Circular  Letter  04/2006

Dear Confreres,

Warm and fraternal greetings from the Regional Office to all of you !

This Sunday’s Gospel reading ( Mk 7:31-37 ) about the opening of the ears and giving back of  the gift of speech to the deaf and dumb man touched me very much. On his way through the Decapolis region, Jesus is presented with a man having these deformities. The poor man can neither hear nor speak, a most unfortunate and painful thing to happen to a human being. Before performing the most compassionate work of  restoring the man’s senses of speech and sight, Jesus “ took him aside in private, away from the crowd, …”( verse 33 ). By pulling him away from the crowd to a private space, Jesus created a ‘SACRED SPACE’ in which and from which he could carry out his work of mercy and love. It is from this conducive atmosphere, the sacred space, that Jesus puts his fingers into the man’s ears and touches his tongue with spittle and restores what was lost. The man is once again happy; but it had to start with the creation of a ‘sacred space’ from which the Messiah could work. My dear Confreres, our ‘deformities’ and weaknesses are accidents, the substance in us is good and intact. By the way, we come from a God who is Goodness itself. We are good people and are capable of very good things. There is tremendous potential in our substance and a realizing of this potential will make us all happy, like the former deaf and dumb in this Gospel passage. Our difficulties, weaknesses, ‘deformities ’ (accidents) etc will only be averted or worked on  by the loving and compassionate God, the God who has called us to be Missionaries of Mariannhill, in the ‘Sacred Spaces’. But we must first deliberately create this ‘Sacred Space’.

May God help us to be prayerful people; loving being “aside in private ”, in the Sacred Space, with the Sacred God who has called us. I have just been reading the “Ithemba” bulletin of Witbank Diocese, Vol 3/2006, in which Father Simon Molewe writes about the absolute need for a Priest to have what he calls “ the willingness to waste time with Jesus ”. He concludes by saying, “ a Priest ( a Religious ) who does not pray is a scandal waiting to happen ”. True happiness and contentment is waiting for us in the “ Sacred Space ”.

May I now, on behalf of our Regional Superior, communicate officially some news to you from our Region.
 
1.  Title deeds for Kasembo Farms
As we know, Kasembo is divided into 3 parts; two farms and the shop in town. We have managed to secure title deeds for the shop in town and one of the two farms. The third and last certificate of title for the other farm should be in our hands in a few days’ time. This is good news. With the assistance of our Lawyers, we shall then embark on the legal process of changing Kasembo Farms Ltd, from a Limited Company to a Religious Institute, with a view to be exempt from paying the hefty Company Tax. When this happens, Kasembo will be known by a different  ‘Mariannhill’ name, to be decided upon later by the Regional Council.  

2. Frs. Gaspard Parent and Ernest Kabungo
We welcome back Frs. Gaspard Parent and Ernest Kabungo to the Region of Zambia. The two Confreres have been appointed Superiors and Formators at Engelmar House  ( Makeni ) and Bernard Huss House ( Woodlands ) respectively. Thank you, dear Confreres, for accepting the challenge.

3. Candidacy  for the Zambian Region
Following the new formation policy of  the CMM Provinces of  Africa that all our candidates will first study philosophy and religious studies ( for Brotherhood candidates ) before Novitiate, the Zambian Region will take the next group of Candidates in January 2007. These Candidates will end their Candidacy in July, take a holiday home and move on for Philosophical (religious) studies in September. Soon after completing their Philosophical / religious studies, they will do a short Postulancy leading to a common Novitiate in Mariannhill. The General Government will still decide on the suitable religious institution for studying philosophy and religious studies following the recommendation of the Provincials of the African Region. Father Jean-Bosco Ntawugashira has been appointed  Master of Candidates (as well as Vocations Director ) for 3 years. He will move to the House of Formation at Kasembo sometime at the beginning of December this year. Thank you Father Bosco for your readiness to serve in this capacity.

4. Engelmar House ( Makeni )
In view of the anticipated changes in formation programs in the Congregation, the Regional Council has decided to ‘beef up’ staff at Engelmar House. We have asked Father Ignatius Bwalya to join the community at Engelmar House and become Assistant Superior and Formator, soon after the ordination to the Priesthood of our present Deacons. Thank you to Father Ignatius for his generosity in responding to this challenge.

5. Separation of  Provincial House from Formation House at Makeni
With a view to let the formation time table and work be respected and undisturbed, the Regional Council decided to separate the Provincial house from the Formation House in this manner:
- all Confreres visiting Lusaka will stay in the Provincialate, our mother home, and use facilities there.
The original idea to put the Provincialate on rent has been suspended for the time being. With this
Development of our last meeting, the idea to make Woodlands a mother house for the visiting
Confreres has also been reversed.
- meals and prayers will be had from Engelmar House together with the Formation Community there
- the Vice Regional will be the Visiting Confreres’ immediate Superior
- Visiting Confreres will get the gate key from the Provincialate
Please let us co-operate and make life smooth each time we visit Makeni. It is part of courtesy to communicate our travel plans in good time.

6. Br. Ernest Mwakinyali
Br. Ernest Mwakinyali has, on his own accord, asked the General Government to dispense him from Vows so that he may return to the Lay state of life. We are sad to loose an energetic Confrere in Br. Ernest. Please let us pray for Ernest as he embarks on a new path in life.

7. Condolences
We express our sincere condolences to Deacon Ivo Chaebwa who recently lost his father and Br. Ernest Mwakinyali who  lost a brother. Frt. Kennedy Kabwe also lost a nephew.  May God grant eternal rest to the deceased and console our bereaved Confreres and their families.

8. Requests for transfer and further studies
We have submitted our final Five (5) Year plan to the General Government, after getting submissions from all the districts. Thank you very much, dear Confreres, for the submission and seriousness put into this task. Until our plan gets approved by the General Government, all considerations for transfer to other Provinces and requests for further studies are put on hold. Whatever we do from now on will have to fit into the puzzle of the Five Year plan; that’s the whole purpose of the plan.

9. Mass Intentions
According to the new financial policy, under B- Regulations, all Mariannhill Priests are to celebrate Mass at the intention of the Province. Some Priests have not asked for Mass Intentions for a long time now. It is not only our obligation as CMM Priests to celebrate Mass at the intention of the Province, but also a major source of income for us. I appeal to all Priests to shout in good time for Mass Intentions either from the Regional Bursar or from the Provincialate and to keep a clear record of Mass Intentions received and persolved. We can also anticipate the Intentions, if we don’t get them in time for some reason.

10. Pastoral work for Fratres and Brothers
As we have experienced lately, it is not easy for us to find pastoral placements for our students outside ‘Mariannhill Parishes’, as the Dioceses and Congregations also need their places for their students. I therefore appeal to all of you Confreres in the Parishes to continue to be open to receive our young Confreres coming for pastoral experience during their school breaks. I thank you for your openness thus far, even when some of you have been asked at short notice.

This coming December – January, our Zambian Merrivale students will come back to Zambia for their pastoral experience. Deacons Chaebwa Ivo, Nkole Patrick and Chishimba John are completing their theological studies and will leave Cedara, coming back home to prepare themselves for ordination to the Priesthood sometime in the first months of next year, God willing. We wish them well as they prepare for their final exams. Their pastoral placements will be made later.

The first years, on the other hand, will be sent to the following places :
                                Chunga Parish  -  Mwamba Richard
                                Mungwi Parish -  Mashilipa Christopher
                                Nseluka Parish -  Desai George
                                Kaoma Parish -   Kani Michael
                                Kasembo Farms – Mwansa Derek


I wish you all happiness and contentment in your work ! May God bless you and our Region.


Father Patrick Chongo
Vice Regional