Magazine Brothers CMM 2021/2

BROTHERS CMM 2/21

m aga zine

| MERCY IN LEMBATA | THE ARCHEOLOGIST | BROTHER-ARCHITECT BONIFASIUS SITUMORANG | ST. JOSEPH OF NAZARETH | ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SCHOOL IN MOSOCHO | GENEROSITY KNOWS NO BORDERS | FIRST PROFESSIONS IN CORONA TIMES | THE VOCATION OF CYPRIAN MBASHU |

Take a look at the website www.cmmbrothers.org

CONTENTS Mission statement Mercy belongs to all times and places.

Mercy is at the centre of all world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The movement of mercy has left traces throughout history.

The various forms in which mercy appears, are expressions of the society in which it arose, and of the spirituality that carries it.

The Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, is rooted in Christian mercy.

CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERIOR GENERAL

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MERCY IN LEMBATA

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COLOPHON

Brothers CMM appears three times a year and is a publication of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy. A subscription is free of charge.

A voluntary contribution is appreciated: ING Bank Account for Fraters CMM Tilburg IBAN: NL30INGB0001068517 (BIC: INGBNL2A). ISSN 1877-6256 Editorial Board: Nathalie Bastiaansen (executive editor and editor-in-chief), Brother Edward Gresnigt, Brother Ad de Kok, Brother Benyamin T. Robiwala.

Contributors: Brother Lawrence Obiko, Nathalie Bastiaansen, Brother Yonas Paso, Anton van der Lee, Brother Bonifasius Situmorang, Brother Leo van de Weijer & Brother Justus Nyabera, Brother Elijah Agilo, Brother Edward Gresnigt, Brother Richard Sure, Brother Cyprian Mbashu, Brother Benyamin T. Robiwala, Brother Paskalis Wangga, Brother Ad de Kok. Translation: Nathalie Bastiaansen, Brother Edward Gresnigt, Peter Huybers, Father Jan van der Kaa AA, Tony Verhallen.

Design: Layout: Printing:

Heldergroen, The Netherlands DekoVerdivas, The Netherlands Franciscan Kolbe Press, Kenya

Contact: Brothers CMM, Rhapta Road, P.O.Box 14916 Nairobi, Westlands 00800, Kenya E-mail: Brother Leo van de Weijer: brotherleo42@gmail.com Contact: Brothers CMM, P.O.Box 89, Windhoek, Namibia E-mail: Brother Athanasius Onyoni: atonyoni@yahoo.com E-mail: magazine@cmmbrothers.nl Website: www.cmmbrothers.org The Prodigal Son, Rembrandt.

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Photograph front cover: St. Vincent De Paul Primary Boarding School Mosocho, Kenya.

Photograph back cover: Province of Friesland, The Netherlands. Photo: Brother Ad de Kok.

STORIES FROM THE PAST: THE ARCHEOLOGIST

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

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BONIFASIUS SITUMORANG

FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD In this issue of Brothers CMM, you will find on page 4 one of the beautiful paintings of Brother Lawrence Obiko. In the future a collection of the column ‘Conversation with the Superior General’ will appear, in which a selection of paintings made by Brother Lawrence will be included. The working title is ‘Inspiration’, and these paintings are certainly inspiring, we can tell you that. On page 5 you can read how the brothers in Lembata reacted to the state of emergency there. The section ‘Stories from the past’ is a contribution from Anton van der Lee, who at the age of 85 is still active in the fields of local history and archaeology. He can also tell us fascinating stories about it. This time the section ‘In the spotlight’ presents some beautiful designs by brother-architect Bonifasius Situmorang.

On page 11, we catch our breath with a reflection on St. Joseph of Nazareth, and then we find ourselves in the cheerful activity of St. Vincent Primary School in Mosocho, Kenya.

On pages 15 and 16, you can read about a gift that travelled around the world to end up in a manure pit in Kenya, which is a more beautiful destination than you might think. In Kenya and Indonesia, the brothers celebrated the first temporary profession of several young brothers. Because of Covid-19 this took place in a small circle and with the observance of various precautions; despite that, it was a festive event. We close this edition with the story of Brother Cyprian Mbashu’s vocation to the religious life.

ST. JOSEPH OF NAZARETH

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ST. VINCENT PRIMARY SCHOOL

GENEROSITY KNOWS NO BORDERS

FIRST TEMPORARY PROFESSION IN TIMES OF CORONA

NEWS IN BRIEF

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SEE MY PEOPLE

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CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERIOR GENERAL

Every year on the fourth Sunday of Easter, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates World Vocation Day - in 2021 this took place on 25 April. Brother Lawrence Obiko made a painting on the theme of ‘nurturing our vocation’; he elaborates on it in this conversation.

On our journey of life, we don’t always know what is ahead, but in faith we know what is at the end of the road. The man we see in this painting does not know what he will encounter in the forest he is about to enter, but he clearly sees the sun behind the trees. How his journey will be also depends on what is in his backpack. Did he bring the essentials such as refreshing water and nourishing food? Or is he carrying useless things, which he could have been better off leaving behind?

A vocation is not a one-time event; it is part of our journey through life. It is important to nurture our vocation. In his message for the World Day of Vocations on 25 April 2021, Pope Francis wrote: ‘A vocation – like life itself – matures only through daily fidelity.’

Nurturing our vocation also depends a lot on the support we receive. For me, my parents always encouraged me to follow my vocation. All my brothers started a family, and I observe that they are happy families. But I have never been challenged by them with questions about not having a wife and offspring. I have my own unique place in our family, and this gives me a deep sense of who I am.

One of the aspects of religious life is the vow of consecrated chastity. This might seem difficult, because it is natural for humans to find a partner and having children. In his message for the World Day of Vocations, Pope Francis presented St. Joseph as a model for vocations: ‘God looks on the heart, and in St. Joseph he recognized the heart of a father, able to

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give and generate life in the midst of daily routines.

Vocations have this same goal: to beget and renew lives every day.’ Pope Francis sees St. Joseph as ‘the everactive hands of the Father, outstretched to his children.’

To me, consecrated chastity becomes clearer after the resurrection. In the afterlife we will not be asked about a wife or children or grandchildren; it is only about being united with God. Religious life can be a beautiful expression and preview of this unity with God. After death, we may experience God’s mystery of everlasting life, which goes beyond human procreation.

Brother Lawrence Obiko in an interview with Nathalie Bastiaansen

INDONESIA

MERCY IN LEMBATA, INDONESIA At the beginning of April 2021, the tropical cyclone Seroja caused severe flooding and landslides to portions of southern Indonesia and Timor Leste. This incident occurred at a time when Christians were preparing to celebrate the Feast of the Lord's Resurrection. The Brothers CMM in Lembata were moved to do something.

Houses, places of worship, school buildings, government offices and agricultural locations of local communities were swept away by floods and landslides; nothing was left. Most of the residents were able to save themselves. However, there were some residents who could not be helped and died as a result of the violent floods and landslides.

Tomohon, Banjarmasin and Tarakan. The brothers received clothes, household articles, food and money.

These were quickly distributed to refugee posts in Lewoleba City, family homes that accommodated refugees, and to several villages that experienced flooding, that were not accommodated in refugee camps.

Brother Paulus Paji Keban was the first to lend a helping hand. During the three holy days before Easter he served the people of Lewotolok Station. While on the way to the location, he heard about the ongoing flood conditions. Brother Paulus quickly evacuated by car several residents to a safer location. Mercy and brotherhood sometimes come in unexpected ways.

The floods and landslides brought profound suffering.

One high school student was seriously injured, and two students and one of the alumni died. The brothers and several teachers and students witnessed first-hand the excavation of the bodies of these two students from the rubble of dirt and rocks and accompanied them to their final resting place.

Seeing the heart-breaking situation, the brothers of the CMM Community of Stella Maris in Lembata and the teachers and staff of the Frater Don Bosco High School Lewoleba were moved to help. They started by collecting suitable clothes and distributed them to the Lembata Regional General Hospital for the flood victims and for the residents who had been evacuated.

The next step was to open a ‘Lembata Disaster Care Post’ in the school, to move the hearts of many people to help the victims in that area.

The movement of mercy must be echoed no matter where the Brothers CMM are. Many people around us need our helping hand. They want to be greeted kindly, to be gently touched and helped with sincerity. Being ambassadors of mercy worldwide, starting from our community and our place of work and wherever we are sent. As our Constitutions (I, 10) states: ‘Serve and enlighten, speak a redeeming word, be a helping hand.’

Brother Yonas Paso CMM (Indonesia)

Slowly, aid started to arrive, both from donors and from other Frater Don Bosco Schools, in Manado, 5

STORIES FROM THE PAST

Brother Waldemar Melis, Brother Gervasius Dominicus, Anton van der Lee and Brother Martini Rijkers at their excavations in North-Tilburg.

THE ARCHEOLOGIST As a child, Anton van der Lee attended St. Emilius Elementary School in Loon-op-Zand in The Netherlands.

The school was named after the eccentric pastor Emilius Muré, who had managed to turn the former public school into a parochial school in 1923. From the very start the school was managed by the Brothers CMM of Tilburg. One of these brothers planted the seed in Anton for a unique passion.

When I was a fifth grader my classmate, Cor Abrahams, presented me one day with a polished stone axe which was about 5000 years old. He had found this axe at a site where nowadays the Efteling Boat Ride is located. The axe was light grey, very old and badly damaged. The craftsman who had made the axe uttered probably a few prehistoric obscenities when his axe broke and fixed the tool as well as possible to get some more use out of it. I hardly knew anything about the prehistoric age, but I paid my friend three apples and I became the owner of an ancient axe.

My fifth-grade teacher was Brother Realinus Donders, the most sympathetic teacher I have ever known.

It was his last year before retirement, but his life was made miserable by a bunch of troublemakers who had been held back so often that they were already 14 years old and thereby qualified to leave school in 5th grade. It was too much for him and my

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teacher left that school year at Easter with a nervous breakdown. For the remainder of the year we got a young substitute, Brother Waldemar Melis. He was tall and swarthy; he had a commanding voice and was inspiring. We did not know that he had not earned his teaching certificate yet, but he exuded authority.

Brother Waldemar quickly found contact with two amateur archeologists who were the first to delve into the prehistory of Loon-op-Zand: the local dairy farmer Pieter van Beers and Father Rijkers of the seminary in Kaatsheuvel, who was an assistant in our parish.

Together they made an excavation near a pond the “Plakke” and found stone tools from between 8000 and 7000 B.C. The cheerful and dynamic Brother Lucidius Pijnenburg, who was our second-grade teacher and who was always game for playful pranks, made a magnificent mockery of it in his yearly variety show. He had three children digging on the stage

of the parish center, with the village community in attendance, when the head of an angry, ancient, Germanic toolmaker appeared, complete with a horned helmet, who loudly accused the greatly surprised “amateur diggers” of disturbing his eternal rest.

In those days I went to 7:30 a.m. Mass, which was strongly encouraged by the brothers. Since you had to abstain from food to receive communion, I carried my breakfast with me to church and afterwards took it to school, because there was not sufficient time to return home, half-an-hour’s walk, and be back before the nine o’clock starting time of class. For this reason, school provided a classroom where my schoolmates and I could eat our sandwiches and play a bit. One of the brothers supervising us during this time was frequently Brother Waldemar. Seated at his desk he was often busy with his archeological discoveries and I watched him with interest and asked him questions.

Once he shared that the finds came from the “Plakke”, at that time an unknown area for me. However, I had an uncle with some farmland, which he also called the “Plakke”. Reasoning as a simple child I concluded that I should start searching. Right away I had some finds which were just scattered all over the place.

Afterwards it turned out that I had discovered a brand-new site, the richest site I ever found, where later, unfortunately, the Efteling water sport recreation center “Experience Island” would be built.

After my schooldays I visited Brother Waldemar several times in the brother house in Tilburg. He even gave me a beautiful reminder from his Loon-op-Zand years: a precious hand axe from around 3500 B.C., which he once found about the “Plakke” pond.

Brother Waldemar, Brother Gervasius and Brother Martini studying their discovery.

In 1963 he asked me to join him in an excavation on a terrain called “Kraaiven” planned for industrial construction in Tilburg-North, the richest dig of the Middle Stone Age in The Netherlands. To the left and to the right factories had already been built, but the area where he was busy, next to Ruts Montage, did not get sold since it was so rough. Together with the Brothers Waldemar and Gervasius Dominicus I worked there several Saturdays, and I still have some pictures of our work. However, even while digging, we had a lot of trouble with an annoying city official, Janssen was his name, to keep him from intruding, he constantly interfered with our work. We stopped our excavation due to the first Monument Law of 1961, which did not allow more digging unless there was an imminent danger. The undesirable piece of property was not sold for years and in the meantime Janssen collected hundreds of thousand stones. Ronald Peeters and I also made many wonderful discoveries at the surface.

Ronald even published a book about it.

Ultimately the Janssen collection ended up at the Province of North Brabant and after Waldemar left the Congregation, he offered his collection to the city of Tilburg for the exorbitant price of a quarter million guilders. However, the city was not ready to spend tax money that way. Still all ended well, for the retired director of the city museum, Ronald Peeters, told me that the collection finally ended up at the museum.

Mr. Melis, who launched my 72-yearlong passion for archeology, passed away regrettably at a young age.

Anton van der Lee (The Netherlands)

Brother Gervasius and Anton van der Lee at work.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ARCHITECTURE IN INDONESIA In the past and today, there are quite some brothers with creative skills. They make paintings, drawings, sculptures, or beautiful craftwork. It gives a different, sometimes unknown insight into the makers. This feature places a selection from this work in the spotlight. Part 11 of this series shows building designs by Brother Bonifasius Situmorang from Indonesia.

From duty to passion Architecture is a process of reflection and a process of creating spaces accommodating people and their movements. The space created must possess the values of Firmitas (strength), Utilitas (functionality) and Venustas (aesthetics). Initially, I experienced this study as a congregational duty, but now it is a passion.

It started in 2009, when I received an assignment to study Architectural Engineering. The provincial superior at that time saw that development of the Congregation in Indonesia was booming and would continue to flourish into the future. The Congregation paid large amounts of money for the design of each building, so it would be an advantage if a brother would be able to do it. I accepted the assignment and hoped it would be an advantage for the Congregation

The design processes In the design process, I always start by studying the users and their activities, location feasibility, architectural trends and building materials. These are necessary to get a design vision. Then I reflect on what I learned. This is quite a long and lengthy and repetitionary process. At this time ideas are poured into the sketch. I usually start with a sketch on paper, then transfer it to a 3-dimensional sketch on the computer. It could be that several design options appear. Then the sketch is presented, discussed, and

Design boys’ dormitories in Lembata.

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Design of a church in Pekanbaru. revised as needed, just so long until the client and I arrive at the best option. For the construction process, I convert the 3-dimensional sketches into 2-dimensional drawings that are scalable and technically justifiable.

It is a challenging yet satisfying process. The pseudoimage in my mind has become something real, that’s absolutely amazing.

Dreams The Congregation entrusted me with the design of several buildings, and some have already been constructed. I feel appreciated. Whenever a task like that comes along, I give it my best effort. Being an architect is my calling and my personal contribution to the Congregation.

It is certainly not every day that I receive such projects. Nevertheless, I still dream about developing my career into a wider range of assignments. In that case, I would not just function as a designer but also as a constructor. And that takes training. I am waiting for that opportunity hoping to receive more assignments.

Brother Bonifasius Situmorang CMM (Indonesia)

Interior design of the church in Pekanbaru.

Postulancy in Hera, Timor Leste.

The result: a new building for the postulants in Hera, Timor Leste.

Floor plan of the postulancy in Hera.

The courtyard of the postulancy.

Blessing of the new postulancy on 27 September 2019.

Design of the new wing of the Frater Don Bosco Secondary School in Manado.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT Br

Construction work in Manado is in full swing.

Design for a building of the Dominican Sisters in Dili, Timor Leste.

Design for the bookstore of the Brothers CMM in Balige.

The new bookstore in Balige was completed in 2021.

Interior of the new bookstore.

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REFLECTION

ST. JOSEPH OF NAZARETH Pope Francis has placed the year 2020-2021 under the spiritual guidance and protection of St. Joseph.

On this occasion he wrote an Apostolic Letter entitled ‘Patris Corde’ (With a father’s heart). In his letter, Pope Francis mentions 7 characteristics of St. Joseph:

1. A beloved father

7. A father in the shadows

Every Wednesday, for over forty years, Pope Francis recited the following prayer: “Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power. Amen.”

“In a way, we are like Joseph: the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. And a shadow that follows his Son.”

2. A tender and loving father “St. Joseph teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.”

3. An obedient father “In every situation, Joseph declared his own “Yes”, like Mary at the Annunciation and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.”

4. An accepting father “He did not look for shortcuts, but confronted reality with open eyes and accepted personal responsibility for it.”

5. A courageous father “I consider St. Joseph the special patron of all those forced to leave native lands because of war, hatred, persecution and poverty.”

6. A working father “Let us implore St. Joseph the Worker to express our firm conviction that no young person, no person at all, nor family should be without work!”

St. Joseph building a boat. Detail from a reredos in the church of the Holy Spirit in Salamanca, Spain.

The silence of Joseph Silence enveloped everything about Joseph. This was an aura of deep contemplation. St. Joseph was always in union with God; neither daily labor nor sleep caused him distraction. He reminds us of the primacy of the interior and contemplative life.

We picture St. Joseph as a silent worker, who suffered in silence as well. He did not complain, and he did not grow angry at God and say: “Why are you doing this, why do we have to flee to Egypt? ” We should ask ourselves: “Do I have enough silence in my life? Do I spend enough time in prayer? Do I use my speech for lying, gossiping or backbiting? Or, do I truly follow St. Joseph, by being a man of integrity and silence? ” Abstract from the recollection day on 16 May 2021 of Brothers CMM in Kenya, prepared by Brother Leo van de Weijer CMM and Brother Justus Nyabera CMM.

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IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE

School building with classrooms.

ST. VINCENT PRIMARY SCHOOL Worldwide the Congregation is being confronted with all sorts of material and spiritual needs. The brothers, together with others, are trying to alleviate these. In the eighteenth episode of this feature we look at St. Vincent de Paul Boys’ Boarding Primary School in Mosocho, Kenya.

St. Vincent de Paul Boys’ Mosocho is a Boarding Primary School located in Kisii County of Kenya. It was established by the Brothers CMM in the year 2011, with the aim of addressing the need for quality education in East Africa. Currently the school runs from Grade 4 up to Standard 8, accommodating a pupil population of 530.

meetings and team buildings, and there is strong interconnectedness. Through these, teachers were able to enhance the teaching and learning process.

The humility, discipline, hardworking attitude of the candidates played a crucial role in this outcome. This places our school in the fourth position in the entire Kisii County, where we have 966 primary schools.

Kenyan Education System

Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic

The education system in Kenya is known as 8-4-4, that is, eight years in the primary level; four years in secondary level and tertiary level respectively.

Apparently, this system is largely examination oriented; its quality tends to be evaluated in terms of the number of students passing national examinations.

In primary school the national examination taken is Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). It is the final examination administered to the learners in Standard Eight, to help determine their placement in the secondary school.

Just like any other school around the world, where the corona virus pandemic disrupted learning, our school was equally affected. It was quite challenging, especially to the candidate classes that were looking forward to sitting for their final exams that year.

Fortunately, our teachers were able to reach out to some of our pupils and continued to guide them through online means using Zoom or WhatsApp. On reporting back to school, the school organized psychosocial support programmes to be offered to the learners. Meanwhile, teachers had undertaken some training earlier on in preparation for the school reopening. Experts were also involved where necessary to give a helping hand. Eventually our boys were able to settle down in school and this allowed the syllabus coverage to commence, and the result was quite outstanding.

KCPE 2020 Result In KCPE 2020 our school scored a mean of 380 out of a possible 500. This was a positive deviation from the year 2019 in which the school recorded a mean of 366.

This performance was attributed to good collaboration between the school administration, teachers, parents and pupils. All are dedicated; there are regular staff 12

Brother Elijah Agilo CMM (Kenya)

St. Vincent’s values.

Residences of teachers and their families.

The school has its own vegetable garden.

There are also a couple of dairy cows.

Entrance to the hostel.

Classroom.

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IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE

The kitchen.

The boys help with the daily chores.

In class.

Clean laundry hangs out to dry.

Break time!

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Group photo in sports outfit.

CALIFORNIA THE NETHERLANDS - KENYA

GENEROSITY KNOWS NO BORDERS Brother Edward Gresnigt was one of the fortunate brothers who celebrated his 60th anniversary as a religious brother on 29 August 2020. Included among the letters, cards, and e-mails conveying their heartwarming congratulations, he received an unexpected gift from the United States of America: a check for 3.210 American dollars. Alumni and other acquaintances of Santa Clara High School in Oxnard, California, had collected the money.

We go back in time. The General Board sent Brother Edward to Oxnard, California in 1965. After a few years studying he got assigned in 1967 to Santa Clara High School in Oxnard to teach religion and history.

He was 25 at the time and would be part of this school for 35 years. He returned to The Netherlands in 2002. He would next go to Sigona, Kenya, to assist at the brothers’ noviciate there. That was the plan and he looked forward to it. Yet, things turned out differently. The General Chapters of 2002 and 2008 elected Brother Edward member of the General Board.

In 2014 he stayed in The Netherlands and still works at the Generalate, no longer however, as member of the General Board, but as an assistant and a supporter of many.

Hymnals, walking shoes, and …

The alumni have not forgotten ‘their’ Brother Edward after all these years. The present for his anniversary testifies to that. For his international community at the Generalate he used part of the gift to purchase 12 Glory and Praise hymnals to be used in the chapel. “In Oxnard I learned many new songs which we used in the liturgy. Hymns like ‘Here I am Lord’ and ‘Morning has broken’ still bring me good memories”, Brother Edward declared. He also used part of the gift just for himself: a pair of rugged walking shoes with a good grip. That was no extravagant luxury when one remembers that in February he slipped on ice and fell on his back in front of the Generalate.

Now he also saw an opportunity, many years later, to still make a concrete contribution to the noviciate in

Before: The outdoor kitchen with wood fire.

Kenya. He decided, with the approval of the Superior General of course, to use the largest part of the money for the physical improvement of the Sigona community. He contacted the brothers there to gauge what specific needs they had, and he found that they definitely had several situations where improvements would be welcome.

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CALIFORNIA Br - KENYA THE NETHERLANDS

Solar energy and biogas First, the brothers had to pay high utility bills. Energy experts had already advised them to install solar panels. They would provide uninterrupted power supply for lighting and for the online courses the novices were taking; no electricity meant no Wi-Fi. The wish list also included an additional laptop to use it for those online classes. The brothers’ budget in Kenya had no funds however to invest in solar panels and buy an extra laptop.

A third wish asked for a biogas plant. Up to now the brothers cooked their meals over wood fire. They did have a gas cooker but gas tanks are expensive and so they seldom used it. But cooking on wood has its own drawbacks: it harms one’s health, costs time, and damages the environment. Owning a biogas plant would solve these problems. More so since the community has three cows and their manure could serve as fuel.

Building the biogas plant.

And so, this generous gift of the alumni of Santa Clara High School in Oxnard, California, moved via the Generalate in Tilburg, The Netherlands, to the CMM-noviciate in Sigona, Kenya. The seed for this gift had been planted in 1967 and in March 2021 Brother Edward received a message from Sigona: a solar panel has now been installed and the electricity bill is way down from what it was. The novices no longer gather wood and can now with the help of a new laptop focus all their attention on the online courses while they don’t have to deal with power failure. The biogas plant has been built and works satisfactorily: the brothers and novices now cook on ‘green energy’. A new generation of brothers is on its way.

Natalie Bastiaansen and Brother Edward Gresnigt CMM (The Netherlands)

After: Ready to cook a delicious meal on biogas.

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KENYA

FIRST TEMPORARY PROFESSIONS IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19 In Kenya, the second-year novices made their first temporary professions on 1 May 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The four second-year novices were fully prepared and eager to make their first profession into religious life.

There was some tension about how to celebrate this day, since the number of those being tested positive in Kenya kept increasing. All community members had to take a Covid-19 test, and one of us tested positive, so he had to be isolated. It was a relief when another fellow brother who had been in hospital was discharged, and the rest of the brothers in isolation were recovering well. When the moment was there, everything went according to plan.

The brothers who made their first profession and their novice master: Prosper Chungu (Zambia), Michael Kabwe (Zambia), Joseph Masereka (Uganda), and Victor Oyieko (Kenya), and Brother Richard Sure.

The Catholic Church dedicates 1 May to St. Joseph the Worker, the patron saint of all workers. The secular world has not been left behind since they celebrate the day as labour day for all workers. The Brothers CMM in Kenya celebrate this day as an entrance day of candidates (postulants) into the novitiate, and first professions of the second-year novices. On the day of the first profession novices promise to follow the Constitutions, to live in accordance with the three vows, to share our life in community and to devote themselves to the service of our neighbour.

1 May 2021 was a unique and special day, given the consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak. In the Sigona community, we were courageous in continuing the mission of the Congregation within the Church by adapting to ‘the new normal’, by following the protocols and precautions as given by the Ministry of Health.

The Mass was celebrated by Father Paul Wachira Muiga. He asked the nicely vested young brothers in white cassocks what they were looking for in the Church. ‘To have a focus on Jesus Christ, our Merciful Brother,’ they answered. After the homily, Provincial Board member Brother Patrick Munyua, invited, as delegate of the Superior General, the four brothers to make their professions into the Congregation. The Brothers Richard Sure and Linus Schoutsen were the witnesses, together with Father Paul.

On the same day, two of the first-year novices started their second-year in the novitiate. The Brothers Joackim Muhindu and Bonface Monyancha Ogari looked determined and filled with the spirit of brotherhood and mercy. We are grateful to God that even in this time of Covid-19, they are called to be merciful brothers, joyful and courageous continuing the mission of CMM in today’s world.

Brother Richard Sure CMM (Kenya)

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NEWS IN BRIEF

FIRST PROFESSIONS AND NEW NOVICES IN INDONESIA On 24 April 2021, five novices in Pematangsiantar made their first temporary profession. The main celebrant at the Holy Eucharist was Father Leopold Purba, OFMCap. Due to the Covid-19 health regulations, only a few people were present. Others could follow the events via livestream. The theme of the celebration was derived from Psalm 118: 14,21, “The Lord is my strength and my courage; I praise Him for He has answered me, and He is my Saviour.”

Rolly Untu, MSC, Bishop of Manado and assisted by Father Maxi Ignatius Manewus. The new novices are Agustinus Lafau, Agustinus Naisoko, Abel Alexander Gary and Yunorius Saunoah. Later this year another five novices from Timor Leste will join them: Marcelino Martins, Natalino Martins Babo, Cipriano Soares, Avelino Maia Soares and Felis Benevides Tilman. In the meantime, they follow the novitiate programme online from Timor Leste.

The Brothers Januario Sani Quehi, Benyamin Pati, Emanuel Barreto Amaral, Gabriel Fatima Soares and Wilhelmus Mendröfa made their first vows in the hands of Brother Alfons Seran, Provincial Board member. The Brothers Paskalis Wangga and Bosco Wuarmanuk were witnesses. Father Leopold hoped that the young brothers experienced God’s call and would: ‘have faith, and not murmur’, as Jesus said (John 6: 60-69).

On 8 May 2021 an entrance ceremony was held in the Tomohon novitiate for the first-year novices. They were welcomed by Brother Martinus Mangundap, Provincial Superior. The Holy Eucharist was presided over by the Most Reverend Benedictus Estephanus

The newly professed brothers with their novice-master, Brother Paskalis Wangga.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL Like everywhere on earth where people live, the Covid-19 pandemic did not bypass the Joannes Zwijsen Community in The Netherlands, where our elderly and sick confrères live. The first wave of the virus had an enormous impact on this community. The Brothers André de Veer, Joop van Dooremaal, Harrie van Geene and Louis Mommers died within a little over a month.

Brother Wim Verschuren of the Eleousa Community in Vught followed a few months later. Because of the strict rules only one brother could be with them in their final hours. Only thirty people were allowed at the funeral services and the other brothers had to make do with livestream.

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After this troublesome time, which will remain engraved in the memory of the fellow brothers, a second and a third wave of the pandemic rolled in. For quite some time the brothers were not allowed to leave their rooms. Finally, things eased up again. They could pray together again in the chapel, talk with each other in the living room and eat together in the dining room.

And, it could be a miracle, but none of the brothers at Joannes Zwijsen became infected anymore. Apart from a few restrictions, community life resumed step by step. For the brothers at Joannes Zwijsen there was at long last some light at the end of the tunnel.

‘SEE MY PEOPLE’

THE VOCATION OF BROTHER CYPRIAN Mercy and brotherhood are two key concepts in the charism of the Brothers CMM. Beautiful words. But what happens in the reality of the everyday life of the brothers? That’s what is highlighted in this feature ‘See my people’.

Brother Cyprian Mbashu at the beginning of his noviciate in Oyugis in 1994.

I was born and raised in a Catholic family. My father longed to become a priest, but my grandparents would not allow him because he was their future hope for bringing forth descendants. When I was in primary school our teacher once asked us, ‘What would you like to be when you grow up? ’ My answer caused uproar among the students. I mentioned that I wanted to become a religious brother. Apparently, I was the only one who had what seemed to be a strange answer. When I paid a visit to my grandparents and they heard me speak about my future, they thought that they could change my mind. But I held on to my decision and in the end, they blessed me. One question remained: which congregation was I going to join?

My question was answered when I went to study at a catechetical institution which was run by the Consolata Missionaries. There I met one of the Brothers CMM. He spoke about the mission of the Brothers CMM in the world, he promoted the charism of brotherhood and mercy and above all he was merciful. My desire to join this Congregation grew day by day from that time hence forth. In 1994 I entered the novitiate. There I was attracted to this Biblical text next to the tabernacle: “You did it to me” - Matthew 25: 40.

The verse points to the last judgment, with a sixfold task for us: feeding the hungry, quenching the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and visiting prisoners. I came to realize that this text about the works of mercy was at the heart of the mission of the Brothers CMM. I found it remarkable to note that even without involving a lot of money these services are easily to perform; you only need commitment, dedication and mercy. In the novitiate we were tasked with the responsibility of providing clean water to our neighbours.

I am very much aware of the challenges in life. We all experience setbacks, due to political or ethnic tensions, spiritual challenges, difficult relationship with friends and relatives, sickness, or poverty. In the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with unprecedented consequences, loss of lives and shattered dreams, more than ever we are all called to the mission of mercy. I remember that St. Vincent de Paul, our patron saint, spoke of war, plague and famine during his time. What a near coincidence. As responsible citizens and as committed Christians we Brothers CMM can make a difference for good if we do something about the needs of the world now. Just remember the works of mercy.

Brother Cyprian Mbashu CMM (Kenya)

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WE NEED PERIODS OF REST, OF RECREATION AND RELAXATION, TO RESTORE OUR ENERGIES AND TO GET AWAY FROM WORK. (from the Rule of Life of the Brothers CMM)

Magazine of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy