| News from Rome Changes at 290 ViaAurelia
The house at 290 Via Aurelia and its various communities have seenmany important personnel changes in the past months. The internationality– stressed by the Chapter – is more evident than ever with thirtyor so nationalities represented: 10 from Europe7 from America5 fromAsia-Oceania and 8 from Africa-Madagascar. The GeneralAdministration
The new General Council met at the beginning of Octoberimmediatelyafter the Chapter. Following thisFrs Guillermo StecklingSuperior Generaland Ryszard SzmydkiAssistant Generalremained on duty in Rome. Theother members of the Councilthat isthe newly elected onesreturnedto their Provinces to set in motion the procedures for their replacements(four were Provincialsand two had been in charge of institutions offormation). Several also spent some time studying languages. Fr EugeneKingVicar Generalreturned to Rome November 11. All were back in Romesome days before Christmas for a plenary session that will last untilthe 22nd of January.
The Superior General in Council appointed Fr Vicente Louwagie Pro-SecretaryGeneral. After Fr Gilles Comeau resigned for health reasonsFr AlexandreTaché had filled in during the interim. Born in Minnesota in 1941Vicente got his first formation in the Central U.S. Province and receivedan obedience for Mexico in 1968 where he worked for thirty years. He wasProvincial in Mexico from 1991 to 1997.
Archbishop Marcello Zago has taken up residence in his official appartment:Palazzo di Propaganda Fide48 Piazza di Spagna00187 Roma. The Poperecently appointed him a member of the Committee for the Great Jubileeof the Year 2000whose president is Cardinal Etchegaray. Fr Daniel Corijnis enjoying a sabbatical in Belgium before returning to South Africawhere he had worked for 18 years before being called to Rome. The outgoingGeneral Councillors have all returned to their Provinces: Jean-PierreCaloz to FranceGérard Laprise to Notre-Dame-du-RosaireRonaldCarignan to the United StatesSantiago Rebordinos to Argentinaand AlexanderMotanyane to Lesotho. The GeneralHouse community
Bro. Leopold Stolz left Rome early in October for Germany –his Province of origin – to join the Hünfeld community whichis better adapted to his health needs. At 85 years of age he was the deanof the General House communityand also our oldest "Roman".In 1933he came to the scholasticate at Via Vittorino da Feltre in Romeas a young Brother. He was in the first group of German Oblate Brotherswho worked in that community where he was given charge of the laundry.In 1972 when the scholasticate at Pineta Sacchetti closedhe became amember of the General House community with the same responsibilities.The Superior General and Fr Hubert LagacéGeneral House Superiorexpressed our most sincere gratitude for his 65 years of service and presencewhich was interrupted only by the war.
After his stay here as Chapter CommissionerFr Roland Jacques returnedto France. So did administrative assistantFr Jean Guéguen.
Three student priests left the General House after finishing their periodof studies. Ronald Young returned to the Western Province in the U.S.and Abel Pholo to Lesotho. Marcello Quatraa young doctor in theologywent to the Vice Province of Indonesia. Six new student priests replacedthem. John Staak (Eastern USA) and Romesh Lowe (Sri Lanka) are studyingFundamental Theology at the Gregorian. Ajit Victor Costa (Bangladesh)Liguori Nicholas Croos (Jaffna) and Julius Ramashamole (Lesotho) are doingmissiology at the same university. Kevin Elendua Nigerian from the CameroonProvinceis studying spirituality at the Claretianum. At the InternationalScholasticate
Frs Fausto Pelis (Italy) and Kalom Cyrille Atitung (Congo) havereplaced Angelo Dal Bello and Wojciech Popielewski on the formators' teamat the International Scholasticate. Angelo has joined Archbishop Zagoat the Propaganda to form a two man community. Wojciech has gone backto Poland.
Several scholasticshaving ended their stay in Romehave returned totheir respective Provinces: Antoni Bochm (Poland)Grzegorz Jagowdzik(Poland)Mark Blom (St. Mary's)Wedner Bérard (Haiti)Neil AugustineFrank (Natal)Vusumuzi Maxwell Phenyane (Natal)Alphonse Rakotondravelo(Madagascar).
There are ten new scholastics: Abelardo Montiel (Pilcomayo)Alberto Huaman(Peru)Ajith Kirieldeniyage (Sri Lanka)Jude Samindra Saparamadu (SriLanka)David Kumar Anthony (India)Peter Joseph Foley (Natal)AllardMsheyene 'Mako (Transvaal)Paul Mothabela Shobane (Lesotho)Mpe-ManCrispin Ngala (Congo)Gilbert A. Rasamimanana (Madagascar).
The four priests and 23 scholastics represent 19 nationalities and almostas many languages.... In the Sisters'communities
Last June the Communiqué of the General Councilannounced coming changes in the communities of Sisters who work with theOblates at 290 Via Aurelia. The Apostoliques of Mary Immaculate are expectedto leave Rome in the coming months after more than 40 years of work inthe administrative services.We will speak more at length of their collaborationin a future issue.
For the past five yearsthe Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Sienafrom Quezon City (Philippines) have worked in the kitchen and laundrywhere they had replaced the Little Sisters of the Holy Family of Sherbrooke(Canada). They are now preparing to work in the General SecretariattheTreasurer General's office and the Archives. During the coming monthsthey will be initiated into their new roles while familiarizing themselveswith new languages and new skills.
They were replaced in the kitchen and laundry by five Polish SistersDaughters of St. Francis the Seraphicwho arrived in mid-October andtook over on November 16 after a few weeks of Italian study. Their Congregationof diocesan right (Diocese of SandomierzEast Poland) was founded in1928 by Fr Antoni Rewera. He died in a Nazi concentration camp in 1942.His beatification is expected in the near future. There are a hundredor so Sisters in this Congregation who work in parishes or institutionslike major seminaries and retreat houses. At the Synod forOceania
The Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops was heldin Rome from November 22 to December 12. The General House was host toFr Patrick MoroneyProvincial of Australiaand to Mr Karl Teaia permanentdeacon of the Archdiocese of PapeeteTahiti. Both of them were invitedto the Synod as auditors. Mr. Dominique Soupélikewise from Tahitiwho was a member of the Synod Press Bureauwas also a guest. EuropePoland
A missiology symposium at Obra
We have learned from Misyjne Drogi of a missiology symposiumheld at Obra last April 20-21 on the theme: "Redemption and interreligiousdialogue." It was attended by the Obra scholasticsmajor seminariansfrom various Polish diocesesguestsand many Oblate Fathers....
Fr Pawel LatusekProvincialpresided at the opening Mass. The introductorytalk was by Fr Willi Henkelof the Pontifical Urban University in Rome:"Announcing Jesus Christ and Interreligious Dialogue. Post-conciliarperspectives of the Magisterium's teaching."
Some of the other themes were: Revelation through creationessentialsalvific element in the other religions. Relation between the Church andtraditional African religions. Announcing Jesus Christ and dialogue aboutGod with Muslims. – The presentation by Most Rev. Stanislaw GadeckiAuxiliary Bishop of Gniezno and president of the Episcopal Commissionfor Dialogue with Judaismwas particularly significant: "AnnouncingChrist and dialogue with Judaism." He insisted that dialogue is lackingin truth if it passes the person of Christ over in silence.
There were several other talks. Fr Krysztof Zielendafrom the Garoua(Cameroon) major seminaryspoke on interreligious dialogue in the Dioceseof Garoua. Fr Jaroslaw Rozanski talked about the African Center in Poznana place of cooperation and dialogue founded in 1996 by Africans residingin Poland and Poles attached to Africa. Fr Wojciech Klujwho teachesmissiology at Obraspoke about some Oblates involved in interreligiousdialoguelike Archbishop Zagoand Fr Michael Rodrigoboth committedto dialogue with the Buddhists. Fr Rodrigo was assassinated in Sri Lankain 1987. He also mentioned the Bibliographia Missionaria directedby Fr Henkelas well as the pros and cons of prayer together with representativesof other religions. An award for FrRzekiecki
OMI Info has already spoken about the work of Fr Tadeusz Rzekieckias prison chaplain at Wroclaw where he cared for more than 2000 inmates.On April 18 he received the "Golden Horseshoe Medal" from thecity of Wroclaw. This award is given to persons noted for their dedicationin the service of others.
He was designated for the award by the editors of the daily WieczorWroclawia. He was favored by 3000 out of the 7000 letters receivedby the daily. While congratulating himone journalist expressed his surprise.Tadeusz answered"It wasn't yesterday that I began to learn aboutdelinquency. That is the secret to my success." Tadeuszwho hadbeen Provincial Treasurer from 1989 to 1992has just been reappointedto this responsibility. AmericaGrandin (Canada)
From dream to reality
Grandin Province met in provincial assembly last May 4-5 at Star ofthe North retreat house in Saint-Albert. "More than 65 Oblates prayedshared and worked towards moving the Province from dream to realityanintegral stage of the planning process" to which the Province hascommitted itself. Fr Tom Singerrecently elected General Councillor forthe United Stateswas the facilitator for the assembly. Fr Camille PichéProvincialintroduced the theme in a talk on "Grandin Province todayand what it can be five years from now." Then the sharing began.
The number of Oblates is decreasingbut it is important that the Provincetake part in the planning process. There is a strong desire to maintaincertain ministries: the Cursillosministry to the native peoplesthepastoral biblical theology program.... The participation of many Oblatesolder than 65 who still want to do ministry is also a priority. It isalso admitted that important changes must be foreseen....
The Oblates present were able to share in small groups their ideas onthe different ways of living community life in the Province. The groupswere divided according to interests – prayer ministriesparishesyouth formation and vocationsteaching and the pastoral biblical theologyprogrampersons living aloneretired peoplerenewal and pilgrimagesand finally ministry among the native peoples. Suggestions from the groupswere then presented to the assembly.
"Grandin Province is now ready to move on to the next step of theplanning process which is to continue building local apostolic communitiesso that each Oblate belongs to a group." Pastoral and biblicaltheology programs
Newman Theological College in Edmonton has a Pastoral Biblical Theologyprogram that is sponsored by Grandin Province and coordinated by Fr AlexCarrier. It is a three year program that began in 1996. It meets one weekenda month for ten months of the year.
The Program is for Catholic men and women who are presently involved ina ministry of God's Word (catechistspresiders of Sunday liturgiesteachersof religion)... or for those who wish to prepare themselves for this ministry.Its objective is to empower Christians to exercise the ministry of theWord. It is essentially a course centered on the Scripturebut also includesvideos and discussion of themes like culture and faithunconditionallove of Godsocial justicesexuality....
Bishop Goudreaultthe Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan who died in Julyhad hoped that a similar adopted program could be offered in the Falherregion. This became a reality in the Good News project. It involves meetingonce a week for two hours in the evening for fifteen weeks. Two teachersfrom the Pastoral Biblical Theology programboth natives of Falherarein charge. About fifteen participants had been expectedbut in fact therewere 45 at Falher and 20 at St-Isidore where the Catholic population isonly 260.
Bishop Goudreault had also organized another diocesan program for thelaity: Christian Leadership. This program entails eight weekends per yearfor two years for the purpose of studying the Catechism of the CatholicChurchacquiring the skills necessary for new ministriesand for providingmoments for serious prayer. The program began last year at Peace Riverwith 18 people enrolled. Central U.S. Province
Fr. Hayes and AIDS patients
In 1987former San Francisco Archbishop Quinn made an appeal forpeople to minister specifically to persons living with HIVthe AIDS virus.Fr Thomas Hayes was doing a sabbatical at the Graduate Theological Unionin Berkeley at the time. "Our community traditionally has ministeredto people who are marginal to Church structure and society" Tomexplains. "I was concerned about those living with HIV. They werevery poor. They had lost everything. They couldn't work anymoreand benefitsthen were atrocious."
During the last decadeTom has established relationships with approximately2000 people with HIV90% of whom he says have died. Tom says"AIDSis a horrible disease of the immune systemand many people are very illfor a long period of time. These are relatively young people who see lifeslowly sliding from them. People who are independent and self-sufficientsuddenly see all that evaporatingand they are left to the kindness ofothers. Howeversometimes others are not around to help. I find it verysad when someone dies alone."
Tom says he is not a "counselor" and that his graduate degreein psychology does more to help him than those he visits. "Actuallythe people I've met have been unbelievable examples of strength and faithand goodness. I look at people who are 30 to 35 years old who are dyingand ask myself if I could ever handle it as well as they do."
He is always available to answer a call. "Mostly I listen"is Fr Tom's description of his work. "I heard a long time ago thatthe first sign of love is to listenand I really try to do that." Fr Wall and MUNCH
A study of poverty in the United States conducted in the early 1980slisted Howell Countyin southwestern Missourias one of the "hungriest"counties in the nation. The local bishop asked Fr Sherman Wallwho hadbegun working at Sacred Heart Parish in Willow Springsto find a wayto address the problem.
After many discussions with the bishop's officethe parish opened a foodpantry in 1986 and began distributing donated food to the area's needyfamilies once each month. Naming the program MUNCH (Missourians Unitedto Combat Hunger)they also opened a thrift shopusing profits fromthe shop to purchase additional food.
MUNCH quickly grewreceiving many donations of foodclothingand otheritems from local companies and individuals while attracting numerous volunteers– most of whom were not members of Sacred Heart Parish. In 1992the parish hall was no longer large enough to accommodate the programand MUNCH purchased a building and a small piece of land. Two years laterthe building was expanded. Fr Wall says they have been blessed becauseMUNCH has been able to do much without borrowing a penny. In 1994 an appealwas made via a local radio station for help to expand the new building.Four-and-a-half hours later $20000 had been raised for the project.
Todaynearly 35 volunteers staff the MUNCH facilities. They distributefood to 250 families each month and help some families meet expensessuch as utility billson an emergency basis. The volunteers repair andclean donated itemsand pick up donations using their personal vehiclesalthough Fr Wall hopes MUNCH can purchase a truck someday. Though Sherman played an important role in its foundinghe claims that MUNCH is not "Father's project." In order tokeep it that wayhe opted not to serve as presidentalthough he is thevice-president. "For MUNCH to be successfulit must be a community-basedprogramsomething the community can be proud of." Suriname
"Let your yes be yes!"
The Holland Vice Province newsletterOver en weerpublishedlast June some of Utrecht's Archbishop Cardinal Simonis' impressions aftera pastoral visit to Suriname in March. A Dutch colony since the 17th centurySuriname became independent in 1975. But the bonds with the Netherlandswhere one out of three Surinamese liveremain very strong. The Oblateshave been working there since 1949.
Suriname is situated in the equatorial zone of South Americaon the Atlanticcoast. With a surface area of 163265 sq km – a bit more than halfthe size of Italy – it has only 428000 inhabitants. 35% are Creole34% Hindu17% Javanese11% Black or Amerindian "tribal people"and 04% are European. Its Catholics number 92000 (22%) in 30 parishes.There are 21 priests (4 diocesan and 17 religious) and a total of 26 menreligious and 32 Sisters.
"Whoever visits Suriname for the first time is often surprised"the Cardinal explains. "It is a tropical Latin American countrybut you think you are in Africa when you visit a school for Blacks inBosland. At the same timeyou find shy Black children who struggle withDutchthe official language...."
"There are many differences between the ethnic groupsnot only inthe color of their skinbut also differences of culture and religion.The mosque and the synagogue exist side by side as brothers. Heading towardsthe synagogue after our visit to the mosquewe were greeted warmly bythe imam. The visit to the Hindu temple was also very cordial. Religionis so essential that religious differences seem secondary. An interreligiousmeeting to which we were invited was particularly impressive. There wereno theological discoursesjust HinduMuslim and Christian believerswho shared what was dear to them using dancesdrumsmusic and prayers.There was no concern to look at what divides. The differences were putforward and accepted politely and with respect."
"The Committee of Christian Churches (CCK) exists since 1942. Officialrelations with the non-Christian religions already started to take shapein 1989 with the IRIS (Interreligious Council of Suriname). Respect forall religionsand not just toleranceis part and parcel of the Surinameseidentity. We have a lot to learn from them...."
"Suriname is for the most part a product of our colonial policy.It is the Dutch who brought tens of thousands of slaves from Africaandcontract workers from JavaChina and India. Christianityand thereforeCatholicismalso came from Holland.... The Religious from our countryhave been outstanding in education and the care of the sick. The Churchcarries on an excellent program of development for the country...."
It was in November 1949almost 50 years agothatthe young Oblate Province of Holland (founded in 1945) sent its firstfour missionaries to SurinameFrs Willy DeliègeJoseph MaijntzPierre Verheggen and Fritz Wevers. They took charge of the Nickerie districtin the northwest part of the country – the coastal area that bordersGuyana – and a parish in Paramaribothe capital.
Today there are six Oblates in Surinamefour Dutchone from BelgiumNorth and one Surinamesescholastic brother Doris Weewee. The Superiorof the DelegationFr Toon te Dorsthorstis Dutch.
Letters from the missionaries stress the serious dysfunction of the socialand administrative structure (corruptionetc.)which fits into a backgroundof other grave political problems. Fr Marinus Nijsten writes about thisin Over en weer: "Dishonesty and the lack of straighforwardnesson the part of the upper classes has spread throughout society like anoil slickin the struggle for lifehealth care and education. Many nolonger consider honesty a virtuebut see it as stupidity. Upright peopleare ridiculed.... Faced with such a situationthe Church has spoken outand the CCK has published a memorandum entitled'Truthfair governmentand prosperity.' The laws and the organs of the State no longer guaranteeordersecurity and development. They exist on paperbut there is nocontrol of their effectiveness nor of compliance to the established rules.The CCK made an urgent appeal to all the leaders of our society to bemore critical of the peoples' representatives in whom they have placedtheir confidence...."
Fr Hendrik Koen writes in the same vein in a letter published in BelgiumNorth: "There is money for somebut none for others....The Surinameseare not proud of what has been happening in the past few months.... Unemploymentis high and the economy is stagnantwhile others waste their money....Even though a bit latethe Churches are reacting well to this situationand they now speak out very aptly. For exampleour BishopAloysius Zichema Surinamese Redemptoristwrote in his Lenten Pastoral Letter: 'Let youryes be yes.'.... Everyone knew whom and what he meant." Asia / AfricaPhilippines
Happy ending to a kidnapping
Last September 8a dozen people were taken hostage at the Sibucomission. Eleven were soon freedbut the abductors went off with Fr LucianoBenedettiage 56a missionary of the PIME (Milan Foreign Mission society).He is from the diocese of Treviso (Italy)and thus a fellow countrymanof Archbishop Zago. His captivitywhich lasted for more than two monthswas a cause of great concern. On November 15the Islamic Front for National Liberationto whom the kidnappers had agreed to turn over their hostagereleasedhim to government officials. We rejoice with our PIME brothers. The Sibucomission belongs to the Diocese of Dipolog in Zamboanga del Norte Provincethe far western part of the island of Mindanao. Namibia
Fr. Nashenda appointed AuxiliaryBishop of Windhoek
On November 14the Holy Father appointed Fr Liborius Ndumbukuti NashendaAuxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Windhoekassigning him the titularepiscopal see of Pertusa.
Bishop-elect Nashenda was born April 71959 at Oshikuku in Ovambolandnorthern Namibia. After secondary studies at Doebra Collegehe enteredthe Oblate novitiate at MulgraveAustraliawhere he pronounced his firstvows on February 171983. He then returned to the scholasticate in CedaraSouth Africafor his philosophy and theology studiesand was ordaineda priest at Oshikuku June 251988. He has been parish priest at Anamulengein Ovamboland since 1989. In 1993 he was appointed to the Namibia ProvincialCouncil. He was also the delegate of his Vice Province at the recent GeneralChapter. The Bishop-elect is fluent in Oshivambo and English. He is alsoconversant with German and Afrikaans.
Despite having been divided in 1994 to give birth to the Apostolic Vicariateof Runduthe Diocese of Windhoek is still immensecovering 560158 sqkmequivalent to the size of France. The 1998 Annuario Pontificiolists 155145 Catholics10% of the 1500000 inhabitants. There are 30priests (4 diocesan and 26 religious)18 permanent deacons57 brothersand 207 sisters. Bishop Bonifatius Haushiku has headed the Church in Windhoeksince 1981first as Vicar Apostolicthen since 1994 as Archbishop. Zambia
The first Zambian Oblate priest
On July 11Paul Duffythe Bishop of Monguordained Bro Joseph Phiriwho thus became the first Zambian Oblate priest. The ordination was heldat Sacred Heart ChurchKabwata Compound in Lusakahis home parish. Some500 parishionersrelatives and friends joined in the celebration. Josephis now a member of the pre-novitiate community in Lusaka.
Zambia is a Delegation of the Southern U.S. Province. The efforts to findlocal vocations are bearing fruit. The Delegation has 22 scholastics:18 are at Cedaratwo at the scholasticate in Texas and two at the InternationalScholasticate in Rome. Currently there are four Zambian novices at theinterprovincial novitiate in South Africa and 15 pre-novices in Lusaka. Congo
"Hoping together"
The Oblates of the Congo Province met in Provincial Assembly at IfwanzondoApril 20 to 25. The meeting began with a day of recollection led by FrBellarmin Sisifrom the Nto-Luzingu Spiritual Center in Idiofa. The themewas"Communitythe ideal place to meet the Risen One."
The proceedings began with a report from Fr Baudouin MubesalaProvincialentitledWhat I believe. Founded as a mission by Belgian Oblatesin 1931today the Congo Province is 91% autochthonous. As of last Aprilthere were 48 scholastics3 novicesand 9 pre-novices. The Provincialsurveyed the various ministries in the Province: formation and vocationworkparishesteaching... and he mentioned the ten Congolese Oblatesin the mission ad extra in AngolaCameroonNigeriaZambiaTahitiand Brazil. After speaking about financial mattershe opened the floorfor an exchange and reflection on the outlook for the future.
The Assembly report is a 60 page printed booklet calledHoping Together.The discussion in small work groups and in plenary assembly covered manyconcrete questions related to the daily life of the communities. April25 was the day for formulating resolutions and hopes for community andapostolic lifeadministrationformation and finances.
"Experience is like the future" Baudouin said in his openingremarks. "It is not inherited. One has to make the jumpopen upgo from timidity to couragefrom courage to daringand sometimes fromdaring to foolhardiness. Let us learn to take the risk of committing ourselvesto what is good." As is knownFr Baudouin Mubesala was elected AssistantGeneral at the recent General Chapter. | 
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