Into The Unknown

The first day of August marks the beginning of my one week long or so holidays after the hectic July with the most important week of the year 14-20/7/2013 - the ordination of our deacon Augustino Barageti Mapambano, children's fiesta in honor of the newly ordained priests and Thanksgiving Mass of Fr. Augustino in his family home.

Our guest and volunteer, Jane, who decided to spend her annual holidays with us in Kiabakari, has finished her work in our pre-school and yesterday we flew in to Dar es Salaam. Thank God she returned safely back home to Rome, Italy, and sent me a SMS around noon time saying that she is indeed back home.

So, I can begin my short vacations now. Today I went around the town visiting various dealers and suppliers for our development projects, finalizing process of picking up medical equipment for our health center.

Tomorrow morning I will set off from Dar es Salaam heading down south in my quest to visit and explore the so called Southern Circuit. This is the unknown territory to me. Never been there so far. It will take some 2,500 km in general by car, getting me first to Kilwa Kivinje, Kilwa Masoko, Kilwa Kisiwani, then to Selous Game Reserve, Lindi, Mtwara, Masasi, Tunduru, Songea, Makambako, Iringa, Morogoro and back to Dar es Salaam.

I do hope for some good photo opportunities, relaxing time and delicious seafood on the way. All this in my quest to clear up my head from the stress of organizing the past events, restoring my serenity and inner strength to tackle the remaining months of this year and - in particular - finishing successfully our development projects.

Let the adventure begin!

The Summit

We have been talking about this week for years now. At least since Augustino Mapambano entered the major seminary. It seemed to be so far away in time at that point. But as Swahili proverb rightly says - 'Hayawi, hayawi, yamekuwa!' (not yet, not yet, it is done! in a free translation) - THE WEEK has finally came upon us. The Summit of the Year of Faith in Kiabakari. I think we are ready to tackle the challenge, but who knows. The next six days will tell the truth. We tried our best but doubts will always be there till it is over this Saturday afternoon.

We have been praying Novena to Divine Mercy for the protection of Divine Providence and blessings we need in fulfilling our responsibilities. We ask you, my esteemed readers, to keep your fingers crossed for us and pray for us all involved in the preparations of the ordination, children's fiesta and thanksgiving Mass. I appreciate your kind spiritual involvement in our challenge.

God bless Mapambano! God bless Kiabakari! God bless us all!

All are welcome for the celebrations starting this Thursday.

Request

Our deacons, Augustino Mapambano and William Bahitwa who will be ordained in their home parishes on July 11 (William in Musoma Cathedral) and July 18 (Augustino in Kiabakari), asked me yesterday - as they were heading to Effeta Retreat Center in Makoko, Musoma in the evening to begin their retreat before the priestly ordination - for our prayers for them and for guidance of the Holy Spirit throughout the retreat. So I ask all of you, my esteemed readers, to keep an eye on them in your kind prayers and liturgical celebrations. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, form them in His liking through the power of His Spirit. Thank you in advance for your generous response.

Reunion

In a couple of hours I will be picked up by my classmate and our class chairman, Fr. Marek Hajdyła, and we will drive up to Zembrzyce, small town near Sucha Beskidzka, for our two days of prayer and ordination class reunion, before we celebrate our Silver Jubilee of Ordination on Wednesday, on the very day of our ordination, twenty five years ago. The Jubilee Mass will be celebrated in the cathedral on  Wawel Hill, presided by His Eminence, Stanisław Cardinal Diwisz, our former rector in major seminary - His Excellency Bishop Jan Zając, our former spiritual director - His Excellency Bishop Jan Szkodoń and our classmate - His Excellency Bishop Grzegorz Ryś.

I will carry all of you in my heart along with all intentions dear to your hearts. I promise my prayers for you and for your intentions. Please, pray for us, so the Holy Spirit on whose Solemnity we received our ordination to priesthood, guide and enlighten us, so may continue to go forth and bring abundant fruit of our faith and good deeds as faithful servants of God and His Church.

The Road Map

Last evening we had a very constructive and fruitful meeting of the Parochial Executive Council. Planning the Year of the Faith and highlights of this time of grace. For us, in Kiabakari, this special period of the history of mankind means a lot as it coincides with a few events of heavy caliber which need careful and thorough planning and execution...

In The Lord I'll Be Ever Thankful...

The Fifth Sunday of Easter. For me and for sixty five of my classmates from major seminary in Kraków - also  a 23rd anniversary of priestly ordination in Kraków's cathedral. Please, join us in thanksgiving today as we sing - the same way we sung on that day after ordination in the cathedral on Wawel Hill - 'In the Lord I'll be ever thankful'...

Signature

Job well done. What is left is to put signatures on payment vouchers for all involved in the renovation and refurbishment of St. Martha and St. Robert Bellarmin Houses i.e. the guest/volunteers house and the rectory. I'm positively happy and satisfied with the outcome of the works. Truly, my task force stood up to my expectations and standards set for this job...

22 Years Ago

January 6, 1989 was a day of episcopal consecration of Rt. Rev. Bishop Justin Tetemu Samba, the late Bishop of Musoma, who received the episcopal dignity through the hands of the Servant of God, Holy Father John Paul II in Vatican Basilica. I wish to brought this important event for the history of salvation of the People of God in Musoma Diocese to ask kindly for your prayers for the repose of his soul. He died on August 23, 2006, after long and painful illness. He was the Bishop who accepted me in Diocese of Musoma and I served the People of God in the diocese since 1991 till now, 16 years under his pastoral guidance and authority, holding various posts he entrusted me along the way, including the episcopal vicar for religious and the pastor of the Cathedral Church in Musoma, not mentioning Kiabakari and the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy here. May his soul rest in peace and may he pray for us here in Musoma Diocese, keeping alive his legacy...

The Deadline

I'm extremely glad that my bishop, the bishop of Diocese of Musoma, Rt. Rev. Michael Msonganzila, took his time to come and visit us here in Kiabakari this afternoon, while on his way back from the meeting with priests who formerly belonged to the Diocese of Musoma, but now will become a part of the presbyterium of the recently announced new diocese of Bunda. When they announced the creation of this new diocese, I thought initially that Kiabakari will become a part of the new diocese as we are neighbors with Bunda parish which has become now a capital city of the Diocese of Bunda (some 30 km only from Kiabakari)...

Sacred Birds

It always amazed me that in Catholic Symbolism birds (doves, eagles, pelicans, phoenixes, peacocks etc...) hold a sacred meaning with no connotation of evil, contrary to what we sometimes experience and believe in secular world and our cultures, be it Polish culture and popular beliefs or in Tanzanian diverse ethnicity...

Greatest Gift

I have just come back home from Tarime, one of the largest towns in our Mara Region, ‘capital city’ of Tarime district. Located just 16 kilometers from Tanzanian/Kenyan border along the main highway from Mombasa via Nairobi and further on to the junction of Musoma-Mwanza highway (Kiabakari is just 20 kilometers to the south of this junction on the same highway to Mwanza). From Kiabakari to Tarime is 87 kilometers and today it took me one and a half hours of moderate driving to Tarime and back home.

What a wonderful day today...So grateful to God and people who surround me. It was all about celebrating love and friendship, as I am so much aware how much I owe to all of you, who God put on purpose, and by no means - by chance - on my path of life. You continue to teach me, formate me, shape me and make me so much more than I am. Thank you for being there with me when I needed you and always...I salute you! I embrace with love, affection and gratitude. May God reward you thousandfold for all you've been to me. Without you I would never be who I am now and would never be able to do what God was able to do through me in those past twenty years of priesthood...

This is a song we sang together as newly ordained priests on that day, May 22, 1988 in Kraków's cathedral church, right after the ordination rite. As I continue to rejoice in the Lord, immensely grateful for His love and mercy to us, who were ordained on that memrable day, please, join me in reliving that magic moment again, singing (in English or in Polish, your choice) along with the video clips of this song I found on internet...





English lyrics:

In the Lord I'll be ever thankful,
In the Lord I will rejoice!
Look to God, do not be afraid...
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near...
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near...

Polish lyrics:


Pan jest Mocą swojego Ludu, Pieśnią moją jest Pan!
Moja Tarcza i moja Moc,
On jest mym Bogiem, nie jestem sam...
W Nim moja siła, nie jestem sam...

Catch 22

This Saturday, May 22nd, 2010, I will celebrate 22nd Anniversary of my priesthood I received through the hands of His Eminence Franciszek Cardinal Macharski, Archbishop of Kraków, Poland, on Sunday of the Solemnity of Pentecost in Kraków's cathedral. My ordination class 1988 is the largest in the 1000 years long history of Archdiocese of Kraków, as far as the number of deacons ordained for the diocese the same year - we were almost seventy who were ordained that day....

Twenty two years passed since that day. In retrospective, I must say, all mysteries of rosary have been revealed and relived in my life - joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious as well...The Lord led me through various situations and made me to experience the full spectrum of human feelings and emotions - from elation and euphoria down to despair and darkness. I am immensely grateful to Him for giving me such a wonderful life. I could not ask for more.

At the same time my heart is filled with emotions, gratitude, joy, pride, satisfaction but also - sorrow, disappointment, pity and contrition for all mistakes and falls I went through in my priestly life.

I will celebrate a special Holy Mass of the Anniversary on Pentecost Vigil, on Saturday afternoon at 5pm in Divine Mercy Shrine in Kiabakari, in spiritual union with my classmates, praying for those who are strong and pressing ahead, for those who are feeble and weak, for those who passed away and for those who left...May God have mercy on us all! And Saint Francis of Assisi, our Saint Patron of the class, may protect us and pray for us always till we arrive safely to the House of the Father in heaven.

Your prayers for us, dear reader, are appreciated very much!

Here are twenty two pictures for the twenty second Anniversary of our priesthood we were consecrated to on May 22nd, 1988...

My ordination class 1988 (can you find me?)

 With my Mum (in the middle) and Godparents right after Ordination Mass on May 22nd. 1988

With secondary and university students on our way from Sułkowice (my first parish) to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska in 1989

Spring 1990 - with my students from my second parish - Jaworzno-Osiedle Stałe

Portiuncula in Assisi - 5 January 1990 - a personal pilgrimage to Patron of my ordination class right before flying out to Tanzania to begin my missionary apostolate

Our Lady of Lourdes church in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland - my personal 'missionary formation center' - wonderful three months among wonderful people, unforgettable experience!

St. Peter's parochial church in Drogheda - the main church in my parish (We had two churches in Drogheda parish and there are still two as far as I know)

Hospitalized in Medical Missionary of Mary hospital in Drogheda, had some health problems, but I was okey soon after

Makoko Language School in Musoma, Tanzania - my class - May 1991

Rookie times - my first Palm Sunday in Kiabakari - 1991

1991 - on my way to the outstation with Zanaki parish choir

Holy Thursday 1991 - in Bukabwa outstation of Zanaki parish

Sacrament of Reconciliation in Kyawazaru outstation

1994 - during construction of Divine Mercy Shrine in Kiabakari

November 1997 - my private thanksgiving pilgrimage to Fatima after successful completion of the construction of Divine Mercy Shrine and its dedication on July 3, 1997 in Kiabakari

August 17, 2001 - Apostolic Nuncio in Tanzania raises the parochial church in Kiabakari to the dignity of Diocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy

2003 - in Musoma Cathedral Parish with fellow priests, Fr. John Chacha and Fr. Kazimierz Króżel

February 26, 2003 - closing of the Jubilee Door after Golden Jubilee of Musoma Cathedral Parish

January 26, 2006, Butiama, Tanzania - sworn in as a postulator of beatification process of the Servant of God, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere

2007 - during one of the pilgrimages to Divine Mercy Shrine in Kiabakari

2008 - Baptisms in the shrine

"What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving,and will call upon the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

In the courts of the LORD's house, in the midst of thee,O Jerusalem. 

Praise ye the LORD."

(Psalm 116)

In Te, Domine, speravi...non confundar in aeternum!