180829 by The Southern Cross

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S outher n C ross

August 29 to September 4, 2018

Reg no. 1920/002058/06 no 5098

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SA’s child author wants to inspire other children

Sr Reinolda and the rise of Ngome shrine

Our MOTHER who art in heaven?

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Slattery: The Pope’s letter a heartfelt cry BY ChRISTen TORReS

N light of the August release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, Pope Francis issued a detailed, official response, dedicated to “the people of God’’, within a week. The document was the culmination of a two-year investigation, which began in 2016, detailing the sexual abuse of children within six dioceses in the Catholic Church, in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. The report spoke of credible allegations against 301 Catholic priests, labelled “predator priests”, in cases involving more than 1 000 children over a 70-year period. Pope Francis acknowledged “once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power, and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons”. The pope explained that the nature of the crimes inflicted created “deep wounds of pain and powerlessness, primarily among the victims, but also in their family members and in the larger community of believers and nonbelievers alike”. Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthata, incoming president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, in his response to the letter, said: “While the Church has done a lot of good, the Holy Father is also calling us to pay serious attention to the harm that has been done by the most trusted of its members, priests and bishops.” The bishop said the pope continues to call for a Church that is humble and not triumphant, a Church that acknowledges weaknesses and sinfulness among its members. “It is a scandal that sexual abuse is occurring in the Church, but let the sin of the Church not blind us to the enormity of the effect of this in society as well,” Bishop Sipuka said. “It needs to be tackled beyond Church walls.” In the letter, Pope Francis called upon Catholics to “condemn whatever endangers the integrity of any person. A solidarity that

summons us to fight all forms of corruption, especially spiritual corruption”. Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria and spokesperson for the SACBC, said that in his understanding, “the Pope’s letter is a cry from the heart. It is a cry of sorrow and shame and even a call for help. The Pennsylvania report, detailing over 1 000 children, who have been abused in the past 70 years, and the Church authorities who did not respond adequately, means the Church has therefore failed these children.” When asked about the pope’s reference to the dangers of clericalism in the Church, Archbishop Slattery said: “The pope feels that clericalism is at the heart of the problem, because through clericalism, ministers of the Church hide from criticism. “Clericlism also gives you an elitist class who are therefore very defensive, like all professional groups,” he said. “In the letter, the pope has demanded that all the laity play a greater part and in no way be excluded from the life and decisions of the Church. “Pope Francis says that ‘We are one in Christ’ and we all belong to each other. Therefore the whole Church must work to eliminate abuse, and it cannot be left to clerics. So therefore no to abuse means no to clericalism,” Archbishop Slattery said. Pope Francis’ letter further detailed the pain experienced by those sexually abused: “With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, and did not realise the magnitude and gravity of the damage done to so many lives. “We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them,’’ he said.

Pope’s call to prayer and fast Pope Francis asked Catholics all over the world to pray and fast in solidarity with the victims, and Archbishop Slattery further elaborated on penance.

The Southern Cross pilgrims to Catholic Ireland, with Archbishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp and editor Günther Simmermacher, outside the basilica of Knock on the feast of Our Lady of Knock. Also in the group were Frs John Shand and (not pictured) Peter Whitehead.

“The pope has asked for prayer, because at the heart of this crisis is a spiritual corruption. So Pope Francis, in asking for prayer and fasting, like Jesus did in the gospels, is reminding us that what is involved here is a failure to experience and live the Gospel on the part of many clerics,” he said. Bishop Sipuka said that the SACBC had a similar call for fasting and prayer a few years ago. “The pope’s call for prayer and fasting echoes the pastoral letter of the SACBC about a year or so ago in which the bishops expressed their acknowledgment of the pain caused to the victims and assurance of support and prayer in their pain. I appreciate the pope’s letter.” Archbishop Slattery said the media has an important role in educating the public on these types of stories. “The Church must appreciate the media, because it would be a grave error to leave children in situations of danger. So by bringing this problem to the fore, steps can be taken to protect all who come to church,’’ he said.

The report’s effects in South Africa Bishop Sipuka, speaking on how the Church in South Africa views and responds to allegations and reports of abuse, said: “In cases of sexual abuse by clergy in South Africa, I want to assure the victims of my support and solidarity, and to let them know that proven cases of sexual abuse of children and vulnerable people will be dealt with decisively.”

S outher n C ross Pilgrimage

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The bishop also assured Pope Francis of support. “I join the pope in praying for the healing of the victims and for this scourge to end in society and in the Church.” Archbishop Slattery said that the letter called Catholics to unify, in an effort to combat and eradicate the abuse. “The pope’s letter is an appeal to the whole Church to realise that we are one in Christ,” he said. “And we must strive with all our hearts to make the Church an absolute place of security, sanctity and truth. “Finally, the pope’s letter is just the beginning. Steps must be taken to root out those guilty of these crimes”, he concluded. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban said that “the pope’s statement reflected the thoughts in everyone’s hearts, which is the utter horror of the situation”. “Everyone is probably thinking, ‘If that is what is happening over there, what is happening in my own area?’’’ In the letter, Pope Francis acknowledged the Church’s “delayed response” in regard to applying sanctions and safety protocols within churches and dioceses around the world, but proposed looking ahead to the future. “No effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated,” the pope said.

The Southern Cross, August 29 to September 4, 2018

LOCAL

Child author wants to inspire other kids BY DALUXOLO MOLOAnTOA

HE closest connection that the Catholic Church has to a famous child writer may be that of Miep Gies, the Dutch Catholic woman who hid Anne Frank and her family from Nazi invaders during World War II. This may be about to change. Enter Michelle Nkamankeng. The nine year-old pupil at Johannesburg’s Sacred Heart College emerged on the literary scene a couple of years ago with her book Waiting for the Waves. She became the youngest published author in South Africa, and in Africa, also making it into the world’s top 10 list of youngest writers. Michelle has now published her second book, The Girl Who Believed in Herself. Her books are written for other children, and are meant to help spread literacy, especially to disadvantaged children. “When I close my eyes at eight

nine-year-old author Michelle nkamankeng, a Catholic and pupil at Sacred heart College in Johannesburg, has published her second book. o’clock at night, I see myself coming in, holding a book and teaching them to read. After that, they can read, write and spell so well that they win scholarships,” Michelle said.

Michelle, who was born in South Africa but whose parents are originally from Cameroon, said she was inspired to write Waiting for the Waves, her first book, after a visit to the seaside with her father, Paul

Nkamankeng. What also motivated her to write is that she discovered that most children’s books were written by adults—and she wanted to change this. Her latest publication is the second in a series of four books which she has already written. Her mother Laurentine Nkamankeng, had to get creative to ensure that her daughter’s work would see the light of day. She learnt the book publishing process, and established a book publishing company, LANSM Publishing Ltd, which she hopes will nurture and expose other child writers in South Africa, and across the continent. Michelle’s latest book features a foreword by South African educationist and University of Stellenbosch lecturer Professor Jonathan Jansen. He writes in the foreword: “Here is the future—young, bright and committed. Michelle writes her own stories with beautiful illustrations for consumption by the next

generation of readers and writers.” Michelle said she would like to see her books introduced into the Catholic schools’ curriculum for children to learn from them. “I would like my fellow Catholic learners to see that they were born to do something in this world, and to follow their dreams, encouraged by their families,” she said. Apart from her writing, she is also involved in projects under her own foundation, the Michelle Nkamankeng Foundation. The foundation’s sole objective is to motivate and inspire children from the previously disadvantaged community to follow their dreams and talents, and to empower them, especially through literacy. What is Michelle’s message to other young people with hopes and dreams of being published authors? “Your dreams will fuel your actions. If you never stop dreaming, you will always reach your destined hopes. Know your purpose, fulfill it and never ever give up,” she said.

Parish plans potjies, football and a talk

HE editor of The Southern Cross will deliver a talk on the situation of Christians in the Holy Land at Fish Hoek parish in Cape Town on September 20. The talk, presented by Günther Simmermacher, who also wrote the book The Holy Land Trek, will begin at 18:45 in the hall of St John's church in Fish Hoek (corner of Kommetjie Road & 6th Avenue).

The

On Heritage Day, September 24, Fish Hoek’s St John the Evangelist parish will host its annual 5-a-side football tournament and potjiekos competition. All parishes in the Cape Town archdiocese are invited to send a team (or teams) to take part in the football tournament. There is a nominal cost of R50 per team. There is no entry fee for the potjie competition but partici-

pants are required to provide their own ingredients and pot (wood and half-drums will be provided). Fires begin at 8:30, with judging at 12:30. n For further details on the football tournament, contact Paul Kilfoil at paulkilfoil@gmail.com or 084 438 5400 (SMS or WhatsApp), and for the potjie contest, Peter Imrie, peter.imrie@gmail.com or 078 262 6285 (SMS or WhatsApp).

S outher n C ross Pilgrimage 2019

HOLY LAND & ROME 5 – 17 May 2019

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Four Oblates of Mary Immaculate, including a bishop, celebrated 50 years since they made their first vows. Fr Christopher Lockyer (front) served for 33 years as hospital chaplain in Durban. (Back from left) Fr Derrick Butt of Blessed Sacrament parish in Durban; Fr Michael Foley, parish priest at St Francis Xavier on the Bluff; Bishop edward Risi, who heads the diocese of Keimoes-Upington; and Fr Ronald houreld, parish priest of St Augustine’s in Germiston. “We were filled with a deep sense of wonder at how the Lord had opened so many opportunities for us to serve him and his people over 50 years,” Bishop Risi said.

Young Christian Students revives T HE Young Christian Students (YCS) movement is enjoying a revival, with one principal calling for it to spread across schools. This month Jabulani Tsabalala—a graduate of Dr Molefi Oliphant Secondary School in Bophelong, Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng province—received a certificate of appreciation for accompanying three new YCS groups. “It’s a remarkable landmark in the revival of Young Christian Students, whose members are building their leadership by themselves for the greater society,” said Fr Mokesh Morar, organiser of the movement. Mr Tsabalala volunteered to help Fr Morar, and has been working with him for the past six months. “We need more groups in our schools,” said Dr Molefi Oliphant principal Morapedi Tsollo, who was present at the presentation of Mr Tsabalala’s certificate. During one of the school assemblies and all on their own, YCS learners spoke about the issue of “teasing” and how it can severely affect the wellbeing of students. They have started using the See-Judge-Act method, raising their concerns. YCS is also present at St Martin’s High School in Orlando West, Soweto; Immaculate High School in Diepkloof, Soweto; Holy Family College in Parktown; McAuley House in

Jabulani Tsabalala (second from right) received a certificate of appreciation for his work with the Young Christian Students movement. With him are (from left) YCS organiser Fr Mokesh Morar, Dr Molefi Oliphant Secondary School principal Morapedi Tsollo, and YCS support teacher Gugu Phahle. Parktown; and Summat College in central Johannesburg. These learners planned, organised and facilitated a weekend workshop by themselves earlier this year at Christ the King parish in Soweto. Past camps were held in the Magaliesberg, at the Don Bosco Centre in Walkerville, and in Qwaqwa in the Maluti Mountains near Lesotho. Local representatives also took part in councils in Rwanda and the Philippines. n For more information contact Fr Morar at mokeshm@gmail.com or 072 327 8246.

The Southern Cross, August 29 to September 4, 2018

LOCAL

Magaliesburg Marian shrine nears completion BY ChRISTen TORReS

T JAMES’ parish in Magaliesburg, Johannesburg archdiocese, is busy completing the building of a shrine and pastoral centre dedicated to Our Lady, and Nigerian priest Fr Ejike Mbaka will be visiting this month. Fr Mbaka, renowned for his powerful sermons, will focus on Mary in his talk, “The Almighty has Done Great Things for Me, Holy is his Name”. Archbishop Buti Tlhagale will host the September 21-23 event. He has named the Magaliesburg shrine Mother of Mercy, declaring it “a lasting memorial in honour of the Year of Mercy’’. It will be overseen by St James’ parish priest Fr Charles Uloko, who is also the rector of the shrine, and Fr Bafana Hlatshwayo.

Fr Uloko said that notwithstanding ongoing construction, the temporary shrine and pastoral centre were already being used for day and weekend pilgrimages, with Mass, Eucharistic adoration, confession, public prayers to Mary, and mercy walks or Stations of the Cross in the nearby mountains. Archbishop Tlhagale was the driving force behind the project, Fr Uluko said. “The archbishop was particularly

Fr hans Vos has celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination. Fr Vos was earlier married, and then widowed, with three children, whom he raised to adulthood. Following a calling to the priesthood, which was accepted by Bishop Reginald Orsmond, he studied at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria for four years. Fr Vos served as a deacon at Rosebank parish in Johannesburg, before being ordained a priest on September 8, 1993. he was then transferred to St Patrick’s church in Benoni, where he was parish priest for five years. next he moved to St Philip Benezi in Meyerton, where he served as parish priest for 17 years. Fr Vos retired to the priests’ home in Craighall, Johannesburg, in 2017.

inspired by his trip to Brazil for World Youth Day, and while there visited the national Marian shrine at Aparecida, run by the Redemptorists,” he said. On his return to South Africa, Archbishop Tlhagale invited the local Redemptorists to help in establishing a Marian shrine. “Though it took a while to locate the perfect grounds for the shrine, in 2016 the archdiocese bought an old Jewish property called Camp David, previously used for youth camps,” said Fr Uloko. “The area was specifically chosen for its serenity and closeness to nature.’’ The near-completion of the shrine and pastoral centre are the first phase of the building project, he said, “with other phases such as a permanent chapel, Rosary gardens, and Stations of the Cross as funds are raised’’.

Stepping up for orphaned and vulnerable children BY eRIn CAReLSe

RPHANS and vulnerable children, irrespective of their religious ties, are the focus of a project in the archdiocese of Cape Town. St Kizito’s Children’s Programme is a community-based, non-profit project responding to the Church’s call to offer a hand to those in need, and is part of the Cape Town archdiocese’s outreach. It aims to meet the physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological and spiritual needs of vulnerable children, especially those affected and infected by HIV/Aids. St Kizito is active in several disadvantaged communities in and around Cape Town. Trained members instruct others to establish parish groups in target areas. Once trained, these groups provide children and families in their communities with a range of services, and are themselves given on-

The St Kizito Children’s Programme operates in several disadvantaged areas in and around Cape Town, working primarily to help orphaned and vulnerable children and their families. While it is a Catholic programme, it serves children of any religious affiliation. going mentorship and support from the St Kizito office. These services include: • Regular home visits • Nutritional support (such as

food parcels and feeding schemes) • Distribution of clothing, blankets, and toiletries • Referrals to various service providers

• Provision of school uniforms and other educational support • HIV/Aids education, antiretroviral drugs to treat the condition, and counselling to keep people on

track with taking their medication • Help with applying for grants, pensions, IDs and other documents • Life skills education • Psycho-social support, including counselling, excursions, holiday programmes, Christmas parties, camps, and other recreational activities St Kizito workers get help too, through retreats, excursions, movement gatherings, and an annual thanksgiving Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Stephen Brislin. The children’s programme does, however, rely on the generosity of charities and individuals to keep going. To help St Kizito and its work, readers can make a one-off monetary contribution of any size; commit to monthly/regular amounts; donate items such as clothing, nonperishable foods, blankets and toys; or volunteer your time and skills. n For more information, or to join or contribute, contact Wayne Golding or Sonia McShane on 021 782 2880.

Pilgrimage to Lourdes

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Seminarian Sakhiwo Mzwandile Mguda, from Cape Town, with his great uncle, Mr Mzwabantu Mguda, whose late brother (Sakhiwo’s grandfather) was a permanent deacon. Sakhiwo is doing his first year at St Francis Xavier Orientation Seminary in Athlone, Cape Town.

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The Southern Cross, August 29 to September4, 2018

INTERNATIONAL

Clericalism: The culture that enables abuse and hides it BY CInDY WOODen

P An artist’s rendering shows Anna Kolaserova, a Slovak teen who was shot in 1944 in front of her family for resisting rape by a drunken Soviet soldier. She will be beatified in Slovakia on September 1. (Photo: Pastoral Centre of Anna Kolaserova/CnS)

Slovak teen beatified as martyr to purity BY JOnAThAn LUXMOORe

16-YEAR-old peasant girl will be beatified as a martyr in Slovakia, seven decades after she was shot in front of her family for resisting rape by a drunken Soviet soldier. Anna Kolaserova “embodies the faithful layperson living in their family, regularly receiving sacraments, praying the rosary and approaching God through good works. Her heroic testimony, drawn from a sincere spiritual life, is something every Catholic and believer can aspire to”, Archbishop Bernard Bober of Kosice, Slovakia, said. He said honoring Kolaserova, whose “reputation for holiness” had inspired young Slovaks, would give the local Church a unique chance for spiritual growth. “Servants of God who gave their lives for Christ in modern Slovak history were the victims of a totalitarian communist regime which suppressed religious freedom, and this will be the first layperson declared blessed,” Archbishop Bober said. Cardinal Giovanni Becciu, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Causes of Saints , was to beatify Kolaserova in Kosice on September 1.

At least 30 000 Catholics are expected to attend the beatification in Lokomotiva Stadium. Kolaserova was born on July 14, 1928, at Vysoka nad Uhom, near the present Slovak-Ukrainian border. When Kolaserova was 13 her mother died, so she took over household duties, and regularly attended Mass and rosary services with her father and elder brother. When the Red Army captured the village on November 22, 1944, witnesses said Kolaserova had taken refuge in the cellar. Asked to find food when a drunken soldier entered the house, Kolaserova broke free when he tried to rape her. She was shot twice through the head in front of her father and neighbours. The 16-year-old was buried at night in a makeshift coffin but was given a formal funeral a week later by Fr Anton Lukac, who recorded that she had received confession and Communion before her death and made a “sacrifice of holy purity”. In a website statement, the Kosice archdiocese said accounts of her testimony had been secretly gathered in the 1950s by Jesuit Father Michal Potocky. The statement said her grave had become a place of pilgrimage after the 1989 collapse of communist rule.—CNS

OPE Francis blamed “clericalism” in the Catholic Church for creating a culture where criminal abuse was widespread and extraordinary efforts were made to keep the crimes hidden. Throughout his pontificate, the pope has targeted clericalism as an illness in the Church, an ailment that pretends “the Church” means “priests and bishops”, that ignores or minimises the God-given grace and talents of laypeople, and that emphasises the authority of clerics over their obligation of service. “To say ‘no’ to abuse is to say an emphatic ‘no’ to all forms of clericalism,” the pope wrote in a letter to all Catholics. For more than two decades, Russell Shaw has been warning of the disaster clericalism poses for the Church. Writing for Angelus News, Shaw looked particularly at accusations of sexual abuse and misconduct levelled against nowArchbishop Theodore McCarrick. “Clericalism doesn’t totally account for what happened,” he wrote, “but it is an important part of the explanation, and it’s essential that we understand how that was

so,” particularly in explaining how the archbishop was able to rise so high in the Church’s hierarchy. Australia’s Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse issued its report last December after five years of hearings and investigations, and it concluded that “clericalism is at the centre of a tightly interconnected cluster of contributing factors” to abuse within the Catholic Church. “Clericalism is linked to a sense of entitlement, superiority and exclusion, and abuse of power,” the report said. The Royal Commission report also tried to tackle some Catholic theology, claiming, “The theological notion that the priest undergoes an ‘ontological change’ at ordination, so that he is different to ordinary human beings and permanently a priest, is a dangerous component of the culture of clericalism. The notion that the priest is a sacred person contributed to exaggerated levels of unregulated power and trust, which perpetrators of child sexual abuse were able to exploit.” Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, conference president, said his acceptance of the idea of clericalism as a contributing factor to the

abuse crisis obviously does not mean he accepts the Royal Commission’s understanding of the theology of holy orders. The phrase “ontological change” is what the Church uses to describe what happens in ordination, he said; it affirms that “God actually does something in ordination, something which reaches into the depths of a man’s being” and that “once a man is ordained, his relationships with other people and with God are radically and permanently changed”. Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a professor of theology at Manhattan College, spoke on how clericalism can infect the laity as well as priests and bishops. “The laity, told repeatedly that the priest is special and uniquely holy—‘ontological change’, ‘indelible mark’—is not inclined to believe the clergy capable of sin,” she said, “and then when these allegations arise, and are corroborated, the breakdown in trust is irreparable”. “There are ways in which clericalism hurts everyone,” she said: “The laity is victimised and infantilised; the clergy is isolated and expected to be superhuman.”—CNS

Baseball nun becomes internet sensation

OT only is Dominican Sister Mary Jo Sobieck a nun, she’s also an internet sensation. The ceremonial first pitch she tossed prior to a Chicago White SoxKansas City Royals game in Chicago—a curveball with what baseball insiders call “12-to-6” action—was a perfect strike. It also didn’t hurt that Sr Sobieck bounced the ball off her bicep before making the memorable pitch. One 24-second clip of Sr Sobieck throwing the pitch garnered 2,73 million internet views. Even the Chisox’s own Twitter account called it “one of the most impressive first pitches of all time”. White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito, who crouched at home plate to catch

Dominican Sister Mary Jo Sobieckthrows the ceremonial first pitch during the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals game. (Photo: Anthony Peter, Chicago White Sox) the nun’s toss, remarked after the game: “That was awesome. She had a whole routine. She had it planned

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out. I was just lucky to be back there. She threw a perfect pitch.” Sr Sobieck, a member of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois, is a theology teacher at Marian Catholic High School in suburban Chicago Heights. On the mound, she wore over her habit a Marian Catholic T-shirt with the number “60” on the back to observe the school’s 60th anniversary. It also was Marian Catholic Night at the ballpark. For her part, Sr Sobieck is modestly nonplussed about it all. “My goal is to just inspire young people to do their best and let God do the rest. It’s a question of giving your all, being resilient, part of a team,” she said on the school’s website.—CNS

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INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, August 29 to September 4, 2018

Victims felt hurt by fellow Catholics’ lack of compassion BY ZITA BALLInGeR FLeTCheR

EXUAL assault victims say they were hurt not only by individual priests, but by Church officials and ordinary Catholics who treated them with intolerance and indifference. Four survivors of sexual assaults by priests shared their stories with Catholic News Service. They are: Jim VanSickle and Mike McDonnell of Pennsylvania, Michael Norris of Houston and Judy Larson of Utah. Many of them have not been to a Catholic church in years. They say the hardhearted attitudes of diocesan officials, staff and ordinary churchgoers and an atmosphere at their parishes allowed the abuse. “Being raised Catholic, I remember—you don’t speak out against your own Church,” said Mr VanSickle. “Nobody’s going to listen to you.” Most of them belonged to what they described as extremely traditional parishes and said they were attacked as vulnerable children. Their view of Catholicism changed when fellow believers showed them no compassion and acted to protect selfish interests. “I’ve known others that came forward. They were ridiculed and ostracised—even by their own family members,” said Mr VanSickle, 55. He stood next to Attorney General Josh Shapiro when the Pennsylvania grand jury findings were released to the public. He had suffered silently for 37 years after being sexually abused by a priest at age 16. “We lived in a neighbourhood where most of the people in the subdivision were Catholic. Everything in our lives revolved around the Church,” said Ms Larson, who is now retired and in her 70s. “To be in that kind of environment and try to say something horrible happened to you, by a person everybody thinks is a god on earth, you’re all alone.” The abuses these survivors suf-

fered at the hands of priests were not crimes of passion, they said, but cold exploitations of control. Most victims were not aware that their attackers were serial abusers. Each felt alone when he or she was victimised. “I think it’s opportunistic,” said Mr VanSickle. “I feel like I was targeted.” “It’s a lifelong impact. I deal with it every single day,” said Mr Norris, a chemical engineer. He said he was abused by a priest in Louisville, Kentucky, at age 10. After many years of struggle, he revealed the truth to his devout parents at a point when he “couldn’t take it anymore”. When he acted to report the abuse, he and his family members were mistreated by fellow Catholics in the archdiocese. “They discredited me,” he said. “Probably the biggest disappointment in my life was how the Church responded to my accusations. Maybe I was naive, but I expected them to believe my story and take action. When they didn’t do what I saw as morally right, I became more disillusioned with their teachings.” Survivors also faced a stigma caused by sexual assault. The victims were molested at an age when they did not know about sex. Confused, they realised what happened when they grew up. Feeling disgust, anger and shame, they feared hostile reactions from their traditional communities. “When I was growing up, we were told, ‘It would be better for you to die than lose your virtue.’ This was told to me in fourth grade,” said Ms Larson. “I didn’t know what ‘lose your virtue’ meant.” She was raped by a priest one year later at age 10. After realising the truth as an adult, she did not tell her parents. She knew they would not listen, since it was taboo to speak ill of a priest or nun in their presence. Some Catholics viewed sex as scandalous and treated victims as

Cardinal Kevin Farrell:Church needs God to build bridges BY SARAh MAC DOnALD

ARDINAL Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, said the Church needs God to help it build bridges, to communicate and to help it understand that “we need to speak to each other and accept each other as children of God”. Speaking on the first full day of the World Meeting of Families, the cardinal said that was the message the international gathering was hoping to achieve. In a wide-ranging news conference that touched on the role of women in the Church and LGBT issues, the cardinal said the fundamental message of the Gospel was the same for all of God’s creation. “It is extremely important that all Catholics understand that we are all created in the likeness and image of God,” he said. The Dublin-born prelate was asked about building bridges with Catholic women like Mary McAleese, former president of Ireland, who has said she will stay away from the pastoral congress at the Royal Dublin Society because of the Church’s treatment of women. “We have to learn how to deal with each other, and the most important aspect of dialogue and building bridges is to listen to people. We don’t all have to agree with each other every time,” he said. Speaking at the same news confer-

Cardinal Kevin Farrel chats with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin during the opening ceremony of the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. (Photo: John Mcelroy/CnS) ence, Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin described the number of people sexually abused as children by Catholic clergy and abused in Church-run institutions in Ireland as “immense”. He said the number was so large because it included victims of industrial schools, the Magdalene laundries, mother and baby homes and children abused by priests in parishes. He said that victims who have come forward are only a fraction of the real number abused. Archbishop Martin also highlighted his concern over the “very low” number of abusers convicted in the Irish courts for their crimes.— CNS

A woman holds this sign as members of the Survivors network of those Abused by Priests (SnAP) hold a news conference in front of the diocese of Pittsburgh several days after a Pennsylvania grand jury released a stinging report that said more than 300 priests sexually abused more than 1 000 children over the course of several decades. (Photo: Chaz Muth/CnS) if they were contaminated. “People say, ‘You’re a bad person,’ or ‘You must have wanted it’,” said Mr VanSickle. “It’s amazing that they attack their own people. They attack their own faithful.” The survivors are disillusioned with the way Church officials handle abuse cases. This disillusionment has affected their personal beliefs. Mr Norris is no longer Christian. “I personally can’t set foot in another church because of what’s happened and the way I was treated,” he said. Ms Larson hasn’t been inside a church in over 50 years. “For a lot of us, going to church is a triggering experience. It’s re-traumatising to victims,” she said. Mr VanSickle said he has strong belief in Jesus and has stayed a Christian. His family members are Catholic. He welcomes interactions with Catholics and wishes to be reconciled with the Church, but

wants the institution to change first. “To be away from the Eucharist in my life is a hard thing to deal with because of my belief as a Catholic,” he said. “But I can’t reconcile myself with the Church until I see change.” They feel sorry for Catholics who are struggling with their beliefs in light of the recent grand jury report. Mr Norris and VanSickle say they do not wish for Catholics to lose their faith. Despite the pain caused by recent revelations, they hope change will result. “It reopens a wound from the past for me as a survivor. But I’m also extremely happy that this information is coming to light,” said Mr McDonnell, a specialist at a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Philadelphia, regarding the recent grand jury report. “It is vindication and validation for many survivors and victims.” He believes the Church needs to

stop withholding information about abuse and be honest with the public. “It will invite people back to the Catholic Church once they see that the Church is not just publicly making a statement that ‘we’re sorry’,” he said. As the Church hierarchy considers change, Catholics can make simple changes in their homes and parishes. According to Ms Larson, the average age for a clergy sexual abuse victim to come forward is 42. As child victims grow into adults, they begin to realise what happened to them—and fall silent due to religious and social pressures. Ordinary Catholics can solve this problem, she said, by treating others around them with openheartedness instead of moral superiority. “Be compassionate,” said Ms Larson, sharing her advice to families coping with revelations of abuse. “Believe your family member. They’re in pain. And they’ve held this terrible secret for many, many years because of their fear of your reaction when they tell you.” One of the hardest things Mr Norris experienced in his life was the shattering effect of the abuse on his parents. They did not find out about it until they were much older. One of the last things his father expressed on his deathbed was sorrow for what happened. Mr VanSickle said a family’s first responsibility is to love and believe a child who speaks out about sexual abuse by clergy. “They need to wrap their arms around that kid and make them feel safe. That never happened for me,” he said. “You need to hug and protect your child first. Deal with the Church after.” Mr McDonnell said victims recover with support from others, including fellow survivors. “Part of the healing process is coming forward. I’m only as sick as my secrets,” he added. “Talk to somebody.”—CNS

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The Southern Cross, August 29 to September 4, 2018

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Christian unity critically needed in our time T

Editor: Günther Simmermacher Guest editorial: Michael Shackletonm

Prayers of the faithful

HEN the Western Cape and other affected areas recently confronted the prospect of a devastating regional drought, it seemed natural for people to pray for rain. Religious leaders of all faiths met together to do this. More recently, since dam levels have shown a marked improvement, the same leaders have again come together to give thanks. In Cape Town, Mayor Patricia de Lille, who hosted the interfaith gathering, remarked that God does listen to us at all times. Belief in divine care for our planet and its populations cannot be far from people’s awareness in cases such as this. Catholics have no doubt that God listens to our prayers. In our liturgical celebrations we pray at every turn. The liturgy is our corporate recognition of the presence of God in our lives, an act of adoration, praise, thanksgiving and petition by the People of God. It is founded on the certainty that God is faithful, never abandoning his children in their needs and stress. This assurance of God’s constancy is the same as that experienced by the Children of Israel in the Old Testament. Their liturgy was based on the commemoration of the saving power of God in delivering them from Egyptian bondage and their being his own Chosen People. Begging God for rain to fill the dams and reservoirs is an immediate prayer in hard times.

But there are also other hard times to be faced by the Church and all people. We are weathering grave dangers to the future of Earth, the moral integrity of the Church’s own consecrated ministers, the very faith of the faithful. The Prayers of the Faithful are regularly recited during our Sunday liturgy. In them, in all probability, parishes everywhere are already expressing real consciousness of the unprecedented evils threatening us, and they are entreating divine support. To avoid the possibility of people praying only with their lips at Mass, there would appear to be a need for us to remember that all prayer has to be sincere. It must be offered with absolute confidence that God can do what is asked. It must be offered in faith and trust in God’s real concern for those who turn to him. Corporate prayer for rain has demonstrated that in dire cases humans seem to be hardwired to seek divine protection. This implies that the petitions we make liturgically should brim over from the formal to the informal. They should be carried into our homes, our private devotions, and our workplaces. In genuine prayer we remain on good terms with our Father in heaven. For every scandal, every threat to our faith, every triumph of grace over sin, the response should be a prayer of utter trust in the name of Christ, the Father’s Son.

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GOD BLESS AFRICA Guard our people, guide our leaders and give us peace. Luke 11:113

HE Church is entering a crucial period. Christianity is divided, Islam isn’t. Pope Francis is endeavouring to bridge the gap between Catholicism and Protestantism. He is trying, but he is being blocked by conservatism and those who refuse to move forward. A typical case is the example of the Protestant man or wife who attends Mass with his/her spouse and wishes to receive communion. The spokesman for the Southern

Priests often failed by parishioners

LROY Swart, in his letter “Why are many priests still a law unto themselves?” (August 15), obviously feels very strongly. However, there are several things to consider regarding priests: 1. The parish has been given to the priest and is his responsibility. He probably has to answer to his bishop on this. 2. The priest sometimes asks for help and there are few volunteers, as some need to be “specially invited” to help with church matters. 3. Volunteers who actually do work for the church (to assist the priest) seem to be stuck with the job. There are people who are prepared to work and there are people prepared to let them, who have a lot to say and no input. 5. How many times has one heard “I will do this and I will get that and I know someone who will give” and when push comes to shove, nothing happens? 6. Ideally, the priest’s duty is to save the souls of his parish, and the parish council should be there to do the business side. Sometimes the priest does everything and then finds it hard to let go to helpers, many of whom have previously let him down. 7. PPC committee meetings have agendas and keep minutes, and should not be social events. Also, has Mr Swart discussed his objections with his priest? Or tried to find out about all the duties involved in this day and age in “being” a priest? It is easy to criticise, and speak out without meeting your priest face to face. Is it because we can dish it out but can’t take it ourselves? Donnaé Stone, Port Elizabeth

Rosary Priest’s Bloemfontein visit

HANK you for your articles on Rosary Priest Fr Patrick Peyton (August 1) which brought back memories of his 1955 visit to my

African Catholic Bishops’ Conference spelt it out recently in black and white. This basically means that in order for the Protestant spouse to receive communion, he/she has to leave his or her belief at the church door and embrace the Catholic belief (transubstantiation) while receiving the host. Millions of Protestants throughout the world believe in “consubstantiation”, and that is why they

are happy to be Protestants. Why should they change that belief for one hour while in a Catholic church? Would Bishop Victor Phalana change his belief for one hour in any circumstance? It is obvious that he, and other local bishops, do not want to support the bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, who has the vision to see the bigger picture. Patrick Dacey, Johannesburg

convent school in Bloemfontein during my Standard 9 year. An aura of saintliness, kindness, empathy and integrity radiated from this priest. When he shook my hand, he smiled warmly, like an old and dear friend. An Irish priest who had emigrated to America, he found himself shaken by the rate of divorce in the United States. In Ireland, the elimination of the prohibition on divorce would only be signed into law in 1996, 41 years on, so as far as he was aware, it didn’t exist. Fr Peyton said: “My people were poor, but their family life was strong. Many Americans were better off. They seemed to own little houses with a little car in the garden but their prosperity did not appear to bring families closer together. Upon reflection, I concluded that the difference lay in the fact that so many Irish families recited the Rosary together daily.’’ This led to Fr Peyton’s slogan, “The family that prays together, stays together”, and culminated in his establishing a Rosary campaign. I was hesitant to sign the Rosary pledge he proffered, doubting my ability to persevere, but his rapturous praises of the Blessed Virgin Mary prevailed and I signed on the dotted line. Although my record is not unblemished, I still make an effort to adhere to my commitment. I asked a fellow parishioner, with whom I had been at school, if she remembered Fr Peyton’s 1955 visit. She said she still recited her Rosary daily. People tell me the Rosary takes too long to say, but it does not take long at all. On that point, our catechism teacher, Fr Albert Detremmerie OMI, told us that the Knights of Da Gama had visited parishioners of the procathedral of the Sacred Heart in Bloemfontein to invite them to sign up for the Rosary pledge. Fr Detremmerie was a Belgian in whom an impish sense of humour battled for mastery with a profound religious fervour. He chortled when he told us that two knights had been told by a lady parishioner that the Rosary took too long to say, “Fifty-three Hail Mary’s! It’s endless.’’

The knights replied, “No ma’am, only 12 minutes max’’, and went down on their knees to prove it while she held the stopwatch. It was a rush against time but they managed to beat the deadline. I think she signed. As for me, some days, before starting to pray the Rosary, I may feel stressed, cross, uncertain, disillusioned, heartsore or afraid. By the end, however, the six Cs prevail: calm, comfort, confidence, consolation, contentment and courage. Therefore I remain deeply grateful to Fr Peyton, whose Rosary campaign brought me these munificent gifts, while also, incidentally, saving me a king’s ransom in tranquillisers. Luky Whittle, Kroonstad

Teen sanity and acts of kindness

PSYCHOLOGICAL study has shown that teenagers involved in service to others and acts of kindness were happier, had fewer teenage pregnancies, and fewer disciplinary problems, than other adolescents. Therefore, Church youth groups could consider occasionally taking part in good deeds and service to others. For example, they could serve tea to pensioners after Mass one Sunday; tidy a church garden or park; put on a nativity play or carols concert for parishioners (in the December school holidays); hold a fun morning for younger children or orphans with bubble-blowing, story reading, games, singing, and so on. Such positive activities are particularly suitable for school holidays when pupils have time and are not studying or busy with other school activities. JM Thompson, Johannesburg 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. . Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

PERSPECTIVES

How do we find Truth? T HERE are two kinds of truth-seekers: those who constantly strive to find the Truth (with a capital T) and those who feel trapped by the idea that a truth system shapes our lives. The latter group may opt for what we call relativism, where there is no single foundation of truth, but each one of us makes our own truth. Christians often caution against relativism, describing it as a moral quicksand. If there is no common foundation, they say, it is very easy to sink and drown, because there is no longer any anchor with which to find the solid ground of meaning, purpose, identity, or even God. But I also fear that when we treat truth as granite, as a hard, impermeable rock on which nothing ever grows, then how can we deepen the experience of truth? How can we draw closer to the God who constantly surprises us with his greatness, his mercy, his abundance—and how can we possibly enter the mystery of all those areas that our human language and experience cannot define? That is one of the tenets of our faith: that ultimately the fullness of God is a mystery that we can draw ever closer to, but, like mathematical infinity, we cannot reach until we are united with God in eternity. Another danger of treating truth like granite is that it becomes very easy to use it as a weapon to exclude those who are at different stages in the quest for truth. Its intransigence discourages those who are on the path of self-discovery and does not make allowances for any detours or wrong turns. Similarly, the visionaries (and the prophets of our times) who have captured glimpses of a higher truth are often vilified and stoned—literally or figuratively—for forging the path in which the rest of humanity will one day follow. It seems, therefore, that neither quicksand nor granite are good metaphors to use in the search for truth.

see if they would fit in the jar. As the pebbles dropped in, they filled in the spaces in between the stones. Again, he asked them whether the jar was full. The students indicated that this time it was. But then the professor gave them some sand, which trickled into the spaces between the pebbles and the stones. The professor used this as a metaphor to indicate that our lives are made up both of the large rocks—the important things—as well as the sand of the little things that complete our lives. Perhaps the quest for truth is a little bit like this. We need to have some foundational rocks. As Christians, this includes knowledge of God, a life of faith founded on the common values of love for God and one another, forgiveness and respect for the dignity of life.

owever, if that is all that our faith consists of, then we are missing opportunities to grow and to draw nearer to a personal relationship with God, who has a perfect plan for humanity and for each of our lives. We need to make space for the pebbles and the sand. As the pebbles and sand rub against the rocks, the friction takes away the sharp edges of the rocks, making them sit more comfortably on top of other stones and pebbles, creating a space for God to surprise us, to show us that what we held as truth can be deepened, or can take on new meaning in a changing world. One very practical example from the history of humanity shows us how truth can evolve. Slavery was a common practice at the time of Jesus. The first Apostles never called

erhaps the journey into truth is a little bit like a story I once heard about “the jar of life”. A university professor asked his students to fill a jar with stones. After they had done so, he asked them if the jar was full. The students agreed that it was. But then the professor provided some small pebbles and invited the students to

A story of a jar of stones helps us understand the nature of truth.

Sarah-Leah Pimentel

The Mustard Seeds

for the abolition of slavery. But they remembered Jesus’ words, saying that his followers are no longer servants “because a servant does not know his master’s business”, but rather, they had become friends “for everything that I have learned from my Father, I have made known to you” (Jn 15:15). The very next logical step in this pursuit of truth is when St Paul tells the Galatians that there is “no slave nor free” [person] because “all are one in Christ Jesus”. That narrative would certainly have been controversial, given the social hierarchies of the day where a man’s wealth was partially determined by the number of slaves he kept. At that time, one of the things that differentiated a good rich man from a bad rich man was the way he treated his slaves. Down through the centuries the Church grew to an awareness that slavery was wrong because it went against the value of the inherent dignity of each human person who is created equal and loved equally by God. Yet, it would take 18 centuries after Christ for humanity to accept this truth and abolish slavery.

o why then, have some people reacted so badly to Pope’s Francis’ revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, stating that the death penalty is now inadmissible? The pope didn’t introduce a new teaching or dogma. He merely extended what was already in article 2267 of the Catechism. I wonder whether the criticism of Pope Francis’ proclamation was not from those who treated the Catechism and Church teaching as if it were impermeable granite. They call themselves defenders of the faith, but perhaps in doing so, they have prevented God’s grace, mercy and mystery from softening the hard edges and filling the gaps of our understanding. If we are serious about our quest for truth, then we need to immerse ourselves in Scripture, deeply study the teachings of the Church, identify the signs of the times, and listen to the voices of the prophets— speaking both from the papal seat and from the Church militant—and help forge an ever-deeper appreciation of Christ’s invitation to follow him, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life for all people.

Our Mother, who art in heaven? Keenan I Williams S it time that we feminise God? It is a question I have been pondering ever since a visiting priest celebrated Mass at our parish a few weeks ago. Imagine my shock when at the start of the Mass as we made the sign of the cross the priest led it with, “In the name of the Mother, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”! In his homily the priest explained that we as a Church have masculinised God too much, and if we are truly to see that we all—men and women—are created in the image of God, we should embrace that God might be female too. It didn’t end there. In the parts of the liturgy of the Eucharist where the term “God the Father” was to be used, he omitted it and replaced it with “God our Parent”. Before joining together to pray the “Our Father”, he also invited those in the congregation who wished to do so to pray the “Our Mother”, if they so wished. I began accepting this as the Mass proceeded, and then as weeks went by, I began thinking more and more about it. I wouldn’t know if the rubrics allow the priest to do something this radical, but my question remains: is it time that we feminise God? On Maundy Thursday 1984, the Anglican cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan unveiled a bronze statue of Christ. But to the shock of the congregation, the image of Jesus on the Cross was, in fact, an image of Christa. The crucifix portrayed Christ as a woman, complete with breasts and rounded hips. Overruling the dean of the cathedral, the suffragan bishop of the Anglican diocese of New York called the statue “theologically and historically indefensible”. Is God really he? If we are all created in the image of him, where does that leave women? The Christa sculpture was the liberal Church’s response to the question. This is not just a conversation I want to

Talking Faith

Should we be free to see God as a woman? Keenan Williams has been asking himself that question ever since hearing a priest doing so at a Mass. have because feminism is a hot topic of late, but because how we imagine God to be is fundamental to our faith and belief. This is true especially when we pray. Often we want to see the person we are having a conversation with. So the question arises: whom do you picture in your mind when you are praying?

f we are to fully understand the emotions of some people, maybe we will understand that some of us have been hurt so badly at the hands of men, that for some, the thought of a man in their lives breaks their spirit. For some, thinking of God in masculine terms isn’t what they want to believe, especially in the time of the #MeToo movement. When the priest at that Mass invited those in the congregation who so wished to pray “Our Mother”, I could see relief on some of the congregants’ faces. It was as though they were given the assurance that God is both feminine and masculine. The masculine side of the human race may have broken and hurt the spirit of that congregant, but the feminine side of who God is gave them a newer lease on life.

So, are we “allowed” to feminise God? Do we have the scriptural mandate to do something like that? I believe that if we begin altering Scripture to suit us and our emotions, fundamentally we will be left with a comic book with words, texts and phrases which were not inspired by God. We need to understand it and we need to accept that God through the scriptures referred to himself as “He”. God chose to reveal himself with male imagery, the perfect Father. And when Christ taught us to pray, he did so by saying “Our Father”. When he instructed us to be one, he said we should do so in a similar way as he and the Father are one. As men, we may be to blame for the lack of Christian conversion. We have not been courageous enough to be the fathers we ought to be, the husbands we should be, and ultimately the men we are needed to be. Society teaches us males to “man up” and to “be strong”. However, we need to understand that it is okay to cry, it is okay to show our feminine sides as men. As the broken-hearted among us continue to seek God, and as we live in a fatherless nation, maybe it is time for one of us to take a stand and hopefully by doing that, our example would emulate the heart of the True Father and draw people towards him and ultimately their and our salvation in him. Beyond a conversation of whether we should “feminise” God, maybe we should accept that through him and in him, he includes us all.

The Southern Cross, August 29 to September 4, 2018

Kelvin Banda OP

Point of Reflection

Women are drivers of faith

OST theologians in their works on inculturation praise males as the ones responsible for effecting this in a particular culture. Yet, in most African countries, it takes place mainly because of women. Inculturation is “the process by which catechesis ‘takes flesh’ in various cultures”, as Pope John Paul II put it in his 1995 exhortation Ecclesia in Africa. He also explains that inculturation has two dimensions namely, the ultimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their integration into Christianity and the insertion of Christianity in various human cultures. For this to be incorporated properly, inculturation needs a thorough and deep knowledge, and the full participation of women. Mothers especially are indispensable agents of evangelisation, particularly in African families, where they usually are the first teachers of moral values to children, and Small Christian Communities. Be it African religious Sisters, single women or wives: women are key agents of inculturation into the Church. Women, as agents are more creative than men when it comes to developing forms of worship in which people can reach out to God. For example, music, songs, local liturgical vestments, liturgical dances during the offertory procession—all these are usually developed by women.

he New Testament offers exceptional glimpses of women in leadership positions as well as in Christian communities. In most indigenous cultures where Christianity has been implanted, we can see women in leadership roles, despite maledominated societies. In South Africa, the researcher Dr Deborah Gaitskell found that women have overcome opposition to forge a novel form of solidarity which has given them strength both personally and socially in cultures where they were seriously undervalued. This was their distinctive feature for inculturation. Their work was based on a revivalist (umvuselelo) form of worship including prayer, praise, preaching, exhortation, confession and repentance. Since women tend to have stronger religious beliefs than men, they ensure that inculturation is accepted by the people. The African sense of community is important not because of men, but because of women who are the mothers of communities. In the process of inculturation, usually it is women who are ardent advocates of and participants in dialogue. They enter into discussions through which they both give and receive. The openness and zeal of women ensures that the Gospel becomes a total way of life for people within a particular culture—a lived theology.

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The Southern Cross, August 29 to September 4, 2018

COMMUNITY

holy Rosary School in edenvale, Johannesburg, held an alumni cocktail evening, welcoming pupils back from 2008, 1998, 1988, and 1978. Seen here is the class of 2008. (Back from left) Samantha van Reenen, Danielle Lydon, emma Birkett (Davel), Jayne Plint (Moyles), Candice Carlson, natalie Gomes, Samantha Ballard, Leanne van Breda, Inge Rademeyer, natalie di Gaspero, Katie Davies, Laura ermacora and Simone Khan (Davel). (Middle from left) Claire Gueit, Farah Ismail, Jennifer Valentim, Lorena Sardinha (Romanini), Yoana Fogolin (hristova), nikita Labuschagne (De Araujo), Charissa Mynhardt and Meagan harrison (Cerqueiro). (Front from left) Caroline Zanempi (Pretorius), Gina Barreto, Aurelia Waliszewski, hilary Smith, Jenna Dixon (Wright), Leanne Voerman, Ashleigh van der Westhuzien and Tatum hodgkinson.

Assumption Convent School in Germiston, Johannesburg, again won the Inter-Catholic Schools cross-country event. Seen is the winning cross-country team.

Catholic Women’s League members of Our Lady of Fatima parish in Durban north collected toys, books, DVDs, puzzles and crayons and took them to the children’s TB ward at King Dinuzulu hospital, where they spent fun time with the youngsters. (Submitted by Anna Accolla)

PRICE CHECK

Carmelite Father Boniface D’Souza of Our Lady of Loreto church in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, and young Matthew Lai celebrated their birthdays on the same day at a parish tea after Mass (one turning 47 and the other three). Fr D’Souza is seen with parish secretary Agnes Bartus (left) and Kit Senwitz. Fr D’Souza concelebrated Mass with confrère Fr Arwin Tauro from Our Lady of Mt Carmel parish in Benoni. high school parents, students and staff of Marist Brothers Linmeyer in Johannesburg South donated blankets, food, soup, clothing and hand towels to Lerato nursery School in Jackson’s Drift squatter camp, run by the Salesian Sisters, and the St Vincent de Paul Society, which handed over the items at St Patrick’s parish in La Rochelle.

Baradi ba Anna (St Anne’s Sodality) in Klerksdorp diocese held its annual retreat, with members from the Bloemfontein branch also attending.The retreat’s theme was “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21). Retreat leader Fr Molebatsi Moshoeshoe ntomane of Kroonstad was assisted by spiritual director Fr Tom Maretlane, Fr Daniel nthutang, and Fr Peter Ramakatsa of Bloemfontein.

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Bishops OK Ngome nun’s saint cause STAFF REPORTER

HE bishops of Southern Africa have approved the process of the sainthood cause for the Benedictine Sister whose visions of the Virgin Mary in the 1950s and ’70s are the source of devotion at the shrine of Ngome in Eshowe diocese. The cause for Sr Reinolda May, who died in 1981, will join two other current sainthood causes: those of the martyr Bl Benedict Daswa and of Abbot Franz Pfanner, founder of the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries and the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood. Bl Daswa was beatified in 2015, the first South African to reach the final stage before canonisation as a saint. For Bl Daswa’s canonisation, one Vaticanapproved miracle is necessary. For Sr Reinolda’s cause, a large amount of documentation and other bureaucratic processes are the first step. The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference at its August meeting in Mariannhill heard a presentation, led by Bishop Xolelo Thaddaeus Kumalo of Eshowe, on the proposed cause for the German-born nun before approving it. “With this approval the diocese of Eshowe will now request Pope Francis and the Vatican to examine the life of Sr Reinolda in the hope of declaring her a saint,” said SACBC spokesman Archbishop William Slattery in a statement. “Sr Reinolda worked for 38 years as a midwife and tutor of generations of nurses. All who knew her spoke of her gentleness and her total dedication to women giving birth,” Archbishop Slattery said. “One of the witnesses who it is hoped will give evidence is [Zulu] King Zwelithini whom Sister assisted into the world at his birth,” he said. The German missionary was a very popular midwife at Benedictine Mission Hospital in Nongoma—many thousands of

Bishops and officials of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference at their August plenary in Mariannhill at which they discussed economic transformation, elected a new leadership, and approved the sainthood cause for Sr Reinolda May of Ngome (more on pages 2 and 3). (Photo: SACBC)

Sr Reinolda May, whose sainthood cause was approved by the bishops of Southern Africa. Now Pope Francis must give the goahead for it to be formally launched. newborns went through her hands, from princes to the poorest. Born as Franziska May on October 21, 1901, in Pfahlheim, near Stuttgart, she was professed as a Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing in 1925 and left for South Africa the same year. She made her final vows in 1928. She worked for ten years in Mbongolwane in KwaZulu-Natal and at Inkamana Abbey, near Vryheid. Having obtained a diploma in midwifery in 1938, she opened the maternity section in the Benedictine Mission Hospital in Nongoma. Nicknamed Mashiyane by the locals on account if her thick eyebrows, Sr Reinolda was fluent in isiZulu.

ister Reinolda reported ten apparitions of Our Lady between 1955 and 1971. Eight of her apparitions took place in the 1950s; during one of them, Our Lady asked

for a shrine to be built at a place “where seven streams meet”. When Sr Reinolda identified Ngome—which was already sacred to Zulus—as that site, springs were found. A small church was built there in 1966, with the reluctant permission of Bishop Aurelian Bilgeri. First signs of devotion were evident already in 1966, but while the local bishop allowed a small church to be built there, he limited the devotion. Almost 12 years after the last of the eight 1950s apparitions, the Virgin appeared for twice more, as Mary, the Tabernacle of the Most High, in 1970 and 1971. The devotion grew after Sr Reinolda’s death at 79 on April 1, 1981. In 1992, Bishop Mansuet Biyase, who had initially been reluctant, allowed the construction of a new church and encouraged pilgrimages to Ngome. Ngome is becoming an increasingly popular Marian shrine with Catholics from throughout South Africa and neighbouring countries. “Great numbers of people have found Ngome a place of peace, reconciliation with God and recovery of their faith,” Archbishop Slattery said. Sr Reinolda “was renowned for her holiness, prayerfulness and total dedication as a nurse”, he said. Many pilgrims who go to Ngome also include a visit to Sr Reinolda’s grave at Inkamana Abbey.

S o u t h e r n C r o s s Pilgrimage

Four steps to sainthood

HERE are four essential stages by which a cause for sainthood leads to canonisation, all including several smaller stages. Step 1: The local bishop presides over an initial investigation of the candidate’s life to determine whether that person is worthy of further consideration. If the bishop and his conference decide to proceed with the cause, the Vatican is asked to grant a Nihil Obstat (Latin for “nothing hinders”). This is the stage of Sr Reinolda May’s cause. Once a Nihil Obstat is granted, the candidate is called a “Servant of God”. Step 2: A Church official called “postulator” is appointed to coordinate the cause. His or her job is to prove that the candidate lived heroic virtues by compiling documents and testimonies. These are presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. Approved candidates are given the title “Venerable”. Step 3: To proceed to beatification, one miracle through the candidate’s intercession must be approved (except for martyrs, such as Bl Benedict Daswa). Step 4: Canonisation requires a second miracle after beatification, though a pope may waive that requirement.

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The Don Bosco Centre in Walkerville, Johannesburg, runs the LoveMatters programme for young people. During the school holidays, the centre, with the Pretoria archdiocese, ran workshops for more than 28 parishes, with 281 young people participating.

novice Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) are seen with Fr Sekabata Solomon Mphela OFM.

The Southern Cross, August 29 to September 4, 2018

FAITH

The sainthood of Sr Reinolda The sainthood cause for Sr Reinolda May, the visionary of Ngome,has taken its first steps. eRIn CAReLSe looks at the life of the Benedictine nun, how the devotion grew, and the way forward for her cause.

HEN the experts review the life of the Benedictine nun whose visions of the Virgin Mary in rural KwaZulu-Natal gave rise to the devotions at Ngome, they will encounter a hugely popular and holy woman— who helped bring a king into the world. Sr Reinolda May reported ten Marian apparitions between 1955 and 1971. The process of her cause for beatification was unanimously approved in August by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the first step on the way to canonised sainthood.

Early life Sr Reinolda was born Franziska May on October 21, 1901, in Pfahlheim, near Stuttgart in southwestern Germany. She was the youngest of nine children of a deeply religious family. Her parish priest, Fr Eugen Adis, was a strong promoter of vocations, and Franziska, who belonged to the sodality of Our Lady, was open to hearing God’s call. So it was no surprise when in 1922 she entered the convent of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters at Tutzing. Three years later she made her final profession, taking the name Reinolda, received her missionary cross and was posted to South Africa. She pronounced her final vows in Nongoma, KwaZuluNatal, in 1928. For the next ten years she worked as a seamstress at the mission stations of Entabeni and Mbongolwane, where she also taught catechism to locals. She displayed an unflagging devotion to the Eucharist and Mother Mary. While she was doing all that, Sr

Pilgrims on the way to the ngome sanctuary in eshowe diocese, near Vryheid, which was built after the Virgin Mary instructed Sr Reinolda to build a shrine for her “in the place where seven springs come together”. Reinolda became the first religious Sister in South Africa to take a course in midwifery, in part thanks to Bishop Thomas Spreiter of Eshowe, who allowed the Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing to assist women in childbirth. She received a diploma as a midwife from Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg in May 1938. The following month, the Benedictine Mission Hospital opened in Nongoma and Sr Reinolda was put in charge of the maternity department. During this time she made great efforts to learn the isiZulu language, devoting her life to serving the Zulu community, whose hearts she won through kindness and readiness to help. The trust she earned from the mostly poor and traditionalist community is also measurable by the 28 000 children born under her 38 years of tutelage and management at the Benedictine Mission Hospital’s maternity division. One of those 28 000 children was the future Zulu King, Goodwill

Zwelithini, in 1948. The king reportedly often came to her small office to seek advice She remained head of the department until her retirement in June 1976. The government took over the hospital in the same year. Sr Reinolda helped the poor, and her friendly demeanour guided many non-practising Catholics back to the Church. She kept meticulous records of every child who received emergency baptism at her maternity ward, and encouraged parents to enrol baptised children in Catholic schools. She was a very popular figure in the local communities, with the people nicknaming her “Mashiyane”, on account of her bushy eyebrows.

Visions of Mary While working at Nongoma, Sr Reinolda reported ten apparitions of the Virgin Mary, presenting herself as a “living monstrance”, between August 1955 and May 1971. She said the Blessed Virgin asked to

be called the “Tabernacle of the Most-High” (see below). Sr Reinolda died of cancer on April 1, 1981, at the age of 79. During the fourth encounter, in 1956, the Virgin Mary told Sr Reinolda that she wished for a shrine to be built for her “in the place where seven springs come together”, pointing into the direction of an empty area. Sr Reinolda May OSB That area turned out to be Ngome, where—unbeknown to Sr Reinolda—there were indeed the prefect of the congregation, springs when she finally identified Cardinal Angelo Amato, granting a nihil obstat. This means that there the place two years later. Ngome, 46km from Nongoma, are no obstacles hindering the initiat that time was a small cattle farm ation of the sainthood cause. which the Benedictines had bought Through this letter, Sr Reinolda received the official title “Servant of in 1944. Bishop Aurelius Bilgeri treated God”. Bishop Kumalo accepted responthe apparitions and the devotions they inspired with extreme caution, sibility as petitioner of the cause, allowing only a small chapel to be and assumed its moral and financial built in Ngome, near the seven obligations. In February 2017 he apsprings, in 1966. He never encour- pointed Fr Bonginkosi Dennis Xulu as postulator. This means that Fr aged devotion to the apparitions. Xulu from then on manTwo years after the ages the investigations for final two apparitions, Locals the cause. Bishop Bilgeri died and Once the investigations nicknamed was succeeded by Bishop are completed and the reMansuet Biyase. Sr Reinolda ports compiled, Bishop Bishop Biyase was more open to the devo- ‘Mashiyane’ Kumalo will pronounce the official opening of the tions to Our Lady of Ngome than his predebecause of cause. He stressed that while cessor, and allowed the her bushy this is a technical process, construction of a bigger it is also a highly spiritual chapel in 1984. eyebrows one which requires conFinally, in October stant prayer and reflection. 1992, Bishop Biyase debishop encouraged all clared Ngome a “Place of Prayer” The but it has had visits from devout Catholics to maintain a state of prayerfulness for the country, and pilgrims since 1961. the success of the cause of beatificaBirth of a cause tion. Sr Reinolda encountered difficulThe first step in the cause for Sr Reinolda’s sainthood was taken in ties in gaining acceptance of her viJanuary 2014 at St Joseph’s parish in sions and the messages she received Ngome, in the Inkamana deanery in them. She endured many humilof the diocese of Eshowe, when it iations. Today around 50 000 pilgrims requested that the local ordinary, Bishop Xolelo Thaddeus Kumalo, come annually to pray at the shrine consider her popularly known sanc- and to visit the grave of Sr Reinolda tity and heroic virtues, for motiva- at the Benedictine Inkamana Monastery. tion to the quest of her sainthood. Most of those pilgrims have A month later, Bishop Kumalo formalised the request by writing to found Ngome to be a place of peace, the Roman curia’s Congregation for reconciliation with God, and recovthe Causes of Saints on behalf of ery of faith. the diocese of Eshowe. A response n For more on Sr Reinolda and Ngome, was received in October 2014 from see www.ngome.co.za.

Sr Reinolda’s ten encounters with Our Lady

HESE are the ten apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to Sr Reinolda May between 1955 and 1971. 1st Encounter: August 22, 1955 Sr Reinolda’s first encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary occurred at the St Benedictine Mission Hospital in Nongoma on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “Shortly after receiving Holy Communion Mary stood before me, very close by. I was drawn into another atmosphere. Mary showed herself in a wonderful light, more beautiful than the sun. She was robed all in white—flowing veil from top to toe. Upon her breast rested a big host, surrounded by a brilliant corona, radiating life. She was a ‘living monstrance’. Mary stood upon the globe, hands and feet invisible,” Sr Reinolda reported. Mary said: “Call me Tabernacle of the Most High. You, too are such a tabernacle, believe it! I wish to be called upon by this title for the glory of my Son. I wish that more such tabernacles be prepared. I wish that the altars be surrounded by praying people more frequently. Don’t be afraid, make it known.” Sr Reinolda asked: “To whom?” Mary answered: “Don’t be afraid, tell your priest.” 2nd & 3rd Encounters: October 20 & 22, 1955 After Mass, it was the same figure, same place and same requests. “Then Christ came out of this big host and was in union with me.” 4th Encounter: March 15, 1956 Mary appeared again after Mass, reassured Sr Reinolda, and said: “I wish that a shrine be erected for me in the place where seven springs come together. There I let my graces flow in abundance. Many people shall turn to God.”

Our Lady of the Tabernacle of the Most high is seen at the ngome shrine. When Sr Reinolda asked where that place is, “without words, she made a movement of the hand. The left hand pointed majestically upwards in a certain direction.” 5th Encounter: June 5, 1956 “During Benediction on the feast of the Sacred Heart, Mary came out of the monstrance and approached me as a ‘living monstrance’.” 6th Encounter: March 15, 1957 Mary said: “I want to save the world through the host, my fruit. I am completely one with the host as I was one with Jesus under the cross. Fearful things are in store for you unless you convert.” Sr Reinolda asked: “We?” Mary answered: “Yes, if the religious do not convert and if the world does not convert.” 7th Encounter: May 24, 1957 These words were clearly heard: “Don’t lose heart.”

8th Encounter: April 17, 1958 Mary said: “Go to your place. Hurry up, the hour is advanced. I must keep back the streams of grace with force because you do not make any effort to help me. I am asking for help from you my chosen ones”. Sr Reinolda asked: “What are we supposed to do?” Mary replied: “Be hosts! Prepare hosts for me, hosts who put themselves completely at my disposal. Only a flaming sea of hosts can drive back the hate of the godless world and restrain the angry hand of the Father. Don’t get tired. I find consolation in revealing myself to you. I shall never abandon you.” Sr Reinolda: “Where is the place of the springs?” Mary: “On your property on the mountain.” With a movement of the hand, she indicated a second time the very same direction—towards Ngome, then a farm owned by the Benedictines. This was the last apparition for nearly 12 years. 9th Encounter: March 23, 1970 Following an apparition of the devil, Mary, the Tabernacle of the Most High, appeared to console and reassure Sr Reinolda. The apparition was accompanied by St Michael the Archangel in armour and cherubim robed in white. 10th Encounter: May 2, 1971 Sr Reinolda went to the Ngome chapel with a small group of women. A catechumen had complained that she experienced problems with a neighbour because she was converting. Sr Reinolda prayed aloud with the women, asking Mary for help. Suddenly, as the Virgin appeared, Sr Reinolda shouted: “Look at Mary!” She was convinced the women saw Mary too. The neighbour later asked the priest for pardon, and peace was restored.

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Let animals teach you a lesson ANIMALS WILL TEACH YOU, by Fr Larry Kaufmann and Sarah O’ Keeffe. Redemptorist Pastoral Publications, KZN. 2018. R100 Reviewed by Fr Kevin Reynolds WING to his preaching parish missions the length and breadth of South Africa, Redemptorist Father Larry Kaufmann has become one of our country’s best-known, respected and loved priests. In Animals Will Teach You one learns a tender reason why he’s a one-of-a-kind priest. Many years ago Fr Kaufmann fostered a teenaged boy, Reeza, who was orphaned following the death of his mother. In time, Reeza married Cheryl-Ann, to whom three sons were born: Christopher, Ross and Connor. They made Larry their honorary grandfather. As such, he soon learnt the important role of grandparents telling their little ones stories. This is the foundation for Animals, a children’s book which Fr Kaufmann co-authors with a talented teenaged girl, Sarah O’Keeffe,

who regards the priest as her “fairygodfather”. Eleven of the stories are by Fr Kaufmann and two are by O’Keeffe, who with Rachel Main is also responsible for artistically illustrating this gem of a book. In his introduction, Fr Kaufmann records how much he loved the animal stories which his maternal grandfather, “Pop” Campbell, told him as a young boy. This explains why two of Pop’s characters, Jakkalas and Duifie, enjoy their own story in the book. As an aside, having grown up on the same Hatfield street in Pretoria as Fr Kaufmann’s mother, Teresa Campbell, I well remember Pop, especially for his taking us in his huge car to Sunday Mass at the Redemptorist Monastery church in the early 1950s. The scriptural text upon which this book is based appears on the title page: “‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you; ask the birds in the sky, and let them tell you,’ said God to Job” (12:7). Certainly the animals in the book are

some of those Job consulted and we learn the lessons they taught him. In a serious vein, Animals is a practical expression for young children of the message of Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical on the environment and human ecology, Laudato Si’. Of course, each story teaches its listeners a particular value or lesson that can easily be remembered by a suggested activity or game.

have a suspicion that Fr Kaufmann’s choice of names for his animal characters reflects those he recalls Pop Campbell mentioning all those decades ago. Fr Kaufmann’s animal names are all so humanly attractive, like Big Bull Elephant Bennet in his first story, or Hilary-Beth, the honey badger, in his closing story. Sarah O’Keeffe enjoys the same gift of naming her characters, such as Bella the Parrot and Pat the Rat in her first story and the sheep family in her second story: Mommy Sue, Daddy Jay, Big Ram Tom, Middle Ram Max, Sarah Sheep and

Aphelele Ram. In the introduction to her stories I was delighted to learn that O’Keeffe is currently writing her first novel and hopes to write many more stories for children. Her own life story of coping with the challenges of Noonan syndrome is inspiringly impressive. The book concludes with eight questions for youngsters to consider after listening to its stories. Parents and grandparents are challenged today—as I am by my own honorary grandson, six-yearold Tiago—as how best to handle young children’s addiction to watching too much television and constantly playing games on cellphones and tablets. Without a doubt, one way of restoring a healthy balance in this respect is to read more often to our children and grandchildren, ideally before saying night prayers with them. I can guarantee that there is no better book for this purpose than Animals. Although it is essentially a chil-

dren’s book, the co-authors’ introductions to their stories contain serious content for adult readers, as do the pieces by Richard Street (Fr Kaufmann’s Grade 5 teacher) and Melbourne’s Professor Anthony Kelly on the back cover. A lifelong friend, Louise Olivier, sums up the book’s value. Having read it, she said: “It makes me wish I were still a child.” n Fr Reynolds is a priest of the archdiocese of Pretoria.

Authors tackle translations in the current missal LOST IN TRANSLATION: The English Language and the Catholic Mass, by Gerald O’Collins SJ & John Wilkins. Liturgical Press. 2017. 136pp. Reviewed by Paddy Kearney ATHER Gerald O’Collins, an Australian Jesuit who taught at the Gregorian University in Rome for 33 years, and John Wilkins, editor of the British Catholic journal The Tablet from 1982 to 2003, have teamed up to analyse the many deficiencies in the translation of the Roman missal imposed on all English-speaking countries in 2011. Their book Lost in Translation is particularly significant now that Pope Francis has called for a re-evaluation of the 2010 translation of the Roman Missal and of Liturgiam Authenticam (2001), the guidelines under which that translation was made. We should be grateful to Fr O’Collins and Wilkins for their systematic examination of the 2010 translation and how it fails to achieve the most important objective Vatican II called for in the liturgy, namely the full participation of priest and people. To understand this complicated story, it’s necessary to briefly summarise the history of translations of

the Roman missal after Vatican II decided that the liturgy should be in the vernacular. At the council It was agreed by a small group of English-speaking bishops (of whom Archbishop Denis Hurley was a leading figure) that it would be best for a common translation to be accepted by all the English-speaking countries. A body which came to be known as the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) had its first formal meeting in Rome in 1963. Because ICEL was keen to introduce the new vernacular liturgy as soon as possible after Vatican II, its first translations, which became available in 1973, had a number of flaws. ICEL therefore set about a detailed revision of that first translation, at great expense and through a much more rigorous process, starting in 1982. By 1998 this translation had been completed and approved by 11 bishops’ conferences of English-speaking countries. However, at this point the Vatican intervened by promulgating a new set of guidelines for translation Liturgiam Authenticam (LA) which called for a “sacral vernacular”—a language which O’Collins described as “falling halfway between Latin and English”. For example, it prefers words like “charity” to “love”, “supplication”

to “prayer”, “compunction” to “repentance”, and so on. One of the most absurd aspects of Liturgiam Authenticam is that it deliberately goes out of its way to ensure that its “sacral style” differs from current speech and even sounds “strange and obsolete”. By contrast, the authors of Lost in Translation believe that liturgical texts should communicate well, be easily understandable and facilitate participation.

he LA guidelines for liturgical translation have many other failings, including extreme literalism. It loves long sentences that “belong more to the Latin of Cicero than to contemporary English”. As a result it isn’t well suited to proclamation, and with all its convoluted subordinate clauses is extremely difficult to understand. LA regarded inclusive English as taboo, claiming that ICEL had been taken over by feminists. LA also ruled out ecumenical cooperation in liturgical translations. This meant an end to the pioneering collaboration between ICEL, the North American Consultation on Common Texts and the International Consultation on English Texts which had led to ecumenically agreed translations of the Gloria, Creed, Sanctus and Agnus Dei.

This instruction caused much embarrassment to those Catholics who had long been working for stronger ecumenical bonds with other Christian Churches and it brought much pain to the other Churches that were involved. It seemed to them that they had been abandoned by the Catholic Church after years of exciting common effort to produce translations used by many Christian Churches. Lost in Translation gives abundant examples to prove the superiority of the 1998 translation to the 2010 translation. After examining in detail 16 collects, Fr O’Collins says that the 1998 translations and new compositions “tower over” those of the 2010 missal. They “draw expertly on the scriptural readings”, are “theologically insightful and through their first-rate English, can be effectively proclaimed at the liturgical assembly.” He calls them “landmark compositions in the history of the English-speaking

liturgy”. Fr O’Collins ends the book with an appeal to the many younger bishops who had been his students during more than three decades of lecturing at the Gregorian University, to see the 1998 missal as “incomparably better than that imposed on English-speaking Catholics in 2011”. “The 1998 translation is there, waiting in the wings. Please pass on now to English-speaking Catholics the 1998 missal that you or your predecessors originally voted for only a few years ago.” O’Collins believes that the bishops already “have what they need to make the Roman missal once again a comprehensible and powerful tool of evangelisation”. The case that these two illustrious authors, Fr O’Collins and John Wilkins, present for using the 1998 missal is impressive. One wonders though whether there would be an uproar about the expense of changing all the liturgical books and missals just seven years after the 2010 translation?

Lessons for life from a dialogue with God Catholic news that COUNTS Print or Digital

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A DIALOGUE WITH GOD, By David Sadie. Mindmark Books. 2018. 197pp. R80 Reviewed by Helen Bird LAY Catholic from Johannesburg, David Sadie has written a book in which he shares his conversations with God: He asks God questions, and God answers him. A Dialogue with God is a privilege to read, because here the author has generously laid bare his prayer life before us—because God has told him to. We can learn much from the book about prayer and about God’s wonderful love for all of us. Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria has rightly called A Dialogue with God “an invitation to realise that we are all called to holiness”. “We cannot continue to be content with a shallow prayer. As

St Pope John Paul said: ‘Genuine prayer is a meeting with Christ and is expressed not just in im-

ploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion’,” the archbishop said. A Dialogue with God “will encourage its readers to come confidently before God as we are and to expect great things from him”. I was enthralled by what I read in Sadie’s reflections. It opened glimpses of God that have changed me and enabled me to grow closer to God in a way I never dreamed possible. This book is a gift from God to help us all realise fully the great love he has for us. God directs Sadie’s prayer life, his business life and his family life every day. I thank God that we can be helped by sharing in Sadie’s incredible relationship with God in this inspiring book. n A Dialogue with God is available from Davidsadie28@gmail.com

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Fr Bill Buckley

ATHER William “Bill” Buckley, formerly of Port Elizabeth, has died in Tralee, Ireland. Regarded by many as a hero of the struggle against apartheid, he stood with the marginalised and the oppressed, publicly and courageously, ignoring the serious consequences. His identification with amaXhosa people was such that he was affectionately known as Tshawe, indicating he belonged to a clan of rulers and kings. Fr Buckley’s struggle was for freedom and dignity for all. He suffered for his convictions: harassment, interrogation, trauma and detention by the Security Branch. It was as a young seminarian

that I had my first encounter with Fr Buckley. I was taken aback by how gentle and fun-loving this giant of the Struggle was. It was his love for God that informed his love for humanity. He was a missionary whose heartfelt aim was to spread the Gospel in its most profound sense. As part of Fr Buckley’s long walk to freedom with the people of Zwide township in Port Elizabeth, he worked with them to build the church of the Resurrection, which still stands more

than 40 years later, a monument of hope for the community in the midst of despair. Fr Buckley went on to help build St John’s church in Ncemerha (Peelton) and probably other communities in the area of Qonce (King Williams Town). He was always a man ahead of his times, and advocated the involvement of laity in the Church, particularly women. As a nation we are still walking the long journey to freedom, and the plight of women is particularly linked to our struggle for human freedom and dignity. The revolutionary spirit of Fr Buckley calls us today to reflect on how we can affirm the dignity of all God’s children. By Fr Lubabalo Mguda

St Augustine present at global event

T AUGUSTINE College in Johannesburg was represented by its president, Professor Garth Abraham, at a triennial meeting of the International Federation of Catholic Universities in Maynooth, Ireland. Over 200 institutions were present at the meeting, formally opened by Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education. The principal theme was “Catholic Universities Working in Solidarity as Responsible Agents from the Local to the Global”. The theme was largely addressed through the prism of

(From left) Prof Fr Peter Stilwell of St Joseph’s College in Macau, Prof Garth Abraham of St Augustine, and Prof Fr Michael Mullaney of St Patrick’s College in Maynooth. Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, with a number of universities sharing their efforts to make their

Your prayer to cut out and collect

PRAyER FOR PEACE IN AFRICA

O God of justice and love, Bless us, the people of Africa. And help us to live in your peace. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me sow pardon. Where there is discord, let me sow harmony. Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be understood, as to understand. To be loved, as to love. To receive sympathy, as to give it. For it is in giving that we shall receive. In pardoning that we shall be pardoned. In forgetting ourselves that we shall find unending peace in others. AMen

campuses and the communities within which they are situated more environmentally friendly. Among other topics addressed were a common research agenda and technological innovation in university education. A highlight of the meeting was a panel discussion with Mary Robinson, former president of the Republic of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mrs Robinson spoke on the many challenges facing the world, particularly the threat to international cooperation posed by the rise of nativist populism.

Rise for Climate meeting BY PATRICK DOWLInG

T JOSEPH’S parish in Kommetjie in the Cape Town archdiocese is helping to organise a Rise for Climate event on Saturday, September 8, related to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’. This will be at the Methodist Church Hall, 2 Chapel Street, in Rosebank, Cape Town, from 10:00 to 13:00. St Joseph’s, with interfaith organisation SAFCEI and 350.org, is inviting leaders from youth, faith, government, media and business to respond to climate change-related questions, with five minutes each. This will lead to a plenary discussion identifying key actions for all. There will be vegetarian snacks, and admission is free. n Contact Vainola Makan at vainola@safcei.org.za or Patrick Dowling at patrick@tops.org.za or Google 350.org Rise for Climate.

Liturgical Calendar Year B – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday September 2, 22nd Sunday of the Year Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8, Psalm 15:2-5, James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Monday September 3, St Gregory the Great 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Psalm 119:97-102, Luke 4:16-30 Tuesday September 4 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Psalm 145:8-14, Luke 4:31-37 Wednesday September 5 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Psalm 33:12-15, 20-21, Luke 4:38-44 Thursday September 6 1 Corinthians 3:18-23, Psalms 24:1-6, Luke 5:1-11 Friday September 7 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, Psalm 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40, Luke 5:33-39 Saturday September 8, Birthday of Our Lady Micah 5:2-5 (1-4) or Romans 8:28-30, Psalm 13:5-6, Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 Sunday September 9, 23rd Sunday of the Year Isaiah 35:4-7, Psalm 146:7-10, James 2:1-5, Mark 7:31-37

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CAPE TOWN: Looking for reasonably priced accommodation over the December/January holiday period? Come to Kolbe house, set in beautiful, spacious gardens in Rondebosch, nestled just under Devil’s Peak. Selfcatering, clean and peaceful, with spacious gardens.Safe parking. Close to all shops and public transport. Contact Pat 021 685 7370, 073 263

2105 or kolbe.house@ telkomsa.net MARIANELLA Guest house, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675, mjsalida@gmail.com

PARISH NOTICES

CAPE TOWN: Retreat day/quiet prayer last Saturday of each month except December, at Springfield Convent in Wynberg, Cape Town. hosted by CLC, 10.00-15.30. Contact Jill on 083 282 6763 or Jane on 082 783 0331. Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Good Shepherd parish, 1 Goede hoop St, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. Phone 021 558 1412. helpers 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 abortion clinic. 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 031309 3496 or 031 209 2536. St Anthony’s rosary group. every Wednesday at 18:00 at St Anthony’s church opposite Greyville racecourse. All are welcome and lifts are available. Contact Keith Chetty on 083 372 9018. NELSPRUIT: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St Peter’s parish every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by Rosary, Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/Communion service at 17:30.

PRAyERS

GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 826. ACROSS: 5 Woad, 7 Accumulate, 8 Mali, 10 Ciborium, 11 Action, 12 Exempt, 14 Prayed, 15 Philip, 17 Marooned, 19 Eons, 21 Dominicans, 22 Begs. DOWN: 1 Balm, 2 Cupidity, 3 Vulcan, 4 Marble, 5 Weir, 6 Assumption, 9 Accordance, 13 Eminence, 15 Denims, 16 Pedant, 18 Odds, 20 So-so.

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: September 6: Archbisop William Slattery of Pretoria on his 75th birthday September 6: Bishop Dabula Mpako of Queenstown on his 59th birthday

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the

23rd Sunday: September 9 Readings: Isaiah 35:4-7, Psalm 146:7-10, James 2:1-5, Mark 7:31-37

HAT does God do? This question is often heard on our lips, with varying degrees of impatience. The readings for next Sunday offer some kind of an answer, if you are feeling impatient. The first reading has Isaiah looking forward to the Israelites’ return from exile in Babylon. That is what God does—God brings exile to an end; and the great poet-prophet whom we are reading on this day expresses it forcefully: “Say to the weary of heart, ‘Be strong; do not be afraid; Look! Your God; vengeance shall come.’” Now he turns to poetry: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the dead shall be unstopped; the lame shall leap like a stag, the tongue of the dumb shall sing.” After that the poet uses another set of images: “Waters shall burst forth in the desert and streams in the plain…thirsty ground shall become streams of water.” That is what God does. The psalm for next Sunday is in no doubt at all about what God does. “He keeps faith forever, does justice for the upright, gives bread to the hungry, the Lord sets prisoners free, gives sight to the blind, raises up those who are bowed down, protects the immigrant, looks after the orphan and the

S outher n C ross

widow…the Lord will reign for ever, your God, O Sion, from age to age.” Then he ends with a heartfelt chorus of “Halleluiah!” There is no doubt in this poet’s mind about what God does; God makes everything spectacularly right. Is this your experience of God? Very important here is the thoroughly Old Testament idea that God looks after those who are at the bottom of the heap: prisoners, blind, oppressed, immigrants (above all, immigrants), the blind, orphans and widows. That is the context in which we are to read the second reading for next Sunday, as James, with his sharp flash of humour, asks us not to make the “faith of Our Lord Jesus Christ of Glory (he deliberately uses this very solemn language here) a matter of snobbery”. Then we blush with shame as he sketches out a little cameo that we have too often seen (or, still worse, found ourselves acting out). “A man with gold bling comes into your synagogue with a radiant suit; and [at the same time] a destitute person with filthy clothing” and then, “You people look at the chap wearing the radiant suit and say to him, ‘Have a nice seat here’; and to the destitute person you

tive. And you see this in wonderful biographical books, like Nina Riggs’ The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying. What these authors all have in common is this: They look at life’s deepest questions and face those questions with courage and sensitivity, but only from an agnostic and stoic perspective. How do you make sense of things, if there’s no God? How do you face the finality of death, if there’s no afterlife? How do you ground love as an absolute, if there’s no Absolute upon which to ground it? How can the precious events of our lives have lasting meaning, if there’s no personal immortality? How do we face the shortcomings of our lives and our own mortality, if this life is all there is? They face these questions honestly and courageously without an explicit belief in God and come to peace with them, find meaning for themselves, and garner the insight and courage they need to live with answers that don’t include faith in God and belief in an afterlife. There’s a courageous stoicism in that for sure, but in many of their writings there’s also a certain beauty. You get the sense that this is an honest, beautiful soul wrestling with life’s deepest

Classic Conrad

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

questions and coming to an acceptable peace that itself encapsulates the kind of compassion that all the great religions place at their centre. Inside of religious literature you can meet some beautiful saints. Inside of secular literature you can meet some beautiful stoics.

Sunday Reflections

say, ‘You! Stand over there’ or ‘Sit under my footstool!’ If you do that, you are making distinctions among yourselves and have become judges who make evil decisions.” This is not, of course, what God does, and James concludes his argument: “Is it not the case, my beloved brothers and sisters, that God chose those who are destitute in the world to be well off in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which God promised for those who love him.” This is how God operates, and we need, over and over again, to remember this (for we do not find it easy to believe). The Gospel is quite clear about what God does. The story starts in Gentile territory (“Tyre, Sidon…the regions of the Decapolis”), so our God is not restricted solely to the Chosen People. Not only that, but he [or Jesus, which for Mark is the same thing] does not exclude the ritually impure, so shows no sign of horror at the approach of someone who was “deaf and with a speech impediment”, with a request that “he should lay a hand on him”. Not only does Jesus not recoil, but he “took him on one side, and flung his fingers into his

These beautiful stoics HERE’S a rich literature being written today by some highly intelligent, sensitive men and women who might best be described as agnostic stoics. Unlike some of their atheistic counterparts whose onesided attacks on religion suggest that they “doth protest too much”, this group doesn’t protest at all. They don’t attack faith in God; indeed they often see salient religious doctrines like belief in the incarnation in Christ, belief in original sin, and belief in a resurrection as helpful myths that can be invaluable for our self-understanding, akin to the great myths of the ancient world. They’re warm to spirituality and are sometimes better apologists for depth of soul and the place of mystery in our lives than their explicitly religious counterparts. It’s just that, in the end, they bracket belief in God. At an intellectual level, you see this in people like the late James Hillman and many of his followers (though some have, unlike their master, taken a more belligerent and negative attitude towards faith in God and religion). You see this too is in a good number of contemporary novelists who write from a fairly deliberate agnostic perspec-

Nicholas King SJ

We stand astonished

ut there’s one thing upon which I want to challenge these beautiful stoics. They try to answer a deep question: How do we make sense of life if there’s no God and no afterlife and how do we make sense of life if the tenets of faith are not true, but mere projection? That’s a fair question,worth asking. But this is my protest: While these authors face with courage and honesty the question of what it means if God doesn’t exist and there’s no afterlife, they never face with the same courage and honesty the question: What if there really is a God and an afterlife and the essential tenets of

faith are true? How does one live then? What if our probing minds and noble sentiments are in fact grounded in a loving, personal God? That would be an even-more honest and courageous agnosticism, and an even-more beautiful stoicism. True agnosticism speaks of an open mind, one so open that it’s reticent to shut down any real possibility. And the existence of God is a real possibility. At any given time in history, our age included, the vast majority of human beings have believed and do believe in the existence of God and of an afterlife. Atheists have never been the cognitive majority. If this is true, and it is, then why are good, courageous, honest, and sensitive men and women reluctant to take their agnosticism down both alleyways. That is: How do we shape our lives if there’s no God and no afterlife—and how do we shape our lives if there is a God and an afterlife? If one wants to look at the meaning of life as courageously and honestly as possible, shouldn’t the question of God and the afterlife, and not just its antithesis, be one of the horizons against which that discernment occurs? I suspect the reluctance of many of these authors to give equal consideration to the possibility of the truth of religion comes from the fact that, up to modern times, the bulk of all literature perennially considered life’s deep questions more or less exclusively from a religious rather than an agnostic perspective. What our agnostic authors are contributing is an alternative voice from the dominant voice in history (though not the dominant voice within secular society today). Still, it makes for some valuable insights from some beautiful stoics.

ears, and spat and touched his tongue”! This is quite strong stuff, and we wait to see what will happen. Initially it is rather disappointing, as Jesus “looked up to heaven, and groaned”. Then he speaks, not a magic spell, but his own home language of Aramaic, “Ephphatha!”, and Mark courteously offers an accurate translation, “Be opened!” Then we gaze in astonishment: “His hearing-passages were opened, and the chain on his tongue was untied—and he started speaking correctly.” What does God do after that? Improbably, “He told them not to tell anybody”; and, not surprisingly, “The more he commanded them, the more they went about proclaiming it.” See the effect of God’s action on our lives: “They were fantastically amazed, and they said, ‘He has done everything beautifully!’” In other words, he has done all that you might expect of God; finally we hear the popular verdict on Jesus: “The deaf he makes to hear; and the speechless to speak.” What do you want God to do for you this week?

Southern Crossword #826

ACROSS

5. Blue dye (4) 7. Cut ace alum but it will pile up (10) 8. Mail for an African country (4) 10. Host vessel (8) 11. Battle behaviour? (6) 12. Grant a dispensation (6) 14. Entreated (6) 16. One of the deacons (Ac 6) (6) 17. Left isolated and near doom (8) 19. Galleons last for a long time (4) 21. Theirs is a preaching order (10) 22. The mendicant friar does it (4)

DOWN

1. Healing ointment (4) 2. Covetousness (8) 3. God of fire (6) 4. Sculptor’s limestone (6) 5. Some awe Ireland holds in the dam (4) 6. The taking of Marian feast for granted (10) 9. Conformity (10) 13. Prelate who stands higher? (8) 15. Pair of jeans (6) 16. He’s too formal (6) 18. They’re miscellaneous with the ends (4) 20. Tolerable (2-2) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

FTER a wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the priest: “Look, Father, I’ll give you R1 000 if you just skip the ‘Love, honour and obey, forsake all others and be faithful forever’ bit.” He gave the priest R1 000 and left. During the wedding vows, the priest looked straight at the young man and said: “Will you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her, serve her breakfast in bed, and swear before God and your lovely wife that you will never even look at another woman so long as you both shall live?” The groom froze, then whispered: “I do.” After the Mass, he pulled the priest aside and hissed at him: “I thought we had a deal.” The priest slipped the R1 000 back into the groom’s hand and whispered: “The bride’s father made me a much better offer.”

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