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.
Father Julien Cormier, Provincial of the Americas, informs you of the death of Brother Alphonse Daigneault, M. Afr.
He died in the infirmary of the convent of the Capuchin Friars in Montreal, on the 24th of October 2014, at the age of 91 years of which 63 of missionary life in Zambia and Canada.
Let us pray for him and his family.
The campaign is going on for quite some time. Videos are now accessible through the Facebook Page of the Campaign for a People Driven Constitution in Zambia by clicking on https://www.facebook.com/grandcoalitionzambia
See the video of Father Cleophas Lungu
Coincidence or not, the Draft Constitution was released on the 23rd October, eve of the 50th Anniversary of the independence of Zambia. See below the Jubilee Pastoral Statement from the Christian Church Mother Bodies:
Constitution of Zambia Technical Committee – 23rd October, 2014 (PDF File 226 pages)
Joint Pastoral Statement on the occasion of celebrating ZAM BIA’S fifteen Anniversary of Independence – The Golden Jubilee (19 pages)
A Shorter Version of the Joint Golden Jubilee Pastoral Statement from the Three Church Mother Bodies (5 pages)
Coincidence or not, the Draft Constitution was released on the 23rd October, eve of the 50th Anniversary of the independence of Zambia. See below the Jubilee Pastoral Statement from the Christian Church Mother Bodies:
Constitution of Zambia Technical Committee – 23rd October, 2014 (PDF File 226 pages)
Joint Pastoral Statement on the occasion of celebrating ZAM BIA’S fifteen Anniversary of Independence – The Golden Jubilee (19 pages)
A Shorter Version of the Joint Golden Jubilee Pastoral Statement from the Three Church Mother Bodies (5 pages)
Happy Zambian Golden Jubilee!
A united peace and loving Zambia with people of vision, hardworking and discipline will make all Zambian loving peace call it ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION!
From Bro. Chimpali Mutale Clenerius (Folela), M.Afr
Happy Golden Jubilee to motherland Zambia.
We pray for Zambia and its people. It has been a blessing and we thank God.
May god bless Zambia always will peace, justice and good governance!
In prayer!
From Camille Konkobo, M.Afr
Happy Golden jubilee to Mother Zambia and to you all my brother. May the same peace Zambia has enjoyed prevail in our hearts and MAY OTHER COUNTRIES LIKE MALI know such peace.
United in prayer.
From Fr. Kambole Remmy, M.Afr
Pretoria, 24 October 2014
Dear fellow country men and women,
Today marks a mile stone in the history of our great Nation mother Zambia- a country that was a corner stone for liberation to other African countries especially those in the SADC region. The tenacity shown by our leaders to rally us behind our national motto One Zambia One Nation made it even possible for us to foster unity, peace and prosperity. Today indeed is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it, let us celebrate, rejoice and commemorate all our unsung heroes and sung heroes. Most of our leaders that played a huge role are no longer with us the likes of Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Harry Nkumbula, mama Chikamoneka to mention a few may they rest in peace and to those that are still alive today who were under the charismatic leadership of Dr. Kenneth Kaunda may they too be blessed.
To our former leadership that brought us into a second phase the late Dr. Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa SC may they rest in peace and may the Lord forgive them for any wrong they may have committed on this earth either in executing their duties or living with other people. May the Lord bless our former 4th democratically elected President Rupiah Banda and bless our current 5th democratically elected President Michael Sata and those serving under his leadership that they may put the interest of serving our people first so that the gains of our forefathers and mothers should not go in vain.
This is the time to foster unity of common purpose to strive towards uniting Zambians in the country and those in diaspora. We have come a long way and indeed we have been blessed with peace and we know a lot still needs to be done a country wherein Zambians shall be able to live and access good health care, education, food security, water and sanitation, employment etc. Our country had shown determination and good will in assisting other countries in our SADC region to be liberated and this calls to mind that we should now take our country into the 3rd phase that is to become an economic hub in SADC region and later in Africa and the world, we should strive towards achieving long sustainable economic development programs that shall be reflected in the lives of the citizenry. My fellow country men and women let us take charge and become part of building our country from where our forefathers and mothers had left it.
We cannot dare forget our unity in diversity so wherever you are as a Zambian please play an active role in continuing that motto One Zambia One Nation we cannot afford to be divided and our country to become unstable so together as true patriots we shall indeed make our nation a beacon of hope to other countries as it was during the liberation days.
May the Lord our God continue blessing our country and we pray. Let there be peace and prosperity in our great Nation mother Zambia.
Happy golden jubilee
Shalom
From Rev. Fr. Peter Chungu
Parish Priest & Diocesan Youth -ACTS Chaplain
St. Jude Catholic Church, King William’s Town, South Africa
Canisius Bindaba was celebrating recently his 31st birthday and sent us a word from Burundi. He made his apostolic training (stage) in Kasamba, Zambia, in 2010 up to 2012. Here below his message from home.
Thank you a lot ba Father.
It is a great pleasure to receive a message from your part of the world, especially from my great White Fathers family. I am in Burundi since I left Zambia. I got a job in the telecom as a corporate Supervisor. I also initiated a wide program for setting up youth communities with the aim of creating development community projects. The vision is intended to sustain social cohesion, peace consolidation and integral development based on tangible and concrete initiatives.
I intend to create a vocational job training centre where those guys could come for Internet research or get some practical courses to respond to the requests of the created youth communities. It sounds a bit silly but I pray hard to see my dreams coming true one day.
Even though I have left my formation with the Missionaries of Africa, I am always moved from within when I find news about the missionaries.
May the Good Lord be with you all!
Please pray for this dream of mine so that God may be praised in what I wish to achieve for the rest of my life. I really want to do something that would make a difference in a similar way as I was expecting to do with the Society of the M.Afr.
Lesa atupale amate!
Best regards!
Canisius Bindaba
Stephen Kajay was a stagiaire in Mua, Malawi, in 2008. He is now married with Amala Jothi and happy to be the father of a beautiful girl called Julie Vimal. The family lives in Chennai, India.
“I am writing this mail to inform you about the baptism for my daughter that was held on 14th September 2014. I am very thankful to Father Johnson Singarajan, M.Afr who baptised my daughter. Years ago, we joined together the M.Afr although we are traveling now in different directions. He is the one honouring the old promise that we made when we were at S.O.L.A. Candidates’ House in Bangalore. He really made the Sunday celebration wonderful and we had a long exchange. It was really nice spending time with him. I have attached the photos of the baptism. Once again, thank you for your prayers.”
Stephen Kajay
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- Stephen Kajay 2008 in Mua, Malawi
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 » :
« Les confrères présents dans la P.A.O. » : le 1er octobre 2014, il y a dans la Province 93 confrères, 89 pères et 4 frères, ainsi que 26 stagiaires. Cliquer sur le lien suivant pour consulter cette liste mise à jour, par ordre alphabétique. (lire la suite)
« Le livret du personnel» : cet article complète le précédent puisqu’il permet d’avoir accès au livret du personnel de la Province, réparti par communautés et par secteur. Il fournit également un lien internet pour avoir accès à la liste des confrères originaires de la Province, qui vient elle aussi d’être mise à jour. (lire la suite)
« Le nouveau Conseil Provincial » : la liste des Missionnaires d’Afrique qui ont été élus par leurs confrères pour les représenter (3 personnes par secteur) – Le dit conseil provincial est d’ailleurs en réunion lors de la publication de cette lettre. (lire la suite)
« Le Synode sur la famille » : un lien avec le dossier du journal « La Croix », ainsi que l’opinion d’un théologien africain originaire du Congo. Ceci en attendant d’avoir dans le futur des comptes-rendus plus détaillés de ce que cette rencontre a apporté à l’Église (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« La confiture de lait » un article paru sur le site www.abcburkina.net et qui décrit quelques expériences faites par des éleveurs pour mettre à profit leur production de lait en fabriquant une pâte à tartiner qui a l’avantage de se conserver longtemps. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :
« Dialoguer, une nécessité bienfaisante » cinq articles parus dans le dernier bulletin (n° 92) de l’ARCRE (Action pour la Rencontre des Cultures et des Religions en Europe) et qui permettent de prendre ou reprendre conscience que le dialogue existe bel et bien, malgré l’actualité préoccupante par sa violence et son intolérance. (lire la suite)
« Mon cheminement de musulman ». L’expérience de Sani Suleiman, dont le désir était de mieux connaître le catholicisme et qui est venu à Rome dans ce but pour étudier. Il était hébergé chez les Missionnaires d’Afrique. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix » :
« Vie difficile des enfants africains » un des textes parus dans le dernier numéro de « Voix d’Afrique » (n° 104) paru en septembre 2014 (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :
« Deux mois à Jérusalem », un texte dans lequel le Père Georges Paquet, qui était à l’accueil des pèlerins à Jérusalem en été 2014 partage ce qu’il y a vécu, et les réflexions venues de cette expérience. (lire la suite)
« C’est le prêtre qui t’a flatté ? » ou la nécessité de participer véritablement et intérieurement à l’eucharistie, et de se laisser transformer par l’Esprit. (lire la suite)