Meanwhile In Mwibagi

The reconstruction of the church destroyed in thunderstorm and twister nine days ago has begun (reinforced concrete beam ready, preparations of roof beams underway). Due to the help from our member of parliament, Hon. Nimrod Mkono, who donated roof sheets, timber and nails for roof work, and the contribution from other source, we will be able to finish the job in short time and bless anew the church on Sept 29, the Solemnity of Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Patron Saints of Mwibagi church.

No End To Sad News

As many of us are concerned about my Dad's health and treatment progress in Krakow's hospital, praying and sending get well wishes, I got another bad news this morning. One of my catechists, Frederick Masasi, was killed last night by a hit-and-run lorry in Kamugegi village where he lived as served God as catechist. The driver and the people who were with him apparently stopped, went back, saw what happened and drove away leaving Frederick on the side of the road. Outrageous!

The funeral will be tomorrow in Kamugegi at 11am. I would like to ask you all to say a prayer for the repose of his soul. He was a very good catechist, liked by all and serving God tirelessly till old age. May Merciful Lord receive him in heaven. Rest in peace, Frederick!

Momentary Bucket List

Inspired by one of my favorite movies - "The Bucket List", I drew up my own momentary bucket list as I was getting ready to head down to Dar es Salaam for my business trip...

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...

Lightning

Just came back from one of the outstations. Upon my arrival to the village, people told me about a tragic accident that occurred some tens days ago there. Three boys took shelter under the overhanging of the roof of the chapel as the thunderstorm was about to come down with fury on that area. Unfortunately, recklessly, one of the boys played with his mobile phone, trying to call someone. The lighting struck...

In The Jungle

That's exactly how I felt today when I was celebrating the last (third) Mass in Mwibagi outstation. The faithful from three outstations gathered together for the common celebration of Palm Sunday in Mwibagi and their sheer numbers and fancy palms, some of them genuine masterpieces, decorated artfully, made for a feeling of being 'in the jungle'. Great feeling, great celebration, an hour + confessions before the Mass, long liturgy (over two hours), totally exhausted and dehydrated in extreme heat and humidity in a fully packed church. Exactly like in a real jungle! Check some of the photos we took there...

What Counts

What counts is the Mystery of the Lord's Mercy, Love and Presence. While the whole Catholic Church in Tanzania was gathered in Mwanza for the installation of the new Archbishop of Mwanza, Rt. Rev. Bishop Yuda Thaddeus Ruwaichi, I was going about my pastoral duties in Kiabakari. First - two regular Masses in the shrine, then off to Isaba outstation, the northernmost village in my mission. I love to go there. The community is minute, the chapel is built of mud bricks with a thatched roof, dust inside, no church pews. Confessions done under a tree outside in the dust, sitting on a wooden chair. But I love. The Presence of the Lord is felt so powerfully, so intimately, I can't experience the same somehow in modern, better equipped chapels and churches. It feels as if I celebrate the Mystery of the Presence in Bethlehem crib....

Because there was no room for them in the...

...chapel. This is what I found today as I drove to Kamugegi village, some 7-8 kilometers from Kiabakari. The last rains were too much for the grass roofed mud bricks tiny chapel we were using for some time now as people try to raise funds to build something more solid... So, instead of celebrating today's Mass in the chapel, we were forced to go to the nearby school and use one of the classrooms for the Holy Mass....

Pentecost Sunday

Just came back from Nyamikoma outstation. Today, apart from normal Sunday schedule of two Holy Masses in the shrine in Kiabakari and one Holy Mass in one of the nine outstations in Kiabakari Parish, that last Mass was combined with Baptisms of 130 school kids and adults from three oustations of Kyanyari Center of our parish - Nyamikoma, Mwibagi and Nyakiswa.

The first Holy Mass in the shrine was ornamented with inculturation elements - Gospel procession with seven ladies from Catholic Women League in the parish dancing liturgical dance and preceding the lad y dressed as Our Lady carrying on her head a clay pot (used here for drinking water) wrapped in white linen and inside it there was a Holy Scripture. The ladies were carrying on their heads small clay pots with redhot charcoal and incence inside, making it to look like fire tongues dancing on their heads protected by head wrap. On each pot there was a name of one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The meaning of the lady dressed as Our Lady with that big clay pot for drinking water - Our Lady brought us Jesus, who is Living Water. His Word is Living Water. The pot means the womb of Our Lady, the white linen her Virginity, and the Holy Scripture - Jesus who is a Living Word of God.

People were cheering wildly excited by this unusual display of well thought inculturation element in the Mass - singing along and clapping happily their hands. Upon the arrival of ladies to the steps of the sanctuary, I bowed in respect and took the Bible from inside the clay pot which the lady dressed as Our Lady took of her head and hold in her hands in front of me. I kissed the Bible and blessed the congregation. People made the sign of the cross.

The second inculturation element in that first 7am morning Mass was the prayer of the faithful. Altar servers brought in front of the altar a big thurible with a charcoal stove inside. Chosen Christian were lined at the steps of the sanctuary and came in twos. One was reading prepared beforehand intention of the prayer and the second, upon the first one finishing reading, put a tablespoon of incense on charcoal and pleasant fragrance of incense and smoke rose to the sky, as a sign of our prayers accepted by God. There were six different intentions, so altogether there were six couples of Christians from various parochial groups and movements. Saint Gemma Galgani Choir sang response and all followed...

During all Masses today we had a special collection for Lay Apostolate upkeep in the parish and the diocese. This time I stood in the middle with a basket and people were coming to donate for this cause. This idea of me being there instead of the secretary of the lay parish council was not a bad one as we got twice the usual amount people tend to donate for various causes throughout the liturgical year.

The second Holy Mass is mainly for youth and children, but without incence and inculturation elements we had in the first Mass.

Immediately after the second Holy Mass we set off to Nyamikoma - with two sisters, lay leaders and altar servers. We arrived there at 5.15am, first thing was to make sure that all catechumens were there, gave them special forms with which they would come to me during Baptism Liturgy, thus making sure all heads are accounted for. Then I sat for confessions. Godparents and 'normal' penitents came in good number. It took me 1 hour 15 minutes to hear all confessions. We started Mass at 12.30pm. The small chapel was packed incredibly with twice as many people outside. The Holy Mass lasted for four hours. I thought in one moments during baptismal liturgy that I would faint of dehydration and heat. People at windows and in doors, no air circulation, temperature inside around 40 Centigrades and me fully clad in liturgical vestments...

But eventually all went very well, I introduced to the Holy Mother Church some 130 new members. The joy was incredible. People singing, dancing, ululating, shouting, smiling, excited to the brink of explosion!

Here are some pictures and one video clip from the Holy Mass in Nyamikoma today. I came back home at 5.15pm, hungry, thirsty, dead tired after a long day, but very happy and satisfied! The Holy Spirit came and created us anew!

Penitents queuing for confessions before the Holy Mass in Nyamikoma outstation

The faithful waiting for the beginning of the Mass, no place for them inside the chapel

Anna from Mwibagi outstation was pumped up already before even Mass started!

My old 'outstation use only' altar missal

The first Reading

Baptisms underway...

Godparents busy at the paschal candle (do not get fooled by the year on the stand of the candle - it was the stand I made and used in 1999 during a special pilgrimage of paschal candle in the parish as part of preparations for Great Jubilee 2000; I still use it for liturgical purposes like today)

Kids fascinated by the lighting of baptism candles by godparents!

New Christians proudly presenting their baptismal candles

Gifts of altar offered during offertory procession in the Holy Mass - whatever people can share from their crops and orchards

Getting There...

Just came back from a regular Small Christian Community prayer meeting. This time it was the community of Catholics working as prison wardens and their families. We usually meet at the recreation hall of the prison compound, designed for prison officers and their families to relax, chat and buy/drink some soft drinks...

It was raining all night in Kiabakari and the area. In particular in the area of the prison called Nyamongo. It was not raining that heavily in my area. So I thought things were not that bad even if there was a slight drizzle when I was leaving the mission heading to Nyamongo. I didn't check with the Christians there what was the condition of the road. I should have...My 17 year old truck forgot long time ago what 4WD drive was all about, it has been out of order for long time and it is too expensive to repair it.

I was lucky to pass through...It is only 5 kilometers from the mission to prison compound. The road condition was quite bad and car was 'dancing' in slippery mud...Judge for yourself...
 

 

How different was the 'taste' of the Rosary we prayed together with Christians in Nyamongo though, when I was able to get through the mud and reach the awaiting community! Quite different to the bad taste of failure I had last Sunday when I was unable to pass the flooded stretch of the road leading to one of my outstations called Kamugegi....and Christians remained there with their catechist leading the prayer service instead of celebrating Holy Mass with me...