Welcome to the Summer 2023 edition of the MSC Message!
The world of education in Central Africa is small and even after only a short while you can link up with people from all over. With this in mind I Whatsapped a friend who is a religious priest who runs a Catholic university in Khartoum to see how he was doing. In short, not well at all. When he replied he said he had been forced to shutter the university and he is currently in Port Sudan. What state things will be in when he returns remains uncertain. What is certain is that the violence in Sudan has persisted far longer than even the most pessimistic estimations.
It was only last week when one of his students called into our office in the Catholic University of South Sudan, Rumbek. He was hoping to finish his degree in computers here, but the near totally absence of computers, coupled with prohibitively priced internet access, means that it was an impossibility. Still, he is happy to be home with his family safe and sound.
In the midst of the violence to the north, coupled with ongoing tensions in the Tigrayan region of Ethiopia, and following a terrible attack on a school in Uganda that even made the European news, it important to stop and be thankful of the peace that we currently enjoy here in South Sudan. Sure, we have our ups and downs. The University’s entire electricity supply, consisting of four old car batteries and a few solar panels, decided to give up the ghost, so there was a lot of running around to jury rig a solution. Still, in no time at all the printer was working again. No lights, but thankfully the lack of sunshine is rarely a problem here.
In the last few weeks we had loads to do, and the odd power cut aside, it was all good. We had a full week of teacher training for our Loreto Primary School teachers during a midterm break. It included class preparation and management, the history of the Sisters, and the nature of Catholic identity in school (run by myself). As you’d imagine the team of primary teachers are just the best. When you are singing the Gloria during the Mass they are the ones with their hands right up in the air. When you are dealing with over 1,300 boys and girls enthusiasm is a must!
Peace happens quietly. It’s violence that makes most of the noise or at least it does most of the time. The Senior 4 Students (the equivalent of our sixth year class) take part in an annual peace walk. This year we walked the 45km from Loreto to our neighbouring parish of Cueibet. We had an early start, beginning at the school grotto with some prayer and then we hit the road. The girls were delighted to get out and about in the community. The people in turn were happy to meet our students, especially when they found out what they were doing. Not so long ago such a trip would have been impossible, due to the proliferation of small arms, banditry on the roads, and widespread insecurity. That day we made plenty of noise, singing and laughing as we walked, and before you knew it we arrived in Cueibet in time for a simple Mass for peace in South Sudan and a warm welcome from the people of the parish.
Since I wrote last we had two people over from Ireland, Linda Cardiff and Brendan Smith, to work with our University students on computer coding. We have just purchased two laptops, doubling the number of computers on the campus. You’d be amazed how many student you can fit around one screen when you really need to! We also had two new arrivals to the Diocese. The sister congregation of the MSCs, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, welcomed two new members from Indonesia to their Mapourdit community. One is a trained teacher and the other an excellent nurse. We wish them the very best. Finally, as it is the season for cultivation, our students and teachers were out this week planting trees and weeding their plots of groundnuts, the national staple. Taken individually these are all small things, inconsequential in the eyes of national media its pursuit of the dramatic and the immediate. For the people of Lakes State though, this is significant, as after a long time of insecurity things are slowly building and life is flourishing. Peace is certainly a fragile thing, as evidenced by the world around us, but it is something worth fighting for.
Nhialic ke yin (or God Bless)
Fr. Alan
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
It has been heartening that many people got in touch over the last month to see how things were here, due to the ongoing civil war in Sudan. The situation there is dire, as rival leaders seek to gain as much power and wealth as possible, regardless of the suffering they cause. The only time they think of their people is when they look down to see who they are standing on. The loss of life in the conflict and the subsequent humanitarian crisis have sent shockwaves around an already fragile region.
Tens of thousands of the people now fleeing Sudan into northern South Sudan are themselves South Sudanese refugees who had fled South Sudan in 2013 because of the civil war here. Over the past few weeks they have arrived exhausted, carrying their meagre belonging, and uncertain what will happen next for them or their families. They have come at the worst possible time, as the rains have just started. Flooding usually cuts off the roads around the country, making it far more difficult to transport aid to impacted regions. To complicate matters further, by now people have used up most of their stores from last year’s harvest and it is a waiting game to see how long they can hold on for before they are forced by necessity to harvest what they have just planted. Finally, South Sudan’s largest export is oil from the north of the country, pumped through Sudan to Port Sudan. With the civil war this has all come to a sudden halt. This has fuelled hyperinflation nationally, making basic food and medicine prohibitively expensive in the market. The rains, which are seen as a real blessing, also unfortunately bring with them mosquitos and malaria. A single treatment for a family member can cost almost a month’s wages.
Uncertainty, however, is often the norm here and the South Sudanese are nothing if not resilient. How they manage continues to be something of a mystery to me. They have little alternative though. Within Loreto School and the University things are continuing as normal for the moment. In the school we have just welcomed a whole new group of first years students the Sunday before last. As part of our policy of cooperation and integration, they have come from all over the country, from different backgrounds and ethnic groups. They will be looked after through a fantastic system of school families, where students in second, third, and fourth year will act as their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmothers. Judging by the dancing and singing around the school last Saturday night I think they will be fine.
In the University we are coming to the end of our first term and are due to finish exams on Saturday. The number of students enrolled has almost doubled this year and there is already a healthy interest among people hoping to apply for our next academic year. Our focus remains on raising up business leaders, who will build the South Sudanese economy, and training teachers for secondary school. We hope to begin a new Bachelor of Education programme this year in commerce, religious education, and citizenship. In addition, we will continue growing the Catholic ethos aspect of our curriculum, with courses on ethics, theology, and introduction to the Bible as part of our ongoing human formation.
When trying to learn how to play the guitar years and years ago, one of the first songs I practiced was by the Beatles. The lyrics are known by practically everybody and they seem relevant to where I find myself today: Obladi, Oblada, life goes on, brah Lala, how the life goes on. As I said earlier, how things go on here at times, I’ll never understand, but people have no choice, so they just get on with it. Self-pity is a luxury no one can afford. They do the best they can with what they have and they do it better than I ever could. Let’s continue to pray for the situation in Sudan and to pray for each other.
Nhialic ke yin ( God bless),
Fr. Alan.
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
Last March 25th was a day of great significance for the MSC Center for the Poor Agriculture Cooperative in Butaun, Philippines. It marked the anniversary of the organisation, coinciding with Annunciation Day.
Fr. Richie and the Members of the Agricultural Cooperative held their 2nd General Assembly, to celebrate both these events. For the Members, who are mostly farmers from Mindanao, it is a day of hope, a moment to look forward to the future and to reflect on the truly amazing achievements. One of these achievements is the Award for the Most Outstanding CSO in the Country, awarded by the Philippine Department of Agriculture. The Awards states:
“For sharing best practises that demonstrate their dedicated efforts and valuable contributions resulting in outstanding and impactful engagement as beneficiary of agricultural and fishery programs and projects towards uplifting the lives of the farmers and fisher folk in their locality.” It is a testament to the hard work and perseverance of everyone involved in this organisation.
The cooperative has been experiencing fast growth and expansion, which is thanks in large part to the leadership of Fr. Richie MSC and the commitment of its members. The cooperative has become a beacon of hope for the farmers of Mindanao, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to improve their livelihoods.
“Of course we always look with debt of gratitude to the MSC Irish
Province and to your people there for considering us in your fundraising activities.
I hope and pray that we can collaborate and work more together in mission.”
~ Fr. Richie MSC
This just emphasises how important the many contributions from our MSC friends are. That they have helped to achieve this high achievement is a blessing for us all. With continued perseverance and commitment, the future of the Center for the Poor Agriculture Cooperative in Butaun, Philippines looks very bright indeed.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SACRED HEART FAMILY
IN THE PHILIPPINES
As our 2023 World Projects Appeal continues, our Sisters in the Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart have been in contact to express their gratitude for the support of our mission friends here in the Irish Province.
Sr Marie-Laure writes from Burkina Faso, where the OLSH community are raising funds for construction work to improve the educational facilities in the school of Jules Chevalier de Ouagadougou. “It is a great joy for us Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Burkina Faso to express to you our gratitude for all that you do for us,” she says. “We are very grateful to you. May the Lord through Mary Our Lady of the Sacred Heart accompany you in your mission.”
Provincial Leader Sr Marie Solange also writes from Africa, with thanks for the support given to OLSH communities across the province. “I come with gratitude to you this day to express our joy and thanks in the name of the Province of Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Africa,” she writes. “Through your support, we have been able to improve certain activities in education, health care, or simply the means to ensure our mission. We really appreciate with all our heart this contribution for our province in construction.”
“On behalf of the African Province, I would like to express our gratitude,” adds Sr Clotilde. “Thank you for supporting our projects, and for your interest and attention to our mission in Africa. May the Lord repay you a hundredfold and shower you with his blessings.”
Finally, Sr Renisa has been in touch from Brazil, where current projects included care for the elderly, a kindergarten for vulnerable children, providing liturgical items and catechism books for communities in remote locations, and the support of a second-hand shop whose proceeds go towards feeding 65 local families each month. “I am writing to say a huge thank you for your support of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Brazil, for our ministry to those in need. I wish that you could see face to face the joy and relief your help spreads among the people which we work with. God bless you!”
MSCs and OLSH Sisters all over the world continue on our shared mission to make a difference to the people and places that need it most. There’s still time to take part in this year’s World Projects Appeal, where we’re highlighting some of the projects that need our immediate attention in the coming months. We add our voices to those of our OLSH Sisters as we thank you sincerely for your support – together, we can make a world of difference.
PLEASE CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT
OUR 2023 WORLD PROJECTS APPEAL