Death of Father Andreas Edele, M.Afr

Father Andreas Edele comes from Stetten in Hohenzollern. There he was born on 24 January 1934. After the Second World War he came to the mission school in Haigerloch and graduated from high school in Grosskrotzenburg. This was followed by the Philosophy Studies at the White Fathers in Trier. He was then appointed Novitiate to Alexandria Bay in the USA and then went to the theological studies of the African Missionaries in Eastview, Canada. In Ottawa, he was ordained a priest on September 19, He was appointed to the mission to Malawi, where he was first employed in parish work after a language course, and from 1961 worked for two years as secretary for education. From 1964 he was a lecturer in theology and until 1967 was a professor at the University of the White Fathers in Trier. After his home mission, his journey back to Africa, this time to Lusaka in Zambia, where he was again active in pastoral care. In 1982 he returned to Germany and worked for Missio in Aachen. He then went back to the mission to Malawi, where he worked in Kanengo and Mua in pastoral care. At the beginning of the nineties, his eyes forced him to undergo surgery, and in the following years he came back to eye control again and again. In 1993 he was finally appointed home, was a few years in Trier, and from 2003 to 2008 he took over the management of the mission house in Haigerloch. During the years in Germany, he has never forgotten Africa, but from his own location, has done his best for the people of Africa. On July 22, Father Edele died after a long illness at the hospital in Balingen.

Pater Andreas Edele verstorben

Pater Andreas Edele stammt aus Stetten in Hohenzollern. Dort war er am 24. Januar 1934 geboren worden. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg kam er auf die Missionsschule in Haigerloch und machte in Großkrotzenburg das Abitur. Es folgte das Philosophiestudium bei den Weissen Vätern in Trier. Danach wurde er zum Noviziat nach Alexandria Bay in den USA ernannt und ging anschießend zum Theologiestudium ins Scholastikat der Afrikamissionare nach Eastview, Kanada. In Ottawa wurde er am 19. September 1959 zum Priester geweiht. Er erhielt eine Ernennung in die Mission nach Malawi, wo er nach einem Sprachkurs zunächst in der Pfarrarbeit eingesetzt war und ab 1961 für zwei Jahre als Sekretär für Erziehungswesen tätig war. Ab 1964 machte er das Lizentiat in Theologie und war bis 1967 als Professor an der Hochschule der Weissen Väter in Trier eingesetzt. Nach diesem Heimateinsatz führte sein Weg zurück nach Afrika, diesmal nach Lusaka in Sambia, wo er wieder in der Seelsorge tätig war. 1982 kam er zurück nach Deutschland und arbeitete bei Missio in Aachen im Bildungsbereich. Anschließend ging er in die Mission nach Malawi zurück, wo er in Kanengo und Mua in der Seelsorge wirkte. Anfang der 90er Jahre zwangen ihn Probleme mit seinen Augen zu einer Operation und in den folgenden Jahren kam er immer wieder zur Augenkontrolle nach Deutschland zurück. 1993 wurde er endgültig in die Heimat ernannt, war einige Jahre Superior in Trier und von 2003 bis 2008 übernahm er die Leitung des Missionshauses in Haigerloch. In den Jahren in Deutschland hat er Afrika nie vergessen, sondern von seinem jeweiligen Standort aus, sein Möglichstes für die Menschen in Afrika getan. Am 22. Juli ist Pater Edele nach längerer Krankheit im Krankenhaus in Balingen verstorben.

http://www.afrikamissionare.de/de/verstorbene_2017.html

Meeting of Young Confreres in the Second Term of Mission in Kasisi, Lusaka, Zambia.

Philip Meraba, M.Afr

The young confreres in the second term of mission had a three-week meeting at the Retreat Centre of the Sisters of Little Servants of Mary in Kasisi, Lusaka, Zambia, from the 2^nd till the 23^rd July, 2017.

We were 13 participants from different countries across Africa and Asia with two facilitators; Rev Frs. Timothée Bationo and Bernard Ugeux, M.Afr working in Zambia & DR. Congo respectively.

The participants were almost of the same generation. It was a great occasion offered by the Society of the Missionaries of Africa to encounter one another once more after years of separation due to various involvement in different countries. Through sharing of various missionary experiences, the participants could recharge their batteries in order to take off once more with a new missionary spirit and zeal.

Joys, excitement as much as discouragement and difficulties over the years were the focus of our sharing done spontaneously in openness and mutual trust. We sympathised, encouraged or even amiably confronted one another. Despite some few painful experiences, none ever regretted to have been a member of the Society but felt rather more fortified and convinced of our missionary calling amidst the challenges.

Different moderators, including two Sisters from Lusaka, let various sessions on sexuality, addictions, spirituality, pastoral ministry, leadership, Justice & Peace, religious encounter, media and finances. The session on community life was given by Felix Phiri, the Provincial of the Southern Africa Province (SAP).

It was not business all through. We also had wonderful moments of relaxation together, outings to interesting places around Lusaka, celebration of birthdays and missionary oath anniversaries. We also visited M.Afr communities around Lusaka and joined parishes for Sunday liturgies. A barbecue was prepared in our honour by FENZA community where we had the chance of interacting with most confreres around Lusaka, together with former novices who were on their way to join their various countries for their apostolic stage.

The participants had the great joy of witnessing the historical celebration of the 125^th anniversary of the evangelisation of the Church in Zambia by the White Fathers and other missionaries. This was a national feast and the White Fathers were highly recognised by the Zambian Church authorities for the greater role played in planting the seed of faith in this country. Our Superior General, Rev.Fr. Stanley Lubungo was present at this occasion and he paid us a courtesy visit at Kasisi Centre. We had the privilege of fraternal sharing with him on some key issues concerning the future and vision of our humble Lavigerie family.

Prayer was never left out. The whole group was divided into teams and we celebrated the Liturgy of the Hours as well as the Eucharist.

We are highly indebted to the leadership of the General Council for such memorable opportunity offered to us to meet, learn, encourage one another and re-energise ourselves. We appreciate the good organisation, simplicity and wisdom with which our two elder brother facilitators, Timothée and Bernard, accompanied us throughout the session. Our sincere gratitude goes to the leadership of SAP; Felix Phiri, the Provincial, Venerato Babaine, his Delegate in Zambia and John Itaru, the Provincial Treasurer. We thank the little Sisters of Mary and the whole personnel for the pleasant accommodation and feeding.

We are indeed well refreshed, equipped and ready to go back to our missionary stations with more enthusiasm to serve. May Our Lady of Africa precedes us, Amen!

My Personal Odyssey from Head to Heart.

By John-Paul Ngabirano

My heartfelt gratitude goes to God, my formators and fellow novices who accompanied me up to the end from the beginning of the spiritual year. It has been a nice experience with which I feel fulfilled. We started eighteen novices and ended seventeen. There are many factors that inspired us to be committed up to the end. That was observance of our community project that comprised five objectives: to know the will of God in my life, to deepen my relationship with Jesus, to live in a fraternal and intercultural community, to deepen the knowledge and charism of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa and to know who I am.

Community life was not so much spoken of but lived. The concern of the other fetched a kind of bond with cords that cannot be broken. Also, prayer and Jesus were at the centre of our stay, for we had much time of reflection, prayer, meditation, silence and retreats which helped us deepen our relationship with Jesus. In fact, at the end of the spiritual year there is one common word that comes so often on the tongue of each novice. And that is, “Jesus Christ” from whom priestly vocation precedes. We indeed grew and we continuously grow in knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ to him be glory in present and in eternity.

We had many occasions that brought a sense of joy and belonging. In order for us to belong, we took the clothing ceremony seriously “Gandoura day” which is our identity in the Society of the Missionaries of Africa. The knowledge of the society was deepened in looking forward to listening to wisdom of old and keeping the dreams and visions of the young. To have a proper foundation of all that is good in life there is one aspect that brings more sense to my life. A sense of being loved by God. Indeed, God cannot hate His own hand. The Ignatian spirituality led us to be committed, have inner freedom to all created things and to come to the realisation that we are loved sinners who need God’s mercy. And that is what we will share in our apostolic training as we go for our apostolic training, also called ‘stage’, of two years.

Be still and know that I am with you!

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A ‘Finale’ on 125 Years of Catholic Faith in Zambia – July 15, 2017.

By Everisto Mwelwa, M.Afr

Catholics gather in the show ground during the celebration of the 125 years of the Catholic Church.

It has taken a whole year of various celebrations to mark a hundred and twenty-five years since the Catholic faith was brought to Zambia by the missionaries in 1891. Part of the opening of these celebrations was the Eucharistic celebration held at Mambwe-Mwela on 6th August, 2016. It is at Mambwe-Mwela where the first missionaries settled down in the present day Republic of Zambia.

Catholic dioceses and parishes in Zambia held various celebrations to mark all these years of Catholic faith in Zambia. Kasama Archdiocese, as an example, closed the year with a Eucharistic celebration held at Chilubula (Mary Help of Christians Parish) on 24^th June, 2017 on which day two deacons were ordained to priesthood.

For the national celebrations to mark the end of 125 years of Catholic faith in Zambia, two days were set aside in the Archdiocese of Lusaka. On Friday, the 14^th July, 2017, all the roads were leading to Lusaka from all the Catholic dioceses in Zambia. This day was dedicated to the Catholic Youth. They had various activities and talks in the Cathedral of the Child Jesus (Lusaka) and then proceeded to the Agricultural Show grounds for the Eucharistic celebration. The youth and their patrons/matrons had a coloured procession of about three quarters of an hour accompanied by two musical bands. At the end of Mass, the Catholic bishops came to convey their wishes to the youth.

VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina receives a present from Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu during the 125 years commemoration of Catholicism in Zambia in Lusaka yesterday. PICTURE: CHANDA MWENYA

The final ‘finale’ was the Eucharistic celebration held in the Agricultural Show grounds of Lusaka. The Apostolic Nuncio, Most Rev Julio Murat, all the Zambian Catholic bishops and the two archbishops were present. Two bishops from Malawi and Zimbabwe also came. AMECEA sent a representative. The Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa, Fr. Stanley Lubungo, who happened to be in Zambia at that time also attended. Indeed, not fewer than twenty-five Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) were present!  The government of the Republic of Zambia was represented by the Vice-President, Inonge Wina, and several ministers.

The main celebrant of the Eucharist was the Apostolic Nuncio but the homily was delivered by the Archbishop of Lusaka, Telesphore-George Mpundu. In his homily, the Archbishop highlighted the dedication and self-giving of the early missionaries despite the difficulties, many of whom died in their early years of missionary life due to diseases. He urged the present day Catholics to take a leaf from them; quoting the theme of Mansa Diocese “We are the Missionaries of today”. Archbishop Mpundu urged Catholic faithful of today to be more self-reliant. He also underscored the holistic human developmental work carried out by the Catholic Church in Zambia.

One can easily estimate about five thousand Catholic faithful attended the celebration, not counting the priests and the religious.

At the end of the celebration, medals were presented to the Catholic faithful who have dedicated to evangelisation. These were dedicated men and women, laity and religious. For the Missionaries of Africa, three confreres were decorated with medals, namely Henk van Kessel, Jean-Luc Gouiller and Robert Lavertu.

A colourful celebration to mark the ‘finale’ of 125 years of Catholic faith in Zambia.

Links:

Catholics, State pledge unity to fight for people

Catholics celebrate 125 years of existence in Zambia

AMECEA: Chairman applauds ZCCB for the 125 Anniversary of Catholic Faith in the Country

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