Friday, July 8, 2011

From Army Camp To Prison

The last day of the second part of the peregrination of the Holy Cross in my mission. The first part was dedicated to the communal celebrations on the parochial level, with an exception of the visit of the Cross at Sisters' convent. The second part which started last Sunday right after the Holy Mass of the Parish Feast ends today with the celebration of the Holy Mass at the last district of Kiabakari township and the handover of the Jubilee Cross to the first outstation...



This second part involved the visitation of the Cross in all six Mitaa ('streets' or districts) of Kiabakari 'city'.

The first Mtaa is called Jeshini (in the Army) which consists of three Small Christian Communities of parishioners living in the 253 KJ army camp in Kiabakari and the Kiabakari Police Station.

The last Mtaa is called Nyamongo and consists of two Small Christian Communities, one dedicated to St. Cecilia and located in the Kiabakari Prison (Catholic families of prison wardens), the second dedicated to St. Augustine and located in the rural area west of Kiabakari.

As I was celebrating the morning Mass in the shrine just a while ago, it struck me that this setup resembles the Passion of Christ, with Jesus apprehended by the soldiers in the Gethsemane garden, tortured and imprisoned before put to death on the Cross...

As the scenario may seem horrible and dreadful, as some kind of deja vu, this time Our Lord was received with love and adoration by the Christians in the army on Sunday (with celebration ofbaptisms of children and three couples of newlyweds on that day) and was received with joy and songs by the Christians in the Kiabakari prison yesterday (the concluding Mass is scheduled for this afternoon, with baptisms of children and the communal celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation....

I am pleased with the reception of the Jubilee Cross in all six districts of Kiabakari. I told my people yesterday that they made me feel proud to be their pastor. The best face of the parochial community shone through these six days in Kiabakari, and I hope and pray for that this pattern continues till the very end in all outstations of the parish.

Ave Crux,  Spes Unica! Crucem Tuam adoramus, Domine! Resurrectionem Tuam laudamus, Domine!



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