My previous report on visiting the Resurrectionist seminary in Morogoro, Tanzania mentioned various plans in the works for the second week of my stay. That week proved eventful! Here’s an overview.
CRs Teaching Together
The first event was co-teaching a lesson on prefiguration of the Sacraments in the Old Testament at Jordan University College (JUCO) with Fr. Jim Donohue, CR. We had not taught together previously and neither of us had ever taught on the topic before, but Jim’s teaching expertise guided us well. Many of the more-than 80 students in the class actively participated in the lesson and positively received our instruction. Some students even took time to express their gratitude to us after class while a few further shared positive comments with resurrectionist seminarians in the class. Ultimately, the experience was very fruitful and rewarding!
Christmas in Tanzania
Next came Christmas. We celebrated at the seminary with gusto! Aspirants elaborately decorated with lights, trees, ornaments, banners, balloons, and above all a creche. The whole array was quite the talk among religious communities around town.
At Mass, Fr. Jim presided and preached. His homily heartwarmingly recalled family back in Canada and joyously embraced his new Tanzanian family. Musically, the brothers displayed their tremendous talents in full force. Br. Mosses and seminarian Livinus led percussion. Aspirant Immanuel accompanied on keyboards. And the whole seminary sang as one choir joined by neighboring sisters and friends in the area. The joy and beauty of the celebration brought me to tears more than once.
After Mass, our celebration proceeded to the refectory, where Fr. Jim presented each member of the community with a thoughtful, modest gift and all enjoyed breakfast before going out for the customary Christmas walk to visit with friends and neighbors around town.
I spent Christmas day with Br. Joseph Chacha, CR and Br. Petro Kushaha, CR – two of our advanced seminarians. They led us first to a missionary church dating back to the 19th century – one of Tanzania’s oldest missions. There, God’s providence brought us two local elders – one female (bibi), one male (babu) – who shared much local history from firsthand experience. Our Christmas excursion also included visits to some large local parishes, a nature park, the Morogoro zoo, and the local market. Above all, it was restful and rejuvenating conversations with these brother resurrectionists that made the day special. What a delight it was to leisurely converse with them at the nature park and over meals at local restaurants. Not only did they teach me about the significance of being pomoja (together) in Tanzanian culture, they invited me into it and coached me on its practice. Plus, they shared with me the delights of kitimoto choma or fire roasted meats (aka Tanzanian BBQ). My favorite was mbuzi (goat)!
Ascending the Uluguru Range on St. John’s Day
After resting on Boxing Day, a group of us hiked to the third highest peak in the Uluguru mountain range, which lies on Morogoro’s southern border. Setting out early, Br. Mosses and Audax (one of our seminarians) drove us to the trail head. From there, the team ascended progressively to the peak, stopping for rest along the way as needed. The more we climbed the quieter and cooler the forest became. The 7000-foot peak challenged us and strained our limited supplies, prompting me to recall a rule from mountain climber Ed Viesturs, “Getting to the top is optional, getting down is necessary.” Thanks to inspiring support and fortitude among the brothers especially with those who struggled, we all reached the summit of a difficult ascent. After resting on the peak, we celebrated Mass as clouds enshrouded us – a fitting setting for the feast of St. John. Plus, as the name’s day of our aspirant John, he served as one of our lectors. Afterwards, a snack and some chai helped rejuvenate us. And we descend back to the trailhead safely, where Br. Mosses and Audax collected us and took us to town for a meal at a restaurant. It was quite an adventure!
Aspirants Become Postulants
A special, unexpected blessing was presiding over the rite in which the aspirants became postulants on the Feast of Holy Family. Fr. Jim presided at the Mass, I preached and conducted the rite, and Br. Mosses, as director, questioned the men about increasing their commitment to discern their vocation to the Congregation of the Resurrection. The rite concluded with me blessing crosses worn by each new postulant, which Br. Mosses bestowed upon them. The uplifting celebration continued with the liturgy of the Eucharist and much joyous singing! Afterwards, we celebrated with a festive meal.
Touring Morogoro
Later that same Sunday, Valentino Chatanda, a resurrectionist seminarian, gave me a special tour of Morogoro. It included local destinations, such as the neighborhood parish, the cathedral, a WWI cemetery, and a Polish cemetery. But it started and ended with particularly memorable experiences. A few ‘blocks’ from home our truck got stuck in mud due to heavy
rain the night before. Not to be dissuaded, Valentino, with help from neighbors, gave an impressive, hour-long effort getting us free and allowing us to continue our tour. At the end of the tour, we visited the property purchased for a new seminary, which is a short distance from our current location. Together we enjoyed a few moments imagining what the property might become. When Br. Mosses saw my shoes upon our return, he amusingly announced: “Welcome to Africa!” Still stained red from Morogoro mud today, my shoes remind me of that delightful excursion, the memories we made, and the dreams we shared.
Safari in Mikumi National Park
Another unexpected blessing was being treated to a Safari in Mikumi National Park. As Fr. Jim said, “We can’t send you home without a safari.” So, two days before leaving, Br. Mosses coordinated and led me and one of the new postulants – Baltazar – on a classic African
adventure. We arrived at the park midmorning where our expert guide met us. Mikumi’s expansive 3230km2 effectively serves as a wildlife reserve for numerous species including four of Africa’s big five: elephants, lions, cape buffalo, and leopards. Only rhinos are not found there. As we started, our guide reminded us that the animals in the park are wild and their movements cannot always be predicted, so sometimes visitors see a limited number of species. But our safari was very successful. Before we entered the park, we spotted along the highway baboons grooming, zebras grazing, and giraffes snacking on trees. Once in the park, we quickly saw herds of buffalo, a mother elephant nursing her calf, a roaming pride of lions, large herds of grazing antelope and zebras, warthogs rummaging near pathways, and the often-illusive leopard perched in a tree. Even our guide pulled out his phone to snap photos of the latter. The whole experience was very rewarding.
More to come on www.resurrectionists.ca
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