Number 26                                                                                               St Patrick's Day 2004

A happy Saint Patrick's Day to all our communities and friends everywhere.

With our brothers here are (L to R): Peter Ochieng Agalla (entering novitiate(.  Joel Barasa Mukhebi, Johana Kivuti Njagi and Linus Dey Onyango, entering postulancy.

Regular suicide bombings in Iraq and Israel, Environmental warnings, reactions to "The Passion of the Christ", genetically modified foods, train bombings in Spain, "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here" and similar T.V. shows    this is not meant to be a doomsday list to make you depressed. But these, and other highly noticeable phenomena, (make your own list!) are distinct characteristics of our present time. Vatican II emphasised the importance of analysing "The Signs of the Times" which had been Jesus' clear warning to those who heard him.

The Chapter Process Group has put forward a model of Theological Reflection to Chapter members to use in thinking through the issues for Chapter. It struck me that the model is also suitable for individual reflection (and perhaps community discussion) in making sense of the "Signs of our Times" as evidenced by the list above or your own version of it. Rather than become depressed at 'the state of the world', perhaps we can take Christ's warning to a constructive level. Here is the model, adapted a little.

"Name a Global or Local phenomenon"

Question more deeply
1. What is my reaction/experience?
2. What is the reaction in my community/region/province to this?
3. What are the causes of these events?
4. What forces are at work?
5. What does the gospel say?
6. What am I called to do?
7. What are we called to do?

[Ed: I was struck by a February article in The  Tablet by Michael McCarthy called "Planet Earth - its Fate in our hands".]

In discussions with some others, someone said, "Sure, with all the catastrophes around now, environmentalism comes a long way down the list". I can see the reasoning behind that.

Afterwards, thinking about this, it dawned on me that many of the dreadful & tragic things that are happening in the world now, are at least partly due to having neglected to discern their genesis a number of years back. Now it's a tough job dealing with calamity.

The generation of 2050, for example, will curse us if we do not discern now what is happening to our planet, in the same way that we are paying for earlier failures to discern the underlying causes of present conflicts and tragedies. So perhaps reflection on the environment should retain a high position on our reflective and action agenda.

Although the Church has not been totally silent on environmental matters, and good things have been said, people generally do not think of the Church as a defender of the planet.  A recent trend to quote from Genesis 1:31: "And God saw  all that he had made, and it was very good", as a sign of concern for creation - that idea still hasn't superseded, in reality, the attitude still ingrained in Genesis 1:28: "be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth and subdue it"! Drop the care of the earth from our reflection? - No!

It was the 1986 General Chapter which began to use extensively the words "crying needs" in our Congregational documents. Discerning and responding to those needs have been the subject of many of our documents since then. (Photo: Br David in the Lea Toto Clinic, Kibera, Nairobi)

Most of us are very aware of the dimensions of the AIDS crisis in Africa at this time. Not many days pass without its mention in mass media. In Africa itself, no days pass without deaths from AIDS and the consequent orphaning of many children, some with AIDS themselves.

Some of us know about existing initiatives by our own brothers in Kenya in responding to this crisis. The HIV awareness and education programmes managed by Colm O'Connell through the Tambach Teachers' College and also the regular athletics camps is such. The long term provision of maintenance and education for AIDS orphans managed by Ed McCarthy through Harambee school is another. These are stories which need telling and that is to come.

In this edition we have to hand some specific details of a relatively new project in Nairobi in which one of our brothers is involved.

The Catholic Church is a leading protagonist in AIDS work. The Archdiocese of Nairobi has set up the Nyumbani Programme which targets mainly HIV positive children in Nairobi. An outreach of that programme is "Lea toto" which concentrates on the children in the slums of Kibera and Kariobaki. You will recall Kibera from other mentions in newsletters. We have had brothers working as volunteers in the Baraka Za Ibrahim school there for some time.
Brother David Wekulo is a registered nurse who finished his training last year. David works with another nurse under the coordination of an Indian Sister of St. Joseph of Tarbes. The small rented premises in the slums provide nutrition, diagnosis, counselling, treatment and education for children affected by AIDS.

David writes in a recent letter to Felim Ryan, Regional Superior, "in the plan this year, we are going to be based in Kibera throughout each week...After a mother complains of a child's health condition, a precise diagnosis has to be made and appropriate drugs supplied, especially for chest infections, diarhoea and skin infections. Drugs donated by well-wishers add to the few bought by the project. Food has to be given to any children belonging to families affected like this and involves special 'uji' (porridge) with high protein content, and powdered milk. We are able to provide this food at present one day each week to each child."

Other volunteer health workers pick up on regular educational interventions. Where children are diagnosed as HIV negative while the mother is positive, there is a need for education in behavioural patterns which will help prevent the child from becoming positive.

This programme depends for its survival mainly on donors and on volunteers such as David who receive no remuneration. The Kenyan Government provides some small assistance for food purchases. Our Congregation obviously contributes the community living expenses of David. Recently, the Irish Government changed part of its international aid policy to allow some funding to non-Irish nationals belonging to Irish based Orders for assistance grants. That seems an enlightened response to serious need and a very developmental approach.

Daniel Delany and the early brothers struggled to meet the crying needs of their time. Here are the same conditions situated within the crying needs of our time. May there be more.

Preparations continue apace for the General Chapter which begins on July 25 next.

At Kamagut, facilities are mostly complete, with only finishing touches remaining. This is due to an early start last year and persistent efforts by Felim, Tom, Paul and Ed.

Jerome has been in Kenya since early February assisting in preparations and, in particular, teasing out details with those who will make presentations to Chapter members. He has also been clarifying entry and health requirements for capitulants and has recently provided a very useful guide to Kenya for their use. Jerome returns to India on 21 March and comes to Ireland just after Easter.

The first week of Chapter will be a reflective week, withdrawing from 'busyness' and focussing on important underlying principles for Religious in the modern world. To help in that process, two African presenters will each spend a day with us and our facilitator will follow with guided reflection. Here are some details of those presenters
Sr. Edel Bahati is a sister of Our Lady of Charity.  At present, she is the Novice Directress, and also involved in the apostolate for marginalised women. 

She has been involved with the work of The Association of Sisters of Kenya. She works in promoting the dignity and worth of women, religious life within the East African Sisterhoods and in Youth ministry and Communications. 
One of Sr. Edel's themes is, "Religious life is not an institution but rather a prophetic witnessing and evangelising as lived in a particular cultural milieu."

Fr. John Waliggo, of  Masaka, Uganda, did his theological training in Rome where he obtained a Licentiate in Theology,  and after his priestly ordination, a Ph.D. in Church History and African History at Cambridge. He has worked in parishes in Masaka Diocese, taught at the Major Seminary in Katigondo, and was made professor of History at the Catholic Higher Institute of Eastern Africa, Nairobi. 

Since 1990 he has been working on the new Constitution of Uganda as part of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. He is a current member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission. 

The four areas which he proposes to cover with our Chapter members are Justice &Peace, Human Rights & Democracy, Empowerment and Leadership.

In Sydney, the Chapter Process Group of Sr. Jan Barnett, Aengus and Paul, have been working through the submissions from Provinces. Their work of preparing the agenda and substance of the Chapter accelerates as time moves on. Philip will be in Sydney late April and will meet with the Group.

The main headings under which the extensive Chapter Agenda seem to be falling are:-

1. Redefining Patrician Brotherhood in and for a New World
2. Called to Live the hope and challenge of Cultural Differences
3. Making a Clear Option for those who are Poor
4. Forming Today for Tomorrow
5. Single Focus Issues (The Bi-Centenary, respect for equality of women, etc.)
6. Juridical and Governance Issues.

A prayer for the Chapter, prepared by the Process Group, comes with this edition as a bookmark. Whatever form of prayer and reflection you use personally, or in community, please remember the Chapter every day.
Chapter Central Management, through Philip, at Newbridge will receive group or individual submissions for the Chapter until 28 May, 2004.