By Phelim Malumo, M.Afr
Dear Confrere,
Greetings from the Philippines. I received your email with pleasure and wonderful memories. I took a few moment of recollection remembering God’s Love for me and the rest of Humanity as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s Incarnation. I felt encouraged, and indeed, strengthened after repeatedly going through your short, deep and touching letter.
Yes, I am settling well here in Masbate: living, listening, sharing and discovering so many things each day: one -day -at- a- time. Today afternoon I am giving formation class on the Holy Spirit for those preparing to become Lay Missionaries/Volunteers in the Future. Next week I shall teach about Mission to the Boys/Girls. This evening I shall have confessions and another Mass at the girl’s farm. A mission/task requiring compassion, Reaching out and listening and giving direction/guidance to so many boys and girls, some under aged and too young to understand and discern about their lives and what to do. They have so many unanswered questions. My presence is seen and experienced, by most of them, as God’s will and intervention in their life “…The Lord has visited his people”; the troubled, downtrodden, suffering and addicted and those who have lost HOPE in life’s purpose.
FULL TEXT IN PDF FILE
Author: Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP) Page 56 of 113
By Phelim Malumo, M.Afr
Dear Confrere,
Greetings from the Philippines. I received your email with pleasure and wonderful memories. I took a few moment of recollection remembering God’s Love for me and the rest of Humanity as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s Incarnation. I felt encouraged, and indeed, strengthened after repeatedly going through your short, deep and touching letter.
Yes, I am settling well here in Masbate: living, listening, sharing and discovering so many things each day: one -day -at- a- time. Today afternoon I am giving formation class on the Holy Spirit for those preparing to become Lay Missionaries/Volunteers in the Future. Next week I shall teach about Mission to the Boys/Girls. This evening I shall have confessions and another Mass at the girl’s farm. A mission/task requiring compassion, Reaching out and listening and giving direction/guidance to so many boys and girls, some under aged and too young to understand and discern about their lives and what to do. They have so many unanswered questions. My presence is seen and experienced, by most of them, as God’s will and intervention in their life “…The Lord has visited his people”; the troubled, downtrodden, suffering and addicted and those who have lost HOPE in life’s purpose.
FULL TEXT IN PDF FILE
Our dear confrere Sébastien Kalengwe learned computer design recently in Kampala. He is sending to us all two beautiful Christmas Cards. His health is improving by the day. We wish him good recovering hoping to see him soon again in our SAP Province.
Please, feel free to send us your own Christmas Cards.
30/11/2014
The declaration by Pope Francis that a Year of Consecrated Life be celebrated throughout the world starting today, the first Sunday of advent, has been described as “timely and important” by Zambia’s Bishop Patrick Chisanga. Bishop Chisanga is the Bishop of Mansa Diocese. Before becoming a Bishop, early this year, he was a formator in his congregation, the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals.
The Year of Consecrated Life will close on 2 February 2016, the World Day of Consecrated Life.
In an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio’s English Service for Africa, Bishop Chisanga said the declaration of a Year of Consecrated Life coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council document, Perfectæ Caritatis. This document promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965 is the “Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life.” It deals with institutes of consecrated life in Church.
Zambian Bishops: Patrick Chisanga, OFM Conv. (R) with Evans Chinyemba OMI (l)
According to Bishop Chisanga, this period should be used by the religious to revisit their call to religious life. ”It is an important moment of introspection. Every religious institution in Africa needs to re-examine and ask itself where they are as an institution, where they are coming from and where they are going. In other words, in this moment in time, what is their place and role in the Church?” asks Bishop Chisanga.
The Bishop was however keen to underline the fact that the year is not exclusively for the religious. “It is not exclusively a year for the religious only. It is a year in which the Church as a whole reflects on the charisms of the religious in the context of new evangelization and in the context of the importance of the family in Africa and in the Church. We must never forget that the men and women in religious life come from families.” Bishop Chisanga emphasised. Asked about what he sees as the contribution of the religious to the Church in Zambia, Bishop Chisanga says, “The religious and the history of the Church in Zambia are intertwined. We cannot talk about the establishment of the Catholic Church in Zambia without thinking of the religious.” The Bishop says, the religious in Zambia continue to play a significant role in the life of the Church. He adds, “When you talk about quality health care and education in Zambia, you will find that these are always associated with the Church. In great part, we thank the religious sisters and brothers for this. This is the richness of the Church in Zambia and in Africa.” Bishop Chisanga said. “While all these apostolates are important, we cannot reduce the value of religious life to these external apostolic ministries. More importantly, this special year gives to the religious institution an opportunity to bring out that which prompts them to give quality health care to remote outposts in rural areas. What motivates them as religious people to go to these places? In order to make this introspection, the religious need to go back to their spiritual foundations.” Said Bishop Chisanga. Bishop Chisanga is also aware of the many challenges facing religious life today in Africa. He is convinced that religious life cannot pretend to be spared of these challenges. He cites the changing times and the consequent secularisation of society as a big challenge. He says, “In a world where faith is pushed aside and spiritual matters are pushed aside, people today are looking for solutions everywhere else other than in the spiritual realm.” Other challenges he notes, include a Church in Africa which now has to look to itself for both material and human resources. Further still there is the ever-present danger of individualism. “While religious men and women vow to live in poverty or without property, there is a huge temptation that a religious person could easily fall into: This is the world of materialism.” Bishop Chisanga underlines. In the end, what is really essential is that during this year, the religious continue to witness to that spirit which prompted most of their founders to “leave everything in order to gain everything.” The Bishop concludes. (Fr. Paul Samasumo)
You may remember the first report put on SAP Blog on March 19 about the construction of a health centre in DRCongo supported by our confreres Faustin who has moved from Zambia to South Africa. See today few pictures showing the progress made. This is remarkable. But, much needs to be done. See also below the new report written in French and the call for help.
Par le Père Faustin Kerumbe, M.Afr
Mon cher Serge, je prends le courage de t’envoyer les dernières photos que j’ai reçues hier d’un des membres du comité. Petit à petit, on dirait que l’oiseau est en train de faire son nid. Je continue toujours à apprécier les efforts de la communauté locale. Sur une des photos tu trouveras un groupe de mamans. Elles venaient de faire leur réunion qui a pour but de voir à quel niveau et peuvent contribuer pour que commence aussi, dans leur langage, la construction de leur maternité. Les étapes qui suivent sont plus éxigeantes d’autant plus qu’elles dépassent largement nos capacités financières. Il nous faut au moins 300 sacs de ciment pour le crépissage et le pavement. À part ceci, il nous faut y mettre du plafond et fixer les portes et les fenêtres. Nous restons à l’éveil de ce que Washington Developpment Office va décider. A part cela, j’essaie de frapper aux portes des confrères pour demander assistance, de quelle nature et quantité qu’elle puisse être, pour nous faire avancer dans la réalisation dudit projet. Nous avons reçu il y a quelques jours 200£ d’un confrère pour acheter 10 sacs de ciment. Pour l’heure j’essaie de faire, sans pour autant forcer, appel à la générosité des confrères, amis et de toute personne de bonne volonté en vue de faire aboutir notre projet. Nous espérons toujours que Dieu bénira nos efforts et notre projet. Mon cher Serge, pense à nous dans tes prières! Je prie sans cesse pour la réussite de ce projet à caractère communautaire et sanitaire! Et si tu connais quelques amis qui peuvent aider, prière aussi de parler de notre projet auprès d’eux! Dieu peut toujours nous bénir à travers la bienveillance et la générosité de nos frères et soeurs! Merci infiniment pour tout ce que nous apporte comme attention et conseil! Bonne nuit! Je te souhaite un bon et fructueux temps de l’Avent! Union de prière!
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 » :
« Anniversaire de la mort du Cardinal Lavigerie » : c’est le 26 novembre 1892 que le cardinal Lavigerie, fondateur de la Société des Missionnaires d’Afrique, s’éteignait à Alger. (lire la suite )
« Statistiques de l’Eglise catholique » telles qu’elles ont été publiées le 19 octobre 2014, qui était aussi le « dimanche des missions ». (lire la suite)
« Le Pape François et l’Europe », un article publié sur le site de l’ARCRE suite à la visite du pape à Strasbourg auprès du Parlement européen et du Conseil de l’Europe, le 25 novembre 2014 (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« Quel avenir pour le Nigéria ? » ce pays qui a de grandes possibilités, mais qui est soumis à une grande instabilité du fait des exactions de Boko Haram. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :
« Conférence au CFR » le Père Adrien Sawadogo, originaire du Burkina, a donné une conférence au Centre Foi et Rencontre sur l’apport des religions traditionnelles à la foi chrétienne, où il partage sa propre expérience de converti de l’Islam (lire la suite)
« Identité, conversion, laïcité » ces termes sont d’une brûlante actualité dans notre monde où la tolérance, l’acceptation de l’autre et la connaissance de soi-même sont de moins en moins évidentes (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :
« Le charisme des Missionnaires d’Afrique » un texte du père Francis Nolan, texte d’une conférence donnée en février 2014 en Ouganda et traduite récemment en français. (lire la suite) « Mon ami de Jéricho », c’est en ces termes que le Père Marcel Boivin partage ce que l’épisode de l’aveugle guéri par Jésus dans cette ville signifie pour lui (lire la suite) « Les Missionnaires d’Afrique au Niger » : un grand merci au Père Josep Frigola qui retrace l’histoire de notre Société Missionnaire depuis ses débuts dans ce pays, et donnant les noms de tous ceux qui y ont participé (lire la suite)
Just to thanks you for your great job. Here in Jerusalem, life is fine. I am still trying to enjoy as much as possible my stay in the Holy Land. As you already know, this week with God’s grace, my two classmates and I received the ministry of Acolytat and also renewed our Declaration of Intent to continue our formation within the Society of the Missionaries of Africa in view of the Oath and the priesthood at the service of our brothers and sisters in the African world. We had the chance to be with Fr Peter Welsh who came for a visit from Rome.
If I forget SAP, let my right hand wither!!! After spending three years in that province, I am still in touch with all the messages and news sent to all including me. Thanks indeed for your great job as Secretary with the creation of the SAP blog. My regards to all the confreres in Woodlands with a special greeting to our zealous and dedicated Provincial Fr Christopher Chileshe.
Find attached a picture of the memorable day!!!
Yours ever,
Hervé Tougma, Second Year student in Jerusalem
Read this article in French at :
« Acolytat à Jérusalem » par Hervé Tougma, candidat M.Afr burkinabè théologique. (lire la suite )
A Missionary of Africa in the Philippines
By Phelim Malumo, M.Afr
“My name is Fr. Phelim Malumo, 42 years old and I am from Zambia. I have 8 siblings at home. I finished my secondary education in 1992 at the Christian school in Mongu. I joined the society of Missionaries of Africa as a postulant in 1994. Thereafter, I was selected to start my Philosophy in Tanzania for 3 years (1994-1997). I went for novitiate in Kasama, Zambia. Thereafter, I went for my 2-years pastoral experience in South Africa. I did theology in Nairobi, Kenya from 2002-2004. I made my Missionary oath in 2003, I was ordained Priest in 2004 in the Diocese of Mongu, Zambia. My first Missionary appointment was to South Africa, Siyabuswa Parish. After 3 years, I come back to Zambia and worked in different Parishes in Zambia.
I had issues related to alcohol addiction, and then I tried therapy in Zambia, Tanzania and Canada. In 2012, I fully recovered. So, I was to appointed to Lumimba Parish for 2 years from 2012-2014.
After a positive and fruitful experience there, the province of Southern Africa thought that I could use my experience to help other people facing various kinds of addiction. And due to the experience of the other priests at Fazenda in Mozambique and Brazil, it was thought that I should go to one Fazenda community to live, discover and learn the Fazenda way of helping people with their addiction. Fortunately, being connected before with Bishop Ian de Groef spoke positively about Fazenda activities and I was very much inspired to start something like that in Bethlehem Diocese in South Africa. And in collaboration with Father Hans, Nelson, Roland and Richardson together with SAP Provincial Council and our General Council in Rome, I was welcomed to make my experience in their community here in Fazenda Masbate.
Now, from November 2014, I am part of Fazenda in Masbate, Philippines. For 1 year, I will live here to understand better the charism, spirituality and mission of Fazenda to the world. We feel that there are rule of Prayer, community life and their mission can make us easy in collaborate and profit from each other’s spirituality. Currently, the Chairman of Fazenda Masbate is Richardson da Silva from Brazil. So far, I have been very much touched by the spirit in Fazenda with lay people, sister’s, priests, and even married people working together to help the boys and girls. I admire the spirituality of Chiara, the Word of Life which guides our community living based on the gospel. Our sharing of goods helps us to form a united family. I help at this community through Mass and spiritual guidance together with the Sisters and the Missionaries. I hope that after this experience, the society of Missionaries of Africa could establish something like this in South Africa where we have issues in addiction and other related problems.
Our community in Cebu is also connected to Fazenda through Group of Living Hope, regularly meets in their house, and slowly, they seem to have more collaboration. And I’m happy to be connected to Focolare Movement. Recently, I learned a lot from Mariapolis which was held here in Fazenda. Fazenda opened me to expose in different kinds of people with different skills.
We strongly believe that the Spirituality of Hope. Fazenda is a place where people were facing with various addiction and issues gets new hope and meaning in Life through prayer, community life and work.
It is my conviction that this experience will be of help to me, the church, society and all people facing with various kinds of addiction and related issues thereby fulfilling Christ’s words in John 10:10 “I came that they may have life, life in its fullness and abundance”
By Dominique Arnauld, M.Afr, Jérusalem
Thank you and “Bonne fête” à vous aussi!
Ce soir, 26 novembre 2014, Cletus Atindaana, David Elweu et Hervé Tougma renouvellent leur Déclaration d’intention et reçoivent le ministère de l’acolytat.
Réjouissez-vous avec nous!
Note:
Hervé a fait son stage apostolique à Chezi au Malawi. Il poursuit sa deuxième année d’étude en théologie à Jérusalem.
Nous nous réjouissons avec Cletus, David et Hervé.
By Michel Meunier, M.Afr
25th – 26th October 2014
On Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to 4pm, around 250 people came from fifty (50) different parishes (out of 120 parishes in the whole archdiocese). Not bad, for a first time! But we got the quality, if not the expected quantity: we had aimed at five delegates from each parish, which would have amounted to 600! The M.Afr who took part were Jan DeGroef (Bishop), Didier Michon, Christophe Boyer, Martin Somda (stagiaire), Seán O’Leary and Michel Meunier.
The AIMS of the Congress were:
- to explore ways for us, the Church, to fulfil our vocation of proclaiming the Gospel / Mission
- to move from maintenance to being on mission (enlarge our tent)
- to celebrate our baptismal call together
- to take back to our parishes the motivation to move forward on mission
Missionary Congress in Johannesburg, South Africa
By Martin Somda, Stagiaire in Henley Parish, South Africa
Should it still be said today “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”, while thousands of thousands are getting baptised and confirmed every year? Yes, the sad reality is that the workers are still few. And here we see a contrast: While many receive Baptism and Confirmation, few are ready to be sent as workers in the harvest of the Lord. Why is it so? This is a question to everybody. Through the zeal of some missionaries, among whom our M.Afr. confrères, the Archdiocese of Johannesburg thinks one of the reasons might be lack of awareness; to work in the harvest of the Lord, we are called to be sent and to take up our crosses and follow Jesus, the first missionary per excellence. To help its different parishes to come to a greater awareness of their missionary call as per their baptism, the Missionary Group of the archdiocese of Johannesburg organised a MISSIONARY CONGRESS with the theme: “ENLARGE THE SPACE OF YOUR TENT” from the prophet Isaiah (54:2).
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