South Africa Sector – Page 4 – Missionaries of Africa

On the 2^nd August, I gave a talk to students & professors of Cedara (St. Joseph Institute) where our theology students go. There were about 50 people; the biggest attendance they ever had! A proof that modern slavery is a very hot topic! It had been organised by the OIKOS group, of which Antony Alckias is the Secretary. He is one of our students who should be ordained deacon in December.

As I was speaking to philosophy & theology students and teachers, I started with a quick overview of the attitude of the Church towards slavery through the ages followed by a brief history of Lavigerie’s antislavery campaign.

The big question is: what is the Church doing? The Counter Trafficking In Persons (CTIP) Office at the Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) published all kinds of posters & flyers to bring more consciousness. They had a 3 day seminar in April and started a Truck Drivers’ Anti-Trafficking group. They will soon publish a small book “The Church and Anti-Trafficking”. The Sisters seem to have more roles to play, as most trafficked people are women and children.

United in the same Mission,

Michel Meunier, M.Afr

Also: South Africa Human Trafficking Bill Signed Into Law

Article of Nzimeni Jeremiah Gama, OMI

So called Zone of Primary Evangelization!

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On July 29, 2013

In News, South Africa Sector

The first missionaries of Africa arrived in South Africa in 1972 in view of ministering to Malawian mineworkers who needed pastoral and spiritual care. Over time, our missionary vision developed into parishes and a formation house in theology.

I consider myself working in a zone of primary evangelization. Many friends of mine think that I am sent to people who do not know Jesus yet, thus to people whose beliefs do not reflect Christian faith or in the midst of non-Christian believers. To make clear, I am sent amongst people who, in large majority, are Christian believers.

Those Christians belong to many hundreds of different churches whereby Roman Catholic Christians are a little minority. Even 80 % of our Catholics come from these other Christian Churches. Some of them belonged to one, two or three other churches before discovery the Catholic Church.

Many women become members of our Church by joining the religion of their husband. This is underpinned by cultural rule. Some who feel cheated, disappointed and confused by the leaders of their former Church also decide to join us seeking hope and newness. A good number is helped by friends to find their way to our Church.

Therefore, it is difficult to assess the knowledge or understanding of the Catholic faith of our followers. It is quite common to see young people coming to join our Church being the only member of their family to do so. I baptize many children without considering the faith and Christian life of their biological parents, but rather the faith of their grand-mothers who belong to our Church. Paradoxically, I am surprised with the pride of some catholic families. Though they may not practice their faith, they strongly affirm that they are Catholics. We also see children who were baptized in our Church going to pray elsewhere. Few old and young men are found in our Church. Finally, many of our families are made up of single mothers and children. I also see some lapsed members coming back to be reintegrated. Who is supposed to receive Holy Communion and who is not? Only God knows!

Our challenge is to find the proper way to teach the Catholic Faith to Christians who are coming from other Christian doctrines. How do you ensure that the catechesis offered to them is carried throughout the life of a single Catholic member in the midst of other church goers? How can you expect to have catechists and community leaders to remain faithful to the teaching of the Gospel as presented by our Church taking into account their very shallow and mixed knowledge from previous churches? In our parish context, the primary evangelization is foremost a process of teaching and empowering the Catholic little minority in order to be loyal to Jesus Christ through a life of faith, hope and love.

Various seminars are organized for this purpose to enable the members of our Church to deepen their relationship with Christ, gain confidence and a sound sense of belonging. These formation days are strengthened by regular visits of communities and individuals. The aim is to cultivate a pedagogy that allows dialogue through sharing and debate with previous faiths in order to guide it through the clear doctrine of the Catholic Church. We are glad to see that the local Church is following this approach.

This has less to do with going to convert non-Christian believers, but it is positively to preach Jesus by revealing and professing the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ. Primary evangelization becomes a ministry to encounter the members of many Christian churches who want to believe in Jesus Christ, to celebrate and live his Gospel in the way our Church believes, celebrates and lives it. It is an internal dialogue between a Christian with a Catholic Christian. You may better think that the one who wants to embark on a catechetical journey with you is not a full Christian, but you may not change his mind; he knows that he is a Christian.

And what if he repeats: There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all… (Eph.4:5-6)

Sébastien Ndrutsomi, M.Afr

Newsletter South Africa no 29 – July 24, 2013

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On July 25, 2013

In Publications, South Africa Sector, Vocation animation

Newsletter South Africa no 28 – May 24, 2013

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On July 12, 2013

In South Africa Sector, Vocation animation

Slavery in South Africa between 1830s and 1850s

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On June 11, 2013

In Justice and Peace, Publications, South Africa Sector

They called their slave Inboekselings

In those stormy years between 1830s and 1850s the majority of Voortrekkers in the Transvaal were involved in a reprehensible though highly profitable occupation: the kidnapping of African children. It was a practice that sparked waves of terror in African homesteads. READ MORE

Slavery at the Cape

Jan Van Riebeck set foot at the Cape on 6 April 1652. His instructions from the Dutch East India Company were clear: he was forbidden to enslave the indigenous people of the Cape. However, slaves from elsewhere were another matter and in May 1652, only weeks after arriving at Table Bay, he asked for slaves to be sent to help erect the fort and till the land. For the first five years the only slaves at the Cape were stowaways or gifts from the captains of passing ships. In 1658 there were 11 slaves, eight women and three men.(…)

Slavery – the imposition of enforced servitude by a powerful group on another group – inevitably breeds fear in both groups, and resentment in the oppressed. There was also tension among the whites, who constantly feared a mass rebellion and death at the hand of a slave. There was always the fear that slaves who had run away might return to rob and kill, and so large rewards were offered for their recapture. READ MORE

Thanks to Didier Lemaire, M.Afr for sharing those articles with us.

Communication from the Bishop’s Conference of Southern Africa regarding the highly controversial E-Tolling system

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On May 24, 2013

In News, South Africa Sector

Dear Friends,

Please see below the communication from the Bishop’s Conference of Southern Africa regarding the highly controversial E-Tolling system.

This coming Saturday (25^th May 2013), Fr. Mike Deeb (SACBC J&P Coordinator) and myself have called a meeting of all J&P groups and interested people, at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Soweto, at 10:30am, to look at how we as a Church can deal with this issue, and plan our campaign.

The press release itself can be used in your communities, prayer groups and Justice and Peace groups as a discussion paper which we hope will encourage you to further action.

Please be informed on this issue and contact the SACBC J&P Department should you like to know more on the Catholic Bishop’s stance. Lots of information can be found online too.

With every good wish and God bless.

Raymond A. McQuarrie, M.Afr.

Vicar for Justice & Peace

Archdiocese of Johannesburg

Gauteng, South Africa

Justice and Peace Press Release on E-tolling

SACBC Justice and Peace Statement on E-Tolling and Gov Accountability

Ministry of acolyte in Merrivale, South Africa

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On May 6, 2013

In News, South Africa Sector

Serge Boroto Ziharirwa, Congolese, Douglas Ogato Moumanyi, Kenyan, and Tomasz Podrazik, Polish, received the ministry of acolyte on Saturday the 4^th May in our formation house in Merrivale. The Emeritus Bishop of Bethlehem Diocese, Hubert Bucher, officiated the liturgical celebration which was followed by a small but joyful feast.