlands House, 1 Mwapona Road, Lusaka, at the cost of ZR 30
Priest takes on the inequality of women in African tradition
A WOMAN LIKE MUM: Reviewed by Mphuthumi Ntabeni
Zambian-born Fr Evans Chama’s book, A Woman Like Mum: How Customs and Popular Sayings Contribute to the Discrimination and Violence Against Women, is apt for our country and times.
DREAMS. Where do Biblical, Zambian, and Western Approaches Meet? First book published by FENZA (Faith and Encounter Centre Zambia), Lusaka. January 2013. With contributions from Gotthard Rosner, Bernard Udelhoven and Patrick Mumbi.
What does the Bible say about dreams? What do Zambian cultures say? And how does this all mix with Western psychology? Dreams are important in Zambia. Yet when Christians try to find meaning in their dreams, they have to juggle with very different worldviews. This book is written for all who have an interest in dreams, from the perspectives of Zambian cultural traditions, psychology and theology. It clarifies some important issues and is of special benefit for those who help people in the pastoral field to deal with compelling dreams experiences.
Available at FENZA at the cost of ZR 40.
“Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you” (Matthew 11: 28).
The Ministry of Inner Healing and Reconciliation (MINHER) offers Counselling Sessions and Healing Retreats. These two services are offered in order to bring inner healing and reconciliation to a person experiencing the following problems:
1. Suicide and thoughts of death: Haunted by feelings of wanting to commit suicide or thinking of committing suicide. 2. Trauma: Being very much disturbed by a very powerful shocking and sad event that has happened in your life. Experiencing being haunted (troubled, disturbed, or chased) by the bad experience that happened to you in the past. 3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Experiencing intense fear, shock and helplessness as a result of remembering a very sad event that happened to you in the past. 4. Bereavement: Intense, shock, sadness and sorrow after the death of somebody you love very much. Recurrent and disturbing dreams especially after the death of your beloved person (parent, spouse, child, brother/sister). 5. Depression & Anxiety: Persistent feelings of hopelessness and pessimism. Feelings of worthlessness, guilt and helplessness. Loneliness, sleeping too much, not wanting to socialise or come out of bed or house. Difficulties and fear in making decisions (especially important ones). Restlessness, anxiety and experiencing intense fear, worries or empty mood. Insomnia (lack of sleep). Not feeling yourself, especially after a shocking event. Lack of confidence and enthusiasm in your life. 6. Healing and Renewal Retreats for Christians: for those who want to be healed from the wounds of the past, who want to have more personal relationship with God, who want to grow in freedom and peace with God and with each other. 7. Bipolar Disorders: Having two extremes when acting: either happy or very sad. Lack of balance in your life; either very excited or very depressed. Sudden changes of mood (mood swings).
All the services are offered in strictly confidential and non-judgemental environment!
Counselling Sessions. First option: Individual Counselling Sessions in a package of 4 to 7 sessions offered once a week between Tuesdays to Thursdays on agreed time. Second option: three days individually guided Healing Retreat with a session once a day on agreed date and time.
Fees. First option: Counselling Sessions: Negotiable. Second option of three days residential (including full board) and Healing Retreat: KR 750.
Where to find MINHER. MINHER is located at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in SERENJE at about 7 kilometres from the first “T” junction on the Great North Road, coming from Lusaka.
Who to Contact? Fr. Oswald Mallya, M.Afr (Psychotherapist/Counsellor).
St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Box 850018, SERENJE, Zambia. Telephone: 097-856-7684/095-585-2771. E-mail: oswaldmallya@yahoo.com
The increase in electricity tariffs is leading to Service Exclusion
Addressing poverty continues to be identified as a major challenge for Malawian society and has been a central topic that successive governments have attempted to tackle or at least pretended to do so. Commitments in Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), pronouncements in the newly launched Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) and various key government documents underscore that view. However, in spite of all these attempts to address poverty the reality is grim: poverty in Malawi remains severe and widespread – a situation that leaves millions to grapple, on a daily basis, with the unabating increase in food and essential non-food commodities. The ever rising cost of living presents to the country an extremely serious challenge upon which all efforts must be concentrated so as to ease people’s daily suffering. (…)
Oswald Mallya
Oswald Mallya has just completed his Masters in Counselling. His dissertation is entitled: Will the Psychotherapist(s) eventually replace priest(s) as the physicians of the soul? The related question behind this research is to understand why some Catholics opt paying for the help of a psychotherapist instead of asking for spiritual direction from a priest who will welcome them free of charge. Why are some Catholics abandoning the Confession or the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which has been used as the
Sacrament of Healing by our Church for about 2000 years?
From those interviewed, the main reason mentioned is the issue of time. Basically, priests have no time to listen. They are too busy. Moreover, some of them are unfriendly or have an unapproachable character. Finally, the sacrament of reconciliation, in its actual form, does not allow people to share their inner self for lack of time. Oswald hopes to pursue his research once back to Serenje as parish priest.