In reflection and thanksgiving
I pen these few lines just after the 5th Sunday of the Church’s Year and towards the middle of February. In Sunday’s readings we had a story from the Book of Job. He had lost everything, family, possessions, and future prospects. Job will speak to many today. While some may have escaped the worst of COVID19, many of us will be grieving. Most of us will know family members, friends and neighbours who have lost loved ones, as well as business and livelihood and future prospects. We can speak of the patience of Job but there is more to Job than that. Job cries out to God in lament. It is a cry in agony, the hearts cry in pain and sorrow, the cry of the one who cannot cope. Job’s cry is a prayer in time of great trial and crisis. This is a lament, a healthy lament acknowledging our limitations and our pain, this is true prayer.
At this time last year, coronavirus was a far-off problem. We were aware that a virus was existing in China, but that was far away. It was probably hard for us to appreciate back then that this virus would go on to disrupt the world as we knew it – plunging countries across the globe into national lockdowns, closing international borders, cancelling, and postponing global events and claiming millions of lives. We pray for those who have died and those who are left to mourn them. We pray also that the vaccine may begin to address the problem.
Through these challenging times, we in the SMA here in the UK have had to limit or cancel many of our activities. Opportunities to meet our friends, supporters, and benefactors, like Founders Day in Dunblane in October were cancelled as was our annual draw that was to be held in St Joseph’s, Longsight, Manchester. It had to take place in the safer confines of our house at 378 Upper Brook Street, Manchester. Cancelled also were our mission appeals in the Archdiocese of Westminster. In 2021 we were expecting to be in the Archdiocese of Liverpool and Cardiff. That now looks very unlikely. We are missing the opportunities to physically meet but we thank God we are in touch with you through our newsletter Mission News. For the support you give us I wish to say a big “THANK YOU”. Your kindness and generosity enable us to continue our ministry and mission and we are very appreciative. I assure you that you are remembered daily in our masses and prayers.
Within the SMA, despite the challenges of pandemic, we had our good moments too. News coming from:
Niger
The day after his release, Fr Gigi Maccalli arrives at SMA House, Rome.
The release ofFr Gigi Maccalli after 753 days of being held hostage in Niger came as wonderful news to us. His reflections on what sustained him during his captivity were moving and his forgiving attitude inspiring. Our Superior General, Fr Antonio spoke of“The missionary being a person of the Word, of the announcement. But without a Bible, without the Word of God and the Eucharist, Fr. Gigi had learned to listen to silence. The silence of the great Sahara Desert, the inner silence. Like the prophet Isaiah, he could feel the presence of God in silence, in solitude. He found that God always gave him strength “.
Ghana
Father Paul Saa-Dade Ennin, SMA
The “St. Martin Deaf ministry” is a new missionary initiative promoted by the Society of African Missions (SMA) in the archdiocese of Accra, Ghana. Reaching out to those with hearing challenges, the initiative was presented on the 140th anniversary of the arrival of the first SMA missionaries in Ghana in the parish of St. Francis of Assisi in the Ashalay Botwe neighbourhood of Accra.
With this apostolate the SMA wishes to respond to the call of an outgoing Church proposed by Pope Francis. We see ourselves as a community of faith that searches for people on the fringes and on the periphery of society and the Church.
Ivory Coast
SMA members in Ivory Coast
The priests and brothers of the Society of African Missions (SMA) were the first Catholic missionaries to successfully evangelize Côte d’Ivoire, beginning in 1895 when they first arrived in the West African country. They gathered for Mass at Our Lady of the Apostles Parish in Abobodoumé on December 6 to give thanks on the 125th anniversary of their arrival in Ivory Coast.
In the homily of the Thanksgiving Mass, the SMA were compared to the mustard seed that Jesus used to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. “Your mission started from a small seed that you sowed, and has become a tree so big that everyone can find a place of reference and refuge.”
Ordinations
Ordination Card
In 2020 twenty-eight SMA seminarians completed their training and have been Ordained to the Priesthood. They have now been assigned to Missions in various parts of Africa, joining other SMA’s in answering the call to “Go out and preach the Good News”. Throughout their formation in SMA Seminaries in Africa, India, the Philippines, and Poland all of these missionaries were supported by you, our benefactors. Through your financial contributions, you made the upkeep, education and training of these Missionaries possible. This is a tremendous achievement and a great contribution to the Mission of the SMA and the Church. The Society of African Missions is grateful for this on-going and consistent support.
Living with fear
Fear is a feeling of insecurity. It is one of the common emotions that everyone in the world feels. With the threat of harm, fear occurs, either physical, emotional, or psychological, actual or imagined. Globally, different situations create fear. For instance, it could be kidnapping of persons for ransom, terrorism, financial or job insecurity, natural disasters due to climatic changes. At the moment the common ground for fear in the world is Covid-19. We are at a standstill and there are more questions than answers: For how long will this go on? Will I be among the fortunate ones at the end to tell the story? If I survive, what will be my financial status, my job? At Present, the global statistics on Covid-19 deaths is over two million. Job loss in the United Kingdom alone is nearly four hundred thousand.
Covid-19 has changed the way we live especially interaction with others. When we go out for a walk, we are conscious and afraid of who we meet. As soon as we see an oncoming person, we ‘kindly’ leave the footpath by more than 2 meters or preferably walk to the opposite direction. We prefer the risk of moving vehicles than meeting human beings. Our mode of dressing has changed and it reminds me of tales my grandmother told me of how ghosts look in appearance. Sneezing in public (even from common cold) is an anathema as it attracts more attention than walking nude on the street. Recently, a friend told me as he walked a street, he saw some bank notes on the road. He had mixed feelings and didn’t know whether to pick them up thereby risking contracting Covid-19 or pass them by like the Priest and Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan. He picked them up and since his hand sanitizer liquid was in his pocket, he did the needful by emptying the whole lot onto his hands.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, a former US President, says, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Although historically viewed as a "negative" emotion, fear actually plays an important role in
keeping us safe as it mobilises us to deal with potential hazards. It alerts us to the existence of danger or the possibility of harm.On a positive note, Covid-19 has made some persons to observe basic hygiene like having a bath and washing hands regularly.
There are lessons to be learnt in all situations. For those who don’t see anything good in the advancement of science and technology, imagine how we would have managed without Zoom, Skype and Google. At least we can see each other via the screen. Masses have been viewed online and recent statistics has shown that we have more Christians online. Even though I know when normalcy returns hopefully, some will have to tell the priest in the Confessional Box: Father, I ‘Attended Mass’ online while ‘Sitting on the Throne’. Or Father, I ‘Attended Mass’ online while walking the dog. On the other hand, those who have placed all their hope on science and technology now know that it has its limitations. Covid-19 has taught us that we are not in charge, God is. We cannot throw God into the bin and say we are now fully in charge. Adam and Eve attempted to be independent of their creator and severe consequences followed. There are things beyond us. I would like to conclude with these reassuring scriptural quotes which I had found helpful during this trying moment: Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Psalm 56:3: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
The author Fr. Andrew Batare is from the Diocose o Bauchi, Nigera works alongside the SMA Fathers. He is presently a student the University of Salford.
We thank our supporters, whose generosity helped many in Ngudu Parish in Tanzania to help renovate their church
Church interior. Work in progess.
Church interior. Job complete.
The Sanctuary
“SMA British Society supported the Ngudu parish during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep safe with face covers and hand sanitizers.”
Hi dear friends. Here I am sharing piece of experience of mine here at NGUDU parish. I came to Tanzania in 2016. Kwimba District is one of the seven districts of the Mwanza Region of Tanzania. The district seat is at Ngudu. The population of Ngudu alone approximately 40,000. Ngudu is mixed with few tribes like Sukuma, Masaai and kuria, but the majority of them are Sukuma. People speak Kisukuma language while the official language of the country remains Kiswahili.
The Sukuma are generally considered to be matriarchal in clan lineage and naming system. They grow crops, raise livestock, and gather a diminishing supply of firewood. It is common for the Sukuma women to do the majority of the family's work. The Kinakia are subsistence farmers growing cotton, cassava, rice and peanuts. Their life style is tied with herding cattle. Cotton is the main cash crop but the typical cash income is nominal. Abundance of offspring and traditional group dance mark important aspects of their society. The Sukuma dance to the music of drums to celebrate the various events of life.
Ngudu mission had been served by the white fathers till 1912, having Sumwe as parish, which is almost 25 km from Ngudu. In the year 1912 Ngudu became as sub parish with 20 out stations. From the beginning of 1970 onwards, the diocesan priests started serving the Ngudu parish, but there were many challenges which was not easy for them to solve, therefore SMA missionaries were invited to take care of the parish. since 1993 we are taking care of the parish. Frs. William Joseph and Francis Kalan of the Indian province were the pioneers to this mission. We are rendering our services to almost 25,000 Catholics here, which is almost 60 percentage of this district populations. Fr. John Kilcoyne of the Irish province was the last parish priest here. 20,000 people were baptized by the SMA’s since 1996.
I take this opportunity to thank the British province which helped our parish to get tilled. May God bless the province.
May the almighty God bless us all.
Ratchahar SMA
Parish priest
St. Marys parish, Ngudu, kwimba, Tanzania.
On Human Dignity
On human dignity
“Every human being, man, woman, boy and girl, is made in God’s image. Therefore, modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, and organ trafficking, is a crime against humanity.”
Pope Francis Dec 2014
Human trafficking is modern day slavery. It causes unimaginable misery and suffering to those who are dehumanized, become commodities that are bought, sold, abused. The human dignity we take as a birth right, which is central to Catholic Social Teaching and enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is denied to millions of people. More people are currently victims of human trafficking and slavery than at any time in history. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that 40.3 million people globally are living in slavery.
Born To Eternal Life
Please join us in praying for our deceased friends and benefactors some of whom have recently died are as follows:
Elizabeth Gallagher, East Kilbride, Glasgow
Mrs E Percival, Droylsden, Manchester
Mrs Angela Walters, Tyldesley, Manchester
Mrs E Henderson, Rutherglen, Glasgow
Maureen Coyne, Enfield, Herts
Mary O’Driscoll, Surrey
Mrs Janie Foster, Longsight, Manchester
Mrs Eupania McMahon, Clydebank, Manchester
Georgina Doyle, Droylsdon, Manchester
Mrs M Crawford, Leeds
Benefactors who have passed away as a result of the coronavirus
Annual Draw 2021
Dear Friends,
Please find enclosed a book of Raffle tickets for the 2021 Annual Draw. This fundraising event is an important source of income for us and our missionary work.
The funds raised go towards scholarships for needy children at our missions in Nigeria and Liberia and towards the formation and education of our seminarians who become our future missionaries. I’d be grateful for your support through your participation in the Draw.
The Draw takes place on Thursday 27th May at 2.30pm here at 378 Upper Brook Street, Manchester M13 0EP. Main Prize winners will be notified the same day. The results will be available in the Catholic Press and on our website: sma-gb.org
Thank you and please help,
Fr Tom