Last weekend was one of celebrations. It began on Saturday with the ordination of Fr. Frank Chiwaula. It was the first ordination for Mangochi Diocese in five years, so it was understandably a big deal. Among other things, Bishop Monfort spoke in his homily about how the diocese will soon be feeling the pinch unless people pray for vocations and encourage young men to enter seminary.
The ordination took place in an outside Mass at St. Mary Ntaja. It was fun to be back there. I was able to reconnect with Susan, Janet, and Rhoda, friends from the Holy Rosary Edmonds Sister Parish trip. Susan and Janet were on the event team, so dressed to the nines in Mangochi Diocese fabric suits and turbans. I think probably 80% of the women present were wearing Mangochi Diocese fabric, and the next most common was Catholic Women's Organization. I saw one suit with Therese of Avila and several chitenjis commemoration Pope John Paul II's visit in 1989 (this is apparently a popular one as it gets reprinted periodically; I am on the lookout for it).
The next feast was celebrated on Sunday at midday for the founder of the Poor Clare Sisters who run Alleluya Care Center in Namwera (this place will get a whole blog post at some point). The sisters served us a feast in their convent. The guests were Grace (the head nurse at the center), two Italian girls who are volunteering during their summer break, the Sacramentine Sisters who run Our Lady of Lourdes, two Presentation Sisters who are students at Our Lady of Lourdes (they are in their mid 20's and in Form 1 as they are back to school to get high school diplomas), our two priests Fr. Constantine and Fr. Oscar, our seminarian Br. Genesis, and myself. The two Poor Clare's who were there (the superior is away for a few weeks) are from Cameroon and Ethiopia. There was singing and the obligatory ululations. Sister Esther said that a Kenyan sister if theirs will start and doesn't stop. Sr. Mphatso agreed that the Kenyans are the best. Apparently, the ululations the women do are different in different parts of Africa. Sr. Esther said that Cameroon is very distinct and after much pressuring from everyone demonstrated; it was very different. The Cameroon call was more "yeyeyeyeye" while the Malawians one is "ululululu."
That same evening, our goodbye for the four Sacramentine postulants who were moving on to Ntcheu to become postulants. Sr. Mphatso grilled goat and chicken A Stima made french fries, cooked cabbage, and sima.
Monday, we left at 5am for Ntcheu, a town 4 hours away where the Sacramentine Sisters have their Novitiate. We loaded three of the postulants into the back of the truck with their baggage and bounced along through seemingly endless pot holes. The entrance of the postulants into the Novitiate was absolutely lovely, and I felt so priviledged to be there. The singing was heavenly and the Father's homily was so prayerful and to the point. "It is not possible without Christ; it has never been possible." "A priest or a sister who does not pray is like a battery that is empty; it cannot energize. Rather, it is useless." Good thoughts for all of us.
Celebrations continue as tomorrow is graduation at Our Lady of Lourdes and Sunday is Sr. Mary's first anniversary of final vows. There is so much to be grateful for!
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