Dave Cullen is currently the Hospital Chaplain in Chipata, doing a remarkable work every day in the afternoon walking throughout the wards to pray with the sick. The establishment looks pretty good and large. Dave updates his list of sick patients and provides spiritual assistance with the help of Patricia, a lay volunteer. Here are some pictures of Dave in action moving up and down the aisles and stairs of the hospital.
Thanks to you Dave for your beautiful ministry.
Author: Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP) Page 58 of 113
Dave Cullen is currently the Hospital Chaplain in Chipata, doing a remarkable work every day in the afternoon walking throughout the wards to pray with the sick. The establishment looks pretty good and large. Dave updates his list of sick patients and provides spiritual assistance with the help of Patricia, a lay volunteer. Here are some pictures of Dave in action moving up and down the aisles and stairs of the hospital.
Thanks to you Dave for your beautiful ministry.
During the last years, we have most of the time been four or five members in the Kalongwezi community. Henk van Kessel, Dutch, 88 years old, is the unwearied and uncontested Archivist of the Diocese. He has also been the Chicewa/Chinyanja language professor for quite a long time, a job which regularly bounces back.
After the departure of Edgar Pillet in 2012, at 78, for retirement in France, Dave Cullen, English, of the same age, came to replace him as Chaplain of the Regional Hospital nearby, and, like Edgar also, he gives a help to the Marriage Encounter groups. He also does some visits to the local Prison. Both Henk and Dave go to St Monica’s Secondary School for Masses during the week.
Jean-Luc Gouiller, 78, French, who is linked with some groups of the Christian Agricultural and Rural Adult Movement. He has also been asked to update the demarcations and the title deeds of the various places held by the Diocese of Chipata throughout the Province, a work very much tied with the delicate land issue. He also takes part in some vocation work as do the other members of the community.
Joe Mc Menamin, Irish, 74, joined us after several years of missionary animation in Ireland. He replaced Edgar Pillet who was also a curate at the Mary Mother of God Parish of Nabvutika, a big compound of Chipata. After some time Joe became and still is the Parish Priest of that very parish.
The stagiaire Halen Kerketta, from India, is finishing his first year of Stage. He has some activities with the Youth Team of the Diocese and some others in Nabvutika Parish.
Brother René Garand, coming from South Africa, is joining the community and will supervise or follow up the construction work on the site of the new Preformation Centre.
READ HERE THE FULL TEXT ON PDF FILE
By Fr. Serge St-Arneault, M.Afr
Mary Mother of God Parish is situated at Nabvutika (the name means, “I suffer”) a very poor compound on the northwest outskirt of Chipata. Zambia.
About 15000 people live there without any land or the possibility of having even a vegetable garden. The soil is rocky and the slope of the mountain nearby is unproductive. Everyone needs to find ways to get some income to survive. Side roads and local markets are full of vendors selling vegetable, charcoal, etc. brought from Malawi through the mountains and other areas. Life is tough, especially for sick and old people. The town of Chipata, which hopes to become a ‘city’, provides electricity and water for those who can afford but no health clinic is available.
I was privileged to walk around part of the compound with Fr Joe Mc Menamin the Parish Priest and a group of dedicated women. The compound starts from the crossing gate leading to the church. The last remaining few hundred meters or so of the road leading to town is in bad condition and impassable during the rain season. Soon, we entered into a house to greet an old women who is partially paralysed following a stroke. Then, we move on through small and crooked paths to greet more people.
The houses are small and poorly constructed. The Parish is involved in building a house for poor widows; a pre-school and clinic for the people in the compound. From there, we stopped at Anastasio Kolowa Banda’s house; a tiny shack with thatch roof. Old but quite alert, Anastasio, having lived some years in Tanzania speaks Kiswahili better than the local language. We exchanged few words in Swahili to the amazement of the women walking with us.
After a long stride, just before going back to the church, we stopped to see Maria Kabwe, Bemba speaker. I fell on my back while trying to sit on a small stool put on the slight slope facing Amai Maria. The neighbour quickly brought me a chair. Greeting her was very nice. Her vision is restricted because of cataracts but her mind is clear and her character cheerful. She like so many others is totally dependent on the St Vincent de Paul organization for material support, food etc.
Joe walks through the compound each and every day. Indeed, he needs good legs to be the Parish Priest of Nabvutika. His mission is challenging and inspiring. He is assisted by a diocesan priest for weekdays and Sunday Masses.
Situated at ten kilometres from the new Formation Centre for the Missionaries of Africa, Nabvutika offers an ideal place for pastoral work for forthcoming candidates of the Missionaries of Africa.
Many thanks to Joe, a truly good fellow … with good legs!
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 » :
« Messe en mémoire de Michel Tremblais » à la Maison Lavigerie -Ouagadougou – le 18 octobre 2014. (lire la suite)
« Jubilé à Zinder au Niger. » : la paroisse de Zinder étant la paroisse “Sainte Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus”, dont la fête est célébrée le 1er octobre, c’est à cette date qu’a commencé l’année jubilaire de la paroisse. (lire la suite)
« Nouvel archevêque de Niamey » : Monseigneur Laurent Lompo, évêque auxiliaire depuis le 9 juin 2013, vient d’être nommé archevêque de Niamey et remplacera Mgr Michel Cartagéguy à la tête du diocèse (lire la suite)
« Echos du Conseil Provincial » : la dernière réunion du Conseil Provincial de la P.A.O. s’est tenue à Ouagadougou du 14 au 23 octobre 2014. (lire la suite)
« Conclusions du synode sur la famille » le 18 octobre, un texte a été publié sur le site Zenit du Vatican, avec les orientations données par le synode, ainsi qu’un message du pape suite à ces conclusions. (lire la suite)
« Les statistiques des candidats chez les M.Afr. », chiffres qui viennent d’être publiés dans sur le sitewww.mafrome.org. (lire la suite)
Etant donné la situation actuelle du Burkina Faso, nous ne sommes pas encore en mesure de donner des informations précises et durables. Une recherche sur internet permet de suivre l’évolution des choses au jour le jour.
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« Les rayures du zèbre » un article paru dans « Voix d’Afrique » au sujet d’un film qui parle du recrutement des joueurs de football en Afrique (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :
« Ouverture de l’IFIC » à Bamako. L’Institut de Formation Islamo Chrétienne, vient en effet d’ouvrir ses portes pour l’année 2014-2015 (lire la suite)
« Lettre du diocèse de Laghouat Ghardaia ». du mois d’octobre 2014, lettre rédigée comme à l’accoutumée par Mgr Claude Rault, évêque du lieu. (lire la suite)
« Quelques extraits du bulletin n° 95 de l’ARCRE », lequel bulletin a été envoyé dans sa totalité le 30 octobre 2014 à tous les abonnés. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :
« Mission au Brésil », un texte écrit par le Père Serge Moussa Traoré, originaire d la P.A.O., et qui vit sa mission dans ce pays d’Amérique du sud. (lire la suite)
« Famille et vocations ». Merci à Vincent Kiye, étudiant à Abidjan, qui nous a fait parvenir le texte d’une conférence qu’il vient de donner au CFMA (Centre de Formation Missionnaire d’Abidjan). (lire la suite)
We have received a great number of messages from all over the world. Thanks for your prayers. Only that a slight misunderstanding might have occurred. Indeed, the one who died is the mother of our confrere Claudio Zuccala even though the news appeared on my personal Facebook page which is posting the news appearing on the Southern Africa Province (SAP) Blog. Please, look also at the following link:
http://mafrsaprovince.com/2014/10/26/death-of-the-mother-of-claudio-zuccala/
As indicated below, the funeral is taking place today the 30th October. I have forwarded to Father Zuccala all your kind words of sympathy. May God bless you all for your kindness and love!
On behalf of Father Claudio Zuccala, I am grateful for your prayers and words of encouragement.
Here is the message of Father Zuccala sent yesterday night:
I arrived yesterday morning (28th October) on a beautiful late autumn day, with the sun brightening the snow-capped mountain tops and a touch of frost on the ground.
The sun was shining bright by the time I reached the village perched on a mountain top where my mum lived. She looked very serene, almost smiling and I felt a sudden rush of consolation in spite of the deep sadness which had nested in my heart since I heard the bad news.
It’s been very hectic at home with lots of friends, family members and acquaintances coming to say a prayer and to pay their last visit to mother and to express their condolences to my sister and me. Her gentleness, simplicity and readiness to help which have been the trademark of all her life has produced this kind of overwhelming response.
Tomorrow (30th) we’ll celebrate her funeral and lay her to rest in the tiny parish cemetery overlooking the valley below.
United in prayer,
Claudio Zuccala, M.Afr
It’s with great sadness that I let you know about my mother’s death which occurred this morning as I was praying for her at Mass in a community of Sisters where I was giving a recollection.
Mum was taken to hospital on Friday morning by my sister (there is just the two of us in our family) because of some persisting vomiting. The doctors found an intestinal obstruction which they proceeded to remove on the same day. Yesterday she had a quiet and restful day. Something went wrong in the early hours of this morning and she passed away peacefully. She turned 82 last September. I am flight tomorrow for the funeral.
Keep us in your prayers. Claudio Zuccala, M.Afr
Emmanuel Mubanga Chisanga
Kindly be informed that I reached Mali safely and that I am now well settled in Faladie, 80 kilometres from Bamako, where the language Centre is situated. We are seven students pursuing to immerse ourselves in the famous Bambara language and culture. The people of Faladie are very much used to welcoming students for about half a century now and our teacher has the experience of teaching Bambara in this same Centre for thirty five years. We are in class in the morning and in the afternoon we go into families to practice what we learn in class. As you all know, learning another person’s language and culture demands humility and dedication, accepting the other in his or her own worldview. My inspiration remains Jesus who let himself be immersed in a particular culture and setting with all its strengths and limits. We shall be in this Centre till the end of December when we shall go for our Christmas break in our respective communities. At the beginning of January, we shall come back to the Centre to be allocated different villages where we shall go and stay in view of becoming ‘one of the Bambara.’ It is indeed a time for learning and adapting oneself.
So far so good, you might have heard about the confirmed Ebola case in Kaye. The authorities are trying their best to contain the situation. The victim was coming back to Mali from Guinea with her grandmother. We keep our fingers crossed as the Ministry of Health try to put up measures to avoid the spread of this deadly disease. Life continues as before though people think twice before going to Kaye. The usual Annual National Pilgrimage to Kaye, which was scheduled to take place next month, MAY have to be put off. This is a very important event for the Catholics of Mali and the whole of Mali at large. With the Ebola virus confirmed to exist in one person in Kaye, the Episcopal Conference of Mali may have to think twice about this year’s pilgrimage. May ‘Notre Dame du Mali’ who, every year, gathers all her children in Kaye, guide and protect the inhabitants of Kaye and indeed all the people residing in Mali. Emmanuel Chisanga Mubanga, M.Afr
According to the exercise of powers contained in Article 44 (2) (f) of the Constitution of Zambia, Lusaka Province Minister Philip Kosamu, on behalf of His Excellency the President Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata, conferred the 50th Independence Anniversary Medals to 1356 freedom fighters, ex-service chiefs, traditional leaders and other Zambians and distinguish individuals. This First Ever Special Single Class Golden Jubilee Medal function took place on 23rd October 2014 at Mika Convention Centre.
Among those who received a medal are five Missionaries of Africa:
- Bishop Adolf Joseph Paul Furstenberg, German (1909 – 1988)
- Father Jean Jacques Corbeil, Canadian (1914 – 1990)
- Father Bernard Poisson, French, born in 1926, currently in Billère, France
- Father Claude Galmiche, French, born in 1925, currently in Tassy, France
- And Bishop René Pailloux, French, (1903 – 1988)
Father Oswald Mallya received the medals on behalf of our confreres. With them, we are honored and grateful to the Government of Zambia for this recognition.
