Br Paul Noonan Formation Centre, Tamale: Ghana at 52 on 6th March

Monday, March 9, 2009

Ghana at 52 on 6th March

52 years ago a country colonized by Britain became a Republic led by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
This year in Tamale the early morning roads jammed with traffic and people as all headed for the Independence Square. The Novices had the privilege to join the multitudes in celebrating the freedom of mother Ghana.
We started our morning with a prayer, where libation was poured in remembrance of all those who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle. Following the recent post election violence in Tamale we were cautioned “not to sport any of the political party’s colours”. There was little to worry about though. We spoiled ourselves in town as we explored different Ghanaian dishes and drinks.

Celebrations continued at the community upon return where our lone Ghanaian novice, Cornelius, explained the meaning of the national flag, sang the anthem and cut the cake decorated with “Ghana 52” on it. We also welcomed Br. Michael Colasuonno to Ghana at this celebration. He will spend month of March with us.
“I was impressed by the spirit of patriotism and the singing of heroic songs as they flooded the town, I felt happy spending my day with the Ghanaians making their day more colorful”
May God bless Mother Africa, let justice flow like a river.
(Cornelius and Chrispinus)

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What do we want this novitiate to be?

There is a saying that goes something like this: “If we don’t do what we believe in, then we’ll end up believing in what we do”. Without a vision that is authentic and alive to guide our actions, then we can settle for rationalizing the status quo or what is convenient and comfortable.
One of the first things the new team in Tamale did was to spend time beginning to articulate its vision of a novitiate beyond the basics laid down in our Constitutions. Here are some elements of what we came up with:
Novitiate is a journey, a process that involves KNOWING, EXPERIENCING and CHOOSING.
It is an INITIATION into Christian Brother religious life, so a “rite of passage” into a new identity, a time of learning and testing.
Novitiate confronts the novices with the Brother’s vocation as a call to brotherly solidarity and community, not to privilege, status and security.
It involves exploration of the basic values of faith and vocation, and the challenge to embrace these out of personal conviction and free choice.
Novitiate means understanding that a religious vocation makes a claim on the whole of the person and his life, including his inner life, his relationships and his professional activity (ministry). Furthermore, it challenges the novice to see the dynamic inter-relationship of these areas and to learn what their integration means.
Novitiate is a time of DISCERNMENT. The novice learns more deeply who he is, and what this Christian Brother life is. There is a constant back-and-forth movement between these two poles as an answer is sought to the question, “Is this where I am meant to be? Is this the life that will enable me to find my true self in God?”