Stoned To Death With Popcorn

It's a pity that the beatification process of Fulton J. Sheen - the remarkable human being, Catholic, famous preacher, archbishop and most of all - faithful follower of Christ - has been stalled by two disputing dioceses in USA. Hopefully, they will resolve quickly their differences and the process will come to its completion.

As we await it with great anticipation, let's remind ourselves some of his most famous quotes (click here). I must admit cheekily, that my favorite quote, certainly one of his most popular, is this:

“Hearing nuns' confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn.”

Somehow, being a Catholic priest and a long-time confessor of nuns of numerous congregations, both  in active and contemplative service of the Church, I can attest to the truth of this quote!

The Hand

Woke up in pieces this morning, felt as a pile of trash to be disposed any time soon... Got myself fixed somehow, thought quickly that all this is due to high B.P. probably. Shrugged off worries, jumped into my old truck and drove slowly to Bunda for the regular service as a confessor of Discalded Cloistered Carmelite Sisters in Bunda Carmel. It was my first time there since I came back from holidays, as they had the Superior General of Carmelite Fathers with them for Christmas and New Year services...

'F' Word

An organized chaos. I think this is a proper and accurate description of what was going on today here. I'm too tired by hearing confessions since morning till late evening, to pay any attention to my sense of organization and logic in making things happen - screaming in me in protest to what was happening around me today...

Scouting An Enemy Territory

The day before the Confirmation Mass, my confreres and myself will have an opportunity to scout an enemy territory, looking into an abyss and facing the Evil One in the bottle ground of souls of our confirmants who will come this morning for the confessions...

Confidence

Sitting in the church in the morning, ready to to offer penitential service to anyone who wanted to reconcile himself/herself with God before the Holy Mass, I had an ample time, as always in those minutes preceding the liturgy, to think about the importance of the gift of listening to others and the gift of total confidence and privacy, so basic, so important in my vocation, and yet - in any relationship between people.

Carmel

Getting ready for my regular biweekly penitential service for Cloistered Carmelite Nuns in the only Carmel monastery in the whole Tanzania located in Bunda town, 35 kilometers from Kiabakari on the way to Mwanza City.

 To the left: on my way to Bunda (Nyamikoma village ahead and Muganza Hill)

 

 
 To the right: the border between Kiabakari and Bunda Parishes - bridge over Suguti seasonal river






Late bishop Justin Tetemu Samba had for long dreamed about inviting Cloistered Carmelite Nuns to found the very first monastery in Bunda, in the old premises of Bunda Parish, which since 2000 moved to newly constructed rectory, closer to town, as the old parish was located on the outskirts of the town, back then in the fifties of the last century, when pastors presumed wrongly (we know it now though) that the town would expand in that direction along the old Mwanza - Musoma highway. Since then the new highway was laid in different direction, in a more shortcut manner, thus leaving out Bunda parish and making its location obsolete and awkward for the faithful to go outside of the town to attend services and seeking pastoral assistance.

Bishop Samba intended to turn the old premises of Bunda parish into a place for a future Carmel monastery. He told me once, that he wanted them in Musoma Diocese as he saw them as spiritual lungs for the People of God in Musoma and beyond. Praying, fasting and offering spiritual and corporal sacrifices for us...

The Sisters from India responded to the invitation and on November 21, 2001, bishop Samba and myself (back then I was his vicar for religious) went to receive them officially in Bunda. Seven brave women from India arrived that day and upon the entering the house they stand and sang Te Deum chant, as they were asked by the Superior General. I still recall vividly the beauty of that day...after the long journey, on the very first moment of they presence...they simply stood in the middle of small living room / dining hall and sung with smiles on their tired faces...

This chant strikes me to the bottom of the abyss of my soul as it one of my favorite if not the absolute number one among Gregorian chants... We used to sing this hymn every Sunday in our Metropolitan Major Seminary in Kraków, right after lunch, going to our chapel, standing and singing in unison, two hundred plus strong congregation...It always sent shivers down my spine... The last two verses I took long long ago as a motto of my life: 'In Te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum!' (O Lord, in thee have I trusted : let me never be confounded).

Nuns settled temporarily in the old rectory, seven sisters in the house destined for two priests. Massacre! They spent there three long years till they managed to build a sizable monastery and move in to live a cloistered life as they should.

I was with them all the way, as they asked bishop to appoint me as their confessor. I was back then in Kiabakari, so every two weeks I was driving to Bunda to hear their confessions...

sometimes saying a Holy Mass with a homily for them...






 

 sometimes giving them spiritual talks in their chapel  as they asked me to do so...







 

 or spending time in privacy to pray for my personal intentions...(read about Brown Scapular you can see in the picture here)

meeting them in the parlour, sharing joys and concerns, trying to lift up their spirits and encourage them in times of distress...and tasting their kind hospitality as they never allow me to go back home without some kind of meal (depending on the time of my presence there, as times differ according to my or their schedules)...




When I was transferred to Musoma Cathedral, it became quite difficult to drive every two weeks to Bunda, as it now became more than 70 kilometers one way. Then, when I was left alone in the cathedral (as my assistant was moved to another parish) it became impossible. I asked bishop to appoint someone else to serve as confessor to the nuns. So, for a couple of years I stopped to go to Bunda. Then nuns came back to me and I came back to them as I simply missed this service. I was given more than I was able to give (leaving out the value of sacrament of course). Sisters missed regular service as their new confessor had no much time and service became very erratic. So I came back and felt relief. Then, back in Kiabakari, it became even easier, as I cut the distance in half...And it is so till now...

I am deeply grateful to Our Lady of Carmel to give me this privilege and honor to be of service to those great women, courageous, dedicated, full of Holy Spirit, concerned about the Church, Diocese, us all... And I know how much I owe them back there in Musoma and here in Kiabakari now...their prayers and sacrifices paved the way for multitude of God's graces and blessings...Thank you, Mama! I will never be able to repay this debt of gratitude...

It's time for me to go...

Toughest Day of the Week

You think, for a priest like me, it must be Sunday, huh? You are wrong.

Not at least in my parish / mission! Actually, Sunday is the community celebration day. The Lord's Day. The Easter of the week. Though I wish I had only Mass on Sundays for the entire parochial community, gathered as God's family at His table on the day of His only Son's Resurrection, even if - in fact - I have three consecutive Masses, two in the shrine and one in the one of nine outstations, constituting Kiabakari parish, still it is not as tough and physically and psychologically demanding as the Toughest Day of the Week, which is for me, surprise, surprise - Saturday!

You would expect 'normal' people to take it easy on Saturdays after demanding working week, Friday evening 'folly' for some, for many a day when you can at last sleep bit longer (which for some of people I know may be quite a big bit!).

For me though, Saturday is the most versatile in demands, toughest in variety of challenges and the beloved day for so many who think that on Saturday i have nothing else to do but to sit and wait for them to come and care for their 'shidas' (shida in Swahili means problem, trouble but also an agenda someone wants to share with you, a goal to achieve, issue to solve).

Today is the best example of toughness of TDW (Toughest Day of the Week). Waking up early to get ready for confessions before the morning Mass which on Saturday starts half an hour later than on Mondays to Thursdays to allow school kids, altar servers and all others coming for Saturday morning to arrive to church on time. A lot of confessions as usual, taking from time to time more than half an hour to hear them all. Then Holy Mass with Eucharistic adoration. Right after Mass people would come to the office with their shidas. Quick coffee and something to accompany it (to avoid a despicable type of breakfast called here chai ya mkono mmoja - which means one hand breakfast haha! Funny expression and describing a really poor situation - to have just a cup of tea, coffee with nothing else to munch on!). Pity! Executive Committee of Lay Parish Council arrive at their office in pastoral center to deal with other issues that do not need my attention. Then I would normally go for meetings - with altar servers, vocation group, Holy Childhood, catechumens from primary schools, sometimes meetings of parish lay council etc. Till lunch time or longer. In the afternoon I would hear confessions (as I am alone in the parish, I cannot do it on Sundays, time does not allow me to hear confessions before two Masses in the shrine, only before the Mass in the outstation) if there is no wedding Mass or something else like a Vigil Mass etc.

Today though, right after morning confessions and Holy Mass, I sat in the office for an hour, then drove to Isaba outstation for Baptismal Mass for a handful of catechumens, around ten only, and just two school kids who were prepared for their First Communion.

The Holy Mass started at 10.30 preceded by confessions as usual in outstations, then I was asked to rush to a dying person. I managed to get to an old lady, a godmother of one of the catechists their. She was fighting for her life. I was able to give her plenary indulgence in the hour of her death and the Sacrament of the Sick. Then suddenly rain came. I think the Lord was pleased with the service rendered to a godmother of the catechist. The Lord never fails to take care of their chosen ones...I saw it so many times in my life! The priest will be their for them  when he is needed most. I was so glad and relieved that the lady was safe, whatever awaited her from then on...

Drove back home with my altar servers, got something to keep me alive and kicking, then on 2.30pm I begun hearing confessions of the school kids who will receive their First Communion tomorrow, during Corpus Christi solemn Mass and will follow Jesus in monstrance walking behind the Eucharistic Tent. All of them on my list (51 altogether) showed up and were truly very well prepared. We had last catechesis yesterday afternoon along with practical exercises of how to confess and also how to receive properly a host.

It took me three hours to hear all confessions (theirs and some other parishioners who came to prepare themselves for tomorrow's Solemnity). I pity them that they are forced to come to me, as they have no choice of priests. I'm the only one around. I would really love to have an assistant parish priest (or curate as they called in other countries), but that's how it is, we are still very few and most missions in this diocese are served by single priests.

Just came back from the church, making sure all is ready for tomorrow. And decided to share these few lines with you.

So TDW is what it looks like here in Kiabakari. But it feels special when I sit just like this, after finishing all things since early morning till dusk, feeling kind of satisfaction that is very rewarding and making the physical and psychological exhaustion a blessing rather than a cross.

Happy and blessed Corpus Christi Solemnity to you all!