On Friday morning the 13th May 2016, our Superior General, newly ordained Bishop of Wa in Ghana, came back to preside over the 28th General Chapter of the Missionaries of Africa, at least until a new Superior General is elected. At 12:30 on Friday, the Community of the “Maison Généraliste” together with all the capitulants already arrived, came together to welcome and congratulate Richard.
Category: News Page 16 of 79
News from Sectors and Rome
By Lawrence Tukamushaba
“The Church is commissioned to proclaim the mercy of God, the beating heart of the gospel which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person,” Pope Francis (The Face of Mercy). What kind of pastoral initiatives can we implement to make the Jubilee Year of Mercy felt in our Parish? We reflected upon this question in our pastoral team meetings. Many initiatives were proposed such as organising seminars for different groups and encouraging people to deepen their sacramental life, especially the sacrament of reconciliation and matrimony.
Indeed, many marriages are in crisis. With the help of Marriage Encounter, the pastoral team put in place a seminar for couples who have been married for 25 years or more. The renewal of their matrimonial vows took place on the second Sunday of Easter or the Divine Mercy Sunday.
With great enthusiasm and excitement, over sixty couples from St. Anne’s Parish main Centre registered for the seminar which took place on the 2nd April. One couple celebrated its 64th years of marriage. For most of them, it was their first seminar ever as couples. They had a chance to share their life experience. It was also a time to look back with gratitude and look at the future with hope.
The renewal of their marriage vows took place at Mass presided by Luc Antaya, M.Afr. In view of everyone, they repeated their love and life commitment for each other. Some refreshments were provided after Mass and a few souvenir pictures taken. The “under 25” are waiting for their great day too. “May pastors [….] be diligent in calling back the faithful to the throne of grace, that they may receive mercy and find grace,” Pope Francis (The face of Mercy, No. 18).
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 » :
« Wilbert Gobbo, docteur en théologie » le père Gobbo, Tanzanien, vient de réussir sa thèse en théologie et nous sommes heureux de publier quelques photos. (lire la suite)
« Nouvelles de Mauritanie », publication de la dernière lettre du diocèse de Nouakchott. (lire la suite)
« Lettre de Laghouat Ghardaia, mars 2016. » les dernières nouvelles de ce diocèse dont notre confrère Mgr Claude Rault est l’évêque. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :
« Nouvelles de Tema Bokin » un texte envoyé par le curé de cette paroisse du diocèse de Kaya, paroisse qui va fêter son cinquantenaire (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :
« Islam et christianisme » la présentation de deux livres et une allusion au fait que Marie est vénérée par l’Islam et le christianisme comme Vierge et Mère de Jésus. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix » :
« Protection des enfants » le Père Stéphane Joulain, qui est maintenant à Rome, y est « Coordinateur à l’Intégrité du Ministère ». (lire la suite)
« Le Pape François et les migrants » tout particulièrement lors de sa visite toute récente en Grèce, le pape pose des gestes significatifs (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« Le Tchad » et les nouvelles prises sur le site de RFI au sujet des élections qui y sont contestées par une partie de la population. (lire la suite)
« Les premiers africains chez les Missionnaires d’Afrique » un article publié par le Père Dominique Arnauld dans Voix d’Afrique n° 110 (lire la suite)
« Eglise d’Afrique du Nord et Subsaharienne » les mouvements de population ne sont sans doute pas étrangers au fait que la prochaine conférence de la CERNA se tiendra au Sénagal (lire la suite)
My brother Claude Garand pass away on 6th April of a cardiac arrest, please remember him and his family in your prayers. Bro René Garand
À son domicile, le 6 avril 2016, est décédé à l’âge de 74 ans, Monsieur Claude Garand, époux de Claire Beaudet, domicilié à Victoriaville. Les funérailles auront lieu le lundi 11 avril 2016 à 11h à la chapelle du Salon funéraire. Monsieur Claude Garand laisse dans le deuil, son épouse Claire Beaudet, ses enfants : Alain Garand conjoint de Mélanie Tanguay, Jean Garand, Pierre Garand, François Garand, ses petits-enfants : Geneviève, Marie-Danielle, Ismael. Monsieur Claude Garand laisse également dans le deuil ses frères et ses sœurs, ses beaux-frères et belles-sœurs, ainsi que plusieurs autres parents et amis. Il était le frère de notre confrère René Garand
This morning at 01:30 in a clinic in Beira, Jaime Pedro Gonçalves Archbishop Emeritus of Beira, died after a long illness. May he rest in peace.
Morreu esta noite às 01:30 na clínica Avicenna, Jaime Pedro Gonçalves, Arcebispo Emérito da Beira. Paz a Sua Alma.
Picture of the right: Opening of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima Murraça
By Hugh Seenan, M.Afr
Jaime Pedro Gonçalves died today 6th Abril at 79 years of age in hospital in Beira after a long illness. Born 26th November 1936 in Nova Sofala in Beira Province, he studied in Zobue in the Junior Seminary directed by the Missionaries of Africa. He then went to the Major Seminary in Lourenço Marques e Namaacha and made further studies in Canada (Antigonish) and Rome.
He completed forty years as Bishop last week, Easter Monday, but was too sick to participate in the special mass. He was the major player in bringing the two sides to the negotiating table in Rome in the first Civil War which led to the signing of the Peace Accords of the 4th October 1992. He was very involved in the preparations of the first Extraordinary Synod for Africa, as a Vice-President of SECAM for the Portuguese language.
With the Missionaries of Africa at the handing over of Murraça.
Extract from Review Essay – Conflict in Southern Africa
“Mozambique’s peace agreement constitutes a rarity in conflict resolution, namely, as one of the few cases where the initiative, the pace, and the resolve of negotiations were determined not by diplomats but by the offices of the men and women of good will from Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay order in Rome’s Trastever district and by the clairvoyance and determination of a formerly imprisoned Mozambican Catholic Bishop, Jamie Pedro Goncalves, Archbishop of Beira. Ending Mozambique’s War is a detailed account of the negotiations that led to peace and eventually to democratic elections in Mozambique in 1993.” READ MORE ON THIS PDF FILE
On Saturday evening the 2nd April, Brother Armand Bamouni received the sad news of the passing away of his elder brother Edmond, third born in the family. Edmond had been sick for a while. He sadly passed away in early hours of Saturday morning and was laid to rest in the evening of the same day. Kindly keep Armand and his family in your prayers. May the soul of his brother Edmond rest in eternal peace.
Message sent by Deacon Douglas, Serenje community, Zambia.
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 » : « Baobab Echos n° 25 » la dernière édition du bulletin de la Province d’Afrique de l’Ouest (lire la suite)
« Liste des confrères travaillant dans la Province d’Afrique de l’Ouest » au mois de mars 2016, ainsi que leurs téléphones et adresses internet. (lire la suite)
« Liste actualisée des confrères originaires de la P.A.O. » avec un lien pour avoir accès aux adresses internets et téléphones portables (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » : « Albert Kondemodre, diacre » le témoignage de l’un des trois diacres originaires de la PAO, qui termine ses études à Merrivale en Afrique du Sud (lire la suite)
« Année spirituelle à Bobo-Dioulasso », un texte de l’un des formateurs présents dans cette maison de formation à Samagan (lire la suite)
« 24 mars, journée des martyrs », un texte pris sur l’Agence « Fides » et qui parle de cette journée choisie pour faire mémoire des missionnaires martyrs (lire la suite)
« Lettre d’Algérie du Père Aldo Giannasi » qui explique le travail qui est le sien et témoigne de la présence bien évidente de missionnaires venant de la P.A.O, qu’il s’agisse de sœurs ou de prêtres.(lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » : « Sur le site de l’ARCRE » trois articles pris sur le site de l’Action pour la Rencontre des Cultures et des Religions en Europe (lire la suite)
« Sérénité dans un dialogue en vérité » trois articles ayant pour source le journal « La Croix » (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix » : « Comment vivre en produisant du lait ? » un nouvel article sur le site « abcburkina.net » qui fait prendre conscience de l’exploitation des producteurs laitiers. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » : « Milices populaires au Burkina » sur le site du journal « Le Monde » cet article parlant des milices populaires dans les campagnes du Burkina. (lire la suite)
By Joe McMenamin, M.Afr
It all began at 23:30hrs on Friday 11th March 2016. I was awakened from sleep by what you could call thunderous banging on my bedroom door which was locked (the thieves didn’t have the manners to knock!). At first I thought the roof of our house was collapsing then, one wakes up to the reality, I realised it was at my bedroom door.
It all went so quickly. Suddenly the door was flung open, the light was switched on and I am face to face with two sturdy men (no masks). One was brandishing a steel bar called a crowbar the other had a knife. The command was given (they spoke in English) “money, money, we want your money, all your money”. I came out of the bed and went to put on my trousers. They ordered me, “get back, just sit there and don’t move”. They took some money that was on the table. Then they took the wallet from my trousers in which there was money. Again they demand “more money, more money” I told them I don’t have any more money, luckily there was very little money in my room at the time.
Then began the ransacking of everything in the room rifling through the cupboard, the filing cabinet and shelves opening drawers throwing all the contents on the floor. They picked through everything, taking anything that they thought could be of value, some clothes, shoes, phones, watch, travel bag for putting in the stolen goods even a cross, etc. When I saw they had taken all the backups to my laptop computer, two external hard drives and memory sticks, they then went for the computer. I said, “no, don’t take my computer”. I pleaded until, to my great surprise, they put it back again on the table.
When all this was going on I could hear voices in Fr Dave’s room next door and I realised he was going through the same ordeal. Once over (20 minutes of humiliation), I went to console Fr Dave from whom they had taken everything of value in his room. Then, I thought of the watchman, is he OK? Has he been harmed? I kept calling him at the entrance to his little house. After some time, he eventually woke up oblivious of all that was going on. It was indeed “a night to remember” and also a lesson to be learned as the Bible puts it “be on your guard because you will never know when the thieves break in and steal”.
My version of our unwelcome visitors. By 
Dave Cullen, M.Afr
This is what happened: we had a midnight visit from the thieves who broke into our house through the kitchen window, bending the security bars back and entering in. Suddenly the light was switched on in my bedroom and two young men with weapons in their hands (not guns) came in. I just stayed in bed and pointed to the drawer where there was some money. There came in two others who had found that Joe’s door was locked so it took them a bit of time to smash it open. Besides the money they also took my laptop, phone, watch, camera and a few other items. All my drawers were opened up and everything poured out all over the floor as also some clothes from my cupboard lest I was hiding something there. They also looked behind my pillow and mattress again searching for hidden treasures. Our watchman slept through it all! Anyhow we thank the Lord that we suffered no physical harm. We are in the process of hiring a more reliable security system and hope we will not have a repeat performance.
Father Gilles Barrette, Provincial of the Americas, informs you of the death of Father Pierre Genest, M.Afr.
He died on March 22, 2016, in Montreal (Canada), at the age of 92 years of which 65 of missionary life in Malawi, Philippines and Canada.
Let us pray for the repose of his soul.
In Malawi, Father Genest lived in Mua (1952), Kasina (1955), Guillemé (1960), Dedza (1961), Mtendere (1976), Nsipe (1990) and Lilongwe (2001).
We are in Holy Week and the final days before the celebration of the central feast of our faith as Christians – The Resurrection of Jesus! This is an important moment for us to take time and reflect on what Jesus’ Resurrection means for us, each one personally, in particularly in this Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Jesus took the pilgrimage to Jerusalem aware that this was the journey of His passion and death but also trusting that He would rise from the dead after 3 days, victorious over sin and death and having fulfilled the plan of Salvation of His Father for all humankind.
Each of us is on their own specific pilgrimage of life—a journey that will not always be easy, and times maybe exceptionally difficult and death also awaits each one of us. It may be a so called ‘natural death’, it may be a death caused by sickness or a tragic accident, it might be martyrdom like experienced by 4 Sisters of Charity in Yemen (see page 3). We don’t know what this Missionary Disciple journey holds in store for us. However we do trust in the promise of Jesus as to what the final destination of our journey will be — our own resurrection and eternal life with our loving God.
Both Easter time and this Jubilee Year of Mercy are opportune moments for us to renew (or begin to take up) our responsibilities related to our Baptism and to live as Missionary Disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord whom we have promised to serve. The Universal Mission of the Church is the responsibility of each of the baptized and a calling to witness Jesus and His liberating message of Good News to all. Nobody is excluded from the New Life and mercy that Jesus offers!
The Risen Christ is inviting us to be His witnesses to all those whom we encounter. We cannot be a true Christian and at the same time be indifferent to the reality of those who live without hope, joy, dignity and God in their lives. These too have the same Heavenly Father as you and me. They too have been redeemed through the Precious Blood shed by Jesus Christ our Lord and Brother.
These too have the same Heavenly Father as you and me. They too have been redeemed through the Precious Blood shed by Jesus Christ our Lord and Brother.
We need to live our Christian calling and vocation as Missionary Disciples and be instruments in the hands of Jesus. The joy, hope, peace and mercy we have received we need to pass on to those around us, those who journey with us in one way or another in this pilgrimage of life. We manifest our Missionary Discipleship by our prayers for the missions, missionaries, the suffering and needy of the world, by our daily witness through concrete actions of mercy and charity, through our presence and through kindness in word and deed to those who are most abandoned and excluded in our society.
May the Spirit of the Risen Lord set us alight with passion and joy in bringing His message of Good News to all! A very Joyful and Blessed Easter to all of you!
Fr. Gordon Rees mccj, National (Missio SACBC) PMS Director – South Africa, Botswana & Swaziland
Headlines: Attackers kill 16 people, including 4 nuns, inside Catholic facility established by Mother Teresa’s charity in Aden. Pope Francis ‘shocked’ by attack on Yemen care home.
