By Sr. Erlinda A. Macatol, RVM

I came to Ghana in 1982 through the invitation of Peter Kwasi Sarpong was for a long time very concerned about the number of girls especially from the poor homes who could no longer get access to the expensive Boarding School System in Ghana.

Headmistress
So I was given the job of Headmistress (High school Principal of a newly establish Day Secondary School for the Girls named Prince of Peace Girl’s Secondary School. This day school is also a vehicle for preparing possible candidate to the religious life. Prince of Peace then was established as the a Day Secondary School (just like our school in the Philippines where student go home to their respective families). At the moment, we have about thirty aspirants who wish to become Sisters recommended by their Parish Priest.

I have Learned from the Ghanaians
The school is only eight years old since it started when I came in 1982. When I arrive I had to do 3 months of Language and Culture study. Since the education system of the country is entirely different, I had to study and adapt, I had to “let go of many things…to see and observe…to step back and observe…to really see where they are. I learned many things from the Ghanaians; they have enriched with their culture…so Rich!

Eight have Answered a Call
We have graduated four batches of student since 1987 (Secondary School here is 5 years) By God’s grace we had have good results as the government exams which are given at the end of their secondary studies and some even passed with flying color. I thank God for this wonderful achievement. It may interest you to know that eight of our graduates are in their initial formation in the religious life. We pray that more young woman will come and answer our Lord’s call.

Patience Tested
Even in a school setting, it has been an easy work at all. My patience and understanding have been tested almost to the limit. I thank the Lords for sustaining me with his grace, for being able to integrate in to the culture of the people and for making me an instrument in sharing His Love and Faith to the academic community of Prince of Peace Girls Secondary School and to community as a whole. I am ever grateful that I am given this opportunity to come, live and experience the warmth, hospitality and “riches” of the Ghanaian people.

I had to “let go of many things… I learned much from the people; they have enriched me with their culture…so rich!

 

 

By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD

Bread in Ghana
Linguistically, many Ghanaians find it hard to pronounce the letter R clearly. They pronounce it as letter L. Now, now with just half loaf of bread left on the table for our three visitors, I asked our mission boy to run like a leopard and buy some bread. In a few seconds, he came back grasping and handed me three small boxes or stainless blades. Aghast, I asked, “What are these for?” “You told me to buy blade Father,” he said convincingly. One of the visitors, a Ghanaian lady who perfectly knew of the problem was convulsed with laughter and almost dropped her tea.

***
Who’s to be Buried?
I gave a recollection to the members of St. Anthony’s Guild of Kintampo Parish. During the penitential service, I required them to write down on a piece of paper all their sins to be burned during the offertory. After the Mass I told them, “Now in procession, we are going to bury the ashes which symbolizes our old selves.” During the procession, they suddenly burst our chanting their native and real funeral dirges with full emotions; that attracted people passing by and my hair was standing on end four the funeral had become “real” – beyond my instructions. Children came to see who was buried but the leader of the group shooed them away. That evening news spread out that the reconciliation was a success.
***
Eyes on His back
Going home one afternoon from the tennis court, some children playfully followed, ran behind, and hung on at the back or my jeep. Twice I stopped the engine to drive them away, but when the jeep started again, all the same, they all flocked and hung on at the back. Annoyed, I got down immediately (to their surprise!) and spanked those who were not fast enough to jump down and run away. An innocent child who had been watching the scene shouted to the rest, Eh Osofo anni wo an kye oh” (Aha, Father has eyes on his back’). They did not know of course I had been watching them all the time through the front and side mirrors.
***
To Hook on a Snake
In a thatch-roofed hut that we were using as a chapel, I was trying to hang the wire of a small fluorescent lamp connected to the car battery which we used during the right services. The place was eerily lighted by a single flickering kerosene lamp. I saw something white sticking out from the ceiling and wanted to hang the lamp on it. But every time I tried to hang the lamp, I could not hook it on the “thing”. Three times I failed. Wondering, I looked at it closely (since I was only half looking a while ago); then to my amazement I realized it was a snake sneaking its head and neck out but drawing back every time we wire touched its head. Panic stricken, I ran shouting, “Owuo owuo” (snake! Snake) and shift as a lighting flash, the catechist knocked it on the head and killed it.
***
How lucky you are
Looking down on the dead snake, the people were completely silent but eventually with difficulty they revealed to me that the snake was deadly poisonous. “How lucky you are father. God is with you” they could only mumble.
***
More Snakes Please!
During the meeting of the church elders on the same night while the snake was still the topic, I asked them, “Did you hear what the snake was telling me? he was talking but you were not able to hear. He was saying that if you do not hasten to build the church you had been proposing for the quite time now, he is going to eat your priest (me).” I went for a home-leave and when I came back a few months later, a concrete church of 25x40ft., the envy of other groups was proudly standing, built by my expert Parish Priest and the people. More snakes please!

More in the next issue

 

By: Fr. Peter C. Wang

Close to Inner Mongolia
I was born on December 31, 1922 in a Catholic family at a small village near Inner Mongolia, a part of Manchury China. My grandfather worked in a parish church as a gardener. He was converted to Christian faith by the parish priest who one of the CICM Fathers from Belgium.

Grandfather Prayed for a Priest
My father married my mother who was an orphan from the orphanage of the church. My grandfather prayed at heart to God to give him at least one priest among his ten grandsons. I and one of my cousins entered the minor Seminary when I was 13 years old in the year 1935.

1500 Miles from Home
The minor seminary was about one thousand five hundred miles away from my parents. I finished my elementary and high school in the minor seminary in those days the seminary system was such that after finishing elementary, we had to study French, then after two years of French we begun to study Latin with French and then we studied philosophy and theology with Latin.

Put Into Concentration Camps
When the Second World War started, our seminary staff being Canadians were all put into concentration camps by the Japanese authorities. We had to escape to another seminary which was administered by French Fathers: The Paris Mission.

Russian Arrive
In 1943 I entered the major seminary which was administered by French Augustian Fathers. I was able to finish one and a half years of Philosophy when the Japanese surrendered on August 15th 1945. Immediately the Russians entered into Manchuria and took all valuables and sent thousands of Japanese to Siberia.

Civil War Breaks Out
After the Russians went the Chinese civil war started: communist against the nationalist. I was caught once in the firing line, many died but by the protection of God, I survive.

If You’re Sincere… Escape
I went to my old bishop who said to me: if you are sincere in your vocation, escape immediately to the South. I am sure you will get help. So I began my journey with 5 dollars in my hand. I was lucky enough to get on the last train going Peking now Beijing.

 

Northwest China
I had to go to the north-west of China where their was a major seminary administered by the CICM Fathers. There I was accepted and began my first year of Theology.

Communist Arrive
After almost two years, the communist were coming again to the major seminary. Everybody is uneasy again. One of the vicar generals of the diocese went to the seminary asking a volunteer who would accompany him to go to somewhere in the south of China.

Last Train to Shanghai
I volunteered to take adventure. It took us three days to reach a big city where we were able to get on the last commercial plane to Shanghai. Shanghai City at that time was still in the hands of the nationalist. When I arrive at Shanghai, there were many Seminarians from different provinces gathered in Shanghai.

Manila
The majority of the seminarians came from the seminaries administered by the Jesuits so the Jesuits fathers finally decided to bring us (we were about 75) to Manila in the Philippines, where I finished my last two years of Theology and was ordained priest on April 29th 1951. After my ordination I work mostly in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro with the Jesuits Fathers, Columban Father, and the Diocesan priest until 1980.

Off to Japan
In 1980 I volunteered to go with the Columban Fathers as an Associate Columban missionary to Japan. Since 1980 I have been working as a missionary in Japan.

I was caught once in the firing line, many died by the protection of God, I survived.

By: Fr. Ernesto Amigleo, CICM

I remember many years ago in 1963, as a young novice at the CICM Maryhurst Seminary in Baguio City, my novice master announced to the twelve of us novices that the superior general wanted us to write him about where or which mission country we would like  to go as a missionary. We were asked to name three countries after a few days or discernment, we were ready to write Fr. General. I chose Indonesia as one of my priorities. The other two were Japan and Brazil. There were, of course, reason why I chose Indonesia. They were: 1) because Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country; 2) because it is in Asia; 3) because as a Filipino I can share our Christian faith with our Asian Muslim brothers and sister; and 4) because culturally speaking, Indonesians and Filipino come from the same Malay ancestry.

Special Dream
My dream to become a missionary in a predominantly Muslim country was realized eleven years later after I wrote to our Fr. General. After a very beautiful and touching mission send-off at Paco Catholic Church, I, together with a confrere, also from Paco, embarked or mission.

Holy Ground
On January 29, 1974 I first stepped on Indonesia soil. My feeling then was that I was stepping on a holy ground. The word of anthropologist John V. Taylor reminded me:
“When we approach a person of another culture or of another religion we have first of all to take our shoes, because the place we enter is holy. Otherwise, it could happen that we recklessly destroy the dreams of other people. Moreover we might forget that God has already been in this place before us…”

All Leaving Under the Same Roof
Of all the Muslim countries in the world, I think Indonesia is unique in the sense that in many a family one will find a Muslim, a protestant, a Catholic, and a Hindu or Buddhist, all leaving together under the same roof. Hence example, for example, the father is a Muslim, the mother is a Catholic, one of the children a protestant, another Hindu and still another a Buddhist. What is unique is that they blend together. Indeed inter-religious dialogue already starts on the family level or the neighborhood. There is an atmosphere of tolerance and respect for each other. On the leadership level, both state and the Church never tire of stressing the need for religious tolerance and respect for one another’s belief.

Praying Five Times a Day
My first months in Indonesia were devoted to the study of the Bahasa. This took place at the Minor Seminary in the little City of Ujung Pandang, Sulowesi Selatan. This place was strategic for it was in the heart of the City. There I first came into contact with our Muslim brothers and sisters. Besides studying Bahasa. I tried to familiarize myself with the City. I spent the afternoon walking and observing. One of the first things that struck me was the proliferation of mesjid or mosques. I saw Muslim, especially men, in sarong (a place of cloth that is wrap around the body from the waist down) heading to he mosque to pray five times a day. As early as four o’ clock in the morning the sound of the “minaret” (because of the influence of modernization they have started using cassettes tapes) could be heard all over the place to wake up the faithful to pray to Allah (God). One of things that struck most deeply in Islam and that I learned is the important place of prayer in my daily life. Needless to day, I had to do some soul searching myself as regards to my prayer life, the place and value I give it in my life.
 [End of part One]

We might forget that God has already been in this place before…

It could happen that we recklessly destroy the dreams of other people.

By: Emma Pabera

In 1990 three, Filipinos, Gloria Canama from Mindanao, Pilar Tilos, and Emma (Ems Pabera from Negros arrived in Pakistan to begin their missionary work with the Columban Fathers and Sisters. A letter from Ems tells us of their first impressions.

A Lay Missionary’s First Impressions
Pilar, Gloria, and I (Ems) arrived in Pakistan on Oct. 21. Our plane touched down in Lahore at 10:30 AM on a Sunday morning. Waiting patiently for us at the Airport Terminal were two Irish priest and a Filipino nun (Dan, P.J., and Perlita). As they put garlands around our heads I felt the urge of happiness. IT is strange but I don’t feel like a stranger in this place. Maybe because the Columban support group is great and they’re so good to us.

Luke 4:16-21
On Monday at 5:30 pm the Columban Missionaries had a formal welcome for us with a Mass. Fr. Dan was the celebrant. Tanvir, P.J., Finbar, and the three seminarians, 4 Columban were present. I was asked to read the gospel and to share my reflection. WE chose Luke 4:16-21 (“He sent me to bring good news to the poor”). My sharing was from the heart. I was so touched by the occasion. I was full of hope and even now I feel I will love Pakistan and its people. Every day I was seeing news faces of God. Most of those whom I meet are Muslims.

Struggling with their Faith
The church is about 30 minutes walk from our house. It’s a small church. I was touched how the Christian here are struggling with their faith. The majority of them are poor but they are so committed to their faith. I saw an old man, a sort of elder leader and I was reminded of Tatay and Tiyoy Daruy back in the mountains of Candoni on the Island of Negros which is my home.

I’ll Miss the Fish
We are lucky to have a Filipino Columban sister here, Sr. Perlita Ponje, she’s really a great help to us. We arrived here in lovely warm weather though it is getting cooler now. Inside the house we wear coats or jackets aside from our Pakistan attire. I have problem with the food, but I’ll miss the fish. Fish is very rare here. We always have meat. There are lots of fruits and they are not expensive.

We are Babies Again
We are attending language classes. We start at 7:30 AM to noon, then from 1:30 to 4:30 PM. learning the language is interesting. I am enjoying it so far though it is very tiring. It is funny because we are like babies learning and struggling to speak, and like grade school students learning to write. The script is very difficult. But with patience, and determination I will learn it. This is the first time since my college graduation that I studied seriously. We are both learning Urdu and Punjabi.

Meal with Muslims
One Friday evening we were invited to share a meal with Muslims. The three year old daughter of the family had been sick with flu and was now felling alright. As the sign of thank giving they prepared a meal and invited their neighbors and friends. Before eating they prayed together as a small community, thanking Allah for His blessings. They spread special blanket on the floor where we say and ate with our hands. We always had water beside us because the food is hot. But it is delicious. I’m getting used to eating “chapati”. We enjoyed the evening with the women. The family is so good to us. They told us to come and visit them anytime. It is good that they speak English and we practice our Punjabi with them.

A stranger Approached
One day after class Pilar and I went for a stroll in the park nearby; we took turns taking pictured of each other. We were surprised when a stranger approach us in his early twenties and offered to take our picture. He had sensed that Pilar and I wanted our picture taken together. He was so good and respectful. Though he didn’t introduce himself and we didn’t ask his name, he welcomed us to Pakistan.

New Faces of God
I am happy and thank God for leading me here to Pakistan. Everyday I see new different faces of God in both Christians and Muslims.

 

Everyday I see new and different faces of God in both Christian and Muslim.