By the new editorial team in Merrivale.
As we start our first semester of the academic year 2016, we wish to welcome each and every community member from his holidays. Our first year students had an opportunity of spending more time in silence and prayer for a period of one month in their retreat. Five of them went to Marianhill, and were directed by Fr. Fisher Urs CMM and three others went to the Capuchin sisters in Port Shepstone and were guided by Fr. Michel Côté, M.Afr on mission in Malawi. While chatting with some of them, they affirmed that they had a good experience which they will live and carry on through the rest of their missionary life.
Immediately after their deaconate ordination, our five deacons were sent outside South Africa in different parishes. Damian Ahimbisibwe was at St. Francis parish Kanengo and Albert Kondemodre at St. Thomas the Apostle parish Mzuzu, both in Malawi. Robbin Simbeye was at St. Peter’s parish, Serenje and Alphonse-Marie Byishimo at St. John the Baptist Kasamba parish both in Zambia. Konrad Simon Millanzi went to Mozambique at Our Lady Queen of the World, Dombe. They all had a wonderful pastoral experience in their respective places. On this note, they are grateful to the staff members for sending them not only for pastoral, but also for giving them a chance of meeting and working with people from different cultural backgrounds. Likewise, they appreciate the hospitality received from different confreres during their mission. We pray that the Almighty God may guide you in your missionary zeal to serve the Church.
A Few days after the arrival of our deacons from their pastoral experience, they joined the rest of the community members for their annual retreat at St. John Paul II Centre in Bethlehem diocese. Our retreat, animated by Fr. Michel Meunier, M.Afr, was very enriching spiritually.
We wish to welcome our new editorial team members to the office but also send a word of thanks to our previous one that did a tremendous job of keeping us updated on different issues. We hope that different articles and homilies that they have been posting benefited many of us in different ways.
Our community is growing not only in numbers but also in faith and love. We thank our present three staff members that are doing their best to keep us focused on our missionary vocation. Soon Fr. Jones Kawisha will be coming to join the formation team, and he is most welcome. Seven students have been appointed to this formation House and they will be starting their academic year in July 2016, during the second semester for some. We finally express our gratitude to all of you who contribute in making our community lively. Happy Lenten season to you all and may God bless you.
A terrible car accident happened on the New Year’s Eve, 31st December 2015, between Mukushi and Serenje. On their way from the funeral of their nephew, who himself was hit by a car few days before, Sister Francis Wapakwenda, SCJ., Ls, 78 years old, and a cousin called Abigail died in a car accident. The later, pregnant, died on her way to the hospital. In the same accident, Sister Cecilia Mulenga, aged 43, was critically injured. She was operated on her neck in Lusaka and recovered for this surgery. But other complications occurred while she was treated. She died on Friday afternoon the 19th February 2016 around 17:30 at St. Jean-Paul II Hospital in Lusaka. She has been with ups and downs since the accident largely paralysed from the neck. But she was showing good spirit on Friday morning; “I will be dancing tonight,” she said. Indeed, she is dancing now in heaven.
Missionaries of Africa - SAP Province 