Do not be afraid

Like the disciples in the sea, we too are afraid of encountering storms which might be a threat to our lives. In the world today, the greatest fear is the fear of nuclear destruction that could destroy our planet. My heart freezes when I hear of the atomic bombs that can hit the whole world within seconds and reduce it to a formless void, back to where it has tried to come out from over billions of years ago. When I learnt that the earth’s resources have been consumed until there is no more left in the store to keep it going beyond 50 years, I was filled with terror of encountering a major storm, a disaster, a crooked future with no hope. I think millions of people who are on this earth and are aware of these fundamental facts feel the same way too. Our hearts are all crying out for someone to help, like the disciples in the sea. The question remains “who will?”
However there is hope as God himself tells us in Joshua 1:9, “be strong and of good courage, do not be dismayed nor be frightened for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” If we take the words of God seriously, we have all the reasons not to fear. Scripture scholars put it that, the word or message ‘do not be afraid’ appears in the entire bible 365 times meaning we need to have courage all days throughout the year. Therefore let us put all our trust in God. Christ himself calls us close to him in Mt 11:28.
Let us then place all our worries and fears to him in prayer. Prayers of letting go our fears and asking for courage to move drastically towards saving our planet earth and its people, of changing the minds of people from making nuclear weapons to studying about earth conservation, from inventing poisonous substances that contribute to global warming to preserving life and nature, from destruction of the earth’s resources to construction for the future generation, from exploiting and oppressing human race with corruption and injustices to empowering them with knowledge and dignity. This way the world will be a better place for you and for me and for the generation to come.
(Chrispinus)

29th August

“I’ m going to get stuck into this thing called Religious life or get out of it all together”. Br. Bryan de Paul Noonan said this statement on his 33rdrd Birthday as recorded in the Tribute. What a prophetic statement he made? Indeed he fought a good fight until when he met his death here in Tamale1
On 29th August, a sorrowful wave of wind blew in our midst as we commemorated the Beheading of John the Baptist, and the death anniversaries of Edmund Rice and Paul Noonan. The trio left a legacy which is still present in the minds of people whose lives have been influenced by what they did and how they lived.
I also realized that the death of John the Baptist is quite similar to the death of Naboth in the Old Testament. While the death of Naboth was organized by Jezebel the wife of Ahab in order to get his vine yard, Herodias also manipulated king Herod through her daughter to have John killed so as to avoid more challenges.
Anyway it is my conviction that the spirits of these three men are much alive in our midst. It is therefore an invitation to each and every one of us to shape our lives to be what we would like to become. (Otieno)

Harmonius Living!

19th August, 2009, surely will be a day I will live to remember and ponder about during my stay in Ghana, not because I had a picnic just two days after celebrating my birthday, not because it is the first time I touched a crocodile, not because it is the day I visited briefly the land of Burkina Faso after crossing the border with Ghana, but because the foundation of my faith was shaken and broadened.
It was the day I came into real contact with a Roman Catholic religious congregation of Brothers – the Presentation Brothers – sharing the same compound with African Traditional Religion. My brothers and sisters, what I mean here is this; African Traditional believers having their shrine in a religious and formation house compound! With the unwelcome perceptions we Christians have towards these traditional religious as barbaric, outdated, paganistic, and fetish, I think if my local ordinary was to hear this he may drop dead.
But is there something wrong with this? Absolutely no! This is a practical scenario on how best the two parties have gone with their religious inter-Dialogue, how they have come to understand the underlying message behind difference in their religious beliefs and prayer, that “we are all looking and searching for one thing, one product:; God’s unconditional love and compassion though packed in different containers called Christianity and African Traditional Religion.
In a Christian prospect, I believe these Religious Brothers have, undoubtedly learnt to live far more beyond the law, and in their own way and language are struggling to respond to Jesus’ call “Unless your virtues go beyond those of Scribes and the Pharisees, you will not see the kingdom of heaven” To me this is where the theory of co-existence is magnificently translated into reality! It is possible, the divisions among our religions we can eradicate, and this we can do without turning over each other’s coat, just like these Brothers are enjoying their harmonious living with the other religion. It starts with you and I, lets get out and act even in our small capacities, ‘the seed will grow’ or who shall we wait for? (Nicholas)

Amaraaba Dennis!

“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” As the story enfolds in the book of Genesis, Abram went as the Lord had directed him. He was forced to leave the place he had established his home, the people he had got used to and many other things you can name. I see the person of Abram in the eyes of Br. Denis Vaughan who openly accepted the call to come to the novitiate here in Tamale, Ghana.
Friday 14thAugust was a wonderful day in our community to receive Br. Denis safely from Nairobi. Special welcoming prayers were organized in the evening to welcome him whereby we shared water served in a calabash, a symbol for hospitality here in Ghana, and bread, a symbol for acceptance. It was great for Br. Denis to join the community of fourteen novices and two team members. The novices too were pleased to see the gap left by Br. Prince, who is now in Ireland, filled.
We hope that we and the people of Tamale in general, will enjoy the fruits of Br. Denis’ taken risk of coming over to assist us in our spiritual journey. Amaraaba Denis!
(Chrispinus)

July - August Birthdays

We celebrated 5 birthdays this last two months here in the novitiate. We gave thanks to God for the lives of Jordan(26th July), James(28th July), Sydney(7th August), Nicholas(17th August) and Sunday(18th August).
All have contributed much to this community in their own way and are a gift not only to us but to the many people they minister in Tamale.
We give thanks to God for their parents and their families and hold them in our prayers.

Funeral For Sr Veronique

On the 8th August, 2009 Sr.Veronique Hegron was laid to rest. Her image will stay with us in this novitiate since she was the spiritual director for one of the novices.
Indeed this was a sad day for a number of people who knew her. Truly she was loved by many and this was witnessed that day especially when mourners were invited to pay their last respects to her. This was a time when people found it difficult to control their feelings and for a moment just like Jesus wept at the resurrection of Lazarus so did the masses of mourners.
It was a confirmation to them that truly she had answered God’s call and that she had fought the good fight to the end. They allowed tears to trickle down their cheeks freely. I realized that sometimes it is not easy to suppress a feeling especially at the death of someone who lived for others like Sr.Veronique.
The mourners dressed in their mourning regalia of red and black clothes from the word go are already missing the life giving presence of late Sr.Veronique, not forgetting the pupils from Tampe-Kokuo primary school where she was the head teacher. These children professed that already they are like sheep without shepherd!

(Otieno)

Farewell to Prince

24th July 2009 was a day to remember among the novices as it was the day we celebrated the birthday of Prince and bade him farewell too. Prince spent three weeks at home before flying to Ireland, the land of St Patrick and Blessed Edmund, where he will attend a one year course on formation.
The day began with the farewell morning prayer. During this prayer session the novices gave very touching experiences that they had with Prince for the last six months. Such comments could be heard: “when we came here I never thought of bidding farewell to Br Prince …for the time I have been with him it was like orange to me and now it is time through what you stood for and said, to lemonise ourselves
The formation team was not left behind; they recounted how difficult it was in the initial stages to set the ball running, how through patience and perseverance Prince has greatly contributed to the formation program especially in giving the novices an African based formation.
The evening was the climax of the whole farewell, the ever vibrant social committee graced the occasion with a sumptuous meal. This occasion was attended by the Choggu community, representatives from Kanvili R/C teaching staff and a handful of friends that Prince had come to know during his stay here. It was here that music and dance filled the air, dance and jubilation for Prince’s accomplished mission, dance and cheers to relieve the hardened hearts that had refused to accept Prince’s moving on.
As Br. Prince the son of the soil is moving to Ireland where ‘waru’ (Irish potatoes) and carrots will be permanent occupants of his stomach, we from the novitiate community wish him every blessing and ask the spirits of Katonga, the spirit of Jok, the spirit of Nyasoye, the spirit Mulungu and the spirit of our African fathers to be with him always. (Nicholas)

It is had to say bye to you but the challenge is there to be faced and I think it’s for the good of our growth and preparation for you to respond creatively to the emerging needs of this changing world.
Many thanks Br Prince for the brotherly presence amongst us, what you are and were and for sharing your insights with us for a short time especially your advocacy for us to be in touch with our roots (African Spirituality and ministry life).
The Tamale Novitiate community wishes you all the best in your parley and my hope is we keep each other in thoughts and prayers. May your study be refreshing and empowering and may you come back invigorated to continue the mission in formation of liberation of the poor and the universe.
You will be remembered always! Just to say the most important two words in the world- Thank you! Asante Sana! Zikomo! Dankie! Tenki!! (Sydney)

Cathecumens

St Paul in his first letter to Corinthians 12: 26 said, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, if one part is honored, all the parts share the joy.
This is how I felt when I realized that my pre-catechumens are yet to become catechumens. They have been delayed too much to an extent that some lost hope totally.
All my efforts to get them to be accepted as catechumens had been turned down and together we surrendered everything to God. However , on Tuesday the 14th of July 2009 was a great day when these youths were legalized to become catechumens. None of them could hide his or her joy and even I got involved.
They are now actively preparing for baptism and 1st communion in a couple of months to come. In a special way, I wish them all the best. (Otieno)

Sustainable Development& Eco spirituality Workshop 13- 17Th July

What an extraordinary week!! It was a week of revelations, discovery, awareness, illumination and discernment as Br Terry Dowling led us through in his well articulated presentation.
It was time to explore the evolving story of the universe which begun 13.7000 000 years ago ‘Imagine nothing….then everything. I was thunderstruck to hear the clear scientific insight of Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme that the ‘Earth is not part of the Human story, the human story is part of the earth story’ and at the same time question what has been my belief since childhood-The 2 Hebrew creation stories.
All in all I was at ease to take notice of some truths expressed in them, *There is one God *God created the universe. *Human beings are made in God’s image *Everything God made is good. *Humans are created for happiness. *Woman and man are equal. *We have free will to choose good or evil… wrong choices have consequences. *God forgives.
It was astonishing to hear human beings who in both unfolding stories came at the end are using more than nature can generate, and the fact that 50% of the species will be lost by 2050 and we’ve only 10 years to do something about it.
Looking at this grief and loss we need to continue scrutinizing the following questions: What is the present status of our planet? What is the possible future? Where do we go from here? Whose responsibility is it to restore the lost dignity?
“Teach your children what we are have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. All things are connected like blood which unites one family. All things are connected, mankind did not weave the web of life, and we are just merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves”
The input as I write it has found a fertile environment as in the novitiate we pledged to participate in the process of restoration, awareness, care and protection to our own home in simple ways as we continue to seek joining forces with other people with good will who strive to repair environmental degradation and prevent future destruction of the only planet. A handful of plants have already been planted and a few other adjustments are being made in our capacity towards being a sustainable community.
A great need to Re-think, Reduce, Re-use and Recycle is being advocated and I can say we are committed to being part of a sustainable global society founded on respect of nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace.
May this new revelation of Eco-spirituality enable conversion for let us remember that “we cannot have peace in the earth, unless we are at peace with the earth’
The sessions were very interesting with the added zest of the educative film in the evening. The only prayer I have for Terry is ‘Thank you’ (Dankie) I hope that would suffice, as our gratefulness cannot be enclosed in this article. Wishing Terry well as he continues advocating for the care of the earth and sustainable development.

(Sydney)

KUMASI HOLIDAY 24th – 29th June 2009

Three days after the Workshop at TICCS, we went for a four-day holiday in Kumasi accompanied by Brothers Henry, Frank and Prince.
Kumasi is the second largest city of Ghana and the former royal capitol of the Ashanti state. The major activity is business and Chui is widely spoken. We lodged at the Centre for Spiritual Renewal, Santasi Estate. It was a good quiet place except at night where we were terrified by the loud cry of the bush baby (a small bush animal with a cry of a child). While there we were grateful to receive a total sum of sixty Ghana cedis each from the community purposely meant for lunch and bus fare around the town. Each morning we celebrated the Eucharist together then had breakfast after which everyone was free to go where he pleased.
On Friday we all visited two religious communities, first the Spiritans then the Josephites (founded by St. Leonard Murialdo). Here we had a gracious opportunity to share in meal, prayer and stories with the novices and their formatters.
Kumasi is a Christian dominated place. I observed this when I was circumventing around the streets. It was interesting to discover the names given to shops and other business places. Most of them bore bible related verses. On one street alone, I noted examples such as, God’s Time supermarket, Angel Touch salon, Anointed Hands Aluminium ventures, Good Shepherd hotel, Jesus is Risen bar and many others.
Brother Frank was the lucky one among the group to receive a medal, from the Sisters, of the Ghanaian symbol GYE NYAME meaning, no one saw the beginning, and no one will see the end, except God. We came back on Monday morning.

(Chris Munialo)