161019 by The Southern Cross

The

S outher n C ross

October 19 to October 25, 2016

Reg No. 1920/002058/06 No 5003

www.scross.co.za

Church leaders: Mission Sunday reflection: We’ll miss Mercy in hell Madonsela Page 2

Page 11

R8,00 (incl VAT RSA)

Interview with activist Sister

Page 13

Urban mission in the spotlight By MANdlA ZiBi

OLY Trinity church in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, became the focus of the Catholic Church’s “urban mission stations” when violence between protesting students and police spilled over its precincts, with the parish priest shot in the face by police. Just as Catholics were celebrating Mission Month, Holy Trinity’s role as a safe and sacred space, and as a bridge-building agent in the political turmoil, made international headlines with photos of a bleeding Jesuit Father Graham Pugin being led away for treatment after being struck in his mouth and chest by rubber bullets. “Holy Trinity is an urban mission station because we are in the midst of the inner city and the university. Our mission is to reach out to people in that context, offer the Good News to men and women on the streets, to professionals who work in the area, and to university staff and students,” Fr Pugin told The Southern Cross. Holy Trinity church is adjacent to the Wits University campus, and also provides chaplaincy to the nearby University of Johannesburg. In the chaos that followed stalled negotiations on the resumption of classes—with police and student confrontation flaring up again at Wits—many students fled to the church for refuge. As students gathered in the church yard, police riot vehicles drove past and fired rubber bullets at them. Fr Pugin stood impassively at the entrance to the church grounds, blocking the police from entering it. After several attempts to enter the church compound, police fire struck Fr Pugin in the chest and face. “I was praying to God that their aim was good and that they were shooting past me,” said the priest, who had been imprisoned during the apartheid era for refusing to serve in the SA Defence Force. This month’s events have served to highlight the presence of the Catholic Church and its work in cities as mission stations in a post-apartheid, and rapidly urbanising South Africa, with its many social problems such as homelessness, disease, violence and marginalisation. “In the heart of the city we are the physical presence of the Gospel—not just the building, but also in the way that we witness by being there and also by reaching out to meet needs in that context,” said Fr Pugin. “Many people come for help—material help but also spiritual help. Quite a few people come for spiritual direction,” he said. Holy Trinity “is also an important place of meeting in the area”, he said.

Fr Graham Pugin SJ stands in the way of a Nyala armoured police vehicle before he was shot with rubber bullets outside Holy Trinity church in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, where students were sheltering during unrest on Wits campus. (Photo: Edward Molopi) We have Masses, like any parish, and a normal parish schedule of meetings and events. The parish hosts many events and lectures of a faith formation nature. We collaborate with the Jesuit Institute and host events they offer too.”

very morning the church provides soup for between 80 to 200 homeless people, and a hot meal in the evening. The dedicated Society of St Vincent de Paul group also organises clothing, blankets, shoes, soap and showers for the homeless. All this is interspersed with regular weekly Bible-sharing meetings. There is also a free lunch for hungry students daily from Monday to Friday. The church also hosts a fortnightly clinic run by Wits University medical students to provide patients with primary health care

check-ups, examinations and diagnostics. The clinic was also used as a makeshift trauma unit for those injured during the student protests. “The staff are all a bit traumatised. It's been a tough few weeks with all that's happened on the campus. But, they have also all been wonderful, and when we were in the midst of the protest crisis, they worked as a great team. They are all committed to ensuring that Trinity is a safe and sacred space where people can meet, listen and dialogue. That’s important for us, building bridges,” said Fr Pugin. The commander of the police operation at Wits visited Fr Pugin, apologising to him and asking for forgiveness. “I told them I forgive them; that’s my Christian faith,” the priest told the Jesuit magazine America. “But I also made sure that

they knew that the way their operations were conducted was unacceptable. There was no need to shoot traumatised students who were seeking a place of safety.” The police have promised an independent investigation into the shooting. The mission of the Church and Holy Trinity is clear, Fr Pugin told The Southern Cross: “Our role is to preach the Good News, and we have an opportunity to be a voice of non-violence and forgiveness.” He said he remained hopeful that a resolution between the protesters, the university and government would be reached, but “we are concerned by the sense of distrust between all the role players. The high security presence and clashes between police and students have also heightened tensions, making negotiations, at this stage, much more difficult.”

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

LOCAL

Christian leaders pay tribute to Madonsela F By MANdlA ZiBi

Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town with Fr Matthew ledo, Fr Audecius Tindimwembwa AJ and altar servers after the consecration Mass of St Raphael church in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. (Photo: Noxolo luwaca)

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ORMER public protector Thulisile Madonsela will be missed by many, said Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria, spokesman of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Ms Madonsela left office in mid-October. “She was a marvel of public officials everywhere. She showed courage and commitment in fulfilling her mandate of protecting citizens’ rights, upholding justice and encouraging respect for our South African institutions. And she showed that South Africa cannot be bought,” Archbishop Slattery said. “The SACBC appreciates her contribution to South African society.” Bishop Abel Gabuza of Kimberley, chairman of the SACBC’s Justice & Peace Commission, said he hoped incumbent public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebana will raise “even higher” the standard set by Ms Madonsela. “Advocate Madonsela was an outstanding example of dedicated, patriotic citizenship and service to the people. She is a strong, remarkable woman,” Bishop Gabuza said, adding that he felt “sad at her departure”. Addressing the Diakonia

Thuli Madonsela is blessed by Christian leaders, including durban’s Cardinal Wilfrid Napier (centre) and Bishop Barry Wood OMi (far left) at the diakonia Council of Churches’ annual lecture and awards ceremony. Council of Churches’ annual lecture and awards ceremony in Durban recently, Ms Madonsela said there are no grey areas when it comes to the ethics that should be practised by public officials. “Ethical conduct is about doing the right things the right way; not that the ends justify the means, but simply doing the right thing, it did not matter what the outcomes were.”

She encouraged the public to assist the Office of the Public Protector by monitoring whether the Constitution is being violated or ignored, and to report injustices to the office when they had “no other recourse”. At the ceremony, Adv Madonsela was honoured with the 2016 Diakonia Human Rights Award for her extraordinary courage and patriotism, before Church leaders blessed and prayed for her.

Kolping to celebrate anniversary By FR dOMiNiC HElMBOldT

HE Kolping Society of South Africa will celebrate the silver anniversary of the beatification of its founder with a service and procession on October 30 in Cape Town. The service to mark the 25th anniversary of Fr Adolph Kolping’s beatification will start at 15:00 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Durbanville, followed by a procession to the Kolping chapel in Biccard Street, Durbanville. All are invited. Bl Kolping (1813-65) was beatified in Rome on October 27, 1991. He was born in the village of Kerpen in Germany and learned the shoemaker’s trade. After being called to serve as a priest, he was ordained in 1845 and began ministering to young workers and journeymen. The rise of industrialisation saw more and more of these young men flock to the cities and factories where they were at risk of losing their faith, being far from their homes, families and rural value systems. Fr Kolping founded a Young Workmen’s

A banner of Bl Kolping at his 1991 beatification in the Vatican. Society which developed into today’s International Kolping Society with more than 400 000 members in over 60 countries. In his homily in St Peter’s Square on the day of the beatification, Pope John Paul II drew the attention of the over 65 000 pilgrims present to the four most important aspects of Fr Kolping’s mission and ministry: family, Church, work and politics.

He highlighted the importance of Fr Kolping’s example to remind Christians of their responsibility to shine the light of the Gospel into people’s everyday lives, society and the world at large. He continued with the importance of healthy and holy families and quoted Fr Kolping who said that “the first thing that a person finds in life and the last to which he holds out his hand, and the most precious that he possesses, even if he does not realise it, is family life”. The pope continued focusing on the importance of the Church as the place where we are gathered out of our dispersed scattering into unity in order to be nourished and strengthened to return to our fragmented world and make a difference in it. Furthermore, he touched the importance of work, and Fr Kolping’s focus on changing the individual before trying to change unjust structures. Lastly, Pope John Paul II concluded with highlighting Fr Kolping’s example to live as active Christians to influence even the social and political realm. A group of 57 candidates received the sacrament of confirmation at St Charles, Victory Park in Johannesburg from Archbishop Buti Tlhagale. The archbishop was accompanied by three priests, one deacon and a packed church. Parish priest Fr James Ralston OMi was the MC.

Bishop Dowling for Hurley lecture

HE annual Hurley lecture will this year be given by Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg on November 9, the day before what would have been the 101st birthday of the late Archbishop Denis Hurley OMI. Bishop Dowling, a second cousin of Archbishop Hurley, is one of the patrons of the Denis

Hurley Centre and co-president of the International Pax Christi organisation. His topic will be “Non-violence and Peace-making: Lessons from Oscar Romero, Denis Hurley and Pope Francis”. The lecture will take place at 19:00 in the Gandhi-Luthuli peace hall of the centre. Secure

parking will be available in the grounds of Emmanuel cathedral and refreshments will be provided at the end of the lecture. The Hurley lecture, which has taken place annually since 1995, is jointly organised by the Durban archdiocesan Justice & Peace Commission and the Denis Hurley Centre Trust.

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

LOCAL

Bishops back student protests, slam violence By BRONWEN dACHS & STAFF REPORTER

HE Catholic Church “agrees that the student protest has foundation”, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference said, while also condemning “the violence, looting, and vandalising of property by students and the use of force by police and the army”. “We are aware, as a Church, of the inequality of opportunity for poor and competent students to access third-level education,” said a statement, signed by Archbishop William Slattery. “The whole society, other students, universities, and the government are very aware of the students’ protest. It is time now for the disturbances to end and for the academic year to continue and for exams to be written,” the bishops said. The Catholic students’ association has said its students want to keep university classrooms open amid ongoing protests against fees hikes, but also called on the government to increase its education budget, saying the high cost of tertiary education is a symbol of racial inequality. “Higher education in South Africa is chronically underfunded,” the Association of Catholic Tertiary Students (Acts) said in a statement, noting that “the country spends far less on this sector than many other developing countries”. The often violent protests at universities began in mid-September after the government capped 2017 fee increases at 8%, slightly more than the rate of annual inflation. The government froze fee increases for 2016.

With final examinations scheduled for November, most Acts members want universities to resume classes, said Lucky Moloi, the association’s president. “We are working hard to find a common way that serves all of us,” said Mr Moloi, a third-year medical student at the University of Pretoria. Continued suspension of classes at many universities have been “very frustrating and difficult” for students who want to complete their studies, he said.

cts’ national chaplain blamed politics for disruptions. “Political parties have taken advantage of the situation” and are placing pressure on students to continue with the strike, said Fr Mthembeni Dlamini CMM. “This serves their political ends, not necessarily the interests of the students,” the Mariannhill Missionary priest said. “Most students acknowledge that free university education cannot happen overnight in South Africa. It is a long-term aim,” he said. “We believe free education is possible if the government takes responsibility” for providing this and restructures its priorities, Acts said in a statement. It urged students to “work together in applying pressure on all sectors to contribute towards higher education”, noting that the private sector should contribute through higher taxation. Student loans from financial institutions, which the government “appears to favour [are a] far cry from any concept of free education”, Acts said. The government must implement measures that “will ensure

Recent weeks have seen several ordinations of men to the priesthood. This month saw two more: Fr deneys Williamson (left) was ordained for the archdiocese of Johannesburg by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale at immaculate Conception church in Rosebank (Photo: Sheldon Reddiar Photography). Fr Neil Mitchell was ordained as a dominican priest in the chapel of Sacred Heart College, Johannesburg, by Bishop Peter Holiday of Kroonstad, a diocese where the dominicans have a long history. Fr Mitchell’s first Mass was celebrated in Bronville, a township of Welkom. Before joining the dominicans, Fr Mitchell had been a teacher for many years at Sacred Heart College.

state funds are not lost to corruption” and ensure that “parastatals are run by honest, qualified individuals”, it said. The SACBC said the government’s capping of increases and pledge to increase aid to poor students “provide no lasting solution”. The bishops called on the government to give immediate attention “to poor students who are unable or struggling” to pay their current fees. Both the SACBC and Acts condemned the violence and vandalism on campuses. The demonstrations have frequently turned violent, with police firing stun grenades, rubber bullets and teargas at stonethrowing students. Several buildings, including a library, have been set on fire by protesters on campuses around the country. “The violence we are witnessing will bring more harm to our nation than good,” the bishops said. “We call for greater ethical leadership from all stakeholders, including those dealing with law and order.” The bishops said they hope the government-appointed commission to probe the educationfunding system “will come up with a realistic plan” for poor and working-class families to have ongoing access to higher education. They urged the private sector to seek ways to increase their financial support. Looking to the future, the bishops said: “The government and students must now iron out their difficulties. A compromise must be considered as the huge financial demands of university free education cannot be found instantaneously.”

Fr Jerome Rono Nyathi, chaplain to the Zimbabwean community in South Africa, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination on October 5. He began priestly life when he was ordained at Empandeni Mission in Plumtree, Zimbabwe, by Bishop Henry Karlen. in his 25 years of service in the priesthood, Fr Nyathi served at various Zimbabwean parishes, as a teacher, as rector of St Bernard’s Seminary in Bulawayo, and as spiritual director and lecturer at Chishawasha Seminary, Harare. He has occupied the latter role at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria since 2012.

Youth camp informed on drought

ATER was at the centre of debate of Young Christian Students (YCS) from Gauteng schools at a weekend camp at Qwa-Qwa in the Drakensberg. YCS is run at Immaculata High School in Diepkloof, St Martin de Porres in Orlando East, McAuley House and Holy Family College in Parktown, and Summat College in inner-city Johannesburg. The venue of the camp was the village of Tseseng near Sentinel peak at the shrine of Our Lady of Bethlehem. Permission was granted by Bishop Jan de Groef and the local priest Fr Mokhesi Mokhesi. Arrangements were made by Deacon

Vincent Mohlaping. A Tseseng resident, identified only as Victoria, shared her story on how she closed down her business as she had no water for the poultry she was raising. Qwa-Qwa, like so many other parts of South Africa, is experiencing a severe drought. “One can see how many people are waiting for water to be delivered by the municipality once a week,” said Fr Mokesh Morar, who accompanied the youths with two lay people. “The YCS members realised how serious this water crisis was.” One youth said: “I took the water in Gauteng for granted, but from now on I will appreciate

water as something precious.” On their way, the group went over the Vaal Dam, which is only 30% full. “We also passed the Lesotho Highlands water scheme outlet near Clarens. We saw how water is released from the Sterkfontein Dam and exported to Gauteng, while the people in Lesotho and Qwa-Qwa are denied water,” Fr Morar said. The theme of the camp was, “Building and Strengthening Compassionate Leadership”, which urged being more considerate towards Creation, others and oneself as leaders in schools, churches and society.

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MISSIONARY CHURCH WITNESS of MERCY

:H DUH³ FRP missioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the *RVSHO´ ( Merciful like the Father, 12)

³DQG WR SURFODLP mercy in every corner of the world, reaching every person, \RXQJ RU ROG ´

(Pope Francis, Message for World Mission Sunday 2016)

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Tel.: 011.452.5283 Vocation Director: 072.987.2990 Email: mavocsa@gmail.com

Visit our international website: www.africamission-mafr.org

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

INTERNATIONAL

Nun working in Aleppo describes a city in fear By SiMON CAldWEll

RELIGIOUS sister working with Christian families in Aleppo, Syria, has criticised Western media for their allegedly biased coverage of the six-year conflict. Sr Annie Demerjian, a member of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary, questioned why Western journalists focused on the plight of people in areas held by rebels and jihadis but seldom those in regions controlled by the government of Bashar Assad. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is not fair,â&#x20AC;? she told Catholic News Service in an interview in Lancaster, England. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see a balance,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last week nobody spoke about a Christian woman who pulled her son from a balcony without his head, and just a river of blood coming out of his neck.â&#x20AC;? She said the adult son had rushed outside when a rebel shell had landed nearby and he heard shouts in the street. His head was blown off when the area of government-controlled western Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, was struck by a second shell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;His mother was crying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Come in, come in,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Sr Annie. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She pulled him to find he had no head. Nobody spoke about that, nothing. There are many stories like that. It is very painful when shells are falling in residential areas. Many people die. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes their families and friends have to collect the pieces of the bodiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a hand here, a leg there, body parts in other placesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; but nobody is talking about it,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why is the world silent about it? People donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what is happening.â&#x20AC;? Sr Annie said families were very afraid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are living in fear most of the time and also the hope that one day there will be peace. Parents, when they send their children to school, say goodbye like they will not see each other again

Jesus and Mary Sister Annie demerjian is working with Christian families in Aleppo, Syria. (Photo: Simon Caldwell/CNS) because they know that at any time rockets or shells might fall on top of us.â&#x20AC;?

er comments came as governments in the West stepped up their criticism of the bombardment by Syrian forces of rebel positions, with the help of Russian jets. The rebels, along with ISIS fighters and militants of the Nusra Frontâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a former affiliate of alQaedaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;have surrounded the city and have constantly attacked the government regions where all of the Christian inhabitants are sheltering. But amid concerns that civilians in rebel areas are being targeted by Assad and his allies, Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, in late September described Russian intervention in Aleppo as â&#x20AC;&#x153;barbarismâ&#x20AC;?. Russia announced that Presi-

dent Vladimir Putin has cancelled a visit to France scheduled for midOctober after the French government suggested that his forces were guilty of war crimes. In Britain, former government minister Andrew Mitchell, speaking during a three-hour emergency debate on the battle for Aleppo, compared Russia to Nazi Germany and said it would be right to shoot down Russian planes to protect civilians. Just a day earlier, Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov of the Russian Ministry of Defence said that Russia was â&#x20AC;&#x153;achieving resultsâ&#x20AC;? against terrorists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where was Great Britain when ISIS almost reached the shores of the Mediterranean, almost turning Syria into a terrorist caliphateâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in the same way that happened in Libya thanks to your efforts?â&#x20AC;? he said in an statement. Sr Annie, 49, said civilians on both sides were suffering from the fighting in Aleppo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are shells and bombs from everywhere falling all over Aleppo,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both sides are suffering, yes.â&#x20AC;? She added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish and I hope that everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all those who have power to intervene in Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; will act as peacemakers and think about how they can make peace in Syria and especially in Aleppo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is very important to usâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; stop thinking about victory for one side or the other. We want peace, we have had enough. Our people are tired after six years,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the message from my people: Please, please be the makers of peace. It is not just for Syria, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the whole world.â&#x20AC;? Sr Annie, who was in England as a guest of Aid to the Church in Need, said Christians and Muslims lived in harmony before the war. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We lived in the same areas, we called each other brothers and sisters. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have divisions between Muslims and Christians before. This is new.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;CNS

A statue of Mary is seen still attached to the wall of a church destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Jeremie, Haiti. The powerful storm killed at least 1 000 people in Haiti. (Photo: Orlando Barria, Reuters/CNS)

38 Albanian martyrs to be beatified By JONATHAN luxMOORE

PRIEST who was shot for baptising a child and a religious novice who died after she was tortured in a sack are among 38 Albanians to be beatified as martyrs on November 5, doubling the number of Catholics declared blessed from communist rule in Eastern Europe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Martyr beatifications send many messages, and the most important at this historical moment is of unshakeable trust in God,â&#x20AC;? said Archbishop Angelo Massafra of Shkoder, president of the Albanian bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We still hear their prophetic cry â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Viva Christ the King! Viva Albania!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and know Christ is glorified by the power of their witness, even when Albanians have regained freedom and can breathe the air of true democracy.â&#x20AC;? Catholics, until 1991, were officially barred from practising their faith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The world will be made more aware of the fierce persecution suffered by believers during the communist dictatorship,â&#x20AC;? Archbishop Massafra said. Around 130 Catholic priests were executed or died through imprisonment, alongside thousands of lay

Fr lazer Shantoja, a nationally admired poet, is one of 38 Albanians to be beatified as martyrs on November 5. (Photo: Shkoder archdiocese/CNS) Christians, under communist rule in Albania, which lasted from 1944 to 1991. The martyrs include Archbishop Nikolle Vincenc Prennushi of Durres, who died of torture and exhaustion in 1949, two years into a 20-year hard labour sentence as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;agent of foreign powersâ&#x20AC;?, and Bishop Frano Gjini of Lezhe, who died in 1948 declaring his â&#x20AC;&#x153;spirit and heart are with the popeâ&#x20AC;?, according to the execution record.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;CNS

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Catholic movie star: Thank you priests By RHiNA GuidOS

CTOR Mark Wahlberg made a homemade video shown to a vocations conference, praising the priesthood, saying that he wanted his children to have â&#x20AC;&#x153;good priests in their lives, just like I hadâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We, the Catholic faithful, are counting on you to bring us good and holy priests,â&#x20AC;? Mr Wahlberg said in the video. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will pray for you and for your success. Thank you for all that you do and God bless.â&#x20AC;? Mr Wahlberg spoke about how priests have helped him during difficult moments in his life and also are there for the good times: when he got married, when his children were baptised, when members of his family died and were buried, when he needs Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forgiveness, when he receives the body and blood of Jesus Christ to replenish his faith. In the video, Mr Wahlberg said that even though he got into trouble in his youth, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always had a priest to stick by me,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Catholic faith is the anchor that supports everything I do in life,â&#x20AC;? said Mr Wahlberg, adding that he would be praying for the success of the conference and of the vocation directors.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;CNS

INTERNATIONAL

Sebastian Koto Khoarai, lesiotho

Ernest Simoni, Albania

dieudonne Blase Cupich, Patrick Nzapalainga, Chicago, d’Rozario, CAR uS Bangladesh

Joseph Tobin CSsR, indianapolis, uS

Maurice Piat, Mauritius

By CiNdy WOOdEN

nations expresses the universality of the Church that proclaims and witnesses the good news of God’s mercy in every corner of the earth”, Pope Francis said as he announced the names. Under Pope Francis, the idea that some large archdioceses are always led by a cardinal is fading, but is not altogether gone. His latest choices included the archbishops of Chicago, MalinesBrussels and Madrid. But other traditional cardinal sees like Venice and Turin in Italy or Baltimore and Philadelphia in the United States were not included in the pope’s latest picks. The 2016 consistory will be the third called by Pope Francis to create new cardinals and, once again, members of the Roman curia received just one nod: Irish-born US Bishop Kevin Farrell, the prefect of the new Vatican office for laity, family and life. Archbishop Mario Zenari, the pope’s nuncio to Syria, also was tapped, but the pope made it clear that the Italian archbishop would remain in war-torn Syria. At 49, Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic, will become the youngest member of the College of Cardinals. Only one other member of the body— Cardinal Soane Mafi of Tonga, 54—was born in the 1960s. When a civil war broke out in the Central African Republic, Cardinal-elect

Nzapalainga, along with a Protestant leader and a local imam, began working to build peace and counter efforts to turn the conflict into a religious war. Archbishop Nzapalainga hosted Pope Francis during a visit to the country in November 2015.

third African cardinal-elect is Archbishop Maurice Piat of Port-Louis, Mauritius, who is 75. Another cardinal-elect, Albanian Father Ernest Simoni, who turned 88 on October 18, moved Pope Francis to tears in 2014 when he spoke about his 30 years in prison or forced labour under Albania’s militant atheistic regime. Ordained in 1956, he was arrested on Christmas Eve 1963 while celebrating Mass and was sentenced to death by firing squad. The sentence was commuted but the priest was beaten, placed for three months in solitary confinement, and then tortured because he refused to denounce the Church. He was eventually freed, but later arrested again and sent to a prison camp, where he was forced to work in a mine for 18 years and then ten more years in sewage canals. The day after the cardinals’ induction, November 20, they will join Pope Francis and other cardinals in celebrating the feast of Christ the King and closing the Year of Mercy.—CNS

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Lesotho bishop among 17 new cardinals-elect N choosing new members of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis has once again looked to countries and particularly to dioceses that were not and never had been represented in the body that advises the pope and bears responsibility for electing his successor. Among the countries to have their first cardinal is Lesotho. The pope honoured Bishop Sebastian Koto Khoarai, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate who served as the first bishop of Mohale’s Hoek from 1978 to 2014. The 87-yearold bishop was one of four clerics over 80 who were honoured for their “clear Christian witness”. Announcing the names of 17 cardinals he will create on November 19, Pope Francis chose men from 14 nations, which will bring the total number of countries represented in the College of Cardinals to 79, up from 72 countries. The cardinal electors—the prelates under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope—currently represent 57 nations; after the consistory to create new cardinals, the group will bring together men from 60 countries. The 115 cardinal electors who entered the conclave in 2013 that elected Pope Francis had come from 48 countries. The new cardinals “coming from 11

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The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Our mission today

HE haunting image on our front-page this week of a Jesuit priest facing an armoured police vehicle, moments before he was shot in the face, will doubtless become embedded in our collective memory for many reasons. For one thing, Edward Molopi’s photo is a snapshot in time of the 2016 student protests as a throwback to the brutal days of 30 years ago, when the state also sought to assert its power through the deployment of its feared Casspirs. Fr Graham Pugin’s straight posture as he protects the oasis of safe refuge of Braamfontein’s Holy Trinity church speaks of a brave rejection of violence in favour of a radical option for peace. But for Catholics this image has a deeper meaning, more profound than a stand-off between a courageous man and a menacing power. This photo embodies for us the presence of Christ in the midst of bullets and flames, chaos and fear. The story of the rubber bullets that injured the passive priest is important, of course. It rightly scandalised the Catholic community, and many others. But it was a fleeting news item for a day or two. Our front-page lead this week takes the broader view, and tells the more important story: how Holy Trinity in Braamfontein is a mission station in an urban environment. The days when we thought of missions as rural out-stations are long gone. Indeed, as Pope Francis told the delegates to the general congregation of Oblates of Mary Immaculate—the great missionary order that celebrates its 200th anniversary this year— earlier this month: “Today, every land is a ‘mission land’, every dimension of human life is mission territory awaiting the proclamation of the Gospel.” And that proclamation of the Gospel finds its most formidable expression in action. When Holy Trinity opens its doors to frightened students from Wits—or feeds the homeless or offers ministry to the marginalised—it embraces, in the pope’s words, the “new poor, men and women with Christ’s face who ask for help, consolation and hope in the most desperate life situations”. When Fr Pugin blocked the

entrance to the church property to provide a safe haven, the Gospel was proclaimed in words much louder than any sermon, to people who might have no interest in hearing sermons. The example of Holy Trinity in Braamfontein is replicated, in many different ways, in parishes where the community acts in love and compassion to provide the opportunities for encounters with Christ. On Mission Sunday—this year on October 23—we give thanks for those who left their homes to proclaim the Gospel in far-off lands. We have many such priests and religious in Southern Africa. Initially most of them came from Europe; now we benefit from missionaries from South Asia and other parts of Africa. But the missionary task is assigned not only to people in holy orders and the consecrated life. Today all of us are called to be missionaries. Evangelisation is the business of every Catholic because, as Pope Francis puts it, “every dimension of human life is mission territory”. In his message for Mission Sunday this year, the pope asks us to “go out as missionary disciples, each generously offering their talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion to the entire human family”. We do this in different ways, consciously and unconsciously, in words and deeds and demeanour that proclaim the Gospel of Christ’s love (the converse also applies: by our merciless words, deeds and demeanour we can also repel people from encountering Christ). At the heart of our words, deeds and demeanour must be mercy, which “is the strength that conquers all, that fills the heart with love and consoles with forgiveness”, as Pope Francis told a gathering of the Pallottine congregation this month. Our Christian witness will not always bear fruit. As Fr Pugin was struck in the face by a rubber bullet when he witnessed to Christ, so will we face the metaphorical bullets of hostility, scorn and indifference. But in mirroring God’s love, we will also touch people, sometimes in unexpected ways and even without our knowing it. And that is our mission today.

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

Church needs to support elderly

REFER to your report headed “Bishops call for rejection of ‘rampant ageism’” (September 28). Ways in which Catholics can help improve the quality of the lives of the elderly include: • give a senior citizen a lift to Mass. Older people who want to attend a Mass said in a foreign language but live far away from the church would appreciate even the

SA’s best paper

COMPLIMENT you all on The Southern Cross of September 28, the 5 000th edition of our Catholic newspaper. It was most interesting, and I could not fault a word of what editor Günther Simmermacher said in his interview by Fr Russell Pollitt. I also found what Rosanne Shields, chair of the board of directors, said, very interesting. I think The Southern Cross is the best newspaper being published in South Africa at present. I say that because I can do without the others, but do look forward to receiving The Southern Cross, and so wish the majority of priests did more to assist you by promoting your paper. Roy Glover, Tzaneen

German blessings

T was good news to read that The Southern Cross had reached its 5 000th-copy mark. Congratulations! I am happy that I can read it and be in touch with our Church in my home country. Please do continue the good work. Peace and blessings on all the staff and readers of The Southern Cross. Sr Imelda Petersen, Munich, Germany

Long mission of evangelisation

WOULD like to thank you most heartily for the celebratory 5 000th issue of The Southern Cross. I am a sister of John Lee and am often approached by fellow parishioners or even priest friends with the words: “I look forward to The Southern Cross each week, and especially the letters page, and in particular to see if there is another interesting and informative letter from your brother John.” My brother’s aim is chiefly to help evangelise our fellow Catholics, especially at this special time of Mercy. We are often seen as believers who are sacramentalised rather than evangelised—somewhat weak in witnessing to others about Jesus, and perhaps even an embarrassment to him, at a loss to defend ourselves from the inroads of antiCatholics and evangelicals, and

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occasional lift; • start a senior citizens’ choir; • visit and/or telephone housebound parishioners; • train old people to use social media such as Facebook, What sApp, and so on; • allow church halls to be used during the week by older parishioners for, for example, exercise classes, indoor bowls, bingo;

often not even conversant with the essentials of our faith ourselves. I remember clearly former times when John crossed swords in writing with stalwarts such as VG Davies and Mary Holmes who castigated him for his newfound fire of the Holy Spirit through Charismatic Renewal. I have kept on file almost all the letters written by John to The Southern Cross since 1980 (about 400 in total!), when he first became enflamed by the Holy Spirit to witness through his modest gift of writing in our national Catholic newspaper with Mr Simmermacher as our current very fine editor and others before him. May he continue for many years to witness for Jesus in the unique way he does, thanks to The Southern Cross! Barbara Joseph, Johannesburg

Article on hell poses questions

ATHER Ron Rolheiser’s submission (August 3) under the heading “How we misunderstand hell” is, at first blush, both distressing and ambiguous. In his opening sentence, he states what hell never is. He then shares a few of his thoughts as to what hell is or could be. In the present context, “hell” can intimate a position in diametrical opposition to God’s infinite love—a place, state or position where there is a total absence of love. It follows that the paragraph, and the article per se, could also have relevance if titled, “How we misunderstand God’s infinite love”. While the Church teaches that there is a hell, the Church does not teach that there are souls in hell. That there are souls in hell is, to say the least, a moot point and it can be argued with more than a modicum of conviction that there are not. Fr Rolheiser writes: “Jesus did teach that there was a hell and that it was a possibility for everyone.” In this regard the teaching of the Church is definite: after death comes judgment, and thereafter heaven or hell forever. Judgment is unquestionably tempered with mercy, for God’s love is infinite. But the first commandment of Almighty God is all-pervasive and

• have a social for pensioners—maybe including a guest speaker; • have an outing for pensioners, for example, arrange a block booking to attend a film; • have a Christmas lunch/tea for pensioners. Many old people are alone, especially during the week, and would enjoy some social contact. To help facilitate this need not be costly. JM Thomson, Johannesburg all-embracing as it directs us to love God with our whole heart and soul—and it is herein surely where the crux of the matter lies. Our God is a God of love and the fear of hell surely must have no locus in the love we have for our Saviour. It surely is of consequence that the most often-used sentence in the Bible is: “Do not be afraid.” In our endeavours to make a perfect act of contrition, we acknowledge that we deserve God’s dreadful punishment. But of prime importance is that we express our regret for our transgressions and experience our sorrow because of our love for Almighty God for who he is: The One Who Is, The Eternal. In this way we will most certainly avoid hell, as did the good thief. Kevin Andersson, Pietermaritzburg

Sex overload?

ICHAEL Bouchier complains about too much sex in the Letters to the Editor (September 14). Sex is important, we owe our life to it. Sex belongs to and in the family, a community of self-giving mutual love, the image of the Trinity. This family is nowadays attacked. And when the family is attacked, God is attacked. The name of the attacker is the Great Deceiver. He attacks God and his family by undermining our faith with secular trends. In this struggle many Christians have already succumbed. They condone masturbation, premarital sex, contraception, abortion, in-vitro fertilisation, homosexuality, and most recently transgender issues. Catholics have to fight against these secular trends so as not to become also Protestants. May Archangel Michael support us in the fight against Satan’s forces. JH Goossens, Pretoria Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately. Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

PERSPECTIVES

A Church on a mission is dangerous Fr Chris I Townsend N the time of turmoil that our country is going through, I travelled past Holy Trinity church in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, in the middle of the chaos and police action around Wits University. As I practised my defensive driving and was very grateful for the knowledge I have of Hillbrow, I was even more grateful to see Fr Graham Pugin SJ standing at the gates of the church providing safe space or sanctuary for the very scared students running all over—and soon after I was shocked and outraged when this gentle and brave priest was shot in the face with rubber bullets fired by the police. This has become a bit of a thought metaphor for me for this Mission Month. With all the chaos, denial, conspiracy— and the SABC board and the arbitrary charging of our finance minister—going on, I wonder if the mission of the Church is not to once again provide sanctuary and safe space—a stability.

I was thrown back to my early seminary formation in Hammanskraal and how I recognised in the faces of the young people the same hope and fear of the early 1990s. And the terror of police action. I wont go into the whole action of the #FeesMustFall movement other than to state that we would have a lot more money for essentials such as education if the culture of state looting and benefice was crushed…

n the early days of Johannesburg, the pioneer clergy and the incredibly brave Holy Family Sisters provided that safe space and sanctuary through their hospitals and schools. Soon joined by others, these brave women and men ministered not only to “ghetto Catholics” but were also instrumental in the formation of a backbone of dignity that challenged the status quo of labourer/owner politics that our country still hasn’t broken out of.

St Augustine College, South Africa’s Catholic university. in his article, Fr Townsend suggests that the university open a healthcare training facility.

Pastor’s Notebook

This was the formation of an immensely powerful witness that carried the Church for nearly a century. Sadly, post-1994 this gravitas was all but lost by our silence in the face of a child that we had educated turning back to bite us. A crux point was reached in two movements that directly challenged our efforts for justice and fairness for all. The first was the forced vote on the legalisation of abortion on demand. The second was the state’s destruction of the Catholic school system by the withdrawal of support and subsidy and in many cases the annexing of school property for the epic failure of “state schools on private property”. What are we to do? We return to our mission: of dignity and justice; of education and health. I wonder if it’s not time to start reclaiming our position as healthcare providers and educators? I’m thrilled that St Augustine University (they are legally obliged to call themselves “College”. But it’s a university, and so I refer to it by that name) is offering undergraduate programmes again. I wish that this would translate soon into an education faculty. I wonder if our call is not to open a Catholic healthcare training facility— like the midwives’ facilities at St Mary’s and Nongoma again? Let’s not be cowed by costs. They are always beyond us. But the mission is God’s mission. That’s what matters. If we keep waiting for the time and opportunities to be right, we will be dead in our rowing boats.

We must speak out to evangelise I N the Western mind, Africa is a continent full of tropical diseases, parasites, conflicts, violence, war, poverty and hunger. But Africa is actually the prime mover of human life and civilisation since Africa is blessed with abundant natural resources. In the face of these God-given resources, Africa continues to be exploited and divided. Before Africa was “discovered” it was known as the “Dark Continent”. The Europeans who came to Africa believed that the people of the continent had no capacity to think nor to develop concepts. For the colonisers and missionaries, all that pertained to African religion was seen as evil; hence the brainwashing of an African mind and personhood. As a result of these false perceptions, evangelisers faced many problems in spreading the Gospel. Christ as liberator came to give full meaning to African religion, to the African human person. Christ came not to destroy nor distort African values and morality, but to enhance it and give it a vigorous character and flavour. Today, in the 21st century, if people still refers to Africa as a “Dark Continent” in as far as its traditional religion is concerned, then such people are themselves living in darkness. Their minds and hearts have not been penetrated with the light and love of Christ and have not been given room to contemplate the Gospel of Christ. The Western attitude to African religion led to many challenges to evangelisation in most parts of Africa. The heart

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Point of Reflection

The Gospel can penetrate the challenges of evangelisation only if Christ can be seen as living among African people. (Photo: Bishop José luís Ponce de león) of African religion which Africa valued most, on which Christianity could have built, was dismantled.

vangelisation is made even more difficult by the politics that are brought to Africa by some investors, and wars that some superpowers inflict upon Africa in order to steal natural resources. In countries where there is much violence, God is no longer seen as effective and powerful, but as a God who cannot even help the neediest. Such violence has destroyed African indigenous values and ethics that can help to evangelise, promote life, peace, human rights and integral freedom which African people believe in. To borrow from the medieval Church leader Deusdekit, evangelisation in Africa requires a paradigm shift so that the churches, by the virtue of Christ, can

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work together for a new African society and a new African humanitarianism. As preachers of Christ, we need a new system of evangelisation that can speak and bring Christ to Africans, through an approach that would uproot injustice and restore social justice and morality by sustaining human dignity, life, joy and peace. The Gospel of Christ can penetrate the challenges of evangelisation only if the mind and heart of an African woman and man strives to unity, working towards the ethnic/original/native backgrounds that once existed in African society; that is living in communities in which Christ can be seen as living among African people. St Paul, as Christ’s evangeliser, recognised and affirmed different traditional religions and helped people build their faith on that towards Christ. Therefore, there is a great need for every Christian to find an approach to evangelise by uprooting the divisions and injustices that lead to much poverty and exploitation among African people and to speak out on injustice. Every person, whether educated or not, must address vital issues and the crises affecting Africa, so that evangelisation can be visible by bringing a new hope, faith and healing to African personhood.

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The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

Julia Beacroft

Point of Reflection

Our Christian mission is ‘sick’

HAVE sometimes thought that the young people in our communities use a language that is entirely their own, a language with which they are perfectly at ease and which their peers easily and readily understand. Let me give a few examples from my area in England, many of which are international: “Bad” meaning good, “Fit” meaning attractive, “Buff” is muscly, “Gross” means unpleasant, “Sick” means impressive or enjoyable, and so the list goes on… And my 23-year-old twins are no exception to this. They refer to “selfies” and frequently allude to “LOL” (laugh out loud) when I’ve cracked a joke. As this has been going on for a few years, I can probably boast that I’m now fairly up to speed with most of their words and expressions. Yet a few weeks ago I found myself surprised by a turn of phrase my son produced. I had explained to him that I was feeling a bit tired as I’d done a lot of walking that day. When he asked where I had been, I gave details of the route I had taken. “Wow, that’s a mission, Mum,” he exclaimed in admiration. I will readily admit that this was new ground for me. I was unfamiliar with this term. However, the meaning was clear enough—he was referring to a journey of great length. On October 23 the Catholic Church celebrates its annual Mission Sunday, when we pray for missions and the Church declares its commitment to missionary organisation. Last year, Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Day said: “The mission of the servants of the Word—bishops, priests, religious and laity—is to allow everyone, without exception, to enter into a personal relationship with Christ.” Upon reflection, I was struck by the fact that possibly my son’s use of the word “mission”—interpreted as lengthy journey—was not so wide of the mark after all. Pope Francis reminds us that the mission of all is to have an intimate relationship with the Lord. Yet, of course, in so doing we embark upon our own journey of faith. On Mission Sunday we share our love and concern for our brothers and sisters in missionary territories, with our charitable donations journeying to distant shores to supply the aid that is so necessary. And not least of all is the fact that we are a missionary Church, thereby spreading the Gospel of Christ to all and in so doing journeying and following the same path as the Lord himself. So on this Mission Sunday, may we remember others who are less fortunate than ourselves and delight in our journey in Christ. And finally, if anyone asks why you are a follower of Christ, tell them that it’s because he is cool, awesome and wicked! Nice one! n Julia Beacroft’s book Sanctifying The Spirit was published this year by Sancio Books. It is available on Amazon.

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The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

COMMUNITY

youth at St Mary’s cathedral in Cape Town were confirmed by vicar-general Fr Peter-John Pearson. (Back from left) deacon Stephen Armstrong, Fr Pearson and catechists Vanessa and ian Mitchell, (front) Wendy Chiro, daniella Telo, Kieran Armstrong, Christina dizon and Joshua Mitchell. (Photo: Michelle Perry)

Br Thomas Sheehy of la Salle College in discovery, Johannesburg. The school celebrated its golden jubilee of opening at a special Mass with Bishop duncan Tsoke, auxiliary of Johannesburg.The college was officially blessed and opened by Bishop Hugh Boyle on January 26,1966. That year also marked the arrival of Br Sheehy at de la Salle College in Victory Park, Johannesburg, from ireland. He has been based at la Salle College since 1989.

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St dominic’s Priory bookclub celebrated author Roald dahl’s 100th birthday, dressed up as their favourite characters from his books.

young people from St Benedict’s cathedral in Eshowe diocese received their first Holy Communion from cathedral administrator Fr Victor Chavunga OSB.

Salesian youth Movement members in Johannesburg had a day retreat at don Bosco Centre with the theme The Creation Story. Br Clarence Watts, Sr lidia Castro and Fr Emanuel Kagimbangabo accompanied the youth along seven stops at each of which the youth reflected on each day of the story of creation.

Fr Tom Segami OMi blesses the Catholic Women’s league during their vows renewal at St Peter Claver parish in Pimville, Soweto, during Mass. (Photo: Sello Mokoka)

Assumption Convent’s Nicole van Wyk (class of 2013) won a silver medal in the world u23 Rowing championships in Rotterdam. Ms van Wyk visited her former school in Johannesburg to give a talk on her experiences in the world of rowing.

Our lady Star of the Sea parish in Amanzimtoti, archdiocese of durban, put together an arrangement in honour of Our lady Assumed into Heaven, patroness of South Africa. it depicts various elements of South Africa including our flora, fauna, mining and culture.

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Grade 10 pupils of Brescia House School in Johanesburg, completed a two-day community outreach project at Kidshaven crèche in Benoni. Kidshaven runs the crèche adjacent to their larger shelter which provides a desperately needed service to very vulnerable children.

MISSION

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

Why the laity is already consecrated On Mission Sunday we pray for vocations to the consecrated life. But, argues FR RAlPH dE HAHN, all believers are already consecrated, as the Bible shows.

HE Catholic Church is blessed by the thousands of her children who live the total consecrated life in the many religious congregations throughout the world. In 2014, for the Year of Consecrated Life, Pope Francis called for a fresh renewal of their commitment because of their extreme importance to the life of the Church. He called on the enclosed communities to live their lives of exterior as well as interior silence, embracing joyfully and lovingly the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, in the continuing process of purification, that emptying of self. These religious choose the ideal environment to contemplate the mysteries of God; it is the total living of faith in the truth and love as revealed by God in Christ. Despite all our human limitations and vulnerability, the desire is ever-present and inflamed by the Holy Spirit: the desire of total abandonment to the will of God. This total consecrated life is a gift to the Church; it adds to her holiness and maturity; it is the very heart of her mission. Does this consecrated life not also touch our lay people? It certainly does, but not on that same deep level. It is through their Christian baptism and baptismal promises that they enter into the full life of the Church; they are reminded that they are anointed as the consecrated children of the eternal Father; baptised not only by water, but by “water, blood and the Holy Spirit” (1 John 5:6-8). Even Peter reminds the early Christians: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God…and now you are God’s people” (1 Peter 2:9). And the Father will feed his people with the consecrated Bread so as to create “other Christs”. In the Old Testament we find “the whole community and all its members are consecrated, and Yahweh lives among them” (Numbers 16:3). God also spoke to Moses: “I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation”(Exodus 19:6). These members of the consecrated laity may well be clay vessels, human and vulnerable; however,

Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?” ( Jn 1:38)

Congregants in church at Mass. in his article, Fr Ralph de Hahn explains how the laity is anointed to a priesthood. they also contain within an extraordinary presence and power (2 Corinthians 4:7) Every baptised believer is touched by the blood of the world’s Redeemer. Furthermore, the baptised believer is sealed with the divine authority and he has the pledge of the Holy Spirit—made secure, set apart for God, marked as belonging to him. “[O]n him the father has set his seal” (John 6:27). “He who has anointed us in God has also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge” (2 Corinthians 1:22). Scripture is so clear that when we are baptised into the Body of Christ, and consecrated to the Lord, the Spirit enters us and by his presence seals us. He is God’s pledge assuring us of our inheritance to come (Ephesians 1:13-14). Moreover, the Spirit is also our witness within—“by one offering Christ has perfected for all time those who are sanctified, and the Holy Spirit bears witness to us” (Hebrews 10:14,15). The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16), and so we

can cry out from our hearts, “Abba, Father!” Therefore, not only do we have the seal and the pledge but also the witness of God’s Holy Spirit. If only this was preached more

often from our pulpits! People are precious to God, they are sacred—more sacred than temples and religious objects. In fact all the earth is sacred, ever since the incarnation, when “the Word was

made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) The laity are called to grow in holiness; at least to desire holiness for “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Peter tells us that the Holy God declares: “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:1516). And the Lord assures us that his grace is enough for us, despite the wounds of original sin. We certainly need a saviour. However, we are created with the capacity to seek and find God, able to communicate with the Infinite. “He who seeks will always find” (Matthew 7:8). Ultimately, it is God himself one yearns to possess, whether we realise it or not. And the road in our searching is one of expectation and also surprises. However, we have the Way, the Truth and the Life only in Jesus the son of God; that is the Christian way. He is the indisputable central figure, says Paul, “for nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Everything about prayer, transformation, consecration, hope and trust is about faith, and how we intend to live it, for both the deeply consecrated religious and the believing Christian. Paul’s second letter to Timothy spurs us on: “…and that is why I am reminding you to fan into a flame the Gift of the Spirit…not of timidity, but of power and love and selfcontrol” (1:6) n Fr Ralph de Hahn is a priest of the archdiocese of Cape Town.

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The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

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BANKING DETAILS: ABSA BANK Acc No: 404-860-5313 Acc Name: Pontifical Mission Societies

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The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

MISSION

Finding mercy in hell Father Engelmar Unzeitig died in the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau and was beatified last month. FR yVES lA FONTAiNE CMM looks at Bl Engelmar’s significance for our times in the Year of Mercy.

ERCY in hell—is this possible? When I watch TV reports on the massive destruction of the senseless war in Syria, read about human trafficking and modern slavery, see the awful and endless tragedies of refugees on my screen, I am distressed with indignation—as are many others. Then comes the question: where is God in our barbarian world? The same question was asked about the Nazi concentration camps. Visiting the Auschwitz death camp during his visit to Poland in 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said: “In the end, there can only be a dread silence, a silence which is itself a heartfelt cry to God: Why, Lord, did you remain silent? Rouse yourself! Do not forget mankind, your creature!” Yet, in spite of such unspeakable deeds, as a newspaper said, there were angels there: God’s messengers! One of them was Fr Engelmar Unzeitig, a member of my religious congregation, the Mariannhill Missionaries, which was founded by Abbot Francis Pfanner in South Africa. Fr Unzeitig was beatified on September 24. I have taken him as my “angel of God’s mercy”. Yes, an angel in the hell of Dachau! This year’s celebration of Mission Sunday, on October 23, is permeated by the distinct light of the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. It invites us to consider our missionary task as “a great, immense work of mercy”. We are all missionary disciples,

asked to go out and generously offer our knowledge, creativity and experience in order to bring the message of God’s boundless tenderness and compassion to the entire human family. Our Christian God is rich in mercy indeed. He wants us all to experience his love. But only a personal experience of his most generous tenderness will make us announce his mercy—”the beating heart of the Gospel”, as Pope Francis put in his document Misericordiae Vultus.

to Dachau in 1941. His crime? He encouraged his parishioners to be faithful to God and to resist the lies of the Nazi regime, showing thus that he was in no way a racist. He took the initiative to study Russian to be able to help the influx of prisoners from Eastern Europe. And when a wave of the deadly typhoid fever swept through the camp, he and 19 other priests volunteered to do the impossible: to nurse prisoners in the barracks affected by the epidemic, bathing and caring for the neediest, consoling them, praying here is no alternative to this. It with them and offering them the is there that we find our mislast rites. sionary mandate: in our being This profoundly human and stirred to the depths of our beings priestly response was an almost by Christ’s mercy. Only then are we able to live it and make it certain death sentence. Fr Engelknown to all, whatever our situa- mar died from this disease on tion, our capabilities or age—each March 2, 1945 at the age of 34. No wonder that he is called one according to his “the Maximilian Kolbe vocation and in his or ‘We need to of the Germans”, but her way. also the “Angel of The greatness and convert from Dachau,” and “Martyr power of our God reveals itself precisely in the smugness, of charity”. His inmates bore his capacity to ideninsensitivity, magnificent witness to tify with all in all situhis holiness. One said ations without any indifference of him: “He impressed distinction, especially me for he with the marginalised, in which we was immediately, radiating simplicthe poor and destitute. He involves himself shut ourselves ity, humility and modesty as well as a tenderly in our human away’ constant inner joy.” reality just as a father Another declared: and mother do in the lives of their children. It may even “[He] was the personification of be better to talk of his motherly love. More I cannot say about him. love, a love coming from the That is what he was: Love!” The treatment of the priests at womb. Words, words, words! This, in a Dachau was unpredictable. Someway, is our world. But we would do times they were allowed to worwell to remember that the most ship; at others they were severely eloquent way to speak in our age is treated. On one particular Good Friday, dozens of priests were senot in words but in actions. Fr Unzeitig gave his all, his lected for torture to mark the occastrength, talents, time and energy, sion. One can only guess at the willingly and joyfully, for the sake kind of unimaginable atrocity and of others, the neediest in particu- horror he and others faced every lar. In him we see a concrete image day. Yes, Dachau was hell on earth. of our Mother-God’s extreme mercy. ow to explain then that Fr EnFr Engelmar feeds us in many gelmar did not become deeply ways with God’s abundant mercy. He was just 30 when he was sent depressed, even insane, in this in-

Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception We Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception are an International Congregation

A photo of Bl Engelmar unzeitig CMM and some of his possessions.The example of Bl Engelmar, who died in dachau concentration camp in 1945, can give us guidance in how to live our God-given mission, writes his fellow Mariannhill Missionary Father yves la Fontaine. ferno? He found sustenance in God’s own mysterious presence, in his tremendous faith in God’s goodness and in his service to the neediest. Fr Engelmar was simple, humble and modest, and recollected. He was even innerly joyful! How could he applaud and acclaim God’s goodness and see everything as a grace while all that appeared around him indicated that this was the triumph of evil. His writings confirm this. He was a missionary at heart, blessed with a truly saintly life. He was a Godgiven gem! In the light of these events we are faced with an inescapable challenge: are our hearts wide open to let that grace disturb, trouble, stir and foment the innermost depths of our life? It is useless to know and even admire a saint if we do not even come close to wanting this connection—and even wanting to imitate the saint.

As I am saying this, I feel terribly ashamed when I consider the compelling message of Pope Francis. He reminded us that we are all called to “go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel”. Are we willing to learn to “love as our God loves us and make of our lives a free gift, a sign of his goodness”? For this to happen, we need to convert from the smugness, insensitivity, even indifference, in which we shut ourselves away in our contemporary world, with all its human misery and tragedy, situations that call for our personal involvement in acts of compassionate mercy. n Fr Yves La Fontaine CMM is a former superior-general of the Missionary Order of Mariannhill and the postulator of the cause for the beatification of its founder, Abbot Francis Pfanner.

THE CAPUCHIN POOR CLARE SISTERS

We are called to prayer, Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament, silence, penance, manual labour and joyful community life. Through this way of life, we join our lives to Jesus redeeming love, praying for the world and remaining hidden in the heart of Holy Mother Church.

We try to deepen our relationship with Jesus and share our Joy of the Gospel with other people by serving them in various ministries, in the spirit of St Francis.

Is God perhaps calling you to do this?

Should you wish to know more about us, contact: The Vocation Directress, PO Box 773 Nelspruit/Mbombela, 1200. Tel 076 692 8477 or 013 741 4520 franciscansnelspruit@telkomsa.net

For more information contact: Adoration Monastery “Bethania”, P.O Box 43, Swellendam, 6740 Tel: (028 ) 514-1319, Email: capuchin@telkomsa.net

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

MISSION

Franciscans go out to smell like hipsters The New Evangelisation demands that the Church finds mission fields among those who are aware of the Catholic faith but reject it. CHAZ MuTH visited Franciscan friars who work in such a mission field.

HE grey robes worn by the Conventual Franciscan friars may not be fashionable in their neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York, but the religious men appear to be fitting in just fine in the heart of “hipster” country. The Williamsburg/Greenpoint neighbourhood has become recognised throughout the US as a place where so-called hipsters live—and it’s one of the reasons why the friars’ ministry is now there. They have established a ministry of presence to help bring the word of God to a segment of society that tends to be suspicious of— or even oblivious to—organised religion. In February 2015 Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn invited the friars to convert the Holy Family Slovak Catholic church into

the San Damiano mission as an evangelising anchor in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint hotspot for hipsters. According to the Urban Dictionary, “hipsters” are a subculture of men and women, typically in their 20s and 30s, who seek out countercultural activities, engage in progressive politics, value independent thinking, crave intellectual conversation and have an appetite for art and indie-rock music. “We try not to use that word ‘hipster’ too often, because it’s sometimes thought of as derogatory,” said Br Nicholas Spano. “Us being here is more than a ministry of presence,” Br Nicholas said. “We get out of the church, wearing our habits so that it’s obvious who we are, and we’re getting to know the people in the area. We’re letting them know we’re not scary or unapproachable. We’re bringing the Church to the people in ways they hadn’t considered before.” Locating in the heart of “hipster” country allows the friars to act on Pope Francis’ call for members of the clergy to get out of their rectories, meet the people where they live, play and work, and “smell like the sheep”. Br Nicholas contends they began

planning their ascension into hipster country before Pope Francis uttered those famous words to brother priests. “Getting out to where ‘the people are’ is a very Franciscan value,” he said with a laugh, “so I guess that’s how the Franciscan example got to the chair of Peter”. The friars have been a welcomed addition to the neighbourhood, said Larry Betz, director of the local gym, the Brooklyn Athletic Club. “I may see them out and about having coffee and I can just sit down and talk to them about what’s going on, how’s the weather, what do you think about this, and, you know, just get some perspective on life,” Ms Betz said.

fter being in the neighbourhood for a few weeks, the friars became friendly with the people who run a local radio station with whom they began co-hosting concerts at the San Damiano mission. The gigs are attracting more than 200 young adults to each show, people who otherwise would not entertain venturing inside the church—and Br Nicholas said some of those people are returning to attend Mass. “We are a community of faith,” Fr Raphael Zwolenkiewicz OFM told the The Tablet, newspaper of the diocese of Brooklyn, shortly after the mission began hosting neighbourhood events in August 2015. “We want to be able to create community, a place where people can come and socialise.” By hosting regular “cookouts” and other neighbourly gatherings at the mission, the friars are winning some of the locals over in the spirit of evangelisation.

Friars greet the residents of the section of Brooklyn, New york, known as the uSA’s “hipster” capital, at their San damiano mission in the neighbourhood. The Franciscans say that their mission is an effort to “get out where the people are”. (Photo: Ed Wilkinson/CNS) But they are also making their presence known by walking the local streets, dropping into the trendy coffee houses, engaging the locals in conversation and letting them know that they are not nearly as uncool as their habits might otherwise indicate. They also leave the church building open so that passers-by will feel free to stop in and spend some quiet time in prayer and reflection. Before assuming leadership of the church, the former Holy Family church was open only long enough for a handful of Catholics to attend the 30-minute weekday Mass and the longer weekend Mass, Br Nicholas said. “Otherwise it was locked.” The friars also replaced the old wooden entrance doors with seethrough glass ones, so that people can see that the church is now unlocked most of each day, that there

is activity going on inside, and— most importantly—know they are welcome to come in, Fr Zwolenkiewicz said. Though the church isn’t packed every weekday or weekend yet, there has been a steady increase in Mass attendance since the friars transformed it into the San Damiano mission, and they’ve added a second weekend Mass to accommodate more worshippers, Br Nicholas said. “Where I see the biggest increase is in daily foot traffic,” he said. “At just about any time during the day when we’re open, you will see people inside the church. Some of them are just silently praying. Some of them are just having a quiet moment, and some of them are just checking the place out. “People are inside the church,” Br Nicholas said, “and I see that as progress.”—CNS

SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF BORDEAUX

SISTERS OF NAZARETH

Come and see… Follow Me… “To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; To seek Him, the greatest adventure; To find Him, the greatest achievement” (St Augustine)

Could yOu be the one to share the Mission of Christ as a Sister of Nazareth? Contact: Sr Margaret: 076 399 1015 srmargaretcraig@gmail.com www.sistersofnazareth.com

Contact: Sr Breda 011 906 5392

Missioned to live and promote communion where we live and work so that the world may see and come to recognise that all on earth are but ONE family — here to serve our God and each other.

Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Charism Then as a‘Loving Daughter of the Heart of and Mary this inImmaculate Suffering is your chance to rekindle the light of LOVE and of the GOOD NEWS to the: Mission’ We evangelise, nurse the sick and aged, catechise youth, children and old, outcast and neglected. For more information contact The Vocation Directoress

P.O. Box 17204 Witbank, 1035; Tel: 013 656 3708; Cell: 082 838 5428 lekgala.m@gmail.com

P.O. Box 864, Glen Cowie, 1061 Cell: 076 923 8319

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

MISSION

Nun: We’re worth more than our worst acts Sr Helen Prejean’s mission is to the most despised of American society: inmates on death row. She was interviewed by AliCiA VON STAMWiTZ.

Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions, gets into a lot of that—how the law works. Because before I educated myself, I thought: “Well, if this is the law of the land, if it’s law, it must be right.” That’s where most of us go. We legalise and legitimise the state violence. But you have to take a closer look. You have to get into those laws, and you have to see how they actually work. And if you see that what the laws are actually doing is upholding violence, then you’ve got to resist them. You have to resist them. But first you have to understand them. So, boy, when you dig into justice, you are dealing with reality, with what’s really happening on the ground. And that’s part of faith: to make faith real. It’s really incarnational. There’s a quote from St Basil, from the 4th century, that says it all. He said: “Annunciations are frequent, incarnations are rare.” You met with Pope Francis in January this year, and he has been speaking out against the death penalty recently. Is that due in part to your influence? I don’t want to press that too much, like, “I’m so Catherine-of-Siena, I influence the pope.” There are a lot of bubbles in the pot, and many of us are dialoguing about the death penalty together and growing together: that’s what sensus fidelium means for Catholics. We’d been sending Pope Francis’ secretary all kinds of stuff on the death penalty, and I think it helped sensitise him to the issues. But when I first contacted the pope personally it was about Richard Glossip’s scheduled execution [Glossip was granted three successive stays of execution in September and October 2015]. I just wanted the pope to know Richard’s name, for dignity’s sake, and I wanted him to pray for him. And he did. He also sent a letter to the governor [Mary Fallin of Oklahoma], asking her to commute the sentence. So when I went to meet the pope on January 21, it was to put into his hands a letter from Richard Glossip, thanking him for intervening and helping to save his life.

they were going to execute this person, Elmo Patrick Sonnier. Sonnier was a convicted murderer of two teenagers, sentenced in April 1978 to be executed by electrocution at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. What do you remember about the night of Sonnier’s death? It happened in the early morning hours of April 5, 1984. Everyone else had to leave the death house except me, because I was his spiritual advisor. When I came out of the executing chamber that night, the prison vehicle brought me to the outer gates. The sisters in my community were standing there waiting for me. I was so cold. They put a coat around me. Then I threw up. I’d never watched a human being be killed, right in front of my eyes. I don’t mean to make Pat Sonnier a hero—he had committed an unspeakably terrible crime, and I was horrified at the crime—but he was a human being. Is human dignity only for the innocent? Is there not dignity in a guilty life? All human beings are worth more than the worst thing we’ve done in our life; is that not the message of Jesus to all of us? What happened next? I read the papers the next day, and they said things like, “Justice was done!” and “We got another one of those criminals!” Everybody in Louisiana and their cat was for the death penalty in 1984. Worse still, statistics showed that the more people went to church, the more strongly they believed in the death penalty. At first, I didn’t know what I was going to do. But then it was clear as a bell in my heart. I realised that the American people were never going to get close to an execution, but I had been a witness; I had seen it, and so I had to tell the story. I began giving talks to anyone who would listen, and I started learning things about the death penalty. What kinds of things? I learned that it’s only poor people who are selected for the death penalty. I learned that race is a huge fac-

ISTER Helen Prejean, a US religious of the Congregation of St Joseph, is one of the world’s bestknown anti-death penalty activists. Her book Dead Man Walking was turned into an acclaimed 1995 film of the same title featuring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. In this interview, she talks about racism, human dignity and a broken criminal justice system. For 20 years, you were an English and religion teacher at an elementary school in the suburbs of Sr Helen Prejean, who has worked in prison ministry and against the New Orleans. Why did you leave death penalty for decades, is pictured in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican that life and move to an inner in January. inset are two of her books, Dead Man Walking and The Death city housing project? of Innocents. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) In 1965, Vatican II called religious orders to go back to the gospels, to go back to the reason we were tor too, especially in laying the written them a note, I hadn’t tried founded. So we sisters started havgroundwork of death penalty cases, to call just to say, “I’m so sorry ing meetings about who we were because the system is still so white. about your child.” and how we had to be on the side The judges are white. District attorLloyd LeBlanc [father of murof the poor. neys are white. Juries are white. dered teenager David LeBlanc] took I wasn’t a bad nun—I was leadThat’s why when white people me through his journey. He exing a good, upright life as a sister get killed, there’s strong identifica- plained the pressure he was under. and a citizen—but I didn’t know tion: there’s outrage and juries want He said: “Everybody was saying any real people who were poor or the ultimate penalty. to me, ‘Lloyd, you gotta be for the hungry. I only knew about poverty In New Orleans, 90% of our death penalty or it’ll look like you and hunger. homicide victims are people of didn’t love your boy’. I pictured Then God woke me up. That’s colour, but there’s not much out- putting both of those men [Sonthe first part of my journey. God rage by government officials when nier’s brother, Eddie, was also concalled me to get out of the suburbs a person of colour—Latino or victed] in an electric chair and and to move into the inner city. I black or Native American—is pulling the switch real slowly so moved into the St Thomas housing killed, and the death penalty is sel- they would feel pain like we were projects in New Orleans, and it was dom sought. feeling pain.” like I’d moved to another country. If the life is negligible, the death But Lloyd told me he didn’t like I sat at the feet of my African is negligible. It’s true what the Black what was happening to him. He American neighbours and they Lives Matter activists say: when it was angry all the time, and he was began to teach me about the comes to a death and the race of a losing every bit of kindness that “other” America. victim, we act as if black lives don’t had been in him. So he set his face Their stories broke my heart. matter. to go down the road of forgiveness. When you are in the presence of He’s the real hero of the book Dead You’ve acknowledged that you people who are suffering, that’s made a “big mistake” when you Man Walking. what changes you. Because you can first became involved in this It seems to me that your work know about injustice, and you can work. What was it? opens a way for all of us: not just know statistics, but until you actuI didn’t know what to do with the activists. Basically, you seem to be ally see what is happening you can’t victims’ families. I didn’t reach out saying: Get involved. Get eduknow how privileged and protected to them in any kind of way, and cated. Once you see what’s really and cushioned you are. when we finally met, they were just happening, you will be conHow did you initially become inverted. furious at me. volved with death-row inmates? I deserved their anger. I hadn’t Exactly. And my other book, The One day in January 1982, right there in that housing project, a friend said, “Hey, Sr Helen, you want to be a penpal to somebody on death row?” And I said, “Sure.” By the Redemptorists I was thinking, I’m an English major, I or over 100 years the Redemptorists have preached missions in parishes could send him some The mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ throughout South Africa. During the 2016 Jubilee Year of Mercy the poems. I never dreamed is central to our spirituality as Sisters of the Holy Cross. Redemptorist mission team, in a desire to honour the many requests for According to the gospel and the challenges of our time missions, expanded itself to include preachers from several other religious we risk new ways and commit ourselves to promote life. orders and congregations. are for Bookings now open for 2017, with several models missions available. Neighbourhood Old Age Homes Ǧ ǡ Ƥ We can use your old clothing, bric-a-brac, ơ ƪ ơ Ǣ furniture and books for our Ǣ Ǣ Ǧ second-hand shop in night vigil. Recently the J&P Department of the SACBC approached us with Woodstock, Cape Town. Ƥ Help us to create an immigrants and refugees. avenue to generate much The two full-time Redemptorist missioners are: needed funds for our

Sisters of the Holy Cross

PARISH MISSIONS

work with the elderly. Contact Ian Veary on 021 447 6334 www.noah.org.za

Fr Bafana Hlatshwayo CSsR – bafanah@hotmail.com Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR – larrykaufmann1954@gmail.com

OMI STAMPS

YOUR USED STAMPS can help in the education of South Africans for the PRIESTHOOD at St Joseph’s Scholasticate, Cedara, KwaZulu-Natal. Please send them to: OMI Stamps, Box 101352, Scottsville, 3209

In collaboration with others we awaken hope and contribute to the transformation of society.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING OTHERS? For more information contact: The Vocation Directoress Tel: 012 379 8559/ 072 855 2206 or Tel: +263 779 330 519 Email: phuthus@yahoo.co.za Email: florytengerayi@gmail.com Tel: +264 81 2086 857, Email: srmarieandree@gmail.com

LEFT: South African Father Cyril Axelrod CSsR meets Pope Francis; RIGHT: Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR preaching at a parish Mission in Westville, Durban.

world Fr As the only deaf-blind priest in the Axelrod is now special Ƥ New Evangelization.

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

BOOK REVIEWS

How Jansen turned around a university LEADING FOR CHANGE: Race, Intimacy and Leadership on Divided University Campuses, by Jonathan Jansen. Routledge, 2016. 227pp Reviewed by Paddy Kearney ROFESSOR Jonathan Jansen, who recently resigned as rector of the University of the Free State (UFS), wrote this reflection on his efforts to bring about change in the UFS over the first five years of his appointment in 2009. Not long after he had taken up that appointment, he had to deal with the infamous initiation ritual in the university’s Reitz residence, which was to shape the whole of his next six years at the helm. Several young white men videotaped a ritual in which they degraded the domestic workers responsible for cleaning that residence. The purpose of the videotaped ritual was to protest about the policy of integrating the UFS residences which Jansen had initiated. The video went viral and Jansen had to contend with what he describes as “the single most horrific act of racism ever to be perpetrated on a university campus”. He claims that the four white students involved still have no idea “what the fuss was all about”. Leading for Change gives a fascinating account of how Jansen, after this profoundly disturbing incident, used every possible strategy to bring about fundamental changes in the attitudes of UFS

students and staff, both black and white, to accept diversity in a way they had never before experienced. So, how did Jansen set about the Herculean task of changing possibly the most conservative of South African universities, with a white student body largely made up of students with a rural farm background, and black students largely from rural township schools completely isolated from interaction with white schools? Moreover, this was in a city like Bloemfontein, with none of the diversity of the port cities of Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Both black and white students insisted on staying in racially segregated residences—but for very different reasons. Each group had a deep fear of physical closeness with the other, afraid of how the other group would relate to them. However Jansen was convinced that integration of the residences might provide the last possible opportunity for black and white youth “to learn togetherness in intimate community”. One of his most important discoveries was that the Reitz residence was full of traumatised veterans of the apartheid army, who had suffered some of the most terrifying war experiences and never been properly debriefed. What was needed, he asserted, was not the closing down of the Reitz residence which had made UFS infamous; the change strategy he chose, was to “open eyes to see the historical enemy near to you”.

UFS needed an intensive focus on the “institutional conditions that produced these students”.

n the small rural towns from which the Reitz students came, white people most commonly referred to black people in a whole range of deeply offensive names. Jansen realised that “as long as the poor, underprepared black student was pitted against the privileged, well-schooled white student” the chances of combating racism would be slim, so he went about raising the academic standard and recruiting top black and white students from all provinces. It worked.

Another important step was to make English the language of the university. He did this while remarkably retaining and even increasing the number of Afrikaans speakers on all three campuses of the university. Once Afrikaans was no longer forced on black students, many became quite attracted to the idea of freely choosing to learn Afrikaans and even to showing off their knowledge of the language. Careful observation of how the UFS operated made Jansen aware that the institution, “through its architecture, paintings, rituals, ceremonies, initiations, hierarchies, messaging and organisation”, itself created the conditions for young racists like the Reitz Four to emerge. So symbolic actions were as much needed as practical steps to undo the wrongs of apartheid. He also reached out to a much wider group of students and staff back home on the UFS campuses through numerous workshops on leadership development, facilitated by outsiders who themselves spoke from diverse life experiences such as white or black, gay and lesbian, able-bodied and disabled, who led workshops from early morning until late at night. To what extent does he see his various strategies as having succeeded in transforming the UFS? In general he found that home, school, church and even geographical community (urban or rural) made a great difference in terms of people’s capacity to overcome prej-

udice, as a first step, and to embrace otherness, as a second step. But he found that there was also something deeper within the capacity of some human beings that helps them to move beyond tolerance and that such people can have a helpful effect on many others. He was especially impressed to discover how young students were much more open to change than older students or staff, and so he placed much more emphasis on influencing the first-year students. “The capacity for openness is still there.” Faced with unrelenting opposition in the local community, it is remarkable that Jansen was able to achieve so much in just six years. It helps the reader to understand why he has chosen to move on, from what must be one of the toughest jobs on offer in South Africa today: to be vice-chancellor of a university. Despite all the rigours of his role as vice-chancellor, he says in the concluding paragraph of the book: “Time after time I would find myself, over those years of leadership, surprised by joy. I bore witness to the transformation of tens of thousands of students from entry positions of anger, fear and anxiety towards something as elusive as human togetherness. Many have made that transition from physical proximity to emotional embrace, and simply to have been part of their journey as students remains an unspeakable joy.”

A good Christian life to savour, sip by sip A VOICE WITHIN CHURCH AND SOCIETY: A Personal Anthology, by Michael Nuttall. Cluster Publications, Pietermaritzburg, 2015. 262 pp. Reviewed by Fr Kevin Reynolds HIS book in Cluster Publication’s series of “Christian Lives in Africa”, is a collection of the writings of Bishop Michael Nuttall during his fifty years as an Anglican priest and bishop, from 1965 to 2015. Interspersed among his spiritual jewels—in his sermons, addresses and talks—are brief biographical notes of Bishop Nuttall’s life and ministry in which his wife, Dorrie, and their children—Tim, Elizabeth and Rick— take pride of place. The temptation facing the reader is a desire for more personal information about this obvious giant in Southern African Anglicanism. The author suggests that his 50

years of ordained ministry “fall neatly into four main sections”. First, his Grahamstown decade (1965–75), which he describes as years of “freshness and formation”. Secondly, his Pretoria years (1976–81) when he embarked on the first phase of his episcopal ministry. The author’s 18 years as Bishop of Natal (1982–2000) were, paradoxically, for him a time of homecoming and heartache. Finally, Bishop Nuttall’s retirement years—since 2000—which took a radical turn in December 2010 when his beloved wife of 51 years suffered a crippling stroke. Before embarking on his theological studies, Michael Nuttall was a lecturer in the History department of Rhodes University in Grahamstown. His academic background naturally enriched his writings and enhanced his theological knowledge in a unique way.

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At the second book launch, Bishop Nuttall suggested almost prophetically that readers should keep a look-out as they read Guardian of the Light for the human face of “the burly Hurley” especially as a child and in his old age. The same can be said about Bishop Nuttall’s own account of his beloved wife’s stroke and his subsequent care of her, and Dorrie’s own courage and faithfulness in her adversity. With tears in my eyes I cannot but be aware of a man so like his Saviour as I read the narrative of how he continues to care for Dorrie now she is confined to the care centre of the retirement complex where they live. As he says: “There is loss to endure and togetherness to savour”. I recommend Bishop Nuttall’s anthology for anyone seriously intent on deepening one’s relationship with Christ. n Order from www.clusterpublica tions.co.za at R150 plus p&p.

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Bishop Nuttall’s personal anthology is certainly not a book to be read from cover to cover. After

scanning its list of contents and dipping into it, I am—as my seminary philosophy professor, Fr Norbert Carroll OFM, would have said— imbibing it like enjoying a glass of choice South African wine, sip by sip, reading reflectively a couple of pages at a time as the basis of my daily meditation. Of course, I couldn’t resist reading immediately Bishop Nuttall’s speeches given at the launch of two books devoted to Archbishop Denis Hurley OMI. The first, delivered in December 2001 in the presence of the then 86-year-old Archbishop Hurley, was to launch Rev Anthony Gamley’s Denis Hurley: A Portrait by Friends. The second was given in August 2009 at the Pietermaritzburg launch of Paddy Kearney’s definitive biography of the great man, Guardian of the Light. Bishop Nuttall’s words on these occasions certainly portrayed a close relationship between two great bishops of similar minds and hearts.

Our web archive of book reviews in The Southern Cross goes back as far as 1997. Go to the uRl at the right.

CLASSIFIEDS

Sr Fatima Canha MSA

SSUMPTIONIST Sister Fatima Canha died on September 10 at the age of 87. Born into a loving Catholic family in Johannesburg on October 26, 1928, Elizabeth Canha was a pupil in the Assumption schools in Maryvale before entering the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption in 1947. She made her first vows on January 23, 1950 and celebrated her diamond jubilee in Port Elizabeth in 2010. Sr Fatima trained at the Grahamstown Training College, taught at Woodlands in Durban, St Augustine’s and Assumption Convent in Sydenham, Port Elizabeth, and taught and was junior boarders’ mother in Grahamstown from 1961-66. More than 50 years later Sr Fatima is remembered by her thenyoung charges as “terribly kind, especially to the very young”. In spite of there being a number of very noisy young girls, she never once raised her voice at them and would move around the dormitory to say good-night and in this way make each feel very special. Most of the rest of her life was spent teaching in Malvern, Johannesburg.

Sr Fatima was a much-loved teacher in the foundation phase where she exercised a quiet and efficient discipline and took a keen interest in all that concerned each pupil. She had a special aptitude for art which she used to good effect in her teaching. A devoted parish catechist, her great love was to prepare children for their First Holy Communion. Sr Fatima’s health was never robust and at times she could teach only part-time—but she always took full part in the community wherever she was, with faithfulness to her spiritual life

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 729. ACROSS: 3 Gregorian, 8 Yell, 9 Rattled on, 10 Answer, 11 Asher, 14 Trial, 15 Deaf, 16 Minus, 18 Nags, 20 Clove, 21 Steps, 24 Proven, 25 Dominican, 26 Trio, 27 Abasement. DOWN: 1 Byzantine, 2 Blessings, 4 Rear, 5 Gates, 6 Reeled, 7 Aloe, 9 Realm, 11 Agnes, 12 Reconvert, 13 Afternoon, 17 Scorn, 19 Stoics, 22 Prism, 23 Tomb, 24 Pawn.

Word of the Week

Monstrance: A silver or gold stand that contains a circular window surrounded by a sunburst of rays. Inside the circular window is placed a wafer which is the Eucharist.

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: October 23: Retired Auxiliary Bishop Reginald Cawcutt of Cape Town on his 78th birthday

and a keen interest in community events and all that affected the sisters. Her retirement years were spent in Pretoria North, Port Alfred, and since 2009, in Buckingham Road, Port Elizabeth. Not long before her death Sr Fatima had the pleasure of a visit from her two surviving sisters, Marie and Linda, her brother, Frank, and two nieces, Bernice and Jeanette. She passed away quietly on Sunday, September 10, after an illness borne with characteristic courage, dignity and graciousness. Her family were able to return for her Requiem Mass, celebrated by Mgr Brendan Deenihan and priests of the diocese of Port Elizabeth in St Bernadette’s, Walmer. In his homily Mgr Deenihan paid tribute to the faith of Sr Fatima’ and gave thanks for the gift of her vocation, as well as her generosity and perseverance in the service of God, which would be remembered with love and appreciation. Sr Fatima was laid to rest in the Forest Hill cemetery. Ann Genevieve MSA

Community Calendar To place your event, call Mary Leveson at 021 465 5007 or e-mail m.leveson@scross.co.za (publication subject to space)

CaPE TOWN: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Durbanville fun walk. October 29, 8:00 to 13:00, at durbanville Racecourse. Parking, food, crafts, jumping castle. Entry fee 5km walk, age 6-12 R30. Age 13-59 R60. Age 60+ R30. Contact ourlady@ctnet.co.zaHelpers of God’s Precious Infants. Mass on last Saturday of every month at 9:30 at Sacred Heart church in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Followed by vigil at Marie Stopes abortion clinic in

Bree Street. Contact Colette Thomas on 083 412 4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br daniel SCP on 078 739 2988. DURBaN: Holy Mass and Novena to St anthony at St Anthony’s parish every Tuesday at 9:00. Holy Mass and Divine Mercy Devotion at 17:30 on first Friday of every month. Sunday Mass at 9:00. Phone 031 309 3496 or 031 209 2536. Overport rosary group. At Emakhosini Hotel, 73 East Street every Wednesday at 18.30.

MISSION PRAYER

Lord, our God, help us to walk with you on the pathway to the beatitudes and to live out your mission in today’s world. Bind us to all men and women of our time, so that together we may bring theGood News to the ends of the earth.

Open our hearts and our Christian communities To the needy, the afflicted, the oppressed. May we radiate the Living Christ and transform our lives in the hope of the Resurrection. This prayer we make to you who is the living God, now and forever. AMEN

The Southern Cross, October 19 to October 25, 2016

CLaSSIFIEDS

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • deaths • in memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,60 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

DEaTHS

PEILOW—Mary (née Houghton). Passed away October 2, 2016 in England. Heartfelt sympathy to all the family. Fondly remembered by Gavin, Raymond, Craig, Michael and the Bischoff family. GONE BuT NOT FORGOTTEN. RiP.

IN MEMORIaM

VERGOTTINI—laura Celestine. in loving memory of our precious Mommy and Granny. Passed away October 24, 2005. you left your human body our beloved Mommy, and an empty void in our hearts, but our souls are joined forever, and will never part. you are at peace our kind beautiful soul. you are the bubbling stream, clear and sparkling in the morning sun, meandering through the green meadows and fields of sun-kissed wild flowers, floating gently in the light summer breeze. your chair is empty. We love and miss you our dearest Mommy. With love from Anthony, Alfred, Wendy and family.

PERSONaL

aBORTION WaRNING: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelifeabortion isevil.co.za

HOLIDaY aCCOMMODaTION

BaLLITO: upmarket penthouse on beach, self-catering, 084 790 6562. CaPE TOWN: Strandfontein. Fully equipped selfcatering two-bedroom apartment, with parking, sleeps four. R600 per/night. Paul 083 553 9856, vivilla@telkomsa.net CaPE TOWN: looking for reasonably priced accommodation over the december/January holiday period, come to Kolbe House. Set

in beautiful gardens in Rondebosch. Self-catering, clean and peaceful. Safe parking. Close to all shops and public transport. Contact Pat 021 685 7370 or kolbe.house@telkomsa.net GORDON’S BaY: Harbour Park. Sleeps 2 adults and 2 children. Fully furnished. R2 100 per week. Phone Alison on 084 577 1356 or delton on 083 414 6534.

equality for all our brothers and sisters throughout the world. May there be an end to division, strife and war. May there be a dawning of a truly human society built on love and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our lord. Amen.

PRaYERS

O MOST beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven, blessed Mother of the Son of God, immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that you are my Mother, O Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of heaven and earth, i humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to secure me in my necessity. There are none who can withstand your power, O show me that you are my mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. Amen. FaTHER, you have given all peoples one common origin. it is your will that they be gathered together as one family in yourself. Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love and with the desire to ensure justice for all. By sharing the good things you give us, may we secure an

LORD, inspire those men and women who bear the titles “husband” and “wife”. Help them to look to you, to themselves, to one another to rediscover the fullness and mystery they once felt in their union. let them be honest enough to ask: “Where have we been together and where are we going?” let them be brave enough to question: “How have we failed?” let each be foolhardy enough to say: “For me, we come first.” Help them, together, to reexamine their commitment in the light of your love, willingly, openly, compassionately.

Traditional Latin Mass Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel 36 Central Avenue, Pinelands, Cape Town Call 0712914501 for details. Email:sspx.capetown@gmail.com The

Southern Cross

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Liturgical Calendar Year C – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday October 23 Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18, Psalms 34:2-3, 17-19, 23, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14 Monday October 24, St Anthony Mary Claret Ephesians 4:32--5:8, Psalms 1:1-4, 6, Luke 13:1017 Tuesday October 25 Ephesians 5:21-33, Psalms 128:1-5, Luke 13:1821 Wednesday October 26 Ephesians 6:1-9, Psalms 145:10-14, Luke 13:2230 Thursday October 27 Ephesians 6:10-20, Psalms 144:1-2, 9-10, Luke 13:31-35 Friday October 28, Ss Simon and Jude Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalms 19:21-4, Luke 6:12-19 Saturday October 29 Philippians 1:18-26, Psalms 42:2-3, 5, Luke 14:1, 7-11 Sunday October 30 Wisdom 11:22--12:2, Psalms 145:1-2, 8-11, 1314, 2 Thessalonians 1:11--2:2, Luke 19:1-10

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the

31st Sunday: October 30 Readings: Wisdom 11:22-12:2, Psalm 145:12, 8-11, 13-14, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2, Luke 19:1-10

OR the second week running, the readings emphasise God’s love, not hatred, for all creation. The first reading, from the Book of Wisdom, underlines how tiny the universe is in God’s sight, “like a drop of dew in the early morning that comes down onto the earth”. The point is that “you have mercy on all the people, because you can do anything and overlook the sins of human beings…for you love all that is, and you do not loathe anything of what you have made; for you would not have made anything ready if you had hated it. How would it remain if you did not want it?” The poet who wrote our psalm for next Sunday is exultant about this God: “I shall bless your name for ever and a day; every day I shall bless you and praise your name, for ever and a day.” And what is the characteristic of God that the singer stresses? “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in steadfast love.” There is a real relationship between God and his creation: “All your creatures shall thank you, Lord, and your beloved ones shall bless you.” And we are not talking of a “God of the

S outher n C ross

powerful”: “The Lord supports all who are falling, and raises up those who are bowed down.” In the second reading, Paul is praying for his Thessalonians “that our God may think you worthy of his calling and will fulfil all good pleasure and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified among you…in accordance with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ”. But they are not to start boasting of their special knowledge about the time of Jesus’ second coming: “You are not to be shaken in your minds or disturbed…on the grounds that the Day of the Lord is imminent.” Because, of course, those who make claims of that sort are claiming privileged information from God, and also implying that there are parts of his creation that the Almighty hates. That cannot be what our God is like; as they say nowadays, “God does not make junk”. Next Sunday’s Gospel is a very shocking one, and it makes precisely this point: that no one is excluded from God’s love. It is the story of Zacchaeus, and it may be necessary to point out that on the Lucan journey we are now almost in Jerusalem, where Jesus, we al-

ready know, is to die. Jericho is a kind of border town, not far across the desert from Jerusalem. Then we meet a new person, who is “a chief tax-collector and rich”, which in terms of Luke’s gospel means that there are already several strikes against him. However, we should notice that Luke gives him a name, which means that we are implicitly invited to favour him. Our affection for him increases immediately, for we are told: “He was trying to see Jesus.” So his heart is clearly in the right place; but he is not quite up to it “because of the crowd”. Then he gains more of our sympathy, because “he was small in size”; and we watch in admiration as this influential crook “ran ahead and went up on a sycamore tree, in order that he might see him (because he was about to go through there)”. So there is Zacchaeus, trapped in the branches, and this religious figure “looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus!’ ” At this point we are invited to imagine the man’s feelings; he will be dreading the denunciation that is bound to follow. But he has nowhere to go.

What is centering prayer? C

Conrad

ONTEMPLATIVE prayer, as it is classically defined and popularly practised, is subject today to considerable scepticism in a number of circles. For example, the method of prayer— commonly called centering prayer, popularised by people like Frs Thomas Keating, Basil Bennington, John Main, and Laurence Freeman—is viewed with suspicion by many people who identify it with anything from “New Age”, to Buddhism, to “self-seeking”, to atheism. Admittedly not all of its adherents and practitioners are free from those charges, but certainly its true practitioners are. Understood and practised correctly, this method of prayer, which allows for some variations in its practice, is in fact the form of prayer which the Desert Fathers, St John of the Cross, and the anonymous 14thcentury author of The Cloud of Unknowing call “contemplation”. What is contemplation, as defined within this classical Christian tradition? With apologies to the tradition of St Ignatius of Loyola—who formats things differently, but is very much in agreement with this definition—contemplation is prayer without images and imagination. That is, it’s prayer without the attempt to concentrate one’s thoughts and feelings on God and holy things. It is a prayer so singular in its intention to be present to God alone that it refuses everything, even pious thoughts and holy feelings, so as to simply sit in darkness, in a deliberate unknowing, within which all thoughts, imaginations and feelings about

Nicholas King SJ

A Gospel to shock us

God are not fostered or entertained, as is true for all other thoughts and feelings. In the words of The Cloud of Unknowing, it is “a simple reaching out directly towards God”. In contemplative prayer, classically understood, after a brief, initial act of centring oneself in prayer, one simply sits—but sits inside the intention of reaching out directly towards God in a place beyond feeling and imagination where one waits to let the unimaginable reality of God break through in a way that subjective feelings, thoughts, and imaginations cannot manipulate.

nd it is precisely on this point where contemplative prayer is most often misunderstood and criticised. The questions are: Why shouldn’t we try to foster and entertain holy thoughts and pious feelings during prayer, isn’t that what we’re trying to do in prayer? How can we be praying when we aren’t doing anything, just sitting? Isn’t this some form of agnosticism? How do we meet a loving, personal God in this? Isn’t this simply some form of transcendental meditation? Where’s Jesus in this? I will let the author of The Cloud of Unknowing reply to this: “It would be very inappropriate and a great hindrance to a man who ought to be working in this darkness and in this cloud of unknowing, with an affective impulse of love to God himself alone, to permit any thought or any meditation of God’s wonderful gifts, kindness or his work in any of his creatures, bodily or spiritual, to rise up in his mind so as to press between him and his God, even if

Sunday Reflections

However, shockingly enough, Jesus is not like that; and instead he says: “Hurry up and come down. For today I have to stay in your house.” Then we applaud Zacchaeus’ response: “He hurried up and came down, and joyfully gave him hospitality.” There is another possible reaction, however, and it comes (as always) from the religiously minded: “When they saw it, they all complained, ‘He has gone in to stay with a sinner man!’ ” Zacchaeus, however, turns the whole story upside down by telling the Lord: “Look! I am giving half my possessions to the poor, my Lord, and if I have defrauded anybody [which in his profession he undoubtedly had] I am giving it back fourfold.” A remarkable change has taken place, only because he has been treated like a human being. Jesus reflects just how remarkable this is by describing Zacchaeus as “a son of Abraham, because the Son of Man came to look for and to save what was lost”. Read this text over and over again, this week, and be astonished by it.

Southern Crossword #729

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

they be very holy thoughts, and give him great happiness and consolation. “For as long as the soul dwells in this mortal body, the clarity of our understanding in the contemplation of all spiritual things, and especially of God, is always mixed up with some sort of imagination.” We cannot imagine God, we can only know God. In essence, the idea is that we may never mistake the icon for the reality. God is ineffable and consequently everything we think or imagine about God is, in effect, an icon. Even the words of scripture itself are words about God and not the reality of God. Of course, icons can be good, so long as they are understood precisely as icons, as pointing to a reality beyond themselves; but as soon as we take them for the reality, the icon becomes an idol. The difference between meditation and contemplation is predicated on this: In meditation we focus on icons, on God as God appears in our thoughts, imagination, and feelings. In contemplation, icons are treated as idols, and the discipline then is to sit in a seeming darkness, beneath a cloud of unknowing, to try to be face to face with a reality which is too big to grasp within our imagination. Meditation, like an icon, is something that is useful for a time, but ultimately we are all called to contemplation. As The Cloud of Unknowing puts it: “For certainly, he who seeks to have God perfectly will not take his rest in the consciousness of any angel or any saint that is in heaven.” The late German Jesuit and theologian Fr Karl Rahner agrees: “Have we tried to love God in those places where one is not carried on a wave of emotional rapture, where it is impossible to mistake oneself and one’s life-force for God, where one accepts to die from a love that seems like death and absolute negation, where one cries out in an apparent emptiness and an utter unknown?” That, in short, is contemplative prayer—authentic centering prayer—as a discipline.

ACROSS

3. The chant of the modern calendar? (9) 8. In a colourful way shout “Ow” (4) 9. Preached at length on what the snake did (7,2) 10. Respond in the responsorial psalm (6) 11. One of Jacob’s sons (Gn 35) (5) 14. Industrial conclusion to court case (5) 15. This spirit could hear, nevertheless (Mk 9) (4) 16. Take away less (5) 18. Bothers the horses (4) 20. Garlic bulb (5) 21. Paces (5) 24. Demonstrated in court of law (6) 25. Black Friar (9) 26. The instrumentalists who may riot (4) 27. Belittling an underground place (9) Solutions on page 15

DOWN

1. Constantinople’s Empire (9) 2. Mealtime graces (9) 4. Kind of guard at your back (4) 5. They must be lifted up (Ps 24) (5) 6. Danced like a busy fisherman (6) 7. Plant seen in halo elements (4) 9. Kingdom of real monarchs (5) 11. Patron saint of virgins (5) 12. Go back to your old faith (9) 13. Time of day of the Crucifixion (9) 17. Contempt of the southern cereal (5) 19. Old philosophers who never complained (6) 22. Sir comes back in time for a spectrum of colours (5) 23. Sepulchre (4) 24. Bishop may take him on board (4)

CHURCH CHUCKLE

T Sunday School the catechist was teaching the Old Testament. In conclusion she asked the children: “We have been learning about how powerful the kings and queens were in biblical times. But there is a higher power. Who can tell me what it is?” Little Thabo had the answer: “I know: Aces.”

Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns “PRAYER penetrates to the Father’s heart. ”- Pope Francis

St Therese of the Child Jesus Patroness of Missions

“The Carmelite Nun embraces in Christ the heavens and the earth, and is involved in the universal mission of the Church,”Carmelite Constitution 130

Carmelite Monastery of St. Joseph, 68 Retreat Road, Retreat 7945 Cape Town, South Africa, Tel: 021 713 6744/ carmelitenunsretreat@gmail.com

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