Mar 16, 2022
The beginning of Lent was cause for great prayer and occasion in Metuge, Mozambique, where our MSCs celebrated with communities of the St Anthony of Metuge parish, in the Sede, SĂŁo Paulo, Santa Terezinha, and SĂŁo Tiago regions.
Masses and prayers took place across the parish â with unexpected challenges arising along the way, in the midst of the rainy season. Our MSCs encountered two separate incidents of trucks stuck in the river as they travelled to and from one of the Santa Terezinha communities, one on the way there and one on the return journey. They were able to help in the recovery of the first, but the muddy riverbed and powerful waters won the battle on the second. âThis is how it is,â reads a post on the MSC Mozambique Facebook page. âThis is our mission in this rainy season.â
The MSC Mozambique Facebook page also shared pictures of Mass in the region of SĂŁo Tiago, where the community is made up almost entirely of people who have been displaced by war, violence, and unrest. In the face of such troubles, and now more than ever in such tumultuous times around our world, our faith is a refuge and a comfort, and these Masses marking the beginning of the Lenten season were very special occasions of hope and unity for all involved.
Now in its fourth year, the MSC Mozambique mission has celebrated with local communities in times of joy, and has walked with them and helped them rebuild in the wake of natural disasters. Please keep our MSC community and the families they serve in Mozambique in your prayers this Lenten season.
Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
PLEASE HELP US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MOZAMBIQUE
Mar 10, 2022
“It has been a busy week. There are rarely quiet weeks in Loreto, but this last one has certainly kept us all on our toes. Thankfully it has all been positive, and in light of the challenges we see on the news now, we are especially grateful.
Last Monday the Irish Ambassador to Ethiopia, Djibouti and South Sudan, Nicola Brennan, visited the school with a member of her team. Their arrival meant a 50% increase in the number of Irish people in Lakes State. It was only for a day, but in that short time they saw all of the exciting ministry that Irish missionaries are involved in, including the schools, the Primary Health Care Clinic, the Catholic University, outreach to people living with leprosy, and the local parish run by the Spiritans. It is the same anywhere around the world. The Irish are a small group, but we punch well above our weight.
Ash Wednesday brought not just the beginning of the Lenten season, but also the news we had been waiting nearly a year for, the date for the consecration of Bishop-elect Christian Carlassare. Fr. Christian was shot several times last April in a home invasion in the Holy Family Cathedral. After a period of convalescence, he is ready to return and will be consecrated on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25th.
With just over three weeksâ preparation time, everyone has leapt into action. We are expecting anywhere between 5,000 and 7,000 people to attend from all over the Diocese and South Sudan. Some will even come from as far away as Italy, the Bishop-electâs home country. It will be a wonderful, grace-filled, joyous, prayerful, and chaotic day. His return will mark a new chapter for the Church here that will seek to address the desire for vision, reconciliation, and evangelisation.
“The challenges we face are formidable.”
Last, but by no means least, on Friday we had the graduation of our Senior 4 students. They will soon finish in Loreto altogether and sit their final national exams. Many hope to go on to university and study law, teaching, journalism, healthcare, business, IT, and a host of other subjects.
On the day the students were joined by 1,000 family members and friends who celebrated the day with them. While this ceremony is similar to many taking place around the world about now, here it is remarkable. These young women have had to fight against almost insurmountable odds to stay in school. When they began four years ago in Senior 1, there were ninety of them. This yearâs graduating class was comprised of fifty-two students. Many were taken out of school for forced early marriage, and, despite the very best efforts of the team here, did not return. It is important to note that when it comes to retention of students and completion of studies Loreto ranks among the very best in the country, but the challenges we face are formidable.
During their graduation, the girls spoke of their own hopes and dreams for the future. Their time in Loreto has helped them to reach a standard that will give them a say in their future that many young women here will be denied. After the Graduation Mass, the morning programme of speeches was interspersed with cultural dances and songs. Parentsâ representatives spoke of their pride in their daughters and their belief that these will be the future economic, social, and political leaders of South Sudan. The day was also a good opportunity to showcase the work of the school with the visiting political dignitaries and bring them on board with the work we do.
Now that the week is over, another one has begun and it looks to be exciting as well. Please keep our preparations for the Bishop-electâs consecration in your prayers. Iâll keep you updated on the coming and going. Thank you for all the support that you have given to our ministry here. During the week the MSC Missions Office transferred money that was given for our work in South Sudan. It is just enough to complete a new project for a toilet block, replacing outdated pit latrines. Little by little we are improving every day.
Ben Nhialic areer kek a yin,
Fr Alan
P.S. Almost forgot. We also got news that Pope Francis is coming to South Sudan in July. We are already planning our walking pilgrimage to meet him in Juba. Itâs only 427km!”
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Mar 3, 2022
While restrictions may be easing here in Ireland, the COVID-19 pandemic remains an urgent issue in many parts of the world. The Facebook page for the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands has shared a collection of images taken by Fr Martin Everi MSC, demonstrating the relief aid offered by Fr Martin, Fr Gabby, and the parishioners of St Josephâs Parish in Bikenibeu, Kiribati, for families affected by a recent lockdown in the Buota region.
Kiribati did not mark its first positive case of COVID-19 until May 2021; the island nation closed its borders in March 2020, with the exception of essential travel such as repatriation, and remained almost entirely COVID-free as a result. Two local seafarers tested positive for the virus in May 2021 and were quarantined immediately, and the country remained closed to international travel until January 2022 with no further cases.
The first international commercial flight in almost two years landed in Kiribati in mid-January, with 36 of the 54 passengers testing positive for the coronavirus upon arrival. The government imposed a nationwide curfew on January 19th, and the country went into lockdown on January 22nd, with the state of emergency having been extended since due to a rising number of cases.
As of the end of February, Kiribati had recorded over 2,900 positive COVID cases, and significant restrictions remain in place, with curfew hours from 7.00pm to 6.00am daily, and compulsory social distancing and mask-wearing in all public spaces.
At the end of January, shortly after lockdown was imposed, St Josephâs Parish in Bikenibeu brought essential emergency aid to families in Buota who were severely affected by the restrictions. Fr Martin Everi MSC, who organised the outreach drive, posted on his Facebook page thanking those involved:
âThank you so much our parishioners from the 19 sectors, from Nabeina (North Tarawa) to Taborio (South Tarawa), individuals, families, MP Betero and MP Terieta for your kind donation. From your generous gifts, we were able to deliver 3 loaded trucks of goods to our brothers and sisters in Buota during these challenging times.
Your kind donations will be given to families that are most affected due to this lockdown.
May God reward your acts of kindness.â
Please keep our MSC community in the Pacific Islands in your prayers, as they continue to help those most in need in the face of the ongoing pandemic.
Images courtesy of Fr Martin Everi MSC, via the Facebook page for the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands.
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Feb 24, 2022
In early February, MSCs on our Mozambique mission celebrated Mass with the community of St Augustine, in the parish of Saint Anthony in Metuge.
As there is no church in the area, Masses and prayers were celebrated by our MSCs in familiesâ homes, with a great spirit of unity and togetherness. Godâs love is a hugely compelling factor for these families and communities, and they celebrate their faith in any and every way possible, given the lack of facilities in the region.
Just a few weeks earlier, the community in Metuge had a wonderful day in the celebration of several sacraments, including confessions, baptisms, First Holy Communions, and marriages. Once again, all of these events took place outdoors in the shade of the trees, with an enormous sense of unity and community.
Now in its fourth year, the MSC Mozambique mission has celebrated with local communities in times of joy, and has walked with them and helped them rebuild in the wake of natural disasters. Our MSC missionaries continue to make the love of the Sacred Heart known in this area of real need; please keep our MSC missionaries and people they serve in your prayers.
Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
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Feb 17, 2022
The end of January marked a day of momentous celebration in Metuge, in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
On Sunday, January 23rd, MSCs in Metuge presided over a host of celebrations in the community of SĂŁo Mateus of the Parish of Santo AntĂŽnio de Metuge, including confessions, baptisms, First Holy Communions, and the marriages of two couples.
A day of true unity and community, the spirit of celebration was a joy to behold for all involved.
The Mozambique mission began in March 2018, with MSCs from Brazil ministering in the Pemba diocese â an area of extreme poverty and hardship, where up until that point, local families had no access to church infrastructure or pastoral ministry.
Our MSCs have been tireless in their work to bring about positive changes for local communities, in spite of a number of serious challenges, including the impact of two devastating cyclones which took place just six weeks apart, a year and a half after the mission began.
MSC missionaries had already been working to rebuild struggling communities in the area before the cyclones hit, and in the wake of these disasters, they continued to help those who had lost friends and family members in the disasters, as well as over 21,000 people who had been left homeless.
Our MSC missionaries have been helping local families to rebuild their lives and livelihoods over the past four years, continuing in their mission to share the message of Godâs love in this area of real need. The strength, resilience, and spirit demonstrated by local communities is an inspiration to behold, and days such as these provide much-needed encouragement and motivation to all involved in the mission. This wonderful day of celebration in Metuge has been a great success for the local community; with blessings and good wishes to our MSC brothers and all who took part!
Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
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Feb 11, 2022
It is an Irish truism that if you dig a good ditch, you donât get time off, you get a bigger shovel. Apparently this is not just Irish wisdom, but South Sudanese as well. In addition to the work in Loreto College, I have been drafted by the Diocese of Rumbek to help run the local Catholic University. At this point of life youâd imagine Iâd have learned to keep my head down.
It may sound a grand affair, but it is certainly a lot more simple than youâd imagine. We have a roof, but no ceiling; windows, but no glass; and floor with no tiles. The less said about the two pit toilets that serve the campus the better. Just today we had the cleaner in to take care of the bat infestation in the library, that also serves as the office. Having droppings continually fall on the desk during an academic meeting is distracting to say the least.
“Group photo from the My First Mass at the University showing the library with all the bats right behind!”
Initially I took on the role with the expectation that it would be a short term appointment. In fact, early on there was even a discussion around closing the University altogether. Still, it is one thing to consider in a meeting room, surrounded by pages of accounts, and entirely another to act out once you have met our students.
At the moment we have a sum total of 59 women and men studying either business administration or teaching with a focus on English literature.They are almost all from Rumbek, with only a couple from further afield. Some have come straight from school, while others are looking for new opportunities later in life. All are committed and enthusiastic about their third level studies. It is something to see really.
It takes a lot of energy to get worked up about a computer class, without computers, but with a drawing of a Windows home page on a blackboard.
This was one of the first classes I visited when I began. Since that experience of âtheoretical computingâ we have been able to set up a relationship with a Jesuit community not so far away that runs a computer course â with actual computers!
We are also seeing an exciting new development. In traditional culture here, once a woman has her first baby she leaves formal education to focus full time on child rearing and subsistence farming. However, so far I have met a number of young mothers who are coming back to study, with their new born under their arm. It is unprecedented and we are looking at ways of supporting them and their young families. I mentioned the idea of a creche, but so far Iâve been met with looks of incomprehension. Honestly, if it wasnât for the initiative of a particularly creative Donegal MSC setting up a parent and toddler group in one of my old parishes I wouldnât have a clue either. Weâre working on it. Watch this space.
“My first Mass at the University.”
For me the main reason the University is so important is that we are the newest country in the world and we really need to develop the local economy. It has to be stimulated by well trained, committed teachers and hardworking, innovative business people. Charity is excellent for crisis situations. Itâs an act of solidarity and compassion for someone you will never meet, but who you are ready to call brother or sister. However, charity is not a long term strategy and instead we need to increasingly invest in people on the ground to effect their own change, not just raising up themselves and their families, but entire communities as well.
The motto our small University is, The Truth Shall Set You Free. Our faith underlies everything we do here. Religious sisters, brothers, and priests are among the best educated in the area and they are working as lecturers in ethics, management, business, and education. We have great local educationalists who are taking the lead too. I spoke with one them today, as we were cleaning up the last of the bat droppings from the top of my desk, that in five years weâll look back and have a good laugh at everything we went through to become a real third level college. In the meantime there is a lot of work to do. Iâd better get my shovel.
Bi Nhialic arrer kek yin,
Fr Alan
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
