On Ash Wednesday at a Mass Pope Francis gave the mandate to the “Missionaries of Mercy.”

They number 1142 priests from all the Continents, and have been specially chosen to announce and witness to the Mercy of God in the confessional, in the name of the Pope.

At the ceremony itself 726 priests were present and among them were three of our Pallottine confreres, Frs. Steffen Bruhl (Sacred Heart Province, Germany-Austria), Andrzej Partika (Annunciation Province Poland) and Jozef Gruba (a member of the Warsaw Province ministering in the Czech Republic). The Holy Father exhorted them “Let your hands bless and uplift our brothers and sisters with paternal care: through you may the Fathers gaze and hands rest on his children and heal their wounds.”

In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis wrote: “They will be missionaries of mercy because they will be facilitators of a truly human encounter, a source of liberation, rich with responsibility for overcoming obstacles and taking up the new life of Baptism again. They will be led in their mission by the words of the Apostle: “For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all” (Rm 11:32). Everyone, in fact, without exception, is called to embrace the call to mercy. May these Missionaries live this call with the assurance that they can fix their eyes on Jesus, “the merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God” (Heb 2:17).  (Misericordiae Vultus, n. 18)

The beatification of Venerable Elisabetta Sanna is approaching. On 21st January 2016, Pope Francis received His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Amato SDB, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in audience. During the audience, the Holy Father authorized the Congregation to promulgate the decree concerning the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God, Elisabetta Sanna, member of the Union of Catholic Apostolate. The instantaneous, complete and lasting healing of a Brazilian girl in 2008 was recognised as a miracle. 

On 22nd January, the Feast of St. Vincent Pallotti, the Holy Father’s decision was officially published. The beatification will take place on Sept. 17, 2016 in Sardinia, probably in the Elisabetta’s home parish, in the Basilica of the Holy Trinity of Saccargia, built in the twelfth century. 

As we thank the Lord for the forthcoming beatification, we humbly ask him to make us open to receive the graces which he wants to bestow upon us through this occasion.

READ MORE ABOUT ELISABETTA SANNA HERE

St. Vincent Pallotti Parish, Esso, Arusha, Tanzania.

Friday January 22nd, the feast day of St. Vincent Pallotti, was a very special day for the parish community at Esso and for the Pallottines in East Africa. That day marked a culmination of a vision and years of hard work, effort and collaboration of countless persons in the parish of St. Vincent Pallotti. At 4pm the auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Arusha, Monsignor Prosper Lyimo, placed the relic of St. Vincent Pallotti into the newly constructed main altar and sealed it, this ceremony took place as part of a ceremony of sung Evening Prayer which was attended by those of the parish community who could be present and the Pallottines and the Sisters of the Congregation Daughters of the Sacred Heart.

The following morning, Saturday January 23^rd , dawned bright and sunny and the parish community came out in strength to participate in the solemn consecration of the parish church and its official opening. Monsignor Lyimo was due to officiate at this event but had succumbed to a bad dose of laryngitis and the Archbishop of Arusha, Monsignor Josaphat Lebulu, came in his stead. The parish community attended in their thousands, all brightly decked out in white and yellow tee-shirts specially commissioned for the occasion. The ceremony was reverent, joyful and celebratory as befitted an 11 year history in the parish. It was a celebration of the vibrancy of the faith of the Catholics in Esso, a celebration of the commitment of the Pallottines who served there and facilitated the development, it was also a celebration of the many volunteers and contributors who in one way or another took part in the building up of this impressive community life and faith centre.  The procession  halted at the door of the church, Archbishop Lebulu  blessed the doors and the pillars, the ribbon was cut and the door formally opened.  He then anointed the altar with oil, blessed the baptismal font, blessed the church walls and the congregation gathered for the event. Suffice it to say that the ceremony started at 10am and concluded at 2.15pm; the four hour Eucharistic celebration was filled with song, dance, prayer, readings and reflections.

The Pallottines were first invited to minister to the Catholics in this disadvantaged area of the city of Arusha in 2004. Fr. Noel O’Connor was the first Pallottine to work here, he was joined by Fr. Michael O’Sullivan and while Noel was also Novice Master the novitiate was also held here, Frs. Paul Makita, Boniface Muro and Martin Mtai were novices then, along with Paul O’Callaghan from Dublin. Fr. Andrew Kayhumbya joined Fr. Michael and they worked together for a number of years. Fr. Reginald Kimathi is the current parish priest and his assistant is the recently ordained Fr. Simon Sserufambi .

VIEW PHOTOS HERE

Introduction    

Good afternoon everybody.

With the greatest of joy and affection, I greet each and every one of you, as we gather together united in prayer, as members of God’s family, to celebrate the Rite of Ordination to the Deaconate, of Brendan McCarrick and Jamie Twohig.  I welcome Brendan and Jamie, I welcome you, their families and friends, and I welcome members of my Pallottine Family, who will concelebrate the Eucharist here this afternoon. It is a very special day for Brendan and Jamie, for their family and friends and a significant day for the Pallottine community.  I am delighted to join with you today.  It is indeed a privilege for me to be asked as Bishop of Ossory, to ordain these two men to the order of Deacon for the Pallottine Community.     

Homily

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

These men who come before us, Brendan and Jaimie, are now to be raised to the order of deacons.   Consider carefully the ministry to which they are to be promoted.

Brendan and Jamie will draw new strength from the gift of the Holy Spirit.    They will help the bishop and his body of priests as ministers of the Word, of the Altar, and of Charity.  They will make themselves servants of all.    As ministers of the altar, Brendan and Jaimie will proclaim the Gospel, prepare the sacrifice, and give the Lord’s body and blood to the community of believers.

It will also be their duty, at the bishop’s discretion, to bring God’s word to believer and unbeliever alike, to preside over public prayer, to baptise, to assist at marriages and bless them, to give viaticum to the dying, and to lead the rites of burial.  Once they are consecrated by the laying on of hands that comes to us from the apostles and is bound more closely to the altar, they will perform works of charity in the name of the bishop or their superior. From the way they go about these duties, may you recognise them as disciples of Jesus, who came to serve, not to be served.

Priests and Deacons are called to serve the people of God, not to be served. Every gift and blessing that God bestows on us is not just for ourselves – it is for others – it is for sharing with others. And when we share these gifts, blessings and talents, then our own lives become ever more enriched. Brendan and Jamie, if you live your lives in a spirit of mercy and compassion, you will do as the good Lord asks of us as priests, and that is, you will serve the people of God entrusted to your care with a profound sense of mercy and compassion. Do bear in mind that not only in the writings of Pope Francis do we find the importance of Mercy and Compassion but also in page after page in the writings of our founder, St. Vincent Pallotti. 

Announcing the Great Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Holy Father, Pope Francis said: “I have often thought of how the Church may render more clear her mission to be a witness to mercy; and we have to make this journey.      It is a journey which begins with spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its centre the MERCY OF GOD. It will be a HOLY YEAR OF MERCY. We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (cf. Lk 6:36).

As we embrace this Jubilee Year of Mercy, let each one of us be a light of shining hope for the other and by being that light of shining hope, we will do as the Holy Fathers asks of us, and that is, we will live in the light of the Word of the Lord.   “‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2. Cor. 4.6).  

Some may ask what does it mean to be merciful like the Father?   We must imitate the life of Jesus – to live like Jesus who lay down his life for his friends and his enemies.  Jesus is asking us to touch human misery –  to touch the suffering flesh of the  other.  Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and often difficult, however, we experience intensely, what it is to be a part of a people.             

Mercy comes from two Latin words MISEREOR which means to suffer and CORDIS which means heart, a suffering heart or a broken heart, the CROSS. To suffer as Jesus suffered on the cross. When the Holy Father asks us to “be merciful like the Father” he is not asking us to suffer, but what is asked of us, is that we make ourselves available to one another in times of suffering.  When we show mercy and compassion to one another we help alleviate the sufferings of others and we develop a sensitivity of going out to others and helping them overcome their suffering. 

To live in a spiritual life is to become missionary – to come out to meet others, and when we do, we learn something new about one another and about God.  Whenever our eyes are opened to acknowledge the other, we grow in the light of faith and knowledge of God.     

We do not live any greater a life when we flee or hide or stop giving and lock ourselves up in our own comforts, when we become individualistic, as such a life is nothing less than selfish.   

Being a missionary is not a part time activity but requires surrender to a new kind of existence – a soul filled other centeredness. Our mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of our lives or a badge we can take of – it is not an extra or just another moment in life – it is something we cannot up root from our being without destroying ourselves.  

Each one of us has a mission on this earth. That is the reason why we are here in this world. To quote Mark Twain:  “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

We have to regard ourselves as sealed – even branded by this mission, of bringing light, blessing, hope, healing, and love, to the other.  All around us we will begin to see others with soul – people who have chosen to be WITH others and FOR others.   

When we speak of each of us living a mission in life – each one of us being unique, I am mindful of the writings of Cardinal John Henry Newman:

“God created me to do Him some definite service. 
He has committed some work to me, 
which He has not committed to another. 
I HAVE A MISSION, 
I am a link in a chain, 
a bond of connection between persons.

Therefore I will trust Him. 
Whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. 
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; 
if I am perplexed, my perplexity may serve Him; 
if I am in joy, my joy may serve Him; 
if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve him. 
He does nothing in vain.  He knows what He is about.

Brendan and Jamie, you are being raised to the order of deacons. The Lord has set an example for you to follow.  As deacons you will serve Jesus Christ, who was known among his disciples as the one who served others.  Do the will of God generously.  Serve God and humankind in love and joy.  Look upon all unchastity and avarice as worship of false gods; for no one can serve two masters.

Like the men the apostles chose for works of charity, you should be men of good reputation, filled with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. Show before God and humankind that you are above every suspicion of blame, a true minister of Christ and of God’s mysteries, a man firmly rooted in faith. Never turn away from the hope which the Gospel offers; now you must not only listen to God’s word but also preach it. Hold the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Express in action what you proclaim by word of mouth. Then the people of Christ, brought to life by the Spirit, will be an offering God accepts. Finally, on the last day, when you go to meet the Lord, you will hear him say: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.”

By your own free choice you seek to enter the order of deacons. You shall exercise this ministry in the celibate state for celibacy is both a sign and a motive of pastoral charity, and a special source of spiritual fruitfulness in the world. By living in this state with total dedication, moved by a sincere love for Christ the Lord, you are consecrated to him in a new and special way. By this consecration you will adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart; you will be more freely at the service of God and humankind, and you will be freer in the ministry of Christian conversion and rebirth. By your life and character you will give witness to your brothers and sisters in faith that God must be loved above all else, and that it is he whom you serve in others.

Brendan and Jamie, these are the thoughts that I share with you on this happy day in your lives. I hope you can develop these thoughts as you begin your ministry as Deacons in the Pallottine family while all the time developing and sharing every gift and blessing that God has bestowed on you.

With every blessing of the good Lord.

God bless you always.

+ Séamus Freeman, SAC.

   Bishop of Ossory.

   16^th January 2016

Epiphany – “the first manifestation our Lord Jesus Christ made of himself to the Gentiles, the first proclamation of the Catholic faith”

(St. Vincent Pallotti)

Feast of Mary Mother of God & World Day of Peace

We come to the threshold of a new year, to a crossing in which we are carried by Christ; carried within Him in the mystery of Word and Eucharist. For the Christian it is always a threshold of hope.

We come to it – together or alone – in the company of Mary, Mother of God, Mother of Peace and, with her we pause to glance back at the year that is ending, we pause to ponder and to treasure in our hearts all that has been. There are experiences of great personal pain, of death and births that did not happen. There are babies who were born, dreams that were fulfilled, challenges met and obstacles overcome. We ponder in order to recognize the presence of God in all that we have been given to experience and this recognition of God’s presence in the past gives us hope for the future that is unfolding.

This is a contemplative, reflective moment that is necessary in every human life so that we are not endlessly rushing from one experience to another without learning the lessons and the wisdom offered by God in every single thing.

Looking back and moving forward we need to decide what to take with us and what to leave behind so that we don’t spend our lives hauling excess baggage, being unnecessarily burdened. The invitation of God in the Bible is to “unload all your worries on to Him because He is looking after you.” We need not carry more than is necessary.

We cross the threshold with Mary, abiding in Christ with the prayer of the Spirit of Jesus – “Abba Father” – rising in our hearts and the Eucharist as food for the journey.

I have had a great year. Being 60 years of age is a wonderful experience and I have learned the importance of the dreams that God has placed in our hearts. Dreams that I have held in my heart since childhood.

There is one dream that I decided to fulfil during the year – to travel for a week on a cargo ship – and it almost came true but didn’t in the end. But two other dreams did come true through no effort of my own.

The first was getting to spend a few days in a lighthouse, a gift given me by my family who were attentive to my dreams. The second is that I got to become a presenter on radio, Radio Maria. I didn’t seek it out. It was given. And this teaches me that I may propose to do something that is good and God given but God may choose otherwise, choosing instead to surprise me. And so I look back on these surprises and move forward in expectancy of surprises to come.

At home after Christmas I got to spend a day alone with my two youngest nieces – Katie and Laura – aged 7 and 5. I had decided not to buy them presents because they are overwhelmed with too many things. My intention was to offer them an experience – the experience of our presence with each other. Part of the plan was to bring them to a movie that they wanted to see.

I can’t remember which of the storms was raging in Galway on that particular day but it was horrendously wet and we couldn’t get parking anywhere. Everyone seemed to be out in town that day and when I said to the girls that we might not get to the movie, they said “we can just go to  your house.” And I loved their adaptability. They were content not to get what was promised, content with whatever we might do together.

We went to Bonkers, an indoor play area for a couple of hours, followed by a Supermacs takeaway which we ate at home in the sitting room at my house and when it came to time for going home they were reluctant to leave. During the drive back home the three of us sang Christmas carols and there was such purity and sincerity in their singing that I felt I had reached the summit of Christmas.

This is something I carry across the threshold into 2016, the song of a child in my heart, song of gladness and praise. Singing is also part of the prayer of the Spirit in all our hearts, the prayer that has power in it to shift the darkness in which we will inevitably find ourselves from time to time.

And we carry blessing, the blessing given by God to Mosses and Aaron in Numbers chapter 6 – “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover His face to you, and give you peace.”

I like this idea of the Lord uncovering His Face, revealing himself to us in the journey that lies ahead. It is for us, in moving forward, to keep the eyes of our soul focused on the light that shines from God’s face, a light that no darkness can overcome. May it be done in the Spirit, in the people who bless our lives every day and in the circumstances that will unfold. May we see the face of God.

It is almost 5 years since I first arrived in Tanzania, as a volunteer in the Esso area of Arusha at the foot of Mount Meru. 

When Fr Michael O’Sullivan sac was home in Ireland, on leave in Milltown, Co Kerry, he spoke about life in Esso where he was parish priest. A survey had indicated that there were many children and adults with disabilities and he asked if I would come to Tanzania to help them. I came initially for a month and the seeds of ‘Faraja’ were sown.

We started therapy and support services in a classroom in August 2010 and a year later we moved into the new  Therapy  Centre [below]. I will never forget the joy and smiles on the Mamas faces as we entered the therapy room. They could not believe that the Centre was just for them and their children. ‘Faraja’ is a Kiswahili word which means ‘Hope, Compassion and Encouragement’ and Pallotti is the name given by Fr Michael to the complex in which the Centre is located.

We now cater for 200 children and 75 adults, and 30 to 40 attend on a weekly basis. Many of the children have severe cerebral palsy, and had been locked away in a dark room with no light, while the Mama worked to provide food for herself and her family. Life is difficult for Mamas and having someone with a disability makes it even harder as there is no State support and they would have to pay for any services, if available, which most of them could not afford anyway.

At Faraja Pallotti we provide free therapy services to all who come to our door. We give encouragement         and hope and try to show compassion over a cup of tea and ‘Vitumba’. After therapy, they share stories and give each other support.

The Centre could not operate without the wonderful staff – Salome the Occupational Therapist and Hidaya, the Therapy Assistant – who deliver quality service with care and compassion. We try to visit their homes when people are unable to come to the Centre. We also visit other Centres and  hospitals who have surgeons

from Germany and the USA who come once or twice a year and provide free surgery for those we refer to them. We only have to pay the hospital costs, then we do the rehabilitation after surgery at Faraja.

We are currently working with a business called Shanga which trains and employs people with disabilities to see if we can get some of our young adults to work in their workshop. This would provide some income for them and give them self-confidence and empowerment. Shanga manufactures products for tourists and also exports to many parts of the world.

During the last 5 years the greatest change I have seen is that the children and adults with disabilities are no longer confined or “hidden away” and that Faraja helps families to realise that they are not alone and isolated and that they can give valuable support to each other. Coming to the Centre dispels the myth that they are cursed, that it is their fault and that they deserve this cross to bear. We showed the film “My Left Foot” at our May Day celebration and the Mamas cried because they did not think Mzungos (white people) had handicapped children. They also saw that ‘white Mamas’ had to work hard just like themselves as they saw Brenda Fricker do in the film. It was an eye-opener for them.

At the end of our celebration Fr Reginald Kimathi sac, our parish priest, spoke with them and told them that every child is a blessing and to have courage and accept life as it is. He blessed them all and said to always remember that God loves each and every one of us just as we are. We have many Muslims who attend Faraja and it is wonderful to see them coming to the clinic and sharing their stories with us.

May the Holy Spirit of God fill our hearts with His love so that like the early christians we may bear witness to that love in our fractured and broken world. On behalf of the children and adults and their families who attend Faraja Pallotti we say “Asanteni Sana” for your generous support, and please keep us in your prayers.

Clare Edwards – Esso – TANZANIA   03.12 15                                                                                                 athsolas@gmail.com