Back To The Future

The first full day in Emerald Island was full of memorable moments. Yes, I was looking forward to the planned schedule for the day with apprehension, but it turned out to be a great day after all...



 In the morning I had an opportunity to visit a lovely primary school in rural area in Tom's parish. Great staff with a fantastic headmistress, lovely pupils gathered in a new impressive school hall and us - Tom and me, meeting them and talking about Kiabakari, our Center for education and formation, education in Tanzania and in my area in particular, and showing them a DVD of our very first graduation in Kiabakari pre-school.

I guess the meeting was quite successful and especially to me it was a fantastic occasion to go back to my roots, to my school years and adventure books about Africa, when I was dreaming, as a young kid, to become an adventurer and traveler myself someday in a future... That dream came true eventually but in a different form and shape, when I set out to Tanzania as a missionary back in 1990.

I liked Tom's idea of presenting St. Damiano crosses (St. Francis of Assisi crosses to others) to each class. He asked me to preside over the presentation and I was deeply moved as St. Francis of Assisi is my ordination class Patron Saint, and shortly before my flight to Africa I went to Assisi to pray and to commit myself and my missionary service to his intercession.

The second part of the day was marked by our pilgrimage to Armagh to St. Patrick's cathedral to pray a bit and also visiting our mutual friend, Fr. Eugene, a parish priest of Armagh cathedral parish. All three of ous met in Drogheda back in 1990, in Hardman's Gardens rectory at Our Lady of Lourdes filial church of Drogheda parish.

Though the available time for us to meet was short, still it was fantastic to meet and share again after a couple of years since we last met.

I was happy to meet Kay in cathedral's shop. What a surprise it was! I remember vividly our meetings in a small group of Divine Mercy followers in Armagh a couple of years ago. I always pray for them, though maybe my writing skills as far as letters are concerned are not that great... This unexpected meeting though made me decide to reconnect more fully with the group...

All in all, the day was a truly blessed event to me. I cannot describe how happy I was! Words cannot express what I feel deep in my heart. So let me just offer a prayer for all whom I was blessed to meet yesterday. And I immerse them in the Ocean of Divine Mercy so they may stay safe on the hands of our Loving Father.