Br Paul Noonan Formation Centre, Tamale: Na Tuma Pam, Frank!!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Na Tuma Pam, Frank!!!

Br. Frank can only be compared to the black star in the Ghanaian flag. Ghana being the first African country to gain her independence from the British imperialists was meant to be an epitome to other African countries. Each African country had to learn something from Ghana in order to gain freedom.
In the same way Br. Frank is a perfect example of Brotherhood worth to be embraced and if possible to be adopted as a role model. We have learnt quite a number of things ranging from Edmund Rice to Mark's gospel.
For sure his humuor and his appropriate use of technical words and expressions will be felt “immediately” as he always said. Even the word 'rebuke' has taken on a new meaning for us.

We will also remember his enthusiasm and energy for all things including playing pool. Who can forget the little gleeful dance when a ball was potted with much elegance and flair!

Frank spent a 100 days with us and left, via Nairobi, for Lusaka where he will be on the ISC staff.

We are sure that he will bring the same enthusiasm, cheer and joy there that he brought to us here.
In a special way we say in Dagbani, ‘na tuma pam!’ which translates into thank you very much. ‘Naawun ni shee’ (May God grant you a safe journey) (Otieno)

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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?”