Last Days & Insights
Parting Conversations
On my last full day in Morogoro I cleaned, did laundry, packed, and, above all, took opportunities to converse with the brothers.
Some chats were very practical. In one, I learned about the scene that our dog Rex made when he got into the chickens. It was an unforgettable tale of loss (six chickens died) and reprimand (the whole community taught Rex a lesson)! Some conversations became pastoral, reflective, and formative. More than one conversation explored the challenges of maintaining enthusiasm for our vocation amid life’s many responsibilities. Often, we explored the hopes that these young men have as they set out on the journey of formation. Some wondered what the rest of their postulant year would include. Others considered what their seminary journey might entail. And some pondered what early years in ministry could look like.
An Evening Sharing ‘Pamoja’ (Together)
On my last evening at our seminary in Morogoro, in accord with house custom, we set aside time after dinner to offer formal comments and reflection about my visit in a gathering of the whole seminary and postulant community. Much of our time was dedicated to saying goodbye, to recalling fond memories, and to discussing insights that surfaced during my visit. Community members were free to share as they saw fit and Livinus, the seminary prefect, guided our conversation.
Many recalled climbing a mountain together. Others remembered our joyous celebration of aspirants becoming postulants. Some reflected on celebrating Christmas together. We noted many insights drawn from our shared conversations and daily activities. In general, we recalled how the ordinary experiences of religious life – praying the office, celebrating Mass, studying, watering plants, doing laundry, fixing technology, and tend to chores – could help us advance toward holiness, especially when done together.
Fr. Jim reminded us that my visit was prompted by a resolution of the 34th General Chapter, which called for resurrectionists from all sectors to visit the mission. Such visits, he explained, are intended to foster meaningful exchange and mutual learning. Ideally, Fr. Jim noted, the men in the mission would learn from a visit like mine how to better discern and realize the resurrectionist charism and mission in Tanzania. While we are all resurrectionists, he explained, we must, nevertheless, be and act as resurrectionists in ways that match where we are, not somewhere else.
Just as Americans, Canadians, Poles, and Brazilians live and serve as resurrectionists in ways that match those cultures, so Tanzanian resurrectionists are to match Tanzanian culture. Such visits, Fr. Jim concluded, aim to help our Tanzanian men prayerfully consider what it means to be Tanzanian resurrectionists and to minister in the Church in Tanzania. After all, since they come from that culture, they are uniquely equipped for that task doing just that.
For my part, I recalled some key points mentioned in my reflections on the charism during our day of recollection and I highlighted how they were profoundly present throughout my visit. God’s unconditional love, the paschal mystery, and hope – three defining features of the resurrectionist charism – characterized my visit. God’s unconditional love met me in the unprecedent hospitality that I received throughout my visit and even before I arrived. The paschal mystery was evident in the mutual support that community members provided not only me but one another and others when faced with challenges. And hope was evident in, among other things, the dreams shared about how the charism and mission might advance in Tanzania. I ended my comments by highlighted one way that Tanzanian resurrectionists could distinctively realize the charism and mission: by embracing more and more the Tanzanian concept of pamoja (“together”).
As many seminarians explained during my visit, African philosophers emphasize this concept, highlighting it as distinctively embodied in various African cultures. My experience confirmed as much. Resurrectionists the world over would do well to embrace the African notion of pamoja, which, as one seminarian explained, is best summarized as “I exist because we exist.”
Departure
On New Years Eve, I set out from Morogoro to begin my long journey back home. With the new high-speed rail under construction due to damaging rains, Br. Mosses drove me the 200km into the big city. There we shared a delightful meal at a restaurant near the airport and passed some time together as we waited for my plane to arrive. A consummate host and wonderful conversationalist, Br. Mosses and I discussed various issues facing Tanzania, our resurrectionist community, and formation in the charism and mission. Our reflections were lively and our time together passed quickly. It was soon time for me to catch my plane, bringing an end to our time together.
Closing Insights
How to sum up? This is not easy. I often found myself saying, “Everything is so different!” Tanzania is a developing nation and our mission reflects that. Clean water, for example, is cherished because it is difficult to secure. Kitchens mix indoor and outdoor spaces. Food prep happens inside and cooking is done outside over charcoal fires. And while meats and produce are purchased at local butchers and markets, chickens and pigs are kept on hand and a large garden helps provide for the seminary.
Still, much in Tanzanian felt familiar. Internet and cell phones offered stable contact and information access. Electricity only flickered during big storms. And people there, like people everywhere, want to connect and attach, despite obstacles. We all have stories. We all like to share them. And, for the most part, we like to make new stories. The charism and mission are clearly growing in Tanzania. What this will mean for the Congregation and how Tanzanian resurrectionists will continue to realize our charism and mission depends on our common corporation with the spirit of our founders, our mutual support for one another, continued discernment, and our on-going exchange.
More to come on www.resurrectionists.ca
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