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THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FROM THE COMBONI MISSIONARIES
COMBONI
MISSION
Spring 2011
South
Sudan:
Birth of a New Nation!
The Church and People rejoice.
From the Editor
Spring 2011
By Comboni Press
COMBONI Renewed Hope
MISSION
COMBONI MISSIONARIES
IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND
ENGLAND MISSION OFFICE
Comboni Missionaries
Brownberrie Lane
Horsforth
LEEDS LS18 5HE
Tel: 0113 258 2658
e-mail: [email protected]
SCOTLAND MISSION OFFICE
138 Carmyle Avenue
GLASGOW G32 8DL
Tel: 0141 641 4399
IRELAND MISSION OFFICE
8 Clontarf Road,
DUBLIN 3
Tel: 01 833 0051
CMS MISSION OFFICE
Comboni Missionary Sisters
151 Baillieston Road
GLASGOW G32 0TG
Tel: 0141 771 1773
EDITOR’S OFFICE
Verona Fathers
London Road
SUNNINGDALE SL5 OJY
Berks, England
Tel: 01344 621 238
E-mail
[email protected]
OTHER COMMUNITIES
16 Dawson Place
LONDON W2 4TJ
Tel: 0207 229 7059
Comboni Missionary Sisters
2 Chiswick Lane
LONDON W4 2JE
Tel: 0208 994 0449
www.comboni.org.uk
2
Fathers at the Assembly, Sunningdale.
eading this first editorial for 2011 is a
photo of the Comboni missionaries of
the London province. Amongst them
are the four new councillors: Fr.Benito de
Marchi (Dawson Place), Fr. Antonio Benetti
(Dublin), Fr. Mario Centra (Glasgow) and Fr.
Tesfamichael (Battersea). The new Provincial,
Fr. Martin Devenish, was still in Uganda at the
time of the Assembly. Our congratulations
and best wishes to them.
South Sudan, ‘Church and People rejoice’
(see cover) marks the beginnings of an
independent life for the country where St.
Daniel Comboni began his missionary
endeavours. The area where St. Daniel began
his mission is now Rumbek Diocese under
the leadership of Bishop Cesare Mazzolari
who speaks of the need for forgiveness
amongst peoples of the South. There have
been internal divisions. He says: “Ending all
internal divisions is crucial for the region,
among Africa’s poorest, where six years of
relative peace didn’t lead to the building of
roads and schools or hospitals. At the start at
least the contribution of international bodies
and private groups will be indispensable”,
explained the bishop. The second civil war in
the Sudan (1965 – 1985) resulted in 2 million
killings and thousands of refugees. Many fled
to the North of Sudan and now there are 800
migrants in the catholic school at Rumbek.
Along the Nile and in Juba there are many
more camps. Many await with a certain
apprehension a return to the home of their
fathers. They hope to be welcomed back into
H
the family.
At present there are 44 sisters, 28 priests
and 10 brothers present in three Dioceses.
They are running 6 parishes with 6 primary
schools and 2 secondary schools. There are
also more than 100 smaller schools in the
villages. In the village of Lomin, the Comboni
missionaries run the largest school in all
South Sudan with more than 1500 students.
The Comboni Missionaries here in the
London province have channelled much aid
to Southern Sudan and will hope to
continue. All of this solidarity has much to
do with the constant generosity of our
wonderful friends and benefactors who are
in touch with us through the magazine and
also the many parishes throughout the
UK & Ireland
who support us
through mission
appeals.
To all of these
great people we
extend our best
wishes for a
prayerful Lent
and a Blessed
Easter!
COMBONI MISSION ISBN 0962-7154 is a quarterly publication
of the Comboni Missionaries (also known as the Verona
Fathers), a Catholic Missionary Institute for the evangelisation
of peoples, issued free to their friends and supporters.
Current issue: Spring 2011.
Comboni Missionaries are sponsored by freewill donations.
Please support the Comboni Missionaries,
charity registration numbers 220240 (UK), 8653(IRE),
(SC 039530) Scotland.
Copyright © 2011 by the Comboni Missionaries
Designed and Printed by Artworks, Dalkey.
Telephone: 00 353 1 275 1707.
Our thanks to contributors whose photographs and
letters we have used.
THE Q
UART
ERLY
MAGAZ
INE
FROM
COMBONI
MISSION
THE C
OMBO
NI
MISSIO
NARIE
S
Spring 20
11
South Su
dan:
Birth
The Churc of a New Nation
!
h an
d People
rejoice.
Comboni Mission • www.comboni.org.uk
CHURCH NEWS
Fr. John Clark
The Historic
Independence
Referendum
The important moment in Sudan’s
modern history has arrived. At over two
and a half thousand polling stations in a
week-long referendum, many believe,
voters have split
Africa’s biggest
country, the Sudan, into North Islamic
Sudan and South Christian and Animist
Sudan. The Methodist Central Hall,
London, was the only polling station in
the whole of Europe where Sudanese of
the diaspora could vote. And they came
in their hundreds. The future for the
“New Sudan” has yet to be determined:
vital questions remain to be agreed
upon, like fixing the national
boundaries, establishing oil rights and
resolving the disputed region of Abyei.
The birth of The New African Nation
seems to be very much on the horizon
with the final result expected between
6th to 14th February. It seems like a
dream come true after the loss of two
million lives in over 30 years of war. The
task now is to beef itself into a brand
new nation-state that is politically and
economically up and running with the
required infrastructure is an enormous
challenge and will not happen
immediately overnight. The Scottish
Labour MP for Coatbridge and
Chryston, Tom Clarke, strongly
advocated in the House of Commons
that the UK and the international
community help support Sudan in this
grave hour of need for solidarity
especially in the run-up to the dead-line
of independence on 9th July, 2011.
A bridge between the
Catholic Church and
the Indios
Bishop Samuel Ruiz died on 24th
January, 2011, in Mexico City aged 86.
This Catholic bishop of the Diocese of
San Cristobal de Las Casas was a
veritable champion of the long suffering
Mayan Indios. He took Our Lord’s love
for the poor very seriously and strongly
Comboni Mission • Spring 2011
CONTENTS
By Fr John Clark mccj
defended these victims of exploitation
and oppression. He became famous
because he supported the Zapatista
National Liberation Army
in the
southern state of Chiapas in the 1990s
against the Mexican Government.
Totally committed to justice and peace,
he worked untiringly among the
Zapatista communities. Bishop Ruiz was
a key figure to the solution of the
conflict between the Chiapas Indios and
the Mexican Government. In life he was
a much maligned man of God both
within and outside the Church. This
“red bishop” as his enemies called him,
encouraged the Indios to preserve their
culture, to regain their lands and to
demand their health and education
rights and gave them space to create
their own indigenous theology and
cosmology, liturgy and catechesis within
his diocese. May he rest in peace.
Editorial
Renewed Hope
PAGE 2
In Brief
Church News
PAGE 3
Fr Charles Duffin RIP
Fr. Robert Staton RIP
PAGES 4 - 5
I simply said ‘Yes’
PAGES 6 - 7
Democratic Republic of
Congo ( DRC )
PAGE 8
Comboni priest
ordained Bishop
Comboni Press
Comboni Press
In Brief
Where there is Injury…
PAGE 9
Radio Bakhita
PAGES 10 - 11
South Africa –
new models
PAGE 12 - 13
Lent
PAGES 14 - 17
Bishop Odelir
The Holy Father has appointed Fr.
Odelir Jose Magri as the new Bishop of
Sobral, Ceara, North East, Brazil. Fr.
Odelir until November 2010 was the
Vicar General of the Comboni
Missionaries in Rome. He is Brazilian
and was born in the city of Campo Ere,
Brazil, on April 18, 1963. He was
ordained a priest in 1992. His mission
has been in the Congo and at other
times as Formator of Comboni
seminarians in Brazil.
Amidst jubilant scenes Fr. Odelir was
consecrated Bishop on 12 December
2010 in the Cathedral of Sobral. Bishop
Odelir becomes the 20th Comboni
missionary to be ordained Bishop.
To Bishop Odelir and the people of
Sobral Diocese our heartfelt sincere
wishes and prayers! His Episcopal
motto was chosen as ‘Follow me and I
will make you fishers of men’.
Fr. Donato’s Diary
PAGES 18 - 19
You Write
PAGE 20
Sr. Stanislaus RIP
PAGE 21
Lord, teach me how
to grow old
PAGE 22
SouthWorld
PAGE 23
Easter
PAGE 24
3
Fr. Charles Duffin
28.12.1930 – 21.12.2010
rom the very first day I met
Father Charlie Duffin, I’ve
got to be honest, I liked the
man. I grew to like him even more and
discover over the years that he was
human, deep and intelligent,
humorous, blessed with a keen
perception of people and things, a
gifted teacher and a polyglot.
Outwardly Fr. Charlie was a quiet,
kind, reserved man who kept a lot to
himself. He disliked fuss. More so,
since for many years he suffered illhealth and experienced excruciating
pain and deep frustration. I admired
him for his faith which had been
solidly planted by his parents and
helped by his sister, Nancy. Like many
of us here Fr. Charlie questioned a lot
of things. At times his enduring faith
matured greatly because it had been
thoroughly tested in more ways than
one.
Fr. Charlie was born 80 years ago in
Glengarnock. In fact, yesterday was
his 80th birthday. His older brother,
Michael, died at the age of three from
meninghitis. Fr.Charlie
was the
youngest in the family. He schooled
locally before going to St. Mungo’s,
Glasgow. After completing his higher
studies there, he trained as a Verona
Father student at Sunningdale,
Southern England, and Venegono,
Northern Italy, and was ordained the
first ever Scottish missionary priest of
the Verona Fathers 55 years ago in
1955. Straight after ordination, he
was sent to work in Uganda where he
passed 10 years. He gave sterling
service as a competent teacher and
committed priest to a pastoralist tribe
called the Karomojon. Afterwards he
studied educational psychology in the
USA. Then he worked in the LP at
Mirfield, West Yorkshire and went on
the mission appeal-supply circuit over
these isles. In two different periods,
lasting twelve years, he worked in
Mexico doing parish work in Baja
“F
4
Comboni Press
Fr. Clark preached the homily at the funeral mass in
St.Brigid’s Church, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire.
Fr.Charlie with his sister Nancy.
California. In 1992 he was forced to
return home after having suffered a
serious stroke. His health was never
the same since then.
It has been from the early nineties
to 2010 that Nancy nursed her brother
priest with lots of love, dedication and
patience. He was the apple of her eye.
Allow me to express in the names of
Fr. Paul Felix, Provincial Superior, and
all the Verona Fathers who work in
these isles, our sincerest gratitude,
respect and deep appreciation for all
you have done over the years, Nancy.
Without you, Fr. Charlie and the
Verona Fathers could never have
coped. With the same sentiment of
gratitude both Nancy and the Verona
Fathers say “a big thank you” to Canon
McGarry, relatives, parishioners,
friends and neighbours, doctors and
nurses for their outstanding solidarity
and care shown during these days of
sickness and bereavement.
Lastly, I want to stress the
meaningfulness of the Word of God
proclaimed in this funeral Mass of
Fr.Charlie. We have the image of Christ
standing and knocking at the door,
eager to enter and sit down to
something to eat. As a priest Fr.Charlie
- even in the many years of his
infirmity, said his breviary and
celebrated Holy Mass daily where he
sat down and ate with Christ. Like all
his fellow priests he dabbled in the
tremendous mystery of God’s purpose
which was fully accomplished at the
Last Supper. We firmly believe that
Christ’s
Passover experience
conquered death and gained for us
everlasting life. Like Our Blessed Lord
each of us has to undergo death.
Sadly and rather unexpectedly, on
21st December Fr. Charlie passed
through his Passover moment in
Kilmarnock Hospital when God
decided to call him to Himself.
He was some man who definitely
had his two feet on the ground, his
heart pointed towards God and his
head struggling to unite the two.
At last, Fr.Charlie, you’re at home,
enjoying God’s great love and
blessings, which you so thoroughly
deserve.”
Fr. Robert Staton mccj.
October 19, 1932 – November 16, 2010
r. Bob as a young man was
converted to the Catholic
faith and baptised in this very
church of St. Mary’s, Halifax where
today we celebrate his funeral. It was
not long after that he felt called to
serve God. He joined the Verona
Fathers and became a lay-brother. By
trade he was a trained carpenter. He
professed his vows in Sunningdale
1959. Afterwards he went to Africa
where he spent ten years teaching
technical drawing and carpentry
among other things at St. Joseph’s,
Ombaci. He then decided to study for
the priesthood and so he went on to
Rome and Chicago. In 1977 he was the
only Verona Father ever to be ordained
at Roe Head, Mirfield, our junior
seminary. Later he was assigned to
Malawi/Zambia where he worked two
periods for 8 years at our seminary of
Balaka. In the London Province he
served in Ardrossan, Dublin, Leeds
and Sunningdale.
“Fr. Bob had a close and trusting
relationship with God. The sufferings
of his life are nothing when compared
to the eternal happiness with God his
Maker. Now he suffers no more. He is
enjoying the eternal glory together
with Him to whom he gave his life as a
missionary and true son of Daniel
Comboni. Together with him, we fix
A happy Fr. Bob doing the washing up.
said. The way he approached his
own death bore testimony to these
words: as a good priest he united
his suffering to that of Christ on
the cross.
He was able to do that because
he had faith in the resurrection, a
reality which he went on to
describe in that same homily. He
said, “We, all of us here and all the
people in the world, are made in
the image of the Trinity; we are all
made for relationship, for a ‘thou’.
In fact we are made for the THOU
of the love who made us and
redeemed us God, God’s very Self.”
Now Fr. Bob has encountered God
face to face whom here on earth he
sought and served so diligently.”
Comboni Press
Comboni Press
“F
our eyes on God, crucified but risen,
for it is in the shadow of the cross that
we see the light of the Resurrection.”
We would also like to include the
message sent by the Bishop of Leeds,
Rt. Rev. Arthur Roche on the occasion
of the funeral mass of Fr. Bob.
“I unite my prayers with yours
this morning for the repose of the
soul of Fr. Bob. I had the privilege
of administering the Sacrament of
the Sick to him in his final days.
I am very sorry that due to
illness I am unable to be with you
in person at his funeral mass.
Fr.Bob was a man from our
diocese who had the courage to
become a missionary, giving his
life for the spread of the gospel in
Africa. His dedication to this
ministry is an inspiration to each
of us as, according to our
particular vocations, we
contribute to the Church’s mission
of evangelisation, whether on our
own shores or overseas.
Fr. Bob delivered a beautiful
homily at the Comboni Open Day
at Leeds Trinity University College
in July this year 2010. He knew
then that he was dying. In it he
reflected on the witness of many
Comboni missionaries killed in
recent years. “The Life worth living
for is a life worth dying for,” he
Comboni Press
Fr John Clark gave the homily at Fr. Bob’s funeral mass.
Here we present a short extract of his sermon.
Fr. Bob with his family.
Fr. Bob with Bishop Wheeler on ordination day.
5
Sr Anne Marie
I Simply Said ‘Yes’!
Native of Ardrossan, Scotland, Sr. Anne - Marie Quigg was recently
chosen to form part of the Comboni Sisters General Council based in
Rome. Here she retraces her journey to her present mission in a
guiding role as general councillor.
f you are an older reader who has
been faithful to Comboni Mission
from the 80’s then you may
remember me from my youthful,
enthusiastic years when life still
afforded me the luxury of some free
time to write. As the years rolled on,
and I grew deeper and deeper into
living mission, there seemed to be no
more time for anything else. But, as
one of my Italian friends often
reminded me, La Vita - o la vivi o la
scrivi (Life; you either live it, or write
about it.). For a long time now, there
has not seemed to be enough time to
choose both options.
This is perhaps particularly true of
the past eight years of my life which
I
6
were spent in the beautiful and
challenging mission of the Vicariate of
Arabia. In 2001, I found myself in
Scotland, recovering from an accident
and wondering where the Lord would
take me next, after the seven years I
had just spent in Cairo giving a service
at Dar Comboni, Centre for Arabic and
Islamic Studies.
On the eve of the feast of the
Visitation – I believe it was not by
chance – our Superior General called
me and asked me if I would be willing
to join the Middle East Province. I did
not ask any questions. I simply said
‘Yes!’ It was the beginning of a new
phase in my life and a new way of
understanding my missionary call:
simply say yes to whatever proposal
comes and allow the Lord to take over.
So it was that I found myself in
Fujairah, one of the northern Emirates,
leading a school where 70% of the
children were Muslims. In the beautiful
desert of Fujairah, and in the faces of
the children entrusted to our care, I
came to understand that Mission is
much more about the person we
become for others, rather than
anything else. I gradually came to
understand Mission as becoming
presence, Real Presence for others, as
in the Eucharist, allowing ourselves to
be ‘consumed’. In the short time I
spent in Fujairah, being presence, real
presence of God, was our daily
Sr. Anne – Marie with pupils
much more than I was able to give.
Perhaps the most important thing that
I learned as I grappled with the daily
struggles of living leadership in such a
complex, multi-ethnic, multifaith
environment was the vital importance
of the ingredients of compassion and
solidarity.
If Fujairah was a daily challenge to be
Real Presence for others, Dubai
Comboni Press
challenge, for in the multifaith and
largely Islamic context in which we
lived and served, it was our only way to
proclaim the Lord alive within us, the
Reason for our Hope.
I quickly fell in love with the
beautiful mission of Fujairah. Then, in
God’s wisdom, there came another
call…from the same Superior General.
‘Anne Marie, will you go to Dubai?’ I
simply said ‘Yes’!…even though with a
heavy heart and a tear in my eye!
The next five years saw me at St.
Mary’s Catholic High School, Dubai;
Principal of a school with 2,000
students of 45 nationalities and a
teaching body of 150……and definitely
no time to write!
Dubai was a different experience, a
new mission, no less challenging.
Dubai was the experience of being
called to leadership. Scary! I found
myself somehow led – again not by
chance – into concentrating on the
pastoral dimensions of leadership
because our children, the vast majority
Asian children of migrant workers,
were so much in need of a listening ear
and a helping hand to resolve, or at
least to support them in, so many
situations, best left unwritten, that they
were experiencing. Suffice to say that
the social situation of the migrant
workers is a far cry from the images of
the Gulf that are projected on our TV
screens in the West.
Dubai was an amazing learning
experience in which I received so
Comboni Press
By Sr Anne-Marie Quigg
Children at St. Mary’s High school, Dubai
presented the challenge of becoming
an emotionally intelligent Leader, a
compassionate, empathizing, servant
leader. Needless to say, that, being
human, often I fell short of the
measure.
But a window was opened that could
not be closed. I grew in my conviction
that mission is more about who we
become for others rather than anything
else.
And then, there was the Chapter. I
simply said ‘Yes’! I attended the XVIIII
General Chapter in Verona in
September last year as a delegate of the
Middle East Province. The Chapter
experience is another story in itself.
The event turned out to be, in line with
my ‘visitation theology’, a series of
Eccomis (Here I am).
When on the 21st of September the
Chapter delegates elected me to give a
service as general Counselor, once
again, I simply said ‘Yes’, in the midst
of many tears; the pain of saying
goodbye (Au revoir, I hope!) to my
beloved Middle East Province, to all the
lovely children of St. Mary’s Dubai, to
all that was known and familiar, to
journey on…
Where will this simple ‘yes’ take me?
I have no idea, but I do believe that
simply saying ‘yes’ every morning to
the Lord will lead me in the right
direction, the one chosen by Him for
me.
7
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
ur community is just over a
century old. I believe it is
now time for us to realize
that we have come of age and can walk
with our own two feet. We cannot
continue to be under the tutelage of
others. All the faithful of the diocese
must keep in their heart every aspect
of our life, and progress must involve
all of us,” says Julien Went Mbia,
bishop of the diocese of Isiro-Niangara
in the north-eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). He proudly
remembers the origin of the
community: “The first missionaries to
reach
us
were
the
Belgian
Premonstratensians. They founded the
first mission in Lombari in 1903. Then
the Dominicans continued in their
footsteps, founding more missions and
the major seminary of Niangara, now
closed. 70 years ago, they also founded
the congregation of the Daughters of
St. Catherine of Siena. It is a glorious
history”. He also mentions that Sister
Marie Clementine Anuarite Nengapeta,
the first martyr of the DRC, beatified by
Pope John Paul II on August 15, 1985,
rests in the national sanctuary in Isiro.
The diocese was erected in
November 1959. It covers an area of
60,000 km2, with more than 1.4
million inhabitants. The diocese has 23
parishes. Bishop Julien, a priest since
1979, was appointed bishop of Isiro in
February 2003. “As a native of Tadu, a
parish within the diocese, I knew I had
to face many difficulties. In recent
years, the poor condition of the roads
made it difficult, often impossible, to
visit local communities. I created
several pastoral areas under the direct
responsibility of Episcopal vicars, who
help me in the pastoral work”.
“O
Self-support
One of the greatest challenges is the
lack of means. “In the past, we
received help from abroad. I was able
to give priests a monthly salary. Today,
external aid is declining, and we are
learning to focus on self-reliance”. To
this end, the diocese celebrates an
8
Comboni Press
Trust our strength
Bishop Julien
annual Day of the diocesan Church. “It
is not just to raise funds that allow us
to continue pastoral work, the day is,
above all, used to help the faithful to
feel responsible for their Church.
There is widespread poverty in the
region, I know. Yet, the faithful need to
realize that they are Church, and that
they are responsible for its running”.
Some missionaries, aware of the
situation, do not ask anything of the
people and find other ways of offering
a contribution. “I’ve repeatedly
warned them of this paternalistic
attitude, which perpetuates a beggar
mentality. Self-support means that the
Church and its activities are the
responsibility of every Christian. There
are some positive signs. Some
communities started building their
own chapels, creating liturgical objects
and musical instruments with their
resources. When they need money,
they get busy and organize communal
activities. This is the self financing I
like”.
Two centres of catechesis
The DRC is one of the African
countries with the highest number of
Christians. The majority are Catholic,
but there are thousands of local
Christian sects. In 2007, bishop Julien
organized a Diocesan Pastoral
Assembly. The participants examined
the pastoral methodology, identified
weaknesses and strengths, and made
some choices. They all realized the
need to improve the evangelization
efforts, and give more importance to
sacramental
life,
especially
to
preparation for marriage. Another
priority is the formation of the laity: it
goes without saying that the proper
functioning of parish committees and
diocesan commissions depends on
them.
To achieve these objectives, the
diocese uses the catechetical centre of
Nangazizi, where catechists and other
pastoral agents receive their training. A
new centre has been established at
Dondi. “I asked the Comboni
Missionaries to help establish and run
this centre. They answered with
enthusiasm. Like everyone else, they
also have a lack of personnel, yet they
readily committed themselves, and I
thank them for this”.
The government does not like the
social commitment of the Church.
“Our relations with the authorities
require a detailed analysis and a new
dynamism. Since the days of Mobutu,
political leaders look at the Catholic
Church as an opponent to be blocked.
There is no doubt that behind the
proliferation of sects - especially the
‘churches of revival’ - there is the will
of the authorities to reduce the
influence of the Catholic Church. In
1971, the government nationalized all
the schools, stating that it was its duty
to educate the population. Fine with
us! But then the government should
manage education with responsibility.
The same is true for health centres.
The government should feel the
obligation to properly manage these
facilities. We are ready to cooperate.
Our political leaders must realize that
the Church has a mission that is
complementary to theirs, a mission
that must be respected”.
Where there is injury...
by Leonardo Boff
Lord,
Where there is injury, pardon.
On the day you do the balance
of our history, forgive those who
offended and humiliated our
brothers and sisters, they are
also your sons and daughters.
But give us the strength never
to do what they did.
Make us beings of solidarity,
compassion and boundless love.
Where there is discord,
May I bring union.
Give us thirst for justice,
understanding and tolerance to
get along with each other jovially.
Give us a heart that feels the
beating heart of the universe and
every creature, in tune with your
Divine Heart everything that
unites, diversifies all and
everything converging.
9
Broadcasting on
Radio Bakhita
Radio Bakhita
Comboni Press
helping to build a brighter
future in Southern Sudan
St. Josephine Bakhita
10
A feisty Catholic radio station in Southern
Sudan has opened the airwaves to ordinary
citizens to express their views on how
democracy will take shape in what soon may
become Africa’s newest country.
Radio Bakhita, a project of the
Archdiocese of Juba, has incurred
opposition from government officials
and even sparked a rebuke from
Church leaders, yet its director,
Mexican Comboni Sister Cecilia Sierra,
says the station will continue helping
people construct a new nation in the
wake of decades of war.
“With a highly illiterate population
and poor infrastructure, the only way
to effectively communicate with
people in Southern Sudan is radio. Yet,
more than just giving people
information, we offer a platform for
them
to
communicate
among
themselves, a place for them to express
their views and opinions and feel like
active members of whatever is taking
place,” Sr. Cecilia said.
Station named after
St. Josephine Bakhita
Named after Josephine Bakhita, a slave
girl from Darfur who went on to
become Sudan’s first Catholic saint,
the station broadcasts in a local version
of Arabic, as well as in English and a
host of local languages. Such versatility
has helped the station reach people
who have not felt included in the
political development of the semiautonomous country, which signed an
agreement with the government in
Khartoum in 2005.
Putting people in touch
Sr. Cecilia, who studied journalism at
La Salle University in Philadelphia,
said:
Comboni Press
By Paul Jeffrey, by kind permission of the Universe
she said. Other than that, the station
has had free rein.
Independence
With the gaining of Independence,
“the issues to talk about won’t be those
far away in the North. Instead we will
be talking about the issues close to
home, like tribalism and corruption
and how we build nationality.
“Then it will be good to have rules
for the media and government,
defining each others’ boundaries,
having regulations so that they don’t
get in my area and I in theirs.
It will be good to have clear rules of
the game,” she said.
“We’ve opened access to people
who otherwise would be untouchable,
unchallenged by criticism.
“For example a traffic police official
came on and said they were doing this
and that. I don’t know if he
underestimated the intelligence of our
listeners, but people started calling in
with very concrete examples of how
they saw the system failing.
“Anyone who comes to Radio
Bakhita trying to patronise will
immediately confront audiences that
are attentive and critical.
Even the President listens
to Radio Bakhita
Sr. Cecilia came to Juba in 2006 after
six years of working in Church media
in Khartoum and the station went on
air that Christmas Eve. Although six
other Catholic radio stations have
since opened in Southern Sudan,
Radio Bakhita remains the flagship.
“People call Radio Bakhita the
Parliament because it’s a place where
issues are discussed and many voices
are heard. Our programmes are
listened to by everyone including the
president,” said Sr. Cecilia.
Authority to speak
Not everyone in the government has
been pleased with what they hear. In
2008, Sr. Cecilia was called before the
minister of internal affairs and asked
who gave the station a mandate to talk
about politics. She replied to him and
also asked Juba Archbishop Paulino
Lukudu Loro to publicly clarify the
station’s mandate.
“He spoke out clearly to say the
mandate of the radio is given by the
Church and nobody has any right to
tell the Church it should or should not
be doing this,” she said.
In late 2009, students took to the
streets of Juba to protest about unpaid
teacher salaries, and while being
chased by police some protesters took
refuge inside the station’s compound.
Several police officers entered and
began beating one young woman who
worked for the station; they apparently
assumed she was one of the
demonstrators.
Sr. Cecilia said she embraced the
girl to protect her but the police pulled
her away and continued the beating.
They left only after the nun said she
was calling the Archbishop.
Results announced (February) in
Khartoum showed a near 99% majority
in favour of a new independent nation.
The
formal
declaration
of
independence will be made on 9 July
and most likely will take the name of
“South Sudan”.
The north and south ended a 22year civil war in 2005 that left two
million people dead. Both sides have
avoided major outbreaks of violence
since, but failed to overcome decades
of mutual distrust to persuade
southerners to embrace unity.
Comboni Press
Sr. Cecilia discussing plans with staff members.
The Editor adds :
Referendum results give
birth to new nation –
South Sudan
Broadcasting control
Sr. Cecilia said the country had yet to
draft a constitution and laws which
would clarify the rules for the media.
“There’s nothing that tells us what
we can or cannot broadcast because
there are no media laws yet. In the
absence of any broadcasting body,
almost anybody can play the arbiter
and blow the whistle.”
The station had one spat with
archdiocesan officials when it
broadcast a programme about the
number of priests and religious who
have left the Church to assume
government positions.
“I was called in and sanctioned
strongly, so I had to write a letter to the
archbishop in which I apologised for
the inappropriateness of the forum,”
Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro
11
South Africa
In 1967 South Africa was
fully an apartheid regime
Yes, and the new department became
the right hand of the bishops in their
commitment to make the entire society
aware of the need for more justice. The
awareness campaigns support the
negotiations between the white elite
and the black majority, the formation
programs on social issues and the
campaign to educate people to vote
according to conscience, all are aspects
of an important page of the history of
the Church in this country.
Fr Mike Deeb (centre) with commission members.
Fr. Mike Deeb, a South African Dominican, has been
co-ordinator of the Justice and Peace commission of
the Southern Africa Bishop’s Conference (SABC) for
the past two years. The SABC comprises the 27 South
Africa’s dioceses, plus the sees of Manzini
(Swaziland), Gaborone and Francistown (Botswana).
Fr Deeb is well known for his anti-apartheid stance.
The Justice and Peace
commission has a long
history ...
We have been amongst the first to
answer the Vatican Council II’s request
to be more involved in the lives of
people. The Council could not be
clearer when it asked to ‘institute a
department that will encourage justice
and Christ’s love for the poor
everywhere. The said department will
have the duty to support the
12
development of regions in need and
social justice among the nations”. Pope
Paul VI answered to this call setting up
the Pontifical Commission Justitia et
Pax in 1967. In the very same year, the
SABC started the local department of
Justice and Peace. Since then, the
Church has never stopped working to
make sure that the values of the
Kingdom of God may be known by
everyone. We are deeply certain that
our work is an integral part of the
evangelizing mission of the Church.
What about today?
With the end of apartheid, we did not
find ourselves jobless! In the decade
after Mandela’s liberation we had to
devise new programs to address old
and new issues of justice in our society.
Today our work is directed to
coordinating the work of diocesan
commissions. We still organize
seminars, workshops, meeting with
parishes and civil society groups. We
keep repeating how important it is to
be aware and work for justice, peace
and the safeguard of creation. In our
wandering in Southern Africa we
realized that the communities which
are committed to social issues are also
the ones where the faith is more alive.
Do you have a specific
strategy?
We are a commission of the Church. It
follows that our first preoccupation is
to involve priests and other Church
By J. Caramazza mccj
The future of the Church lies with the Laity
leaders in our work. Unless parish
leaders realize the importance of this
ministry, it is difficult to reach the
people and make them aware of the
role they must have in searching for
justice and peace. This is why we
contact all dioceses and propose to
them formation programs that allow
participants to have a deeper
knowledge of the social doctrine of the
Church, but also learn how to evaluate
social realities from a Christian point of
view and help others to do the same.
We place special importance in
training young people to become local
animators. There are thousands of
these young people, some get
discouraged and need support to
continue in their mission. We offer
them a clearer knowledge of the
teaching of the Church, and train them
how to run a local group, animate a
community,
lead
a
seminar,
disseminate literature, etc.
What are the priorities to
address today?
Nelson Mandela
The most important issue we are
dealing with today is economic justice.
It is enough to realize how much
poverty surrounds us, to see the chasm
between rich and poor. We need to
find ways to fill this chasm and allow all
to share the wealth of the nations
where we live. We never work by
ourselves. We actively cooperate with
other groups that have similar aims
and ask experts – economists,
sociologists, psychologists, and other
social agents – to give us timely inputs.
A few weeks ago, we published a tool
to evaluate the economic conditions of
a family. Based on the needs of a family
in a rural area, we published the list of
products and services that are
considered essential. This basket
contains food and rent money, clothes
and medicines. Many diocesan
commissions quickly adopted the idea.
This tool is important, and it is the
Church providing it, while one would
expect others, like the government or
university department, to do it.
Economic justice means also
commercial justice. Last August, three
commercial accords advocating the
free exchange of goods within
the Southern Africa Development
Community were signed in Windhoek.
This seems to be a very good idea, yet
we are studying the implications for
our people. It could be that many small
farms and factories will not be able to
face the market, resulting in the loss of
thousands of jobs. Then there is the
question of land distribution. At the
end of apartheid, 87% of the land
belonged to white people. Only 5% of
this has been redistributed. The
government has recognized this
failure. It is true that many small
owners are unable to sustain their
farms, and soon sell their land or keep
it idle. The Church has some land and
there is now a proposal to distribute it
amongst the poorest. We are working
on how to do this and a new managing
model that would allow the poor to be
successful in running their farms is
taking shape.
13
Lent
In presenting the following dossier relating to the deaths
of Church workers during 2010 we wish to offer a reflection
for this Lent trusting that in meditating on the final fate
of these missionaries we may offer our own sacrifices for
the spread of the gospel.
14
By Fr. John Downey mccj
‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce
himself and take up his cross and follow me’.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you
and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’
- the words of Jesus our Liberator.
During 2010, at least 23 missionar y workers
were killed. They included one bishop, 15 priests,
one male religious, one religious sister,
two seminarians and three lay people.
The most violent continent for missionaries was
South America, where ten priests, one male
religious, one seminarian and three lay people
lost their lives. In Asia, one bishop, four priests
and one religious sister were killed. In Africa, one
priest and one seminarian died violently. Most of
their stories follow below.
Father José Luis Parra Puerto, 50, was killed in Mexico
on 17 February, 2010, Ash Wednesday, after having his
truck robbed. Fr Puerto and his companion were attacked
by several unknown persons as they left a store in Vasco de
Quiroga. Immediately after, the men took the truck with
the wounded priest, while his companion was forced out
of the car at Avenida 508, where he asked for help from the
security forces.
Fr Puerto’s body was found inside the truck in the area of
Netzahualcóyotl.
Father Dejair Gonçalves de Almeida, age 32, died
Tuesday, 16 March at 7 am, at St John the Baptist Hospital
in Volta Redonda, about 80 km from Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil), after having been attacked. On Sunday, March 14,
the priest was attacked while returning from the “Good
Lord Jesus” Church Community in Volta Redonda, in the
district of Agua Limpa. With him was a former seminarian
Epaminondas Marques da Silva, 26, who died from a blow
to the head.
On Saturday, March 20, 2010, Luis Enrique Pineda,
Salesian Coadjutor from the “Saint Peter Claver” Province
of Colombia-Bogotá (COB), was killed in the city of
Bogotà, at 8:00 in the evening. On his way to visit relatives,
Brother Luis Enrique Pineda was attacked by three thugs
who robbed him at knife-point, stabbed him and left him
in the street. Despite his wounds, he was able to stop a taxi
and ask to be taken to the first aid emergency centre where
he died. Luis Enrique Pineda was born on 24 May, 1953 at
Otanche-Boyacá, and had made his first religious
profession in Rionegro, Antioquia, on 24 January, 1977.
The lifeless body of Father Román de Jesús Zapata, a
Colombian, was found on 24 March in the rectory of the
parish of the jurisdiction of Currulao, in Turbo, about 500
km from the capital city of Bogota, where he was pastor.
The diocesan priest, age 51, was found in the bathroom,
naked, with his hands tied and with half of his body
covered with a sheet, which makes authorities believe that
he died from asphyxiation.
American priest, Father Esteban Robert Wood, aged 68,
parish priest of “Sagrada Familia” parish in Puerto Ordaz,
was murdered in the evening of Wednesday, 28 April, near
the parish house in the Unare district of Puerto Ordaz, in
the state of Bolivar, Venezuela. Fr Wood, originally from
Vancouver in the state of Washington (United States), had
been on mission in Venezuela for more than 23 years. One
of the workers who works in the parish found the priest
dead with wounds inflicted with a knife. Both the Bishop
and the local press attribute the murder to a robbery
perpetrated by strangers which ended with the murder of
the priest.
Father Peter Bombacha, 74, was murdered by strangers
during the night of 28 April, 2010 at the ashram he
founded in Baboola, about a kilometre from the residence
of the Bishop of Vasai, an ancient centre near Mumbai
(India). The body of Fr Peter was in a pool of blood. He had
a rope around his neck and scissors stuck in his throat.
15
Father Rubens Almeida Gonçalves, 35, was murdered
while he was in his parish of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception in the City of Campo Belos (GO), the Brazilian
Diocese of Porto Nacional. According to accounts, Fr
Rubens was seriously wounded by a gun shot to the head
on 20 May and died the next day in Brasilia, where he had
been hospitalized. According to several witnesses at the
origin of the crime was a denied request by the priest to
lease the parish hall to a man who then shot and killed him.
Bishop Luigi Padovese, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia and
President of the Turkish Episcopal Conference, was
stabbed to death by his driver at his home in Iskenderun
(Turkey), on 3 June, 2010. Born in Milan on 31 March,
1947, Padovese had entered the Capuchin Order of Friars
Minor on 3 October, 1964..
they tried to attack the policeman and steal his gun when
the tragic event occurred. Fr Reynaldo Vargas, Chancellor
of the Diocese of Soacha, referred to Fr Calero as “a very
peaceful man.”
Father Linán Ruiz Morales, OFM, 80, was found dead the
morning of Friday, 27 August, 2010 in his bedroom on the
first floor of the convent of San Francisco, located in the
centre of the Peruvian capital, with a series of cuts to his
neck. The body of his colleague, Ananias Aguila, 26, was
found suffering from numerous stab wounds in the kitchen
next to the church, where there is a canteen for the poor.
A Seminarian Mario Dayvit Pinheiro Reis, 31, of the
Archdiocese of Sao Luis (Brazil), was killed in the Capital
on the evening of 4 July, 2010, struck by a bullet that hit his
abdomen. At around 8.30 pm he was in front of the house
of his family, in the car with his grandmother, when he was
approached by two robbers who forced them to get out of
the car. After handing over the keys, he was suddenly hit by
a gunshot fired by one of the criminals that severed his
aorta and reached a lung. Transported to the hospital, he
died at around 9.30 pm.
Father Joseph Zhang Shulai, 55, Vicar General of the
Diocese of Ningxia, and Sister Mary Wei Yanhui, 32, of
the same diocese, were killed in the house for the elderly
in Wuhai, Wuda district, in Inner Mongolia. Their bodies
were found the morning of 6 July, 2010, by house staff
who, when they failed to arrive for Mass, went to look for
them in their rooms and found them in a pool of blood.
The priest’s body, found in his room on the ground floor,
had numerous stab wounds and there were clear signs of a
struggle, while the sister was killed in her room on the
floor above, with a single blow to the chest.
Father Carlos Salvador Wotto, 83, parish priest of the
church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, in the state of
Oaxaca in southern Mexico, was found dead in his parish
on the evening of 28 July, 2010. The priest had been
gagged and bound, had cigarette burns on his arms and cut
marks on different parts of the body, but he died from
suffocation because he had a plastic bag over his face. The
sexton of the parish discovered the body and called an
ambulance, but emergency efforts were useless because
the priest was already dead.
Father Herminio Calero Alumia, 36, a native of
Buenaventura, parish priest of the church of Santiago de la
Atalaya, in the town of Bosa (Colombia). The incident
occurred around 3.00 am, Friday, 20 August, 2010, on the
road between Bogota and Soacha, in an area called
Quintanares. There are several versions of the incident.
According to some sources, the priest was travelling in a
taxi with other people, when the vehicle was stopped at a
police roadblock and a dispute began between them and a
police officer. The agent pulled out his gun and set off an
accidental shot that killed the priest at once. In other
versions, the men who travelled with the priest were
drunk, and in the scuffle that followed at the police block,
16
Mourning two priests and church goers murdered in Iraq
Julien Kénord, 27, a Caritas worker, was killed in Port-auPrince, the capital of Haiti, on 8 October 2010, following an
attempted robbery. He had just received a check for $ 2,000
in a local bank when he was attacked with blows from a
firearm by strangers while he was in his car.
Father Wasim Sabieh and Father Thaier Saad Abdal,
were killed on the evening of 31 October, 2010, during a
serious attack on the Syrian Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad,
causing dozens of deaths and injuries among the faithful
who had gathered for Sunday Holy Mass. A third priest was
seriously injured. According to eyewitness accounts, Fr
Thaier said to the terrorists who broke into the church:
“Kill me, not this family with children”, shielding them with
his body.
Father Christian Bakulene, pastor of Saint Jean-Baptiste
de Kanyabayonga, south of Butembo in the territory of
Lubero, in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of
Congo, was assassinated on 8 November 2010. The priest
was returning on a motorcycle with a friend, when in his
parish, near the village of Mapere, two armed men in
military uniform stopped him. The villain in uniform
asked: “Who among you is the pastor?” Father Bakulene
replied, “I am.” After taking money from the priest's
companion, the gunman killed Father Bakulene with
several shots. Before stopping Fr Bakulene's motorbike,
the murderer had stopped other motorcycles, and the
occupants had been asked the same question: “Are you a
priest?”. It was therefore a targeted killing, disguised as a
street robbery degenerated into murder.
Father Bernardo Muniz Rabelo Amaral, 28, associate
parish priest in the city of Humberto de Campos (Brazil),
died around 9:00 pm on Saturday, 20 November, 2010, in
the city hospital, where he had been transported after
being attacked by a man who he had given a ride in his car.
The priest was hit in the neck and chest by several bullets
fired by the robber who then seized the vehicle, more than
$400 Brazilian and the priest’s phone. When he was
discovered, the priest was still conscious. Taken to the
hospital, he could not overcome the severity of injuries.
The fifth of six children, he was ordained priest on 5
September this year.
A Jesuit seminarian of Togolese nationality, Nicolas Eklou
Komla, was killed on Sunday, 5 December, 2010, on Belair
Road in Mont Ngafula on the outskirts of Kinshasa, capital
of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the night between
4 and 5 December, the seminarian was returning on foot
with some colleagues to the Jesuit school “St Pierre
Canisius” in Kimwenza, when a masked gunman blocked
their path, presumably to rob them. A discussion soon
degenerated: the bandit fired a few rounds of gunfire that
hit the seminarian, who died several hours later. Nicolas
Building the Kingdom of God
Eklou Komla, was born on 4 June, 1985, in Togo, and
entered the Society of Jesus on 7 October, 2008.
Father Miroslaw Karczewski, 45, Polish, priest of the
Convent of Friars Minor (OFM Conv), was killed on the
afternoon of Monday, 6 December, 2010 in the rectory of
the parish of St Anthony of Padua in Santo Domingo de Los
Colorados (Ecuador), in the north of the country, about
300 km from Quito. The priest, who for five years carried
out his ministry in this parish, was to celebrate Mass at
7pm, but did not appear, so the parishioners went to look
for him at home, and found him dead, with wounds on the
neck and other parts of the body. After killing him by
hitting him with a large crucifix, the thieves stole his phone
and computer. Police said that the priest had been
assaulted a year ago, in his house, and had seen the
criminals, who threatened to kill him if he denounced
them.
Christ,
Light of the World
17
Verona Fathers House, Leeds
Fr. Donato’s
Diary from
Horsforth, Leeds
s missionaries we are expected to
be ready to pack up and go at any
time. So after eight years in
Carmyle, I moved to Brownberrie
Manor, Horsforth, swapping places
with Fr. Clark. To begin with the
telephone line and the Internet
connections had collapsed which
forced us to look for a new provider.
We are now happy to be able to be part
again of the world of global
communication.
Given the bad winter season I did
not have the opportunity to go round
to say farewell to people in Glasgow so
I want to oblige now. I wish to
acknowledge the great support given
to the Comboni family by the many
people who have been part of this
period of my life and made it an
unforgettable experience. The priests
and the people of the parishes I visited
during the mission appeals all over
Scotland and most recently in the town
of Coatbridge.
On various occasions I took part in
celebrations with the Bishops
presiding over them, and I am
particularly grateful to Bishop Conti
for the connections he made to
A
18
Fr. Donato as a young missionary in Malawi
support the Italian community and his
project to have a memorial to the civil
victims of war erected next to St.
Andrew’s Cathedral. Finally I am in
debt to all the teachers of the Catholic
Schools that I visited together with
Comboni Sister Aurora: the friends of
the Ugandan community in Glasgow,
the Friday group and indeed the good
people of our parish in Carmyle who
were the last to bid me farewell.
It is now only a few weeks since I
arrived in Horsforth and it is
presumptuous of me to give my
impressions, but as I am been asked to
do so I beg you to bear with me
through this kind of diary I kept of
people and places.
The second of January was Epiphany
Sunday. Fr.Pasquino and I went to the
Cathedral in Leeds to participate in the
Solemn Latin mass sung by Mgr. Moger.
The congregation was made up of
people from different nations. Even
the Sisters (Beatrice, Chibuakum and
Valeria) serving the parish are from
by Fr. Donato Goffredo mccj
Nigeria. It made me feel at home again
in Africa. There is in Leeds a vast
population of students engaged in
their undergraduate studies. Just
across the road from our house there is
Trinity College, home to some 800
students with 20% Catholic. I had the
opportunity to visit the College on a
few occasions already.
During the week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, we Fathers returned to
the college for an open lecture by Dr.
Paul Murray from Durham University
on the theme of “Receptive
Ecumenism”.
A visit to Hinsley Hall, to see the
diocesan curial offices, gave me the
opportunity of meeting practically all
those holding offices there, from the
judicial vicar to the officers of the
Media, the Youth, Ecumenism, Cafod,
Child protection, and many others
departments. I will return for a day of
formation for youth workers soon.
On the second Sunday of January, I
visited St. Mary’s Church in Horsforth
(the new Parish of Our Lady of Kirkstall
is the result of the merging of three
Parishes of Holy Name, St. Mary and
the Assumption, into one). During the
mass that I concelebrated alongside Fr.
Pat, the Parish Priest, a good number of
children were enrolled for their First
Communion course. It was good to see
the Church full and the children taking
an active role in the Liturgy of the
Word, the Bidding Prayers and the
Offertory.
The Mission Appeals are what
provide the material help from home
and abroad. The first and only Parish
that I visited so far is St. Mary’s in
Barton on the third Sunday of January
being welcomed by Fr. Tim Sullivan. Fr.
Tim is a Jesuit who has worked ten
years in Zambia among the Atonga
people. We had plenty of issues to
share as Zambia and Malawi are
bordering nations with many facets of
the life of the people in common. The
good people in Barton expressed real
warmth of interest in the missions and
that day as well there were 8 children
starting their journey towards the
sacrament of First Hoy Communion.
Surprisingly I was greeted in the
Malawian language by a couple that
introduced themselves as teachers who
had been staying in Zomba, the
colonial capital of Malawi.
The last Sunday in January I took the
initiative to participate in the Youth
conference for Lancaster Diocese. To
celebrate 2011 as the UN Year of the
Fr. Donato now at Leeds
Youth the event was hosted by St.
Mary’s High Catholic School in
Preston. It was called REACT – a Global
Youth Festival. It was a good
opportunity to link up with Elaine, the
school chaplain, with Anne from Cafod
(she had sent her two boys to Balaka,
in Malawi, and mentioned Fr. Carlos
Nunes as a good friend of hers), with
Lisa who had just returned in
November from a humanitarian
mission in Sudan, with Maggie from
the Faith and Justice commission and
with Rachel of the Castlerigg youth
team (Castlerigg is the youth retreat
centre for Lancaster diocese). I signed
for the workshops of Cafod on their
new campaign ‘Thy Kingdom come!’
and the one of Stuart about Gang
Culture in Central America. The last act
of the conference was an ecumenical
service animated by a gospel choir
‘One Voice’.
I know people are very generous
with the missions. Donations reach our
house from our benefactors. At times it
is good to speak with them when they
phone; at times it is great to find
somebody like Alan who came directly
to our doorstep to deliver a cheque
from his parish. Otley Catholic Parish
of Our Lady and All Saints is
supporting a twinned parish in
Uganda, Moroto Diocese, pledging
money to support a dispensary with
two nurses .
During the weekdays in our house
every morning we celebrate Mass and
occasionally a number of Sisters of
Mercy from nearby Yeadon come to
participate. We have two ladies (Fiona
and Alice) to keep the house tidy and
help with the office work. At times we
welcome different group of friends,
sometimes Italians (Vittorio, Ruggero,
Elio), sometimes priests (Fr. Sean, Fr.
Paul), sometimes lecturers of the
College, sometimes the doctors
(Ornella, Chris) who assisted Fr. Bob
during his illness .
We believe in keeping good relations
and the blessing of friendship. All the
activities that fill up our daily schedule
such as times of prayer, the upkeep of
the house, work in the garden, cooking
and other shared chores do not
prevent me from going out to the
Yorkshire countryside. I have come to
the white rose land of Yorkshire and
with the coming of the spring I hope to
enjoy the beautiful scenery!
Fr. Donato with participants at Lancaster Youth gathering
19
You Write
Comboni Miss
ion
8 Clontarf Road
DUBLIN 3
IRELAND
Comboni Miss
ion
Brownberrie La
ne
Horsforth
LEEDS
LS18 5HE
ENGLAND
Comboni Miss
ion
138 Carmyle Av
enue
GLASGOW
G32 8DL
SCOTLAND
Letters from readers are most welcome but we regret we cannot publish
them all. Some may be shortened due to lack of space.
You can also email us at:
[email protected] OR leeds@[email protected]
Dear Father,
It is with mixed feelings that I join you
and all the Confreres of the London
Province on this sad and glorious
moment. Our Lord has called our dear
Charlie Duffin (Fr) to celebrate his 80
th. birthday in heaven and the eternal
celebration of our salvation!
Please extend my condolences to Fr.
Charlie’s sister Nancy.
I often recall the fraternal meetings
with Charlie and thank God for all the
work he did in the missions and
Province.
God bless you all.
Fr. Centis, Verona
other tasks. It has been a splendid
help.
Please pray for the Sudan at this
crucial moment and that the outcome
of the referendum may bring lasting
peace.
Fr.Pacifico, Khartoum, Sudan
Dear Confreres and
Friends,
Students in front of newly built hall.
I write to let you know that the
building was duly completed and is
fully functional both as a place of
prayer, assembly and as an examination
hall for the school. Attached to it is a
small headmaster’s office/staff room.
On behalf of Kasaala parish and of
Comboni College itself, I take this
occasion to thank you and all your
friends for their great support.
May the Lord bless you.
Fr. Remy, Uganda
Dear Confreres and
Friends,
We wish to thank you all for your
generosity towards the help in building
our school situated on the outskirts of
Khartoum, Sudan. The school still
needs finishing and furnishing amongst
Mother of Jesus the Priest.
Dear Father,
I am Fr. Remigius Twinemigisha and I
write to thank you for the generous
donation you gave us for the
construction of a Chapel/multipurpose
hall for St. Daniel College, Kasaala,
Uganda.
20
New school building, Khartoum, Sudan
This afternoon the post arrived with
the magazine. I had just returned from
mass and prayer group at St. Peter’s
and began opening the magazine.
There on page 17 was an article about
the Celtic football team in Kenya.
Never was Vincent so interested in the
magazine. He’s a passionate Celtic fan
and has posted your article on to the
website inviting fans to read about it
and encouraging them to make a
donation to your website.
I enclose a cheque in thanksgiving
and in appreciation for all you do.
Please pray for us as we pray for
you.
Theresa Cooper,
Marlow, Bucks.
Dear Fathers,
Visiting my brother here in Ireland I
picked up the Summer edition 2010 of
your magazine. Reading ‘The Meeting
at the Well’ and pondering with Sr.
Natalia’s reflection I was enchanted by
the beautiful picture of the ‘Woman at
the Well of Sychar’. I wonder if there
are cards with this picture on them.
I do enjoy the magazine since I
came back from the USA.
May God continue to bless your
great work and the people for whom
you work.
Sr. Aherne, Co.Cork.
Sr Stanislaus S.M
(Kathleen Kelly)
30.11.1918 – 08.12.2010
A memorial mass was
celebrated at the Sacred
Heart Church, Sunningdale to
remember Sr. Stanislaus
(Marist Sister). The church
was packed with relations,
fellow - Sisters, former pupils
and present - day pupils,
ready to thank God for the
life and witness of Sr. Stan.
Among her many services was
at this very same Church
where she taught catechetics
to the young children. She
loved this church and she
loved the Verona Fathers, and
she had many friends among
the parishioners of this
church.
After training Sr. Stan
joined the first founding
group of Sisters in autumn
1947 at Sunninghill – the
same year as the Verona
Fathers came to Sunningdale.
This was to be her stomping
ground for the majority of
the next 61 years! For 18 of
those years she was Head in
the Junior/Preparatory
school, where she was loved
and venerated- and feared too
sometimes - by generations of
pupils and parents and
colleagues.
May He support us,
all the day long
till the shades lengthen,
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then, in His mercy,
may He give us,
a safe lodging,
a holy rest,
and peace at the last.
(Prayer of Blessed John Newman)
21
Lord,
teach me how to grow old
Help me to recognise
the good things in my life;
grant me the courage to
accept my limitations
ceding my place to others
without resentment or complaint.
May I grow out of my attachment
to things,
seeing in this process a wise law
of your
Providence which regulates time and
presides over the life of generations.
Grant Lord,
that I may still be of some use to
the world,
through doing my small jobs,
but more importantly through
the witness
of my patience and goodness,
my serenity, my joy and peace.
22
Give me, Lord, your strength
to face up to the difficulties of
each day,
and especially to sickness and
to loneliness.
May the last years of my mortal life
be a happy sunset.
In prayer and charity,
understanding and hope,
may I know how to grow old and to die
with the kind of serenity and courage
that you, Lord, showed on the cross.
So that one day I may rise
to the glory of your Father and
our Father,
and go to meet those
who have gone before me!
Amen.
Courtesy of ‘Far East’
(Translated from the Portuguese original)
This
is
your chance!
This is your chance to get to grips with those world events
that shape the lives of the poor. To get up-to-date
Church & world wide news from the Comboni website
click online at our web magazine -
SOUTHWORLD www.southworld.net
Juba – Southern President Salva Kiir
talks to the media after casting his
ballot.
uba, January 9, 2011. 7 AM. A huge
queue snakes back and forth
outside John Garang’s Mausoleum
and inside the grounds where four
voting places are being prepared. The
rising sun warms up the chill of the
night. The waiting voters are silent,
solemn, sober, set for their encounter
with history: over 50 years of waiting
to have a say in the running of their
region, of their resources, of their
J
lives. In Torit, Eastern Equatoria State,
some people started queuing at
midnight. One woman explained that
they were too excited with the
referendum and they could not sleep.
So they decided to go to the polling
stations – one of over 2,600 in South
Sudan – to talk and sing until
daybreak. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the
president of the Government of
Southern Sudan, was the first to cast
the vote at 8 AM in the polling centre
at John Garang’s Mausoleum. After
voting, Kiir made three appeals,
urging voters to be patient and
peaceful, asking the security forces to
protect the voting centres and their
staff, the people and their property,
finally invoking the fallen heroes and
heroines to be with the people of
South Sudan. Kiir’s wishes were met
to the last. More than twenty two
thousand domestic and international
observers monitored the week-long
polls attended by over 3.7 million
voters and said with one voice that the
referendum was peaceful, free, fair,
well organized and conducted within
international standards.
The Churches in the North are
nervous
about
South
Sudan
independence. Recently, a newspaper
called for the nationalization of
church property after the referendum.
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
threatened to impose a stricter Sharia
law and require Northern Sudan to be
fully Arabic if the South goes. Over
100
representatives
from
16
mainstream churches met for three
days in Khartoum just before the
referendum vote started to identify
the threats and map out a common
vision. They asked for an inclusive
new constitution that acknowledges
diversity and guarantees freedom and
equal rights to all citizens.
23
Easter Prayer
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended:
combat strangely ended!
Life’s own Champion, slain,
yet lives to reign.
Tell us, Mary: say what thou
didst see upon the way.
The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen from
the dead we know.
Victorious king,
thy mercy show!
Amen. Alleluia.
He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!
ENGLAND & WALES
Brownberrie Lane
Horsforth, LEEDS LS18 5HE
0113 258 2658
IRELAND
8 Clontarf Road
DUBLIN 3
01 833 0051
SCOTLAND
138 Carmyle Avenue
GLASGOW G32 8DL
0141 641 4399

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