| I arose quite early and joined Brother Felipe for a short walk, followed by Mass at the Saint Michael Chapel of Saint Joseph’s Parish, just around the corner of the Solidarity “mothership” in Juba.
This has to be the first Catholic church I have ever seen an exterior painted in lavender! Given the intensity of the sun here in South Sudan, one can understand why lighter colors and pastel colors are preferred over darker and brighter ones! This little chapel has a very nice interior. The weekday Mass was well attended, with a number of beautiful African Sisters present, and with some nice a cappella singing of hymns. Not bad for a 6:30 am celebration! Today Brother Felipe and I visited the Daughters of Saint Paul bookshop here in Juba, where there are two Sisters on staff. The Daughters of Saint Paul were founded for the purpose of evangelizing through media and they are major publishers of books and multimedia for the African Church. They publish the Roman Missal, the lectionaries, the Divine Office, etc., plus lots of very worthwhile spiritual, theological, and catechetical material. We have some interesting guests with us these days: three young priests belonging to Father Jim’s institute, the Society of African Missionaries (M.Afr.).. They are on a layover, in transit to the Diocese of Malakal where they are going to assume pastoral leadership of a parish in which multiple languages are spoken. They will spend the next six months learning Arabic! Fathers Atindaana Cletus (Ghana), Iranzi Majune Innocent (Congo), and Nare Mohamadi (Burkina Faso), all members of the Society of Apostolic Life known as the Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr.). Father Jim Greene, M.Afr., the Executive Director of Solidarity with South Sudan, with Brother Felipe Garcia, FSC, Project Manager, and our houseguests, the newly arrived young Missionaries of Africa. Also with us is Father Ibiko Morris, a South Sudanese diocesan priest who is rector of a new branch campus of the Catholic University of South Sudan in Yambio, the town from which I just returned. Father Morris earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STl) and his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, as I did! And, while our time there did not overlap, we know many of the same people. It was great to get to know Father Morris and to relish in our mutual connection with our Alma Mater. This afternoon Brother Felipe gave me a great haircut (Believe me, this guy is multi-talented!). This evening we will have Evening Prayer and a light supper, and then I will pack for my 5:30 am departure tomorrow for Wau, the location of the Catholic Health Training Institute (CHTI).
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Date Published:17 Gen 2022 Author:David, Mission Promoter
Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Blog, Solidarity |
