Musoma From Above

Departing and landing in Musoma in a small airplane like Cessna Caravan 208, gives an excellent opportunity to take pictures not only from side windows, but also through the windscreen in front. Have a look and agree that our Musoma is beautifully located...

Mwanza In The Morning Light

Landing in Mwanza in the early morning light is a fascinating aesthetic experience. The exposed texture of surrounding rocky islets and croppings due to light condition in the morning, hilly countryside with scarce trees - bathed in the rising sun - brings a soothing sensation in my heart and mind... Deo gratias!

KIAnna

This is a title of a blog of one of the volunteers of Foundation Kiabakari, whom I had honor to teach as her religion teacher in Sułkowice in Archdiocese of Kraków in 1989-1990 before I was suddenly transferred to Jaworzno-Osiedle Stałe (refer to the episode in my autobiographical book - Między Taborem a Golgotą) and later on I turned into a missionary in Tanzania.

Anna is getting ready to come to Kiabakari later this year to experience in first hand that magic of Kiabakari and the warmth of people of Tanzania, in particular children in Kiabakari.

I wish her all the best in preparations and pray for the success of her noble mission.

All of you, my esteemed readers, I encourage to pray for her and I welcome you to follow closely her interesting and written in perfect Polish language blog (translator machine is provided conveniently in her blog too) - KIAnna: annawkiabakari. The link to it is listed in the right sidebar of this blog in the section: Featured Blogs.

Twitter

For my Facebook friends who want to stay in touch with me this time when I am off Facebook, please, follow me at www.twitter.com/WojciechAK simply by clicking the Twitter button in the right sidebar of this blog.

Welcome!

Off Facebook

Just to let you know who interact with me on Facebook that I decided to deactivate my account on Facebook during Lent season. This is time to go to spiritual desert and focus on the challenges of the season. See you later at Easter.

Time For Martyrs In Tanzania Has Dawned

Second Catholic priest was shot this morning in Zanzibar. The first survived the attack. Today Fr. Mushi was not that lucky. R.I.P. Time for Christian
Martyrs have dawned in Tanzania. Coming here in 1990 I never thought I would witness to it in this peaceful and friendly country. I receive phonecalls and messages from good Samaritans showing their solidarity, prayers for us, priests, asking me also to be vigilant and careful. Please , pray for the Church in Tanzania. Pray for Tanzania! May God keep us safe in peace.

Un-holy Day Of Obligation

Today is the un-holy day of obligation for people of all creeds and walks of life - market day in Kiabakari. Every 6th and 23rd of each month people from all over the area, sometimes as far as 20-30 kilometers gather in this open space in Nyamisisye village, near the main Musoma-Mwanza highway for the celebration of local commerce. Huge event! Check just this small section of the area on the picture.

Touching Message From A Stranger

I was deeply touched by the Facebook message from Mr Adam Gryczyński I found at night in my inbox, suggesting to visit the link he attached. It was a photo of my Mum picking up flowers on a meadow near the Nowa Huta steel works, with a quote from her testimony of those early days of the becoming Nowa Huta. For the non-Polish speaking readers, I suggest to use Google translator (in the right sidebar). I feel very emotional, finding it difficult to keep tears from flowing... Thank you, Mr Adam, for sharing with me, with us, this treasure.

Infant

Second Reading of yesterday's Sunday comes handy for us in Kiabakari as we close our ranks to face challenges of the major celebrations of the Year of Faith in Kiabakari. I asked my people today to look at their lives carefully and find out if they were infants or adults in fact in our parish. Infant baby draws attention and keeps everybody around preoccupied with her. Her major occupation is to eat, sleep, sh.t unexpectedly, cry randomly and laugh for no apparent or serious reasons. She cannot communicate in an articulate way, cannot undertake any given adult responsibilities and tasks, show generosity, cooperate with others and has no ability to walk in any given direction unassisted. Baby infant is full of herself and wants to be the center of the universe. Parishioners of this baby infant nature are immediate and clear danger to us and our program. Time for them to wake up, think, speak and act as adults - conscious, responsible and committed members of our parochial team. Living Faith and Great Deeds is what we need now.

Year Of Faith in Kiabakari

In a couple of hours I will see managing director of the printing press in Mwanza, to discuss printing needs of Kiabakari parish and shrine for this year. I will collect also printed posters to be distributed in parishes, convents, institutions of Diocese of Musoma and outside the diocese, with the schedule of liturgical special celebrations of the Year of Faith in Diocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari. The poster along with my letter and a special brochure will be dispatched the next week. At this point of time, I wish to express my gratitude to Miss Agata Krupa for design and graphic works on the poster. Judge for yourself the professional work she has done.  Click on the image to enlarge. Thank you, Agatka!

Diaconate

I have been waiting for this day for many many years. When I arrived to Tanzania, and then to Kiabakari, I met this tiny altar server Agostino Barageti Masamaki Mapambano, a third grade primary student (if I remember correctly). I watched as he grew in years, faith and wisdom. And now, twenty two years later, he received diaconate along with his classmate from Musoma Cathedral, a person very close to my heart, whom I met in the cathedral some ten years back and it happened that at that time William Bahitwa chose to join the formation year and then major seminary...

Serengeti Western Corridor

I would love to share with you a few pictures I took yesterday in Western Corridor of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, while on the short day trip with my friends visiting me. It was a nice day, though not without problems. Our safari vehicle broke down early in the morning in the park, we had to wait more than two hours for a replacement. Tse-tse flies feasted freely on us the whole day and I cam back home beaten more than a hundred times, I guess. Still, it was a good photo opportunity, even if in this time of the year, migration is far away and one can spot only a few residing animals which do not move with herds. Click here and enjoy the beauty of the land of wonders of Tanzania and its flora and fauna.

Seminar For Members Of Synod Of Diocese Of Musoma

Today and tomorrow, January 21 and 22, 2013, His Excellency, Rt. Rev. Bishop Michael Msonganzila, Bishop of Musoma Diocese, has convoked a special seminar for all elected members of the Sinod of Musoma Diocese, presided by a specialist of sinods in Tanzania, a priest from Bukoba Diocese. So, here we are, some 180 people - Bishop himself, priests, sisters, catechists, members of laity, invited guests - all elected by the Bishop by name in writing. The Sinod itself will be opened officially on the Pentecost Solemnity, May 19, this year, and will last two years. Your prayers are very much needed and appreciated!

Little Angel For Kiabakari - Photos

Check the photos from Saturday's children fiesta in Kiabakari - Little Children for Kiabakari. It was a great day of prayer, unity, fun, joy, sharing children's talents and gifts. Thanks be to God, our benefactors, many people who worked hard for the success of the day. And most of all - thanks to our children who did great and were real stars. Click here to see the pictures. Enjoy!

Little Angel For Kiabakari

Many, many thanks to Miss Agata Krupa for her thoughtfulness and painstaking work, manufacturing some 230 little angels with big hearts for Kiabakari children along with lovely handsome 'Dziabągi'. It took her a few weeks to accomplish the task and then she needed only one day to sell them all during a special mission market day on Solemnity of Epiphany a week or so ago in Mucharz Parish in Achdiocese of Krakow, where the Parish Priest is my classmate and friend, a man of big heart like these little angels, Fr. Krzysztof Strzelichowski, who wholeheartedly invited Agata to her parish to sell little angels and small creatures called 'Dziabągi' (see pictures below). All income Agata decided to forward to Kiabakari for the benefit of our children.

This Saturday we will see how much this help was needed when we will have special Children's Fiesta with various activities, music, plays, competitions and food. Her initiative along with the help from collection of teddy bears, toys, school gadgets collected by Miss Bożena Koczur and Mrs. Anna Piwowarska on behalf of Foundation Kiabakari - which will be used as gifts to children on Saturday, along with the personal gift of Sylwia Konstantynowicz and her husband Jacek Juras (who are on their way to Kiabakari as I write these words, to represent all our benefactors, during the fiesta) - made this fiesta to be possible.

On behalf of all children in Kiabakari, parents, guardians and the entire community in Kiabakari - we say with grateful hearts, red with love and happiness, like those of little angels - Asanteni sana sana sana! Thank you very very very much! Karibuni kwa Tamasha letu! Welcome to our fiesta!

Levitating Feeling Over Morning Coffee

I updated my status on Facebook yesterday as follows: "Looking forward to pick up where I left book-writing." I woke up this morning with a feeling getting stronger as I sip my morning coffee, that this is what I am about to do starting from February. On the hard drive of my mackbook there are some twenty new books in various stages of writing and some other only in my imagination. Most of these deal with Divine Mercy message, liturgy, spirituality, prayer life and so forth. Yet there are a few books which still need more thought and courage to commit to. Like the second part of my autobiography, essays on people portraits, short novels etc. We will see what is going to happen in the next couple of months and how this morning feeling pans out in reality. Do not wish me luck. It will happen by itself.

Deluded Narcissists

Follow the link to the honest and revealing article on Fox News. As a pastor I can testify to the correctness of the observations of the author. Even if Tanzania the problem is emerging fast.

Late Christmas Gift

I am very happy that together with my friend, film professional and producer, Aldimilablis Novatus, we were able to complete the DVD project of the short movie on implementation of the First Aid Project in Kiabakari. Today I sent copies of the movie on DVDs via DHL to the headquarters of Foundation Kiabakari for further forwarding to people I want to get this late Christmas gift, in particular those involved directly in the project.

Epiphany

"And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." 

(From the Gospel of the Solemnity of the Epiphany)...

Sub Tuum Praesidium

On January 1 each year the Holy Church celebrates the Solemnity of Holy Mary, Mother of God. In the Universal Church this is a day of Prayer for Peace led by the Holy Father himself. In our Diocese of Musoma this is a day of the feast day of the Patroness of the Musoma Cathedral and the Diocese of Musoma. The Solemnity of Theotokos. The Solemnity of the Patroness of the Kiabakari parish as well, as on the day of the dedication of the parochial church on July 3, 1997, the Archbishop of Mwanza consecrated the parish and the families in the parish to Our Lady...