WACOM 2014

Anyone who wants to join me on the journey to Bogota, Colombia in August 2014 for the World Apostolic Congress on Divine Mercy (WACOM 2014), especially pilgrims from Tanzania, please, contact me on my email through the contact page on WACOM website (click here). So far, I was blessed to attend the congress in Rome and in Kraków. I won't make it to Australia this year in October. but surely I would love to take part in Colombia in two years time. Let's go together!

My ID from WACOM 2008 in Rome

One Year

I wish to congratulate my classmate, His Excellency Bishop Grzegorz Ryś, auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Kraków, and his fellow auxiliary bishop Damian Muskus, for the first anniversary of their episcopal consecration which we celebrate today. I regret I was unable to participate in the consecration Mass as on that day a year ago I was in the air returning to Tanzania from Poland, and it was impossible to postpone the flight as I was rushing back to be present at the Centenary celebrations of Christianity in our Diocese of Musoma.

I celebrated Holy Mass today for both Bishops, thanking God for the gift of their apostolate and praying for them that Divine Mercy may shine through the service to the Church and the world. Auguri! Please, pray for them!

Bishop Grzegorz Ryś

Bishop Damian Muskus

Weekend? You bet!

Whenever I come across people excited by TGIF (Thanks God It's Friday) frenzy, I question myself if I am abnormal. To me, Friday is the beginning of the busiest time of the week. This 'weekend' is no exception to this rule...

First Aid Kits

The First Aid Project 'Huduma ya Kwanza' is going on very well in Kiabakari. Volunteers of our Foundation Kiabakari are doing exceptional job running courses for inhabitants of Kukirango ward and for teachers of primary and secondary schools in the area. Apart from teaching aids which Karolina and Agata prepared, now they finished preparing special first aid kits for each school - fourteen in total. every headmistress/headmaster will be presented with the kit for free at the end of the course for each school. Here are a few pictures of the prepared kits and its contents. Well done, Karolina and Agata!

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...

Beautiful Day

Unexpectedly beautiful day today. Students from Makoko language school coming for the second Mass and a chat, led by Resurrection Sisters. St. Cecilia choir 45-members strong coming from Musoma Cathedral singing both Masses and offering their condolences for the loss of my Dad. Heart warming. Gratitude!

Graduation

Just to let you know that I posted a new photo album on Facebook with pictures taken today at Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School on the occasion of the second graduation of the Form Four students. The link to the album is here. Enjoy!

Auf Wiedersehen! Kwaherini!

Time has come to say goodbye to Denise and Thomas. We wish them well! We pray for God's blessings in their lives - for their future family and good satisfying jobs. Till we meet again!

Our Kiabakari team at the moment:
Amon, Aurelia, William, Karolina, me and Agata

Herzlich Willkommen!

I guess Kiabakari is becoming an attractive tourist destination for German citizens. Since yesterday we welcomed parents of Thomas Back, our volunteer who together with his fiancee - Denise Carl, are getting ready to go back to Germany, after one year of voluntary work as teachers in our pre-school. When Denise's parents and relatives came, I was away in Poland. This time I enjoy the presence and visit of Thomas' parents, and am grateful for their coming, kindness and warm characters. So, before they live on Thursday morning for good, I say to them - Herzlich willkommen!

She Was Luckier Than Him

On September 17, 1939, Soviet Union invaded Poland, dividing my country among two powers - Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. Seventy three years passed and it seems as if it is a dream, a story, a fairytale or rather - a nightmare - that never occurred. Yet it was real, and the outcome of that invasion we inherit till now, when Europe was divided, our country carved and new post-war communist Poland was born. My mother side of family land in Eastern Poland has been lost, now in Ukraine. So many relatives perished under Soviet oppression. My grandfather lieutenant Adam Jakubiec was executed in Katyn forest in April 1940. Here is a remarkable story of a girl luckier than him who survived and now tells her story. Read it here.

Such Faith

The Gospel of Saint Luke, chapter 7, verses 1 to 10, is read today. It is all about a simple yet powerful faith in Jesus and His tender merciful Heart, which is touched by the people's misery. It is all about Jesus' praise of such faith and His rebuke that He did not find such faith in the Children of the Chosen Nation:

The Word

Just to share with Polish readers the homily of my classmate and the chairman of the new evangelization program of City of Kraków during the Jericho prayer (I wrote about it a few days ago).

Demonstrate Your Faith

Saint Jacob Apostle in his letter which is quoted in today's Second Reading of the Liturgy of the Word of the Twenty  Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle B, writes the following profound words:

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works? 
Can that faith save him? 
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, "
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works." (Jas 2:14-18)

New Milestone In The History

Today some of us witnessed a history in making, with a new milestone in the history of the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ firmly laid down with the first vows of three novices in Kahangala, Archdiocese of Mwanza. These three young men are the first Africans to enter the Congregation. As a neighbor and a friend of the Resurrection Fathers since the very first day the first one of them arrived to Tanzania ten years ago, I could not miss this great opportunity to show my support and appreciation for their efforts in Tanzania.

IB Office In Pre-School

Thanks to the great dedication and creativity of Denise and Thomas, they created a fully equipped office for Internationaler Bund volunteers in the premises of our pre-school with all kinds of teaching aids, laptop I gave them (a gift of one young boy from Ulmerfeld in Austria), scanner and printer. I allowed them to use for this end one of the offices in the former pastoral center - now pre-school. They took this offer seriously and put a lot of effort in making sure that future volunteers of IB will have a secure and orderly place to keep their tools, stationary, school equipment being a property of IB in Kiabakari. It is my firm hope that the coming volunteers will appreciate this huge effort of Denise and Thomas and will contribute more to keep this office useful and fully furnished with everything that is needed for the volunteers-teachers work in our school.

Time Flies By Fast

It looks unreal, but unfortunately it is real. One year has passed since Denise and Thomas arrived to Kiabakari as volunteers-teachers from Germany to work in our Bl. John Paul II Center for Education and Formation. And now time has come to say goodbye to them as they get ready to go back home and pave way for the next couple who will arrive next Friday from the same organization - Internationaler Bund in Germany. We will welcome them with open hearts and hands. But today it was time to bid farewell to Denise and Thomas. Check the pictures from the farewell party organized by the school community in their honor. The link to pictures on Facebook is here.

False Prophet

While I was reading today's Gospel I felt uneasy. And I noticed that those present in the morning Mass were still and quiet and their face expression changed...

A Quiet Day?

Yeah, it was supposed to be a quiet day. An office routine day. As I am recovering from amoeba and fluctuating blood pressure, I wanted today just to stay home and be available to people coming to the office. And sure, they did come!

Uphill

It has been a bit uphill for me for the last few months this year, with all sorts of 'dark side of the moon' experiences. After recovering somehow, though not completely from flu / pneumonia, I had a bit of a rough time for the last week with efforts to stabilize my blood pressure. Today I felt unwell and after the first Mass I asked the doctor from our health center with a lab technician to have a look at me. They found out after lab check that I have amoeba. I wonder where exactly I got it. Not sure. So, I am on medication now, which roughs my feathers a bit, but luckily I have a visiting priest who came for a short retreat to Kiabakari, so he helped me with Masses today. Thanks be to God! I hope that drugs will kill off amoeba quickly and I will be completely fit for work in a short time. Prayers appreciated, homies of Kiabakari Snippets! Thanks in advance!

Misfire

Tomorrow's reading of the Twenty Third Sunday of the Ordinary Time, cycle B, highlights the issue of God's priorities in our lives. When we read all readings, in particular the Apostle Jacob's letter and Mark Evangelist Gospel, in the light of agendas and priorities of our own prayer, we will have to admit in honesty that God's priorities and ours differ quite significantly. Simply, we misfire badly in prayer. Most of us focus on earthly goods and possessions, instant solution for our needs and problems. But the Liturgy of the Word of tomorrow's Sunday tells us loud and clear that on the top of the list of God's priorities is faith which is the ultimate treasure we should go after.