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News from Sectors and Rome

Missionaries of Africa Ghana-Nigeria JPIC-ED Newsletter – June 2013 Volume 1

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On June 27, 2013

In News

Logo Ghana-Nigeria JPIC-ED 2013 Newsletter 2Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. This is to say Ghana-Nigeria JPIC-ED continues to seek the best ways to contribute towards a peaceful and just society living in a clean and suitable environment and evaluating our peaceful coexistence among regions, tribes and nations. With this in mind, we present today our Newsletter focussing on the 125th anniversary of Lavigeries’ involvement in his antislavery campaign. BULLETIN

Clenerius Mutale Chimpali, M.Afr

The challenges of implementing Shari’ah Law in modern times – FENZA conferences

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On June 27, 2013

In News, Zambia Sector

FENZAIn line with its programmed series of conferences for the year 2013, FENZA organized its second conference on Saturday 22 June. The topic of the conference was: Challenges of Implementing Shari’ah Law in Modern Times. To present the theme were Dr Pamela Towela Sambo, Lecturer at UNZA in the Faculty of law, whose well-appreciated talk provided the general framework for understanding law in secular modern times. To present the Muslim self-understanding of Shari’ah law were Sheikh Twaha O. Chiwala and Sheikh Derrick Musa Zemba, Zambian graduate scholars of Medina University in Saudi Arabia, specialized in Shari’ah law and Prophetic Traditions (Hadiths), respectively. Finally, Fr. Felix J. Phiri, a scholar in Islamic studies and a former Lecturer of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome, made a synthesis of the two preceding presentations, highlighting the challenges underlying the efforts of implementing Shari’ah law in modern times. The talks will soon be rendered available on the FENZA website, www.fenza.org .
Implementing Shari’ah Law in Modern Times 01The conference started at 14.30hrs and ended at 17.00hrs. After the three presentations, the audience, relatively smaller than usual, about 30 people, joined into the debate opened and moderated by Fr. Romaric Bationo, the new director of FENZA. The presence of Muslims in the audience was noticed and highly appreciated by the Christian participants. The debate had to be cut short due to time limit, leaving some participants still thirsty for more discussion. This conference may have opened the door for more encounters with Moslems around Lusaka
The next conference will be on Modern Slavery at a date to be later determined.

Mafrwestafrica – Lettre du 24 juin 2013

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On June 25, 2013

In News, Publications

Mafrwestafrica 02Aujourd’hui, les Missionnaires d’Afrique de l’Ouest vous proposent de visiter de nouvelles pages sur leur site www.mafrwestafrica.net :
– Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :
« Expérience d’un étudiant à Abidjan », une lettre de Simplice Traore, originaire du Mali, et qui vient de terminer sa première année de théologie. (lire la suite)
– Dans la rubrique « Actualités » :
« Fin d’année à Abidjan » : un article envoyé par le Père Wilbert Gobbo, qui termine cette année son séjour à Abidjan dans notre maison de formation. (lire la suite)
« Le billet du diocèse de Laghouat-Ghardaia, juin 2013 », aussi disponible en allant sur « Maghreb – dernières nouvelles » (lire la suite)
« Le premier évêque Nigérien» un article pris sur le site de l’agence FIDES, à propos de l’ordination d’évêque auxiliaire de Niamey, le 9 juin 2013. (lire la suite)
– Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« L’arbre de vie, le moringa » un article tiré de la revue « Voix d’Afrique » du mois de juin 2013. (lire la suite)
« La Province du Sud de l’Afrique », une invitation à aller visiter le blog de cette province des Missionnaires d’Afrique, qui publie d’ailleurs les informations données sur notre site www.mafrwestafrica.net.  (lire la suite)
– Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix » :

« Le Pape contre le travail des enfants », des extraits de la déclaration du Pape François le 12 juin 2013, journée mondiale pour protéger les enfants de l’exploitation. C’est en même temps l’occasion pour nous de donner plus de détails sur la campagne antiesclavagiste du cardinal Lavigerie, et la célébration de son 125ème anniversaire. (lire la suite)

Government – Renamo talks resume, despite raid on arsenal

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On June 21, 2013

In Mozambique Sector, News

Club of Mozambique… the attack, at about 03.30 on Monday morning, against an arsenal of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) at Savane, in Sofala. At least six Mozambican soldiers were murdered in the raid.
No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack… According to a report in the Maputo daily “Noticias”, there were about 30 FADM troops at the arsenal, who were taken completely off their guard by the pre-dawn raid. The attackers made off with an unknown amount of weaponry.
The paper’s report says that five soldiers were killed on the spot, and a sixth died later in Beira Central Hospital. Another is unaccounted for and may also be dead. A wounded soldier is still undergoing treatment at the hospital.
The head of the Savane administrative post, Rosa Bia Luis, had no doubt that the raiders, who wore uniforms, were members of Renamo. She said the attack had caused great tension in Savane, and that some public institutions, including schools and health units had closed their doors because of it.
The wounded soldier told reporters that the attackers had also suffered casualties, but had carried their dead and wounded away with them.
READ MORE
 
Savane in Sofala Mozambique

From Google Map

Georg Messer died in Germany

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On June 12, 2013

In News

Georg Messer died on the 12th June 2013, at the Hospital of Munich, Germany He was 82 years old of which 56 of missionary life in Malawi and in Germany.
RIP
Georg_MesserOur confrere died today, 12.06.2013, in a Hospital of Munich. He had suffered a heart attack. He will be buried on Thursday, 20.06.2013 on the Western Cemetery in München.
Georg Messer was born in Kaltenbaum near Regensburg on 09.08.1930. After completing his secondary education with ‚Abitur’ in Regensburg, he began his formation with the White Fathers in Trier. He did his Novitiate and Theology in s’Heerenberg. There he took his Missionary Oath on 24.07.1956. He did his last year of theology in Montiviot/Scotland. In Galashiels/Scotland he was ordained priest on 16.05.1957.
After his ordination he had to serve as teacher in our minor seminary of Zaitzkofen for one year. On 12.11.1958 he was able to travel to Malawi, where he lived and worked as a missionary for 56 years. Often he had to serve as a teacher in minor seminaries (Kasina and Mtendere). But he also spent many fruitful years as parish priest in several parishes of the diocese of Dedza. In July 2012 he returned to Germany and joined your community in München.
Fr. Rolf Wigger, M.Afr, Sector Secretary

Our Parish in Kindu, DR Congo

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On June 12, 2013

In News

Hello! Greetings from Kitwe! When I arrived in Zambia for holidays, from Congo, Serge asked me to write a few lines about the parish where I am working. This is what I have done here.
We are at St Rita’s Parish in the diocese of Kindu, east of Congo. Missionaries of Africa went to Kindu only after our confrere Willy Ngumbi became bishop in 2007 and asked for M.Afr community. There are two communities, at the bishop’s residence we have Bishop Ngumbi and Georges Martin (and a diocesan priest Mathieu Kapuli, the bishop’s secretary).Evans Chama
At 3km from the bishop’s house is our parish community in a township called Tokolote. We are four: Fr Hubert Bonke (German), Valentin de Belie (Belgian), Francis Ankosala, Ghanian (stagiaire) and myself, Evans Chama.
This parish was started by the Spiritans and when they left their house was occupied by a Congregation of diocesan brothers. So for quite some years the parish had no resident priests but had only some priest coming for mass mainly on Sundays. This has marked the parish in some way. One thing I find impressive is that people take the initiative to organise activities, especially the youth, without necessarily waiting for the priests to do things for them. However, there are also aspects that need refining. I give an example.
We have nine small Christian Communities (Mashirika). Every morning, except on Sunday, there is prayer in a form of celebration of the Word (no communion) in each Shirika at O5:30hrs.  There is relatively good attendance, yet, for the daily mass in the parish church you may have 10 to 15 people and most of them come after having attended the celebration in their Shirika. So we are trying to encourage the faithful to appreciate also attending mass and to avoid this “doubling” of prayer. We encourage them also by celebrating mass at least in two Shirikas every week.
At 6km from the parish, we have a fast growing outstation –St John’s Baptist where we also celebrate mass every Sunday.
One challenge here in Kindu, like for the rest of Congo, is the absence of road network. The only means to get out of this forestry area to go to Bukavu or Goma is only by air. Even most of the commodities you find on the market are brought in by air which makes the cost of living scandalously high for a rural place like Kindu. Most of our Christians are rice farmers and they share with us what they produce. We do not buy rice.
Kindu is also served by rail transport. In fact, I have the possibility of travelling by train from Kindu to Lubumbashi. But then, I have to be ready for it. Kindu-Lubumbashi is a journey, if all goes well, of not less a month. If I opt for this transport, I should reserve at least two months for travelling.
Our parish church, constructed some 46 years ago with only the capacity of about 300 persons, has become too small. So we have the project of building a new church but when you think of a pocket of cement shooting up to $50, building the house of God becomes a nightmare for us.

The drama of life

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On June 12, 2013

In Mozambique Sector, News

Maurice Aduol Odhiambo 05The drama of life
While watching a film about the Uganda Martyrs, I was touched by the way they were placidly murdered by the soldiers. How can they slaughter fellow human beings like an animal on a charcoal? I am alarmed to see this kind of butchery becoming so casual. Then, I asked myself what the meaning of life is all about. Actually, life is full of drama opposing contrary occurrences.
For instance, doctors are working tirelessly to treat sick people whereas others are being assassinated. While someone is sweating to protect or save the life of a person, someone else is doing his best in order to destroy the existence of someone else as it is happening in war zone countries. Efforts to promote Justice and peace are annihilated by political destabilization of peaceful co-existence. Many couples are unsuccessful in procreating children while millions of abortions are performed. Winning football teams celebrate when losers are saddened.
These few examples tell me that I am constantly squeezed between conflicting realities. What shall I do? Am I simply acting like a spectator within a collective drama? Or, am I willing to face the challenge to do my best to make the world a better place to live in? I see myself becoming co-actors for a better world in a fighting spirit. It is not like a soldier throwing prisoners on a charcoal but as an athlete running to gain the reward reserved for the children of God.
By Maurice Odhiambo, stagiaire, Dombe community, Mozambique

Mafrwestafrica – Lettre du 11 juin 2013

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On June 11, 2013

In News, Publications

Mafrwestafrica 02Cher SAP Blog
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 » :
« Missionnaires d’Afrique décédés »,, les noms de ceux qui ont servi dans les pays de la province d’Afrique de l’Ouest et qui nous ont quitté depuis le 1er janvier 2013. (lire la suite)
– Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix» :
« La corruption au Burkina Faso», tel est le thème de la dernière lettre de la commission Justice et Paix des religieux et religieuses au Burkina Faso (lire la suite)
– Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« Protéger l’agriculture africaine» : notre confrère Maurice Oudet nous invite à réfléchir sur la nécessité de prendre des mesures efficaces pour protéger cette agriculture encore bien fragile. (lire la suite)
– Dans la rubrique « Maisons de formation » :
La Maison Lavigerie à Ouagadougou », quelques extraits de la dernière revue de la Maison Lavigerie, « Le Pélican » : l’éditorial, et l’interview du Père Charlin. (lire la suite)

– Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » : « Philippe Dakono, de Tanzanie », un jeune malien qui vit présentement son année spirituelle en Tanzanie partage son expérience d’immersion auprès des plus pauvres.(lire la suite) .

10000 hits!

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On June 11, 2013

In News, Sectors

MAFRSAP LOGO 0210000 hits!

Thanks to you all! MAFRSAP Blog has reached 10000 hits. Officially inaugurated on the 1st February 2013, your favorite blog is growing every day. Each day, an average of 50 hits is registered.
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The coming back of Justin Sebakunzi

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On June 10, 2013

In News

Justin SebakunziIn a letter written in French, Justin Sebakunzi is expressing his thankfulness to the AMS Province for the wonderful experience he lived in Quebec City and Ottawa. Those three years were a marvellous gift of life. He is now appointed to Zambia, “the country of nice people”, where he made his novitiate and stage.

Welcome back to SAP dear Justin. We are looking forward to welcome you in August. Take care!   READ MORE

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