202301

W a l k w h e r e J e s u s a n d O u r L a d y w a l k e d , p r a y a t t h e s a c r e d s h r i n e s o f t h e H o l y L a n d , a n d t o u r C a i r o , w i t h t h e P y r a m i d s , t h e H a n g i n g C h u r c h , a d i n n e r c r u i s e o n t h e N i l e , p l u s A l e x a n d r i a ! D a i l y l u n c h e s i n c l u d e d !

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C A M I N O D E S A N T I A G O O F F I C I A L 7 - D AY C A M I N O

May

2023

• Led by Fr Chris Townsend

W a l k t h e a n c i e n t ‘ C a m i n o P r i m i t i v o ’ r o u t e f r o m L u g o t o

S a n t i a g o d e C o m p o s t e l a ! Y o u c a n w a l k a t y o u r o w n p a c e , a n d a t t h e e n d b e c e r t i f i e d a s a C a m i n o p i l g r i m ! Y o u r l u g g a g e w i l l b e d e l i v e r e d t o y o u r h o t e l e v e r y d a y !

w w w. f o w l e r t o u r s . c o . z a / c a m i n o

Editor: Günther Simmermacher editor@scross co za

Business Manager: Pamela Davids admin@scross co za

Digital Editor: Claire Allen c allen@scross co za

Features Writer: Daluxolo Moloantoa daluxolo@scross co za

Saints for Africa!

Dear Reader,

AL L O w M E T O G I V E y O U A T I N y glimpse behind the scenes of your monthly magazine by way of this brief anecdote It will also show you who is really in charge here

Some of our content is prepared quite a while before publication, sometimes several months ahead, to allow us time to work on other material that is filed closer to our deadlines. So it was on September 30 that I started to prepare our features about St Thérèse of Lisieux which appeared in last month’s issue and in the one you are holding right now, all to mark the 150th anniversar y of her birth on Januar y 2 Only as I looked at the calendar did I realise that the ver y day I began working on these features marked the 125th anniversar y of the Little Flower ’s death (her feast day is on the following day, October 1)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: R Shields (chair), Bishop S Sipuka, Bishop S David OMI (alt), S Duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, C Mathieson, N Mpushe, Fr H O’Connor, R Perrier, D Shikwambana, G Stubbs Become an Associate and help t h E s o u t h E r n c r o s s survive: www.scross.co.za/ associates-campaign/ Advertising ratecard is available from advertising@scross.co.za or download at www.scross.co.za/advertising

Coincidence or guidance from the Holy Spirit, perhaps prompted by St Thérèse herself? I take the view that in such things, there are no coincidences

On that day I decided that St Thérèse should have to grace the cover of our Januar y issue As you will have noticed, she does indeed and I know that many readers will be delighted with that.

St Thérèse is a ver y popular saint, but I tend to agree with her biographer, the late Bishop Guy Gaucher, that it is too easy to reduce her to the sweetness that no doubt was also part of her personality But that was not all she was Thérèse was complex, creative and far more intelligent than many people seem to assume Her messages may at a glance seem simplistic, but I find them substantial and challenging. The genius of St Thérèse of Lisieux the reason, I suppose, why she is a Doctor of the Church resides in her ability to present in simple terms concepts for which theology uses long words which even the spellcheckers can’t spell

Ever y issue of The Southern Cross carries the stor y of a “Saint of the Month”, always accompanied by a poster Some readers collect them in flipfiles to create a book of saints, which is a great idea indeed. This issue marks a first in the series: our present saint, a priest and monk from Nigeria, has yet to

be canonised (which is the Church’s way of certif ying that somebody is with God and therefore a saint) There is no doubt that the day will come when Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi will be formally acclaimed a saint by canonisation we have only a few canonised saints from Africa. One reason for this is that Catholicism is still relatively young in most of sub-Saharan Africa. Another reason is that sainthood causes require a significant investment of financial and human resources and these are not easy to spare in less affluent countries. we must pray that there will be a greater number of canonised African saints This requires that we include them in our devotional and prayer life Blesseds Benedict Daswa, Isidore Bakanja, Ghebre Michael, Daudi Okelo & Jildo Ir wa, Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta, Victoire Rasoamanarivo, Raphaël Rafiringa, Lucien Botovasoa, and Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, pray for us

And we may also include in that group missionaries who made a great difference in Africa, such as Bl Joseph Gérard, or Abbot Franz P fanner, the founder of Mariannhill, whose sainthood cause has been ongoing for some years

For many Catholics, the great dream is to make a pilgrimage, maybe to the Holy Land or Rome or one of the many Marian shrines around the world But we also have opportunities for local pilgrimages Ngome and the shrine of Bl Benedict Daswa in Tzaneen diocese are two increasingly popular destinations in South Africa In this issue, we read about a Mariannhill pilgrimage which took in sites and shrines connected to Abbot P fanner and the congregation he founded The twist here is that this pilgrimage was done on motorcycles!

Thank you for reading The Southern Cross, and please tell your friends about your monthly Catholic magazine.

God bless, Günther simmermacher (Editor)

Francis and the Little Flower

we mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of St Thérèse of Lisieux, we look at the pope’s devotion to her

St Thérèse – Without the Sugar

world’s foremost scholar on St Thérèse of Lisieux saw in the saint a complex woman

FROM OUR VAULTS 6 Years Ago: January 25, 2017

Second feast of Bl Daswa

The celebrations of the second feast day of Bl Benedict Daswa, on February 1, will be held at Tshitanini village, where the beatification took place in 2015, and where the future shrine and pilgrimage centre will be located Southern Africa’s faithful have been urged to celebrate the feast with a special liturgy, prayers and a novena. The Southern Cross features an illustrated Daswa prayer in that issue

PE celebrates cathedral’s jubilee

Port Elizabeth’s cathedral is marking the final few months of celebrating the 150th anniversary of its consecration. The jubilee year of events, which began in April 2016, will close on April 23

Freeman: People still believe

H an aid On the day be o e h f J y 31 he ai h u are inv ted o spe d p d f i t d ion prayer and ef ect on n h ch h f O L dy the Assumpt on in Nwe he ch h Bl D h lp d bu ld and where h s rema ns are kept F om 15:00 to 18 00 there w l b dt th posed sac ament P ies s wi be a a b t w l be f g c ia ion and hea ng close o he p h tht ma ns of B Benedic Daswa e h p g f the ea t no es Be g th hurch al w l rece ve a short pe g [by B Da wa nv t ng them o ive mo e de p y th G p f ng k ndne s and mercy i y Th t ph e o prayer u i ence w l of er al h pp y l en ng o e us speak ng n the h d h g a hear - o-hea t cha w th hi b t th i h p ea s deep ong ngs and need h p g y Expo i i l l th b ned ct on of the Most B es ed Sac t The chu ch w l ema n ope ft d f h h i h to spend more time he e

Th b f the fea t o Bl Da wa February 1 l b h d t T h anin vi age whe e the beat ic k p i 2015 and whe e the uture shr e d p g i g t i be located F 7 00 here w l be venerat on of he el c B D d g wh ch pr est wi be avai ab e h t econc l aion The ea t s Mass w l be ce eb d t 9 00 l d by venerat on o he rel cs l A o b g y 23 o end on the 31s The a hf l g d t pe form three acts of k ndness each d y f th membrance o he hree ac s f h ty hi h Bl B d ct pe formed he day he wa ty d Sr H osa g d th i h u to pray ea nes ly through he i t B B ned c for the graces

Despite reports of church attendance falling across denominations and low percentages for believers worshipping across the globe, belief in God remains strong, said actor Morgan Freeman, the narrator of a documentary series The Story of God

Vatican-Palestine relations

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Pope Francis before attending the inauguration of the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See in Rome

Editorial on pastoral solutions

I n t h e m a i n p i c t u r e , f o u r - y e a r - o l d G a b r i e l l a P e r e i r a j o i n s F r R u s s e l l P o l l i t t S J a t t h e a l t a r d u r i n g t h e b a p t i s m o f h e r b a b y b r o t h e r L u c a i n B r a a m f o n t e i n , J o h a n n e s b u r g

In his editorial on Pope Francis’ approach on divorced and civilly remarried Catholics in Amoris Laetitia, Günther Simmermacher notes that every Church law requires a pastoral application, especially if a doctrine is creating pastoral concerns. P r e v i o u s “ F r o m T h e Va u l t s ” a r t i c l e s a t w w w. s c r o s s . c o . z a / v a u l t s

What else made news in January 2017:

• About 90 people, including 20 aid workers of the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, are killed when Nigerian army fighter jets “mistakenly” bomb people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.

• The new Laity Council of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference is launched at the bishops’ plenary session in Pretoria.

• In a new social media craze titled #DeadPoseChallenge, South Africans photograph themselves pretending to be dead

• Donald Trump is officially sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, succeeding two-term President Barack Obama.

• Sophiatown jazz legend Thandi Klaassen dies at 85 on January 15 She is given a state funeral

F r F r a n c i s M a l a k a b l e s s e s s c h o o lc h i l d r e n o f S t M a r i a G o r e t t i p a r i s h i n W o r c e s t e r , O u d t s h o o r n d i o c e s e , a t t h e s t a r t o f t h e n e w y e a r , a d v i s i n g t h e m t o l o o k a h e a d a n d p l a n f o r t h e i r f u t u r e s

r n C r o s s

t h a b i t e t a k e n o u t ) , a b o t t l e o f t r e a t e d w a t e r , a s h e e t o f w r a p p i n g p a p e r ( “ a n d n o t e v e n t h e n i c e o n e ” ) , 1 8 s e c o n d s w i t h a l a w y e r , o r a s h o e l a c e A n d t h e m a g a z i n e y o u ’ r e h o l d i n g n o w ? L e s s t h a n a c u p o f c o f f e e !

Priest: From crack addict to ordination

Did Your Q u e st io ns answered

really

Q. Is there any evidence at all that the Magi, the “Three Wise Men”, actually existed? And if not, can the story of the Massacre of the Innocents by King Herod be true?

THE SHORT ANSWER: IF WE APPLY the tests of historical scholarship, then we know neither whether there were such men nor whether the massacre their loose mouths provoked, actually happened. Historians may justifiably doubt the account in Scriptures As Christians, however, we put our faith in the Gospel, and hold on to the message of St Matthew’s infancy narrative

But your questions concern specifically the historicity of these events, so let’s consider these, and begin with the Massacre of the Innocents In the Gospel of Matthew’s (2:16–18), King Herod orders the killing of all male children of two years and younger in the vicinity of Bethlehem, after the Magi told him about the king who had been born in the Judean town

Many scholars seem to regard the story as a myth They suggest that Matthew used it as an allegory of Pharaoh’s plan to kill Israelite children (Exodus 1), and as a fulfilment of the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15. They also observe that neither the 1st-century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius who despised Herod nor the king’s associate Nicolaus of Damascus refer to a massacre of children, though they did mention other acts of absurd cruelty.

Moreover, a large-scale infanticide would have caused a strong reaction from the populace, and thus from the Roman occupiers, at whose pleasure

Herod served

But absence of proof is not proof of absence Other scholars suggest that the number of infants killed in a backwater might have been so small as to escape great outrage, or Josephus’ attention, at a time when life was cheap Matthew also wasn’t the only writer to mention the massacre, as is sometimes claimed The apocryphal Protoevangelium of James mentions it (in relation to St Elizabeth hiding the infant John the Baptist from Herod’s soldiers), as do the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla These were written when Matthew was just one of many books, before the Bible was codified, and differ from the evangelist’s account in detail, which means that they likely were written independently from Matthew This suggests that there was a strong tradition of such a massacre.

And the Magi? Well, they wouldn’t have been headline news or of particular interest to historians. So all we have

m a s , i t m a r k s t h e t i m e w h e n M a r y a n d J o s e p h b r o u g h t t h e i n f a n t J e s u s t o t h e T e m p l e t o b e d e d i c a t e d t o t h e L o r d , a s w a s t h e J e w i s h c u st o m f o r t h e f i r s t b o r n m a l e S i n c e a t l e a s t t h e 1 1 t h c e n t u r y , t h e b l e s s i n g o f c a n d l e s h a s b e e n a r e g u l a r p a r t o f t h i s f e a s t T h e s o l e m -

n i t y o f t h a t b l e s s i n g m a y v a r y , a n d i t m a y o r m a y n o t i n c l u d e a p r o c e s s i o n o f t h e f a i t h f u l M o r e o f t e n , i n m y e x p e r i e n c e , w o r s h i p p e r s s i m p l y h o l d l i t c a n d l e s i n t h e i r p e w s w h i l e t h e p r i e s t p r o n o u n c e s t h e b l e s s i n g S o m e t i m e s p a r i s h e s p r o v i d e t h e c a n d l e s ; s o m e t i m e s p a r i s h i o n e r s a r e e n c o u r a g e d t o b r i n g t h e i r o w n

is Matthew’s word that they did exist And here, little points to their presence serving as an allegorical device

We know next to nothing about them, not even their exact number

Popular perception numbers them at three, based on the number of gifts they brought Other traditions, such as that of the Syriac Church, count 12 of them.

The reference to them in Matthew as “Magi” identifies them as being of the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism, which was guided by astrology They might have been wise, but they were not kings the notions of “Three Wise Men” or “Three Kings” are later extrapolations

Their names Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar go back to a document from around 500 AD Ethiopian, Syriac and Armenian Christians all propose different names

In Catholic tradition the Magi eventually became Christians and were martyred St Helena, the story goes, recovered their bones and took them to Constantinople From there, they were brought to Milan in 344 AD The reputed bones of the Magi are now kept in Cologne cathedral in Germany

h i s b o o k Seek That Which Is Above t h a t “ t h e w a r m c a n d l e l i g h t i s m e a n t t o b e a t a n g i b l e r e m i n d e r o f t h a t g r e a t e r l i g h t t h a t , f o r a n d b e y o n d a l l t i m e , r a d i a t e s f r o m t h e f i g u r e o f J e s u s ” D o y o u h a v e q u e s t i o n s a b o u t o u r f a i t h ? S e n d t h e m t o : e d i t o r @ s c r o s s c o z a

(Günther Simmermacher)

What are the rules on genuflecting?

Q. The lack of the solemn genuflection when entering the church is bothering me Folk don’t know to double genuflect (that is, to go down on both knees) when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. I’ve seen children “genuflect” with their backs to the altar, and some priest approaching the altar with a nod What is the Church’s teaching on genuflection?

THE ACT OF GENUFLECTING BENDING THE RIGHT knee to the ground, not just a dip of the knee is a sign of adoration to honour the Blessed Sacrament Therefore, upon arriving in church, if there is a tabernacle containing the consecrated hosts, one should genuflect towards it If there is a physical impediment to doing so, a person should nevertheless make a gesture of profound reverence If the Eucharist is reserved in a side chapel, however, it would be proper to simply bow towards the altar

The Church teaches that one is supposed to make the appropriate sign of reverence whenever one passes in front of the altar or tabernacle But we are also counselled not to make a big public show of our reverence

When we see children reverencing incorrectly, we may alert the catechism coordinator or parish priest They might be unaware that catechetical instruction on proper gesture of reverence appears to be necessary

The ancient custom of double genuflection towards the exposed Sacrament is a commendable gesture, but it is not required by Church law

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes that the priest genuflects when he arrives at the altar and departs from it, and three times during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. “Otherwise all who pass before the most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession” (274) Ministers carrying the processional cross, candles, cruets, the Book of the Gospels and so on may bow their heads instead of genuflecting, though neither gesture is mandated

As a general rule, we bow to the altar, and we genuflect to our Lord in the Tabernacle or when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar

Who will crush the serpent’s head?

Q. My question refers to this line in the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel” (Genesis 3:13-15).

It has now become apparent that this was a translation error and the text should read “he shall crush thy head”, referring to Jesus, the seed of the woman But this error has never been made public and is still quoted extensively to this day It has given rise to vast theological disparities between Catholics and the rest of the Christian world It was quietly changed in the current version we read at Mass, the RSV version, without anybody noticing, or worse, accusations of it “becoming a Protestant Bible”

How did this happen and why is the Church silent about this?

THIS IS A MOST INTERESTING textual crux, and I am grateful to you for raising it. The facts are these: The Hebrew clearly reads, “he will strike your head”, though, interestingly the Jewish Publication Society translates it as “they shall strike at your

head”, referring to the “offspring” (and thus avoiding any uncomfortable messianic implication)

As you point out, the Revised Standard Version (first published in 1952) and the New Revised Standard Version (1989) and English Standard Version (2001), as well as the New American Bible (1970) follows the Hebrew, and read “he”

Likewise, the LXX (the Greek version of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint) reads a masculine pronoun, “he”; while the Jerusalem Bible, which is the version that in this country we read at Mass, has “it”, which refers

to the “offspring”.

But as you quite correctly observe, the Douai-Rheims version reads “she” The reason for that is that the Douai version set out to translate the Vulgate, St Jerome’s 4th-century Latin version; and the Vulgate reads “she”, which of course is frequently understood as referring to Our Lady, in this Messianic context In that sense, this is not an error but simply a translation of what is in the text

The question then becomes one of why the Vulgate reads “she” To answer that question, alas, we simply do not have the evidence So it is not accurate to claim that “it was quietly changed”, and that “the Church is silent about this”, as though something duplicitous had taken place That is not how serious scholarship is done.

Equally, it is not the case that this variant reading “has given rise to vast theological disparities between Catholics and the rest of the Christian world” It is undeniable that there are disagreements between Catholics and those of the Reformed tradition on the theology of the Mother of God; but they do not spring from this particular text

(Fr Nicholas King SJ)

I n t e r v i e w

Dispatches from a newsman

BLAIN HERMAN IS AT HOME IN church and has been so since he was a baby When he was baptised, baby Blain was placed on the altar at the church of Our Lady of Vailankanni in Chatsworth Durban. As a small boy, he would often be left to play around the church while his grandmother and mother cleaned it Many a time, after wearing himself out playing, he would be found sleeping under the altar.

His grandmother hoped that this was a sign that he would become a priest. It did not work out that way. Instead, Herman is now an award-winning television journalist and executive

“I come from a small, tight-knit family with a strong matriarch in the form of my grandmother. She and my mother, both Eucharistic ministers, made me feel so proud to be a Catholic so much so that I named my son Christian,” the executive producer and former co-anchor of SABC TV’s “The Agenda” told The Southern Cross Married for 15 years, Blain and Melaney, and 11-year-old Christian are parishioners of the Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Rivonia, Johannesburg.

Herman studied journalism at the Durban Institute of Technology He was a senior student there when, almost 20 years ago, an opportunity opened for a journalism internship at the SABC’s Durban offices He successfully applied for the position at the public broadcasting corporation, and started out by reading hourly news bulletins on Lotus FM. Within a few months he was moved to field-reporting, doing live interviews for various current affairs programmes in the SABC stable

He then became a producer and presenter for the current affairs programme “Newsbreak” on Lotus FM This is where Herman came into contact with another inspirational figure in his life “Veteran journalist Ashok Ramsarup mentored me when I started at ‘Newsbreak’. He taught me how to tell a story, and about the important role journalism plays in how people make sense of the world. He is now retired, but he is still my mentor and we chat almost on a daily basis,” Herman said.

Move to television

During his time at “Newsbreak”, the programme became the fastest-growing current affairs radio programme in the SABC portfolio. Television news was his next port of call In 2018 the Herman family moved to Johannesburg, and

from all walks of life,” he explained.

Herman cites four major highlights in his career this far. The first was when he co-anchored the SABC’s broadcasts of the funeral of Archbishop Desmond Tutu on New Year’s Day 2022 “He was a man who many regarded as the moral conscience of South Africa His funeral was a big moment in history, and I was glad to be a part of it,” he said.

In 2009, Herman was voted KZN Broadcast Journalist of the Year. The prize was a trip to London to cover the World Travel Market conference, the premier global event for the travel and tourism industry He counts this as a major highlight in his career Another highlight was his posting to Libya in 2011 to cover the civil war. “It was gruelling, working under extremely dangerous conditions, trying to deliver the accurate story to our viewership,” he said

Blain became a co-anchor of “The Agenda” In 2021 he relinquished the position as co-anchor of the programme in order to become its executive producer

Earlier this year, he returned to the front of the camera to present the news programme “It’s Topical”, which Herman describes as “an interactive programme focusing on various relevant topics that made headlines during the week” It is broadcast each Tuesday evening on SABC 3, and on the last Sunday of each month on SABC 2 The programme aims to “allow citizens to engage about issues and events which have a direct impact on them It is a perfect news platform for South Africans

T h e f o u r t h m i l e s t o n e i n h i s c areer was a posting to Beijing in 2014 t o c o v e r S o u t h A f r i c a ’s c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h i n B R I C S t h e e c o n o m i c a s s oc i a t i o n o f B r a z i l , R u s s i a , I n d i a , C h i n a and South Africa and its implications f o r i n f r a s t r u c t u r e d e v e l o p m e n t i n t h e c o u n t r y. T h e m a n y o n e - o n - o n e i n t e rviews he has done with major internat i o n a l f i g u r e s i n c l u d e o n e w i t h t h e n - U n i t e d N a t i o n s s e c r e t a r y - g e n e r a l Ban Ki-Moon in 2011

Great power of God’s grace

Herman credits his Catholic faith as a n a n c h o r i n h i s c a r e e r “ I h a v e f a l l e n m a n y t i m e s S o m e t i m e s s o s e r i o u s l y, t h a t I c o u l d s e e n o w a y o u t I w o u l d often ask myself, ‘How will I ever come o u t o f t h i s ? ’ B u t o f t e n , t h e a n s w e r l i e s not on earth, but up in heaven,” he said

D a l u x o l o M o l o a n t o a i n t e r v i e w s S A B C ’ s B l a i n H e r m a n

‘ M y f a i t h h a s h e l p e d m e t o k e e p o n f i g h t i n g ’

“

I h a v e l e a r n e d t h a t G o d ’s g r a c e c a n s a v e y o u f r o m a n y s i t u a t i o n . M y grounding in the Catholic Church has taught me to never give up ”

H i s d a i l y p r a y e r r o u t i n e , a n d t h e joint participation in it with his family, is a blessing, he said “We pray daily I w o u l d f e e l l o s t w i t h o u t p r a y e r I a m blessed to have a wife and a child who share my joy in the faith. It is my faith which has helped me to keep on fighti n g , n o m a t t e r w h a t i t i s I a m u p against ”

A s a j o u r n a l i s t w h o i s C a t h o l i c ,

H e r m a n b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e C a t h o l i c m e d i a i n S o u t h A f r i c a p e r f o r m s a c r ucial role in the dissemination of inform a t i o n t o t h e f a i t h f u l “ T h e u n i v e r s a l primar y role of Catholic media is to aid in the spiritual growth of the faithful. To communicate what is good and also to point out the bad I see strides being made in this mission.”

“The Catholic media, like all other m e d i a , s h o u l d e r s t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o t e l l t h e t r u t h . S o m e t i m e s p o l a r i s a t i o n c a n i n c r e a s e b e c a u s e m i s i n f o r m a t i o n spreads too easily Therefore it is impor-

t a n t t o p l a c e a c r i t i c a l l e n s e v e n o n Catholic media,” he said

H e r m a n u r g e s y o u n g C a t h o l i c s starting in media to set high standards f o r t h e m s e l v e s “ A s h o k R a m s a r u p a lways used to say something that sticks in my mind: ‘Get it right the first time.’ T h i s s p e a k s d i r e c t l y t o t h e h i g h s t a ndards which you need to set for yours e l f R e a l n e w s m a t t e r s T h e t r u t h matters. Do your best.

“ T h e s e a r e t h e i n v a l u a b l e l e s s o n s t h a t I h a v e l e a r n e d o v e r t h e y e a r s and I’m still learning ”

L e f t : S A B C n e w s a f f a i r s a n c h o r a n d p r o d u c e r B l a i n H e r m a n r e g a r d s c o v e r

0 Y E A R S of the Little Flower

C a t h o l i c s a n d s o m e A n g l ic a n s w h o h a v e a d e v o t i o n t o S t T h é r è s e o f L i s i e u x , “ T h e L i t t l e F l o w e r ” , i s P o p e F r a n c i s T h e H o l y F a t h e r h a s s p o k e n o n s e v e r a l o cc a s i o n s a b o u t h i s s t r o n g d e v o t i o n t o t h e F r e n c h s a i n t , a s w e l l a s a b o u t h i s h a b i t o f a s k i n g h e r f o r f a v o u r s

O n J a n u a r y 2 , w e m a r k t h e 1 5 0 t h anniversar y of the saint, who was born on Januar y 2, 1873, in Alençon, France, a s M a r i e F r a n ç o i s e - T h é r è s e M a r t i n t o pious parents She was the youngest of f i v e s u r v i v i n g d a u g h t e r s A l l o f t h e m would enter the convent, four becoming Carmelites

St Thérèse, who died on September 30, 1897, was canonised in 1925. Pope F r a n c i s c a n o n i s e d h e r p a r e n t s , L o u i s and Zélie Martin, in 201 5 They are the first spouses in the Church’s histor y to be canonised as a couple.

Z é l i e d i e d w h e n T h é r è s e w a s o n l y four, but Louis raised his children with m u c h l o v e . O n C h r i s t m a s D a y 1 8 8 6 , s h o r t l y b e f o r e h e r 1 4 t h b i r t h d a y, T h é r è s e h a d a p r o f o u n d e x p e r i e n c e o f i n t i m a t e u n i o n w i t h G o d , w h i c h s h e d e s c r i b e d a s a “ c o m p l e t e c o n v e r s i o n ” (see our December issue for that stor y and about Thérèse’s childhood home in L i s i e u x ) . A l m o s t a y e a r l a t e r, d u r i n g a pilgrimage to Rome in 1887, she asked for and obtained permission from Pope L e o X I I I t o e n t e r t h e C a r m e l i t e c o nv e n t , w h i c h s h e d i d a t t h e u n u s u a l l y young age of 15

F i n d i n g h e r v o c a t i o n

O n e n t e r i n g t h e C a r m e l , s h e d ev o t e d h e r s e l f t o l e a d i n g a l i f e o f h o l in e s s , d o i n g a l l t h i n g s w i t h l o v e a n d c h i l d l i k e t r u s t i n G o d S h e s t r u g g l e d with life in the convent, but decided to m a k e a n e f f o r t t o b e c h a r i t a b l e t o a l l , e s p e c i a l l y t o p e o p l e w h o m s h e d i d n o t l i k e S h e p e r f o r m e d l i t t l e a c t s o f c h a ri t y a n d s a c r i f i c e s , n o t c a r i n g h o w u n i m p o r t a n t t h e y s e e m e d . T h e s e a c t s h e l p e d h e r c o m e t o a d e e p e r u n d e rs t a n d i n g o f h e r v o c a t i o n

T h é r è s e w r o t e i n h e r p o s t h umously-published journal that she had a l w a y s d r e a m e d o f b e i n g a m i s s i o n a r y, a n a p o s t l e , a m a r t y r y e t s h e w a s a n u n i n a q u i e t c l o i s t e r i n L i s i e u x , i n n o r t h w e s t e r n F r a n c e . H o w c o u l d s h e fulfil these longings? “Charity gave me t h e k e y t o m y v o c a t i o n , ” s h e r e c a l l e d “ M y v o c a t i o n i s L o v e ! ”

I n A p r i l 1 8 9 6 , i n t h e n i g h t f r o m Holy Thursday to Good Friday, Thérèse noticed the first symptoms of tuberculosis, the illness which would cause her much suffering and lead to her death a y e a r - a n d - a - h a l f l a t e r S i n c e h e r d e a t h a n d t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f h e r w r i t i n g s , m i l l i o n s h a v e b e e n i n s p i r e d b y h e r “Little Way” of loving God and neighbour. Many miracles have been attributed to her intercession

M i r a c l e f o r B e r g o g l i o

O n e s u c h m i r a c l e h a p p e n e d t o P o p e F r a n c i s w h e n h e w a s s t i l l C a r d in a l J o r g e M a r i o B e r g o g l i o i n B u e n o s A i r e s , A r g e n t i n a

It was August 7, 2010, when Cardinal Bergoglio was accompanied by his press secretar y, Federico Wals, to celebrate an annual Mass honouring St Cajetan on his feast day As every year, a long queue of pilgrims would be stretching over 15 blocks, with people waiting to greet their archbishop personally That day, Cardinal Bergoglio wasn’t feeling well “But we were going to go anyway,” Wals later recalled in an interview with Bolivian newspaper El Deber

AM O N G T H E M I L L I O N S O F

January 2 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of St Thérèse of Lisieux, one of the Church’s most beloved saints Among the millions who have a devotion to the Little Flower is Pope Francis

“ W h e n w e l e f t f o r t h e M a s s s , h e t o l d m e t h a t h e h a d a s k e d S a n t a Te r es i t a [ S t T h é r è s e ] t o s e n d h i m a s i g n , ” Wa l s r e c a l l e d “ W h e n h e t o l d m e t h i s , I w a s v e r y s c e p t i c a l a n d a s k e d m y s e l f , ‘ A s i g n ? ’ ”

A f t e r c e l e b r a t i n g M a s s , t h e c a r d i n a l w a s i n t o o m u c h p a i n t o w a l k t h e w h o l e d i s t a n c e , a n d d ec i d e d t o g o j u s t t w o b l o c k s b e f o r e h e a d i n g b a c k t o t h e c e n t r e o f B u e n o s A i r e s , Wa l s s a i d . A s t h e y r e a c h e d t h e s e c o n d b l o c k , t h e y c a m e a c r o s s a m a n , “ t a l l e r t h a n [ B e r g o g l i o ] , w e a r i n g a b l a c k o v e rc o a t , a n d h e h a d h i s r i g h t h a n d i n s i d e t h e c o a t ” B e f o r e t h e y c o u l d b l i n k , t h e m a n p u l l e d o u t a w h i t e r o s e

Wa l s r e m e m b e r e d t h a t B e r g o g l i o w a s “ s u r p r i s e d ” , t h e n b l e s s e d t h e r o s e a n d t r i e d t o m o v e o u t o f t h e w a y A t t h a t m o m e n t t h e m a n t o l d t h e f u t u r e pope: “You don’t understand anything this is the sign that you are waiting f o r ” H e t h e n s m i l e d a n d h a n d e d

B e r g o g l i o t h e r o s e O n c e t h e c a r d i n a l h e a r d w h a t t h e m a n s a i d , h e i m m e d ia t e l y g r a b b e d t h e r o s e , Wa l s s a i d . T h e cardinal then told him: “Federico, Santa Teresita did not abandon me I’m going

H o l y F a t h e r w a s o n h i s w a y t o t h e P h i l i p p i n e s D u r i n g h i s f l i g h t t o M a n i l a , h e r e c e i v e d a b a s - r e l i e f o f S t T h é r è s e f r o m F r e n c h j o u r n a l i s t C a r ol i n e P i g o z z i , w h o h a d o r i g i n a l l y f o u n d the image at a Paris fleamarket and p o l i s h e d i t h e r s e l f t o g i v e t o t h e p o p e a s a g i f t

to walk until the end of the queue ” At that moment, the man disappeared and they never saw him again. “Bergoglio’s countenance changed He was radiant a n d c o n t i n u e d u n t i l t h e e n d o f t h e queue of people.”

A s p e c i a l g i f t

S i m i l a r t h i n g s h a v e h a p p e n e d t o P o p e F r a n c i s s i n c e h i s e l e c t i o n a s b i s h o p o f R o m e i n 2 0 1 3 . O n e o f t h e m t o o k p l a c e i n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 5 , w h i l e t h e

A f t e r r e c e i v i n g t h e i m a g e , P o p e F r a n c i s t o l d t h e j o u r n a l i s t s p r e s e n t : “ I h a v e t h e h a b i t , w h e n I d o n ’t k n o w h o w t h i n g s w i l l g o , t o a s k S t T h é r è s e , t h e l i t t l e c h i l d , t h a t i f s h e t a k e s a p r o b l e m i n h a n d , s h e send me a rose I asked also for this trip t h a t s h e ’ d t a k e i t i n h a n d a n d t h a t s h e w o u l d s e n d m e a r o s e B u t i n s t e a d o f a r o s e , s h e c a m e h e r s e l f t o g r e e t m e . ”

S t T h é r è s e o n c e w r o t e : “ Yo u k n o w w e l l e n o u g h t h a t O u r L o r d d o e s n o t l o o k s o m u c h a t t h e g r e a t n e s s o f o u r a c t i o n s , n o r e v e n a t t h e i r d i f f i c u l t y, b u t a t t h e l o v e w i t h w h i c h w e d o

t h e m ” C N A

‘ Y o u d o n ’ t u n d e r s t a n d a n y t h i n g : t h i s i s t h e s i g n t h a t y o u a r e w a i t i n g f o r ! ’

P o p e F r a n c i s r e c e i v e s a b a s - r e l i e f i m a g e o f S t T h é r è s e f r o m a F r e n c h j o u r n a l i s t d u r i n g a f l i g h t i n 2 0 1 5 • S r T h é r è s e i n 1 8 9 6 , t h e y e a r b e f o r e h e r d e a t h • S t T h é r è s e p o r t r a y s S t J o a n o f A r c i n a p l a y w h i c h s h e h a d w

BISHOP GUY GAUCHER, WHO lived from 1930 to 2014, was the world’s foremost authority on the life and writings of Thérèse of Lisieux He argued that few saints have been as misunderstood in their lifetime as much as St Thérèse. Worse, he said, she was victimised by the saccharine religiosity of the late 19th century

In his book Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: Story of a Life, which was republished in 2019 by Ignatius Press, Bishop Gaucher offered a realistic portrayal of the French saint as opposed to the mawkish one often associated with her

Bishop Gaucher was a Carmelite friar and the auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Bayeux and Lisieux As the editor of St Thérèse’s complete works, he wrote the original edition of this biography considered the premier biography of one of the world’s best-loved saints

Written in an accessible style, the biography essentially gathers the pieces of Marie Francoise-Thérèse Martin’s life and puts them into narrative order, referencing her exercise books, poems, prayers, religious concepts, notes and letters

As Bishop Gaucher presents Thérèse, she was a woman of contradiction and complexity She was just 15 when she joined the Order of Discalced Carmelites. She disliked pretence but sometimes seemed pretentious; she had an intellectual approach to the Bible, but would open the Bible at random to find a quote that she took as a sign of divine inter vention; she loved Mar y but didn’t particularly like saying the rosary. Thérèse suffered from scrupulosity yet had a mystical love for Jesus Christ

Inspired by the Song of Songs, Thérèse wrote poems about her love She also was capable of prodigious love for people, which showed in her kindness to others, or in what she called her “little way” Her sister, Marie (also a Carmelite), believed that Thérèse was possessed by God Thérèse thought that she spoke to Jesus and that he responded to her But then, he left her or seemed to.

The book’s most affecting section discusses Thérèse’s doubts She felt Jesus had abandoned her to a dark nothingness As Bishop Gaucher puts it, “horrible inner voices suggested to her that her whole spiritual life had been an illusion. She was going to die young, for nothing.” Her confessor advised her to write out the Apostles’ Creed and keep it with her She wrote it using her own blood

Thérèse’s Story of a Soul

Thérèse related much of this in her memoir, The Stor y of a Soul, which was not an autobiography so much as it was a collection of letters, notes, scraps and fragments. She wrote these jottings as an assignment from the prioress

B e c a u s e s h e h a d t u b e rc u l o s i s a n d was unable to polish her work, she gave h e r t h r e e b i o l o g i c a l s i s t e r s w h o w e r e a l s o C a r m e l i t e s p e r m i s s i o n t o d o s o What they put together became an allt i m e b e s t s e l l e r w h i c h h a s b e e n t r a n sl a t e d i n t o n u m e r o u s l a n g u a g e s T h e reception accorded to The Stor y of a Soul

probably would have shocked Thérèse, h a d s h e b e e n a l i v e . T h e b o o k i s s t i l l widely read

B e f o r e s h e d i e d a t t h e a g e o f 2 4 i n 1 8 9 7 , T h é r è s e p r o m i s e d t o s p e n d e t e rnity helping people deal with the pangs o f l i f e a n d s h o w e r i n g t h e m w i t h r o s e s a s a s i g n t h a t s h e h a d h e a r d t h e i r s u p p l i c a t i o n s

People asked her to intercede for them with the divine, and there occurred what many call “the shower of glor y”, as thousands claimed she came to their aid She wanted to love Jesus Christ and to inspire others to love him. She did not wish to call down any glory on herself

But as Bishop Gaucher’s biography skillfully demonstrates, glory came calling Thérèse was beatified in 1923 and canonised in 1925 She was made a Doctor of the Church in 1997 only the third woman to be so named CNS

The long journey of grief

h e a r t a c h e a n d d e e p s a d n e s s t h a t n o o n e c a n p r ep a r e t h e m s e l v e s f o r u n t i l i t h a p p e n s ” . A C a t h o l i c p a r i s h i n J o h a n n e s b u r g i s r u n n i n g a 1 3 - w e e k p r og r a m m e t w i c e a y e a r t o s u p p o r t t h o s e w h o h a v e l o s t l o v e d o n e s

T h e G r i e f s h a r e p r o g r a m m e , o f f e r e d b y S t J o h n ’s c h u rc h i n N o r t h r i d i n g , i s c o n d u c t e d b y t r a i n e d f a c i l i t a t o r s w h o h a v e w a l k e d t h e j o u r n e y o f g r i e f . T h e C h r i s t i a n - b a s e d p r o g r a m m e c o m p r i s e s a v i d e o , a w o r k b o o k a n d g r o u p - s h a r i n g E a c h w e e k ’s t h e m e a i m s t o a s s i s t p a r t i c i p a n t s t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e i r g r i e f a n d t o e n g a g e i n p r a c t i c a l a c t i v i t i e s t o e a s e t h e p a i n .

“ G r i e f i s a n a t u r a l r e s p o n s e t o l o s s w h e n s o m e o n e y o u l o v e i s t a k e n a w a y T h e p a i n o f t h e l o s s c a n f e e l v e r y o v e rw h e l m i n g a n d c a n b e f i l l e d w i t h u n e x p e c t e d e m o t i o n s t h a t w e h a v e t o l e a r n t o a c c e p t a n d p r o c e s s , ” s a i d o n e f o r m e r Griefshare participant, who wishes to be named only as Sher yl. S h e a t t e n d e d t h e p r o g r a m m e i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 0

“ H a v i n g l o s t m y l a t e h u s b a n d i n a m o t o r b i k e a c c i d e n t o n N o v e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 , i t f e l t l i k e m y w h o l e w o r l d h a d c o m e t o a n e n d . ” S h e a s k e d h e r s e l f : “ H o w a m I n o w a w i d o w, a s i n g l e m o t h e r, t h e m a i n p r o v i d e r, t h e ‘ d a d ’ t o m y t h e n s e v e n - y e a ro l d s o n w h y w a s t h i s h a p p e n i n g t o m e ? ” S h e r y l r e m e m b e r s s i t t i n g i n c h u rc h w e e k a f t e r w e e k , a s k i n g t h e q u e s t i o n : “ W h y u s ? H o w d o w e c o n t i n u e t o l i v e o u r l i v e s w i t h o u t m y h u s b a n d ? ”

“ I t w a s n o t e a s y t o a c c e p t i n t h e b e g i n n i n g , b u t a t t e n d i n g t h e G r i e f s h a r e p r o g r a m m e g a v e m e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o u n d e rs t a n d w h a t g r i e f i s , t h a t o u r j o u r n e y i s u n i q u e t o e a c h o f u s b u t m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y t h a t G o d i s w a l k i n g t h i s j o u r n e y w i t h u s , ” S h e r y l s a i d

“ I a m g r a t e f u l f o r t h e G r i e f s h a r e f a c i l i t a t o r s a s t h e y c o nt i n u o u s l y r e m i n d e d u s t h a t w h e n w e h i t t h e b u m p s i n t h e r o a d , w e c a n s t i l l f i n d j o y, p e a c e , l o v e , a n d t h e c o u r a g e t o m o v e f o r w a r d , o n e d a y a t a t i m e , a s w e g o t h r o u g h t h i s j o u rn e y, ” S h e r y l s a i d . “ Ti m e d o e s n o t h e a l a n d t a k e a w a y t h e p a i n , b u t i t d o e s g e t s o f t e r a s w e c o n t i n u e o u r j o u r n e y o f g r i e f ”

T h i s e c h o e s t h e v i e w o f t h e l a t e S w i s s - A m e r i c a n p s y c h o lo g i s t E l i z a b e t h K ü b l e r - R o s s , w h o s p e c i a l i s e d i n i s s u e s o f d y i n g a n d g r i e f . “ T h e r e a l i t y i s t h a t y o u w i l l g r i e v e f o r e v e r, ” D r K ü b l e r - R o s s w r o t e “ Yo u w i l l n o t g e t o v e r t h e l o s s o f a l o v e d o n e ; y o u w i l l l e a r n t o l i v e w i t h i t Yo u w i l l h e a l a n d y o u w i l l r eb u i l d y o u r s e l f a r o u n d t h e l o s s y o u h a v e s u f f e r e d ”

T h e G r i e f s h a r e p r o g r a m m e a t N o r t h r i d i n g p a r i s h , w h i c h

i s o p e n t o a l l , w i l l c o m m e n c e i n F e b r u a r y. T h e c o s t i s R 3 8 0 , w h i c h i n c l u d e s a c o u r s e w o r k b o o k T h o s e l i v i n g i n o t h e r p a r t s o f S o u t h A f r i c a a r e a d v i s e d t o g o o g l e “ F i n d a G r o u p –G r i e f s h a r e ” t o f i n d a v e n u e c l o s e r t o h o m e . F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a c t A r i a n n a o n 0 7 1 1 3 8 - 8 4 0 1

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• s i g n u p o n l i n e a n d s e l e c t R 1 2 0 0 , R 2 4 0 0 , R 3 0 0 0 o r R 5 0 0 0 a n n u a l co nt r i b u t i o n o r a ny a m o u nt v i a E F T s i g n u p o n l i n e w w w. d i g i t a l . s c r o s s . c o . z a /a s s o c i a t e s - c a m p a i g n o r e m a i l a d m i n

GR I E F H A S B E E N D E S C R I B E D A S “ A J O U R N E Y O F

1986,

and Florence Ribeiro

FOR JAZZ LEGEND VUSI MAHLASELA, THE RIBEIRO home in Mamelodi township, east of Pretoria, was the place where his much-celebrated international music career begun in the late 1970s, with the music and poetry sessions held by the group Afro Poets in a small garage Dr Fabian Ribeiro and his wife Florence did not live to see Mahlasela’s talent flourish

The devoutly Catholic couple was assassinated by the apartheid regime on December 1, 1986 just a few days after Mrs Ribeiro had told her children that freedom would not come in her lifetime That warm Monday, the Ribeiros were relaxing in their courtyard when apartheid agents, led by General Charles Robey of the South African Defence Force (SADF), gained entry into the home and shot the couple at point-blank range They both died on the scene

In 1996 a sitting of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) heard the full grisly details of the planning and the execution of the murders by the SADF In 1997 all six members of the army who were involved in the murders were granted amnesty Today, the Ribeiros’ name and legacy stands as a testimony to the heroic role they played in the struggle for a free and democratic South Africa

“The Ribeiros were loved by the people of Mamelodi,” Mahlasela recalled Beyond a shared love for music, a greater purpose brought Mahlasela and the Ribeiros together a burning passion for the transformation of South African society through the ending of the system of apartheid

The foundation of the couple’s pursuit of justice was their Catholic faith Both Dr Ribeiro and Mrs Ribeiro came from staunchly Catholic families “This formed a strong religious foundation for their marriage,” daughter Dr Barbara-Anne Ribeiro, a former chief executive officer of the Steve Biko Hospital in Pretoria, told The Southern Cross Fabian Ribeiro was born on June 19, 1933, in the Bantule slum area of Pretoria His father was a migrant labourer from Beira in Mozambique, his mother was of Tswana origin from Brits, in today’s North-West province As ardent Catholics, the Ribeiros sent their children to be educated at Catholic schools Fabian did his primary schooling at Guardian Angels Primary School in Glen Cowie, Limpopo He then attended a school at Roma, Lesotho, in preparation for the priesthood in the Church Having changed his mind regarding the priesthood, Fabian matriculated at the Benedictine Inkamana High School near Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal This is where Fabian met his future wife

As a youngster in Hlobane village, a coal-mining settlement near Vryheid, Florence Mathe was known as “Vemba”, derived from her birth month Born on November 3, 1933, Florence started her primary schooling at a school in Alexandra township in Johannesburg, where her mother had moved for work. She attended middle school at Inanda Seminary in KwaZulu-Natal, and completed her matriculation at Inkamana. Fabian went on to become a medical doctor, Florence a teacher.

In 1961 the couple settled in Mamelodi, with Fabian opening a medical practice in the township, and Florence a butchery. They had three sons and a daughter.

“My parents sent us to Catholic schools, with the hope

that we would gain a good grounding for life. When we were home for school holidays, we would attend Sunday Mass at our local parish, St Raphael church in Mamelodi. We would always sit in the last pew of the church,” Dr Ribeiro recalled. “Because of my father’s initial calling, both my parents forged close relationships with the priests in Mamelodi and from some of the other parishes in Pretoria. At any given time, there would be a priest at our home, invited by my parents for dinner.”

Growing political consciousness

Growing political consciousness

The early 1960s ushered in a period of a Total Onslaught on opponents of apartheid by the National Party government As a medical practitioner, Dr Ribeiro witnessed the brutality of the system firsthand, having treated injured political activists at his practice He grew increasingly sensitive to the plight of the people who suffered under apartheid Similarly, a growing awareness was brewing in Florence Although neither was aligned with any political organisation, an early political influence came from Pan African Congress founder Robert Sobukwe, who had married Florence’s sister Veronica

In the early 1970s, Fabian opened a medical practice in the poor area of Winterveldt, north of Pretoria, where he often treated his patients for free The increasing number of injured and brutalised young men entering his practice made him realise that the government’s repression was becoming more widespread and vicious

In absolute secrecy, he later began to document the evidence of the police brutality by recording a series of videotapes of victims of apartheid. The tapes were smuggled out of the country and sent to the BBC in London, which went on to create a documentary film from the videos. Titled A Witness to Apartheid, the internationally televised film drew renewed international condemnation, not seen since the Sharpeville Massacre, of the cruelty of the apartheid system.

In

Dr Fabian

were murdered in their home by apartheid killers. Daluxolo Moloantoa looks at the lives and impact of this devoutly Catholic couple.

Florence and Dr Fabian Ribeiro in an undated photo Their Catholic faith was the foundation for their activism in social upliftment and the struggle against apartheid for which they were assassinated in their home on December 1, 1986

A couple of devout faith

Although Fabian had decided against joining the priesthood, he remained a committed Catholic “My parents’ closeness to the Church and their strong faith made them ver y compassionate and kind people, and these characteristics strengthened their resolve to do all in their power to end the unjust system of apartheid,” daughter Dr Ribeiro noted

In the late 1970s, the couple implemented social projects in Mamelodi (in conjunction with St Raphael parish), and in other areas, to help alleviate the impact of apartheid policies on black communities In Winterveldt, Fabian expanded his community health programme in collaboration with Fr Michele D’Annucci CSS who almost exactly 25 years after the Ribeiros would also fall to bullets

In Mamelodi, the couple started a film projection programme at St Raphael parish They would invite children to come to the church to watch films on Saturdays One of the children was Prof Olga Makhubela-Nkondo, a former dean of students at the University of South Africa

“I got curious about the Ribeiros as a young girl I watched my very first film at St Raphael church, which was my home parish, and this had a great impact on me The Ribeiros’ impact on my life compelled me to write a book, and some research papers, particularly on their role in public health ”

As a youngster, Malesela Masenya, now a retired training consultant, would help Florence deliver meat parcels from her butchery in Mamelodi He remembers Fabian as going to great lengths to ensure that hymns were presented in the best way possible during Sunday Mass “He availed his electric organ for use at Mass I would help him transport the organ from his home to St Raphael church After the ser vice I’d help him transport it back to his house,” Masenya recalled In 1985, Fabian bought a brand-new electric organ for the church, and taught Masenya how to play the instrument It is still being used at Mass today

As a couple, the Ribeiros attached much importance to the provision of a good education to young people Through their own funds and through private sponsorship, they made it possible for many young people to study abroad in the United States, and also in Lesotho, where the couple had good contacts through the Church Together with Sr Evangelina, a nun at St Raphael, the Ribeiros established an early learning children’s centre at the parish They collaborated with the nun in the provision of primary healthcare and child recreation programmes at the centre

attempts on their lives by secret operatives of the apartheid regime They considered going into political exile but ultimately decided to stay On December 1 that year, apartheid’s axe finally fell on the Ribeiros

I n 2 0 0 4 P r e s i d e n t T h a b o M b e k i h o n o u r e d t h e c o u p l e p o s t h u m o u s l y w i t h a O r d e r o f t h e B a o b a b Aw a r d i n G o l d f o r “ d e d i c a t i n g t h e i r l i v e s t o s e r v e t h e o p p r e s s e d , a n d t h e i r o u t s t a n d i n g c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e s t r u g g l e f o r a j u s t , e q u a l and nonracial society” The street on which the couple lived i n M a m e l o d i h a s b e e n r e n a m e d D r R i b e i r o D r i v e , a n d a s t r e e t r u n n i n g t h r o u g h P r e t o r i a ’s u p m a r k e t G r o e n k l o o f a n d Wa t e r k l o o f s u b u r b s i s n a m e d a f t e r F l o r e n c e A p r i m a r y school in the township is also named after them, as is a gove r n m e n t c o m m u n i t y c l i n i c i n c e n t r a l P r e t o r i a Several books have been written about the couple Perhaps it is the title of Prof Makhubela-Nkondo’s biography that best describes the couple:, The Ribeiros: History on their side

H U R T B Y A B O R T I

If regret over an abortion is part of your life, you are not alone.

A costly struggle against apartheid

A costly struggle against apartheid

In 1981 Fabian was arrested by the apartheid police on charges of treason He was jailed for three months and was successfully defended by Advocate George Bizos. After his release, the couple’s involvement in the anti-apartheid movement became even more intensive The couple would often leave their home to go on “holiday” or to attend to “important engagements” elsewhere.

They would often request Masenya to stand in as manager of the butchery and to watch over their home “I was at first sceptical about the frequency of the trips, until I was told by Dr Ribeiro that they were both involved in the underground network of the liberation movement. I did not become actively involved myself I was more of a backstage actor When Dr Ribeiro had to go on a secret mission to Swaziland (now eSwatini), he would hire a car and park it at my home. To avoid police detection, he would instruct me to wake up at 1 am and drive the car to a secluded area in the Waltloo industrial area, where he would transfer files, books and other clandestine material into the hired car, and drive off to Swaziland ”

In February 1986, the Ribeiro home was gutted by a petrol bomb. The family escaped unhurt. It was the latest in a series

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S i s t e r o n a m i s s i o n

Reviewed by Günther Simmermacher

THE ADVENTUROUS NUN – Stories

my family told me: The biography of Sister Mildred Lungile Madlala FMM, by Marcia Mandisi Mabaso. 2022. 240pp

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE stories of those who ser ve God be recorded. In The Adventurous Nun, we read the stor y of Sr Mildred Lungile Madlala, a Franciscan Missionar y of Mar y (FMM) from KwaZulu-Natal who ser ved in South Africa, Mauritius, Kenya, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) and Madagascar

That stor y is told by her grandniece, Marcia Mandisi Mabaso, with whom Sr Mildred collaborated over several years Sadly, Sr Mildred did not live to see the book’s publication. Her hope was that it might inspire young people to see the joy of God which she felt in her vocation. As a former vocations director, she was keen to communicate the blessings and fulfilment she had derived from being a missionar y Sister.

Born in 1945 on a farm near Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal, Sr Mildred came from a complicated family background, which Mabaso describes in some detail A bright child, Mildred was educated at St Anne’s Convent School in Umzinto and St Francis College in Mariannhill

Flying in formation

At St Anne’s she was impressed by the Sisters’ love of God and for each other “They seemed to fly in formation at the name of God,” she would obser ve. The seed for Mildred’s own vocation was sown by that example, and she would later join these Sisters

During her time at St Francis College, the prefect was the later political activist Steve Biko He would become a friend and inspire Mildred to be politically conscious something she had to conceal when she entered her postulancy with the FMM. Her great spiritual influence at the time was Fr William Slatter y, then still a young Franciscan priest who

would later become the bishop of Kokstad and archbishop of Pretoria

Before and after her first stint as a postulant, Mildred worked as a teacher In 1973, she rejoined the FMM and was posted to Mauritius She made her first profession there in 1978, and her final profession in Rome in 1983

By then it was already decided that Sr Mildred would be part of a group of Sisters chosen to set up a FMM Province in Kenya. Among the people we meet along her way there is Fr Tony Rebello SVD, now bishop of Francistown in Botswana

Before departing for Kenya, Sr Mildred had two encounters with Pope John Paul II At a general audience, the pope told her that he was praying daily for the demise of apartheid At the second meeting, for missionaries about to go off to other lands, the pope blessed Sr Mildred, kissed her cheek, and advised that “life is not going to be easy for you”. She was about to follow the “suffering ser vant”, but the Holy Father would pray for her.

Painful and exciting

Writing about the life of a missionar y, author Mabaso obser ves: “To [Sr Mildred], and for other Sisters, being sent on mission was painful as much as it was exciting; in essence it was like a small death because you were leaving behind the people you loved Nevertheless, once on the plane, their hearts were already looking for ward to their mission ”

These words would sustain Sr Mildred in tough times, especially during her decade in Zaire, which covered the 1990s and were marked by recurrent civil wars.

S h e r e t u r n e d t o S o u t h A f r i c a i n 2 0 0 0 , s e r v i n g a s h e r c o n g r e g a t i o n ’s v o c a t i o n s d i r e c t o r f r o m 2 0 0 7 - 1 5 . I n J a n u a r y 2 0 2 0 a n o l d d r e a m w a s f u l f i l l e d : S r M i l d r e d w a s p o s t e d t o M a d a g a s c a r t o t e a c h y o u n g S i s t e r s E n g l i s h S h e w o u l d n o t r e t u r n h o m e

Sr Mildred’s stor y provides an instructive glimpse into the life of a missionar y Sister, and presents that path as challenging but richly rewarding. There are some lovely anecdotes, such as Sr Mildred’s encounter with a lion in Kenya. Mabaso writes engagingly, with a nice line in metaphors (describing an encounter set in the early 1920s, she writes: “ she was speaking but his mobile data was off and he wasn’t receiving the messages”) The book might have profited from rigorous editing to direct the narrative more effectively, but there always is a lot of heart in the text

The stor y of Sr Mildred is supplemented by a section of her poetr y, her reflections on lessons she had learnt from certain people, and an extensive collection of colour photos.

The Adventurous Nun is a testimony of ser vice to God and his people, performed by a faithful ser vant Sr Mildred was a sower of seeds; may these seeds grow in abundance

The Adventurous Nun is available in Catholic bookshops and as an eBook. See marciamandisimabaso co za or WhatsApp 063 683-8998

O n J u l y 2 7 t h a t y e a r S r M i l d r e d d i e d u n e x p e c t e d l y o f C o v i d - 1 9

I s t h i s t h e n e x t A f r i c a n s a i n t

f u t u re ca rd i n a l . G ü nt h e r s i m m e r m a c h e r l o o ks at t h e l i fe o f t h e m a n w h o m ay b e co m e A f r i ca ’s n ex t ca n o n i s e d s a i nt .

AS BLESSED BENEDICT DASWA

is to Southern Africa, so is Bl Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi to Nigeria While Daswa is a layman and martyr and Tansi was a priest and monk, both will hopefully join the still sparsely populated ranks of Africa’s canonised saints

Like Daswa, Tansi was a convert to the Catholic faith He was born as Iwene Tansi in 1903 to non-Christian parents in Igboezunu, near Aguleri in southern Nigeria; his birth-name means “Don’t let malice kill”. He grew up in a region that was oppressed by colonial exploiters, the ruthless and sometimes murderous Royal Niger Company (RNC; now part of the Unilever group)

Tansi’s family was determined that their first-born son would be well-educated, so that the family could escape the clutches of poverty and colonialism. That education was provided at Holy Trinity School in Onitsha, run by the Holy Ghost Fathers. There Tansi was baptised at the age of nine, and christened Michael Tansi, who was blind in one eye as a result of a mud-fight with other children, was precocious and studious He

Bl Tansi at a glance

a t i f i e d : M a r c h 2 2 , 1 9 9 8 F e a s t : J a n u a r y 2 0

became an altar-server and later a catechist After his schooling, Tansi became a teacher in Catholic schools, but he was already hearing the call to the Catholic priesthood.

Call to priesthood

As in many parts of Africa, the local Church had no great interest in an indigenous clergy, seeing even converted Igbo like Tansi as still being steeped in paganism. Local men were allowed to enter the seminary, but they were held to strictest standards. Most candidates were eventually expelled or left the seminary

Tansi’s family was also opposed to their eldest becoming a priest He had received a good education so that he would become a successful businessman and thereby pull the family out of poverty Nevertheless, in 1925 Tansi entered St Paul Seminary in Igbariam It took 12 years before he was ordained for the vicariate of Onitsha-Owerri, in the cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity on December 19, 1937. He was only the second indigenous priest of the diocese

Unlike most other priests, local or missionary, Tansi opted for an austere lifestyle, living the poverty of the people

he served A talented builder, he helped locals construct their homes, and organised relief for the poor.

As parish priest of Dunukofia, in the Umudioka region, Fr Tansi took a particular interest in marriage preparation. A tough disciplinarian, he set up women’s groups to police the ban on premarital relations and abortion He was also strict with the children of the parochial school among them was the future Cardinal Francis Arinze Fr Tansi successfully established a League of Mary, and promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart, Our Lady, and the Rosary

Fr Tansi, whose preferred mode of transport was a bicycle, tirelessly visited villages in the area to catechise and evangelise The many prayer centres he set up went on to become parishes He fought paganism by disproving superstitions and by condemning witchhunts

He actively opposed what we today call gender-based violence On one occasion, he intervened in the attempted gang-rape of a parishioner Fr Tansi helped the woman fight off her four attackers, and then supported her in a court case against the assailants. Her court victory was a milestone in the development of women’s rights in Nigeria

Call to monastic life

By 1949, Fr Tansi discerned a call to the monastic life. There were no contemplative monasteries in Nigeria, but his bishop saw value in sending locals to cloisters in Europe, with a view of their returning to Nigeria to help establish monasteries there Fr Tansi was sent to the Cistercian (or Trappist) monastery of Mount St Bernard in Leicestershire, England, to begin his novitiate Having first taken a group of parishioners on a pilgrimage to Rome, he arrived there on June 8, 1950, and took the religious name Cyprian, after the Roman martyr

S o u t h e r n C r o s s

B l C y p r i a n M i c h a e l I w e n e T a n s i

w

a l l o w G o d t o d i r e c t u s a n d d i r e c t o u r e n t e r p r i s e . ’

‘ W e d o v e r y l i t t l e g o o d w h e n w e e m b a r k o n o u r o w n . W e d o m u c h g o o d w h e n

e

A Timeline of Blessed Tansi

1 9 0 3

B o r n i n S e p t e m b e r a s I w e n e Ta n s i n e a r A g u l e r i i n s o u t h e a s t e r n N i g e r i a .

1 9 0 9

S ta r t s s c h o o l i n g a t H o l y Tr i n i t y S c h o o l i n O n i t s h a

1 9 1 3

B a p t i s e d a n d c h r i s t e n e d M i c h a e l .

1 9 1 9

G ra d u a t e s f ro m H o l y Tr i n i t y a n d b e c o m e s a t e a c h e r t h e re .

1 9 2 5

E n t e rs t h e s e m i n a r y t o s t u d y fo r t h e p r i e s t h o o d

1 9 3 7

I s o rd a i n e d t o t h e p r i e s t h o o d i n t h e c a t h e d ra l o f t h e M o s t H o l y Tr i n i t y i n O n i t s h a o n D e c e m b e r 1 9

1 9 3 9

A p p o i n t e d p a r i s h p r i e s t i n D u n oko f i a , w h e re h e s e r v e s u n t i l 1 9 5 0

1 9 5 0

H av i n g s i g n e d u p t o b e c o m e a C i s t e rc i a n m o n k , a r r i v e s a t M o u n t S t B e r n a rd m o n a s t e r y i n E n g l a n d

1 9 5 6

M a ke s h i s s o l e m n p ro fe s s i o n o n D e c e m b e r 8

1 9 6 3

P l a n s t o b e c o m e a n o v i c e - m a s t e r i n C a m e ro o n a re h a l t e d b y i l l h e a l t h

1 9 6 4

D i e s i n a L e i c e s t e r h o s p i ta l o f a n a o r t i c a n e u r y s m o n J a n u a r y 2 0 , a t t h e a g e o f 6 0 B u r i e d a t M o u n t S t B e r n a rd m o n a s t e r y 1 9 8 6 Re m a i n s a re b ro u g h t t o N i g e r i a fo r re b u r i a l a t O n i t s h a . 1 9 9 8

B e a t i f i e d o n M a rc h 2 2 b y Po p e J o h n Pa u l I I a t O b a , N i g e r i a Re m a i n s a re t ra n s l a t e d t o A g u l e r i

It surely was not easy for a man of 47 who had been in charge of parishes for more than a decade to submit to the strict disciplines of the novitiate Indeed, he came to realise and even regret his own disciplinarian excesses as a parish priest in Nigeria But he lived his monastic life with discipline, dedication and humility, and on 8 December, 1956, was solemnly professed He worked in the monastery’s vegetable gardens, refectory and bookbindery

Living in England came as a culture shock to Fr Tansi While he did not experience much of the racism he had feared, he initially struggled with the weather. He got used to the winter’s cold eventually, and later made gentle fun of new African novices who were experiencing snow for the first time, jokingly advising them to catch the snowflakes and mail them home to Africa

Plans for Africa

In the early 1960s plans were made for Fr Tansi to return to Africa as a novice master in a Cistercian monastery Political tension following Nigerian independence the Igbo would by 1967 try to secede, leading to the genocidal Biafran war prevented the very disappointed Fr Tansi from being posted to his home country Instead he was to go to Cameroon, but poor health kept him in England.

On January 19, 1964, Fr Tansi was found unconscious and was rushed to a hospital in Leicester The doctors there were confounded by the priest reporting just “a little pain” when his diagnosed thrombosis should have produced excruciating agony He died the following morning, January 20, of an aortic aneurysm at the age of 60 Two days later he was buried at Mount St Bernard monastery In 1986, Fr Tansi came home. His body was interred in the priests’ cemetery near the Onitsha basilica where he had been ordained half a century earlier

By then, devotion to the holy priest and monk was already widespread in Nigeria and England In 1998, he became the first West African to be beatified, during a visit to Nigeria by Pope John Paul II Following the beatification his remains were translated to the parish church at Aguleri His feast day is on January 20

Next Month: A patron saint of Ireland

Photos: Jennifer Udoka Igboanugo/Reuters/CNS

for Social Communications

T E L EV I S I O N : S t C l a r e o f A

s s i s i

Who’s that? St Clare of A ssisi was born as Chiara Offreduccio in 1194 and died in 1253 after having worked with St Francis of A ssisi to establish a Franciscan order for women

Why TV? Almost 700 years before the invention of television, St Clare became too ill to attend Mass, so the Holy Spirit is said to have projected the ser vice held in her convent’s chapel onto a wall in her room so that she could follow the celebration of the Eucharist

I N T E R N ET : B l C a r l o A c u t i s

Who’s that? Carlo was an Italian teenager who died in 2006 at the age of 15 from leukaemia. Why Journalists? Carlo’s “appointment” as patron for the Internet and all its uses isn’t official but it seems inevitable once he is canonised. Why? Because he built a popular website about Eucharistic miracles he was an “influencer” before that was even a thing. If you prefer your patron already canonised, tr y St Isidore of Seville (c560-636), who wrote a compendium of all important learnings sort of a medieval Wikipedia.

R A D I O : A r c h a n g e l G a b r i e l

Who’s that? The angel referred to in the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Luke, and alongside Michael and Raphael one of the three archangels

Why Radio? Radio is a way of transmitting important messages, and Gabriel transmitted the most important messages in the histor y of humanity: That the Messiah was coming and that the teenage girl Mar y would be the bearer of the Son of God All that without interruptions for ads hawking secondhand cars!

We are all consumers and many of us are creators of social communications, the Church’s name for the various forms of media through which its message can be communicated. One may say that St Paul was the Church’s first social communicator by writing his epistles for the public to read and hear Here are six patron saints of different types of media

Who’s that? St Titus Brandsma was a Dutch Carmelite priest, philosophy professor, and journalist who died in 1942 at the age of 61 in the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau.

Why Journalists? During the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, St Titus persuaded Catholic newspapers to defy Nazi law and refuse to print their propaganda. For that he was imprisoned and later murdered at Dachau. Another patron of the Catholic press also died in a concentration camp St Maximilian Kolbe, who founded a Catholic magazine, a printing press, and a Catholic radio station!

W R I T E R S : S t F r a n c i s d e S a l e s

Who’s that? St Francis de Sales was a French bishop of mostly Protestant Geneva, Switzerland, who lived from 1567-1622 (on December 28 it was the 600th anniversar y of his death). Why Journalists? Living in the early days of commercial printing, St Francis was a prolific author of spiritual books. Unusually for his time, he addressed his writings mainly to lay people. For that reason, he is also the patron saint of the Catholic press and those who produce Catholic media.

P H OTO G R A P H E R S : S t Ve r o n i c a

Who’s that? On the Way of the Cross, according to tradition, the suffering Jesus was tended to by a woman whom histor y has named Veronica After she wiped the face of the condemned Son of God with her veil, an image of his face was miraculously imprinted on it Why Photographers? Obviously, because of the miraculous image on the cloth, made 1 800 years before the invention of photography

J O U R N A L I S T S : S t Ti t u s B r a n d s m a

What you need to know about the EPIPHANY

WH I L E T H E A N N U A L h u s t l e a n d b u s t l e o f Christmas ends for many people on December 26, throughout Christian histor y Christmas h a s l a s t e d f o r 1 2 d a y s a l l t h e w a y u n t i l J a n u a r y 6 . T h e f e a s t m a r k i n g t h e end of Christmas is called “Epiphany”

I n t h e L a t i n r i t e o f t h e C a t h o l i c Church, the feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God It focuses primarily on this r e v e l a t i o n t o t h e T h r e e Wi s e M e n , b u t also on his baptism by St John the Baptiser in the Jordan and at the wedding at C a n a . I n t h e E a s t e r n r i t e s o f t h e C a t h o l i c C h u rc h , t h e f e a s t o f T h e ophany as Epiphany is known in the E a s t c o m m e m o r a t e s t h e m a n i f e s t ation of Jesus’ divinity at his baptism

W h i l e t h e t r a d i t i o n a l d a t e f o r t h e f e a s t i s J a n u a r y 6 , i n S o u t h e r n A f r i c a and many other regions the celebration of Epiphany is transferred to the following Sunday, which this year falls on Januar y 8.

T h e m e a n i n g o f t h e f e a s t g o deeper than just the bringing of presen o r t h e e n d o f C h r i s t m a s , s a y s Hezekias Carnazzo, a Melkite Catholic priest and founding executive direct o r o f t h e U S I n s t i t u t e o f C a t h o l i c Culture. “You can’t understand the

T h e M a g i p r e s e n t t h e i r g i f t s t o t h e n e w b o r n C h r i s t S t a i n e d g l a s s i n S t C a t h e r i n e ’ s c h u r c h i n B e t h l e h e m , P a l e s t i n e

N a t i v i t y w i t h o u t T h e o p h a n y ; o r y o u c a n ’t u n d e r s t a n d N a t i v i t y w i t h o u t E p i p h a n y. ” T h e r e v e l a t i o n o f C h r i s t a s the Son of God both as an infant and at his baptism illuminates the mysteri e s o f t h e C h r i s t m a s s e a s o n , h e s a i d “Our human nature is blinded because o f s i n a n d w e ’ r e u n a b l e t o s e e a s G o d sees God reveals to us the revelation of what’s going on.”

Origins of the Epiphany

W h i l e t h e We s t e r n c e l e b r a t i o n o f E p i p h a n y ( w h i c h c o m e s f r o m G r e e k , meaning “revelation from above”) and t h e E a s t e r n c e l e b r a t i o n o f T h e o p h a n y (meaning “revelation of God”) have developed their own traditions and liturg i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e s , t h e s e f e a s t s s h a r e m o r e t h a n t h e s a m e d a y “ T h e f e a s t o f Epiphany, or the feast of Theophany, is a v e r y, v e r y e a r l y f e a s t , ” s a i d F r C a rn a z z o “ I t p r e d a t e s t h e c e l e b r a t i o n o f Christmas on the 25th of December.”

In the early Church, Christians, par-

ticularly those in the East, celebrated the advent of Christ on Januar y 6 by commemorating the Nativity, the Visitation of the Magi, the Baptism of Christ, and the Wedding of Cana all in one feast of the Epiphany By the 4th centur y, both Christmas and Epiphany had been set as separate feasts in some dioceses. At the C o u n c i l o f To u r s i n 5 6 7 , t h e C h u rc h confirmed Christmas Day and Epiphany as feast days on December 25 and Janua r y 6 r e s p e c t i v e l y, a n d n a m e d t h e 1 2 days between the feasts as the Christmas season

Over time, the Western Church sepa r a t e d t h e r e m a i n i n g f e a s t s i n t o t h e i r o w n c e l e b r a t i o n s , l e a v i n g t h e c e l e b r ation of the Epiphany to commemorate primarily the Visitation of the Magi to s e e t h e n e w b o r n C h r i s t o n J a n u a r y 6 Meanwhile, the Eastern Churches’ celeb r a t i o n o f T h e o p h a n y c o m m e m o r a t e s Christ’s baptism and is one of the holiest feast days of the liturgical calendar.

Roman traditions

The celebration of the Visitation of he Magi whom the Bible describes as earned, wise men from the East has d e v e l o p e d i t s o w n d i s t i n c t t r a d i t i o n s hroughout the Roman Church. As part of the liturgy of the Epiphany, it is traditional to proclaim the date of Easter and other moveable feast days to the f a i t h f u l f o r m a l l y r e m i n d i n g t h e

C h u rc h o f t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f E a s t e r a n d t h e r e s u r r e c t i o n t o b o t h t h e liturgical year and to the faith

Other cultural traditions have also

On January 6 the Church marks the feast of the Epiphany. Here we explain its significance and relationship to the Baptism of the Lord, which is commemorated on January 8, bringing to an end the season of Christmas.

a r i s e n a r o u n d t h e f e a s t I n S p a i n , F r a n c e , I r e l a n d , G e r m a n y, P o l a n d a n d elsewhere it forms an integral part of the C h r i s t m a s s e a s o n I n I t a l y, L a B e f a n a b r i n g s s w e e t s a n d p r e s e n t s t o c h i l d r e n n o t o n C h r i s t m a s b u t o n E p i p h a n y Children in many parts of Latin America, the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain a l s o r e c e i v e t h e i r p r e s e n t s o n “ T h r e e Kings Day”

M e a n w h i l e , i n I r e l a n d , C a t h o l i c s celebrate “Women’s Christmas” when w o m e n t r a d i t i o n a l l y r e s t f r o m h o u s ew o r k a n d c l e a n i n g , a n d c e l e b r a t e t ogether with a special meal In Germany, children dress up as the Three Kings and g o f r o m h o u s e t o h o u s e , c o l l e c t i n g money for good causes

Epiphany in Poland is marked by t a k i n g c h a l k a l o n g w i t h g o l d , i nc e n s e a n d a m b e r t o b e b l e s s e d a t Mass Back at home, families will ins c r i b e t h e f i r s t p a r t o f t h e y e a r, f o ll o w e d b y t h e l e t t e r s , “ K + M + B + ” a n d then the last numbers of the year on top of ever y door in the house. The lett e r s s t a n d f o r t h e n a m e s t r a d i t i o n a l l y g i v e n t o t h e w i s e m e n C a s p e r, M e lchior and Balthazar as well as for the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedi c a t , ” w h i c h m e a n s “ C h r i s t , b l e s s t h i s house ” Similar combinations of letters a r e w r i t t e n o n h o u s e - f r o n t s i n o t h e r countries of Catholic parts in Europe

I n n e a r l y e v e r y p a r t o f t h e w o r l d , C a t h o l i c s c e l e b r a t e E p i p h a n y w i t h a King’s Cake: a sweet cake that may contain objects like a figurine or a nut In some places, the lucky recipient of this p r i z e e i t h e r g e t s s p e c i a l t r e a t m e n t f o r the day, or they must hold a party at the end of the traditional Epiphany season on Februar y 2.

T h e s e c e l e b r a t i o n s , s a i d t h e o l o g i a n a n d a u t h o r D r M a t t h e w B u n s o n , p o i n t t o t h e f a m i l y - c e n t r e d n a t u r e o f t h e f e a s t d a y a n d o f i t s o r i g i n a l c e l e b r a t i o n w i t h t h e H o l y F a m i l y. T h e t r a d i t i o n s a l s o p o i n t t o w h a t i s k n o w n a n d w h a t i s s t i l l m y s t e r i o u s a b o u t t h e M a g i , w h o w e r e t h e f i r s t G e n t i l e s t o e n c o u n t e r C h r i s t

o

i n g c a r o

d o o r - t o - d o o r t o r a i s e m o n e y f o r c h a r i t y • F r R u s s e l l P o l l i t t S J l e a d s t h e r e n e w a l o f b a p t i s m a l v o w s a t Q a s r e l - Y a h u d s i t e o f t h e R i v e r J o r d a n i n t h e W e s t B a n k , w h i c h t h e V a t i c a n a c k n o w l e d g e s a s t h e a u t h e n t i c p l a c e o f J e s u s ’ b a p t i s m b y h i s c o u s i n J o h n , o n a S o u t h e r n C r o s s p i l g r i m a g e i n 2 0 1 9

p o w e r f u l e x a m p l e

L a s t l y, D r B u n s o n p o i n t e d t o t h e g i f t s t h e Wi s e M e n b r o u g h t f r a n k i ncense, myrrh and gold These point not o n l y t o C h r i s t ’s d i v i n i t y a n d h i s r e v el a t i o n t o t h e M a g i a s t h e K i n g o f K i n g s , b u t a l s o t o h i s c r u c i f i x i o n . I n g i v i n g m y r r h , a h e r b t r a d i t i o n a l l y u s e d f o r b u r i a l , t h e s e g i f t s b r i n g a t h e o l o g i c a l “ s h a d o w, a s e n s e o f a n t i c i p a t i o n o f w h a t i s t o c o m e ”

The Eastern feast

W h i l e t h e B i b l e r e m a i n s s i l e n t a b o u t t h e Wi s e M e n ’s a c t u a l n a m e s o r n u m b e r, w e d o k n o w t h a t t h e y w e r e c l e v e r, w e a l t h y, a n d m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, b r a v e “ T h e y w e r e w i l l i n g t o t a k e t h e r i s k i n o r d e r t o g o s e a rc h i n g f o r t h e t r u t h , i n w h a t t h e y d i s c e r n e d w a s a m o n u m e n t a l e v e n t , ” D r B u n s o n s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t t h e M a g i c a n s t i l l b e a

To mark the feast of the Theophany, Eastern Catholics begin celebrations with Divine Liturgy at the Church, which includes a blessing of the waters in the baptistr y After the water is blessed, the faithful drink the water, and bring bottles of water to take back to their homes for use. This is not only for physical but spiritual healing, Fr Carnazzo explained. Many parishes hold feasts after the liturgy is over In many Middle Eastern cultures, people also fry and eat awamat, a deep-fried and honey-coated doughnut

D u r i n g t h e T h e o p h a n y s e a s o n , priests also tr y to visit each home in the p a r i s h t o b l e s s t h e h o u s e w i t h h o l y water that was blessed at Theophany

Fr Carrazzo encourages all Latin-rite Catholics to join in celebrating Eastern Catholic traditions CNA

Mariannhil l

on a mo tor bike

I n K w a Z u l u - N a t a l t h e r e i s a p i l g r i m r o u t e t h a t t a k e s i n m a n y o f t h e T r a p p i s t m o n a s t e r i e s t h a t g a v e b i r t h t o t h e C o n g r e g a t i o n o f M a r i a n n h i l l M i s s i o n a r i e s . J o h n P a r k i n w r i t e s a b o u t d o i n g t h e “ T r a p p i s t C a m i n o ” w i t h a g r o u p b y m o t o r c y c l e .

THIS IS MY TALE OF ONE OF the most stirring adventures I have ever had; a total soulcleansing experience after the ravages of Covid and its long-drawnout effects Along with a few friends on motorcycles, and some in vehicles, we travelled the KwaZulu-Natal underbelly of remote valleys and rugged hills in search of the Trappist mission stations built around 120 years ago

We tackled the first long-distance pilgrimage trail in South Africa a local Trappist Camino through the beautiful southern regions of KwaZuluNatal, between the Southern Drakensberg, the Midlands Mist Belt, and the Eastern Cape on the saddles of our motorbikes.

Strung out across the hills and valleys between the Drakensberg and the sea, like knots on a string of rosary beads, are 22 historic Trappist missions, established over a century ago by extraordinary Trappist monks, led by Abbot Francis Pfanner These mission churches are hidden treasures and I wanted to share them with the world Very few South Africans are even aware of these marvels.

We ventured deep into rural KwaZulu-Natal, following in the footsteps of Abbot Pfanner’s Trappist monks and the Sisters of the Precious Blood, all of whom served in these monasteries. We experienced the history and mission of the Trappists and the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries which they gave birth to We absorbed the fascinating folklore and legends, the land-

scape, the fauna and flora of this amazing trail, as described by Alan Paton in his book Cry the Beloved Country.

In his landmark 1948 novel, Paton wrote: “There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear the forlorn crying of the titihoya, one of the birds of the veld. Below you, the valley of the Umzimkulu, on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and East Griqualand ”

A great infrastructure

S o m e o f t h e s e m o n a s t e r i e s a r e t r u l y m a g n i f i c e n t w h i l e s o m e a r e i n t h e f i n a l t h r o e s o f b r e a k i n g u p We a l s o v i s i t e d a w o r k i n g m i l l t h a t i s o v e r 1 0 0 y e a r s o l d , w i t h a l l t h e w a t e rd r i v e n ( n o w d i e s e l - p o w e r e d ) s h e a v e w h e e l s w i t h t h e i r c a n v a s b e l t s r u nn i n g f r o m l e v e l t o l e v e l , c r u s h i n g t h e w h e a t f r o m w h o l e k e r n e l s t o f i n e f l o u r, b e f o r e f i n a l l y e m p t y i n g t h e f l o u r i n t o b a g s

M a r i a n n h i l l m o n a s t e r y , n e a r P i n e t o w n i n D u r b a n , w a s e s t a b l i s h e d b y A b b o t F r a n c i s P f a n n e r ( i n s e t ) i n 1 8 8 2 . I t o n c e w a s t h e w o r l d ’ s l a r g e s t m o n a s t e r y .

G a r d e n s t h a t o n c e b o r e m a g n i f ic e n t v e g e t a b l e s a n d t r e e s w h i c h h a d p r o v i d e d f r u i t s o f t h e f a r m a r e n o w a t h i n g o f t h e p a s t S t o r e f a c i l i t i e s , w o r k s h o p s , p r i n t i n g a n d c a r p e n t r y r o o m s a n d m a n y o t h e r a s p e c t s o f l i f e , a r e a l l b u t o p e r a t i o n a l T h e y s t i l l e x i s t b u t a r e n o l o n g e r i n u s e e x c e p t a t t h e l a r g e r m o n a s t e r i e s A l l o f t h i s g r e a t i n f r a s t r u c t u r e w h i c h o n c e s u s t a i n e d c o m m u n it i e s i s a t t r i b u t a b l e t o a n a m a z i n g m a n o f t h e t i m e : A b b o t P f a n n e r, w h o w a s b o r n i n A u s t r i a i n 1 8 2 5 , a n d c a m e t o S o u t h A f r i c a w i t h a g r o u p o f f e l l o w Tr a p p i s t s i n 1 8 8 0 A f t e r a n u n s u c c e s s f u l a t t e m p t t o e s t a b l i s h a p r e s e n c e i n t h e E a s te r n C a p e , t h e y c a m e t o w h a t i s n o w K w a Z u l u - N a t a l I n 1 8 8 2 t h e m o n a s t e r y o f M a r i a n n h i l l w a s f o u n d e d n e a r D u r b a n , w i t h P f a n n e r a s i t s f i r s t a b b o t . B y 1 8 9 8 , i t w a s t h e l a r g e s t C h r i s t i a n m o n a s t e r y i n t h e w o r l d , w i t h 2 8 5 m o n k s O u t o f t h a t e m e r g e d t h e C o n g r e g a t i o n o f M a r i a n n h i l l M i s s i o n a r i e s A b b o t P f a n n e r d i e d o n M a y 2 4 , 1 9 0 9 , a t E m a u s m i s s i o n , i n U m z i m k u l u d i o c e s e , w h i c h w a s p a r t o f o u r i t i n e r a r y

Ten amazing monasteries

During this four-day, three-night adventure drive, we visited ten of these 22 amazing monasteries and churches “in the middle of nowhere”. With the monasteries as the central focus of the tour, we drove some of the ver y best off-the-beaten track roads the Southern Berg could offer, all in perfect safety

Some of the landscapes are ancient and sacred, and the environment is great for twitchers. We tried to spot the shy purple-crested loerie (gwalagwala) with its brilliant colours, but saw only one in a tree above us. This area is also home to the ver y rare blue swallow, Cape parrot, and the black-winged plover We saw all of this as we covered the backroads of the rural areas of the Lotheni, Impendle, Pholela, uMzimkhulu, and the Ixopo valleys

At the centre of our itinerar y was Mariannhill monaster y where we saw the many aspects of monastic life and ever ything that keeps the wheels turning Luminaries such as Mark Twain, Ghandi and Mother Theresa visited the monaster y!

Our motorbike pilgrimage can also be done by four-wheeled vehicles As a national tourist guide, I put this Camino together after researching these monasteries for years We enjoyed wonderful accommodation and food at the three overnight stops, along with amazing stories of what happened those many years ago at each of the monasteries

It’s the unexpected sights, sounds, emotions, and feelings on a trip like this that capture one’s reason for the wanderlust Whether one walks the route, drives it in a 4x4 or rides it on a motorbike, it’s a bucket-list item you

may not know about The sensation of riding the wide-open, flowing gravel highways of the Umzimkulu Valley and sleeping in a tastefully restored monaster y overlooking a centur y-old, terraced garden makes an impression All this and then to discover in yourself a wondrous spiritual connection in some of the countr y’s most incredible places of worship.

The monasteries we visited were Maria Ratschitz, Mariannhill, Mariathal, St Isidore, Maria Hilf, Emaus, Lourdes, Centocow, Kevelaer, and Reichenau.

The Trappist Camino Trail is presented by Big Dog’s Adventure Tours & Safaris and led by John Parkin, one of a few tour operators with permission to access these sacred destinations To do the Trappist Camino Trail by motorcycle, vehicle or Camino bus, contact John at john@bdats.com or 063 411-2014.

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Climb up the tree!

SO MANY REQUESTS AND statements of “needs” for the Catholic Church are outlined in a three-page article on Southern Africans’ responses to next year’s Synod on Solidarity (“The Church we want”, November 2022). Unfortunately, the resultant bureaucracy may, and probably will, further overcomplicate an already heavily burdened, rule-based system in a very complex world of many faiths, religions and cultures

The Vatican’s 45-page “Working Document” of the Synod ’21-24 has some interesting yet concerning facts and statistics. The new buzzword and main focus of “synod” and a “synodal way” is somewhat confusing when it is compared with the mission and message of Jesus, the Bible and the parables Strangely, amid all these paragraphs of suggestions, the name “Jesus” is mentioned only once Apart from a verse from Isaiah (54:2), and the introductory paragraph (Philemon 2:5-7), there are only three other Bible references in the working document It does, however, have a number of big words and phrases such as “methodological”, “synodal conversion”, “synodality”, and “so we can all feel included as protagonists” The document promises: “In particular, theological faculties will be able to deepen the ecclesiological, Christological and pneumatological insights that synodal experiences and practices bring ”

After thousands of years of reading the Bible, there is scant mention in the working document of its teachings or what Jesus taught, both orally and by way of the 40-plus parables

Zacchaeus was a “senior” tax collector and a “wealthy” man, yet “small” in stature (Luke 19:1-10) Because of this, he could not see Jesus from the crowd (or synod), so he had to climb a sycamore tree to “catch a glimpse” of Jesus However, Jesus found Zacchaeus and said: “Come down Hurry Because I must stay at your house today ”

This most profound paragraph is one of so many in the Bible, which can never be replaced or usurped by any other document, no matter how wordy or periphrastic it sounds The Church and the world is in a mess because everyone “knows” but no one wants to truly “listen” to the One who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life ”

The mission of the Church is to go forth and “teach” and live the Gospels, not to “listen” to every fallible opinion If Jesus is to be believed and his very clear lessons are embraced, if you are serious about your faith, climb the sycamore tree and Jesus will find you.

Christianity is very, very simple: Take the log out your eye, love your neighbour, don’t throw stones, and listen to Jesus!

Tony Meehan, Cape Town

Preserve our tradition

MANY CATHOLICS ATTEND MASS once a week in expectation of being fully instructed Canon 834:1 states: “Through the liturgy a complete public worship is offered to God by the head and members of the mystical body of Christ ” Worship means showing reverence and adoration Instruction during Holy Mass should be the explanation of the readings and fraternal correction, given for the salvation of souls, the primary mission of the Church

Over the years many priests have tried to make the Mass more appealing to draw lapsed and young Catholics back to Church, resulting in Holy Mass literally being offered in the ocean, a blessing given during Mass with a guitar Are these innovations “worship”?

A teacher’s goal is to inspire and motivate students, and the students are expected to delve deeper into the subject on their own. We too should not expect the priest, in one hour, to satisfy our spiritual needs It’s time we blow the dust off the Catholic Church’s treasure chest, with its inspired writings and teachings

The Catholic Church was established by Our Lord, and the sacred liturgy grew organically over the centuries through the Holy Spirit and is not in need of being made “better”, as suggested by Frits

Rijkenberg in his letter “Case for better Mass” (November 2022).

The teachings and traditions of the Church should not be changed to suit the whim of the century. Change means “to make different” Sacrosanctum Concilium, Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, states that some vernacular can be introduced into the liturgy, and Latin and Gregorian chant must be retained (54; 116) This has not been adhered to

Thus, my passionate plea is that we rather conform to the faith and traditions of the Catholic Church Changing the Catholic Church would put everyone’s salvation at an even greater risk.

Lynette Peterson, Cape Town

What do we believe?

IREFER TO BERNARD MOAT’S LETTER

”It’s what we believe” (November 2022), concerning the Catholic belief of the wafer being changed into the physical body and blood of Jesus during the Eucharist. This concept is a Catholic construct and can be accepted only by faith, and one has to respect those Catholics who accept fully the teachings of the Church

But a 2019 Pew Research study found that only 31% of Catholics in the US believe in the Real Presence. Can the remaining 69% still be regarded as being fully Catholic and can they qualify to receive Communion? And would those 69% of Catholics be at risk of being regarded as lesser Catholics if they were to divulge what they really believe?

The question to be asked is: Has any of the hierarchy of the Church throughout the ages ever questioned the concept of this belief? Or does the faith get handed down from generation to generation without any questions being asked? Was the late theologian Fr Edward Schillebeeckx OP ever taken seriously in his concept of the Eucharist? Or was he regarded as being “too Protestant”?

Mr Moat says: “I would regard it as strange to give any non-Catholic...the opportunity to receive the Holy Eucharist if they do not know and share these beliefs.” Does this statement mean the belief of people of other faiths is inferior to that of Catholics?

Patrick Dacey, Johannesburg

For the Sunday of the Word of the Lord, this year on January 22, Fr Ralph de Hahn reflects on the power of God’s Word.

AMOST POTENT GIFT GIVEN to us humans is the power of speech the use of words. Of all God’s creation, only humans have that gift. Mammals, birds, fish and reptiles have their own unique means of communication, but none has the skill to transmit abstract thoughts to one another In the human dimension, the word has the power to change what is reality

“By the word of Yahweh, the heavens were made” (Psalm 33:6) He spoke, and it was created The book of Hebrews confirms that “the world was created by one word from God” (11:3) The great prophet Isaiah taught that all things were created from nothing, but only by God’s word (43:10) Speaking beautifully of God’s word, the prophet concludes: “So the word from my mouth does not return to me empty but fulfilling my will and succeeding in what it has been sent to do.”

St John puts the whole picture together: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God All things came to be through him; nothing had its beginning except through him all that came to be had life only in him ” John ends his brilliant prologue with the Incarnation: “ and the Word was made flesh and he dwelt among us.”

In ancient days, the Word of God was transmitted through his chosen prophets, whereas in the New Testament, the Word of God was revealed in a person, through the ver y son of God, Jesus Christ The Book of Revelation has a rather dramatic representation: “His cloak was soaked in blood, from his mouth came a sharp sword, he is known by the name ‘the Word of God’” (19:13) John, the Beloved Disciple, reminds us that John the Baptiser came as a witness

to the light, but the Word himself was the Light “and we saw his glor y full of grace and truth”.

It would ser ve us well to reflect on what meaning the Word of God has in our human communication Perhaps we have never really delved into the positive and negative consequences of the Word in our daily lives The Word of God brought the promise of new life, hope, grace and glor y. In our hands, it can bring consolation and joy, but also destruction. We often speak of the Bible as the Word of God Yet we learn and understand more deeply that Jesus is the Word of God, not the printed Bible. The Bible, printed with human words, promotes Jesus as the Word. In him we have the fulness of life, says John

The Power of Jesus

In the Bible we get a glimpse of the power of the Word spoken by Jesus: look at the amazing catch of fish in the lake; the feeding of the thousands from so little on the hillside; the raising of the dead such as the daughter of Jairus, the young man at Nain, or Lazarus of Bethany (after four days in the tomb); the command that calmed the raging sea; and all the healings of the blind, deaf, disabled and disturbed just one word spoken by the Master!

Consider the power of the Word expressing love and hope We can surely appreciate the value of this gift of speech that we all have, the one which urges Paul to write: “Guard against foul talk, rather let your words be for comfort and uplifting of others, other wise you will be grieving the Holy Spirit of God within” (Ephesians 4:29) We so easily forget, especially in moments of anger, that life or death is in the power of the tongue “Their throats are an open grave and the tongue full of deceit,” cries Paul

in Romans 3:13

The tongue is able to spit fire and set a forest ablaze, touching many innocent people and there is no tracking back to reverse the action ever! We all need to respect, even reverence, this enormous power of the word, ever conscious of the eternal Word, Jesus Christ The word can change substance, spoken at the Lord’s command, even over bread and wine at Holy Mass A word and, behold, a miracle! The words we choose expose the heart within From the overflow from the heart, words flow to heal or to hurt, to build up or destroy

Never pass on what you hear, possibly from gossip; always first check with the source Play it safe There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us! May our words reflect the presence of the Word within us Our words reveals who and what we are. Do our words speak of Jesus’ healing power and his unending love?

The Word was made flesh and dwells within us

Fr Ralph de Hahn is a priest of the archdiocese if Cape Town.

by ‘Cooking W ith Saints’ columnist Grazia Barletta Per

Tidings of discomfort and joy

DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON, o n e o f o u r r e g u l a r c a r o l s e nc o u r a g e s u s t o s i n g a b o u t “ t i d i n g s o f c o m f o r t a n d j o y, c o m f o r t a n d j o y ” J o y i s a n i m p o r t a n t C h r i s t i a n w o r d P o p e F r a n c i s h a s e v e n d e d i c a t e d a w h o l e a p o s t o l i c e xh o r t a t i o n t o t h e “ J o y o f L o v e ” ( A m o r i s L a e t i t i a e ) . B u t I a m n o t s o s u r e h o w C h r i s t i a n a c o n c e p t c o m f o r t i s D o m C h r i s t o p h e r J a m i e s o n , a n E n g l i s h B e n e d i c t i n e a b b o t , o n c e c h a ll e n g e d C h r i s t i a n s t o s h i f t f r o m “ t h e c o m f o r t o f p e s s i m i s m t o t h e d i s c o mf o r t o f h o p e ” T h e p h r a s e s t r i k e s m e a s h a v i n g p a r t i c u l a r r e s o n a n c e f o r u s i n S o u t h A f r i c a a t t h e m o m e n t T h e t e m p t a t i o n i s t o s u c c u m b t o t h e c o mf o r t o f p e s s i m i s m ; t h e c h a l l e n g e i s t o l i v e i n t h e “ d i s c o m f o r t o f h o p e ”

O f c o u r s e , w e h a v e s o m e f a i r l y o bv i o u s d i s c o m f o r t s h e r e w h i c h I k n o w w e c a n a l l r e e l o f f v e r y e a s i l y : l o a ds h e d d i n g , f a i l i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , p o o r ser vice deliver y, safety concerns, the p r i c e o f f u e l , p o l i t i c a l t o y i - t o y i n g . A n d w e m i g h t s e e k v a r i o u s m a t e r i a l c o m f o r t s t o h e l p s h i e l d u s f r o m t h e s e : a g e n e r a t o r, t i g h t e r s e c u r i t y, o p t i n g o u t o f g o v e r n m e n t s e r v i c e s , l i v i n g i n g a t e d c o m m u n i t i e s

B u t I t h i n k t h a t i t i s n o t t h e m a t er i a l c o m f o r t s o r d i s c o m f o r t s t h a t t h e g o o d m o n k i s r e f e r e n c i n g T h e “ c o mf o r t o f p e s s i m i s m ” i s t h a t w h i c h p e rm i t s u s t o w r i t e o f f a s i t u a t i o n a s h o p e l e s s , w h i c h l e t s u s s i m p l y r e s t b a c k w i t h t h a t e a s y a n s w e r. B y c o nt r a s t , t h e “ d i s c o m f o r t o f h o p e ” m e a n s t h a t w e h a v e t o l o o k a t t h e s i t u a t i o n , s e e h o w i t c o u l d b e b e t t e r, a n d d e c i d e t o d o w h a t w e c a n t o c o n t r i b u t e A l t og e t h e r, a l e s s c o m f o r t a b l e a n s w e r

T h e c o m e d i a n J o h n C l e e s e c a pt u r e s t h e s a m e i d e a , i f l e s s p i o u s l y, i n t h e w o n d e r f u l 1 9 8 6 f i l m C l o c k w i s e H e p l a y s a s c h o o l p r i n c i p a l w h o i s f a s t i d io u s a b o u t p u n c t u a l i t y a n d i s o n h i s w a y t o a v e r y i m p o r t a n t m e e t i n g . B u t

e v e r y t h i n g s e e m s t o c o n s p i r e a g a i n s t h i m , a n d e v e n t h o u g h h e k e e p s t r y i n g , t h e r e a r e f u r t h e r s e t b a c k s .

J u s t a s h e f i n a l l y d e c i d e s t o g i v e u p , a p o s s i b l e s o l u t i o n a p p e a r s o n t h e h o r i z o n . E x c e p t t h i s m a k e s h i m e v e n more despondent: “It’s not the despair; I c a n c o p e w i t h t h e d e s p a i r ! I t ’s t h e h o p e t h a t g e t s m e d o w n … ”

C h r i s t m a s g i v e s u s a b r e a k f r o m t h i n k i n g a b o u t t h e d i f f i c u l t s t u f f i n life: being with family and friends, perh a p s e a t i n g a n d d r i n k i n g m o r e t h a n w e u s u a l l y d o , m a y b e t r a v e l l i n g a w a y f r o m h o m e T h e d a y - t o - d a y d i s c o mf o r t s a r e p u t o n h o l d f o r a w h i l e .

B u t i n J a n u a r y, a l l t h o s e p r o b l e m s t h a t w e h a d s t o p p e d t h i n k i n g a b o u t h a v e r e t u r n e d . P e r h a p s t h e y f e e l e v e n w o r s e n o w w i t h o u t t h e c u s h i o n o f a D e c e m b e r b o n u s ( l o n g s i n c e s p e n t ) a n d w i t h t h e p r o s p e c t o f c r e d i t c a r d b i l l s a r r i v i n g

w h i c h l a s t s b e y o n d t h e 1 2 D a y s o f C h r i s t m a s ? A f t e r a l l , G o d c h o s e t o e n t e r t h e w o r l d a s a h u m a n b e i n g a n d k n e w i t w a s n o t j u s t f o r t h e c h o r u s e s o f a n g e l s a n d t h e g i f t s o f t h e M a g i , b u t a l s o f o r t h e s m e l l y a n i m a l s , t h e f l i g h t into Egypt, and the struggle of growi n g u p i n N a z a r e t h

N o t j u s t f o r C h r i s t m a s

S o m e y e a r s a g o i n t h e U K , i t w a s a r e g r e t t a b l e f a s h i o n t o g i v e c h i l d r e n a d o g a s a C h r i s t m a s g i f t w i t h t h e f a m i l y t h e n w a k i n g u p t o t h e r e a l i s ation that, come Januar y, they had a pet t h a t n e e d e d l o o k i n g a f t e r T h e R S P C A h a d a p u b l i c i t y c a m p a i g n : “ R e m e m b e r a dog is for life not just for Christmas ”

A n a d - s a v v y p r i e s t , t r y i n g t o g e t h i s C h r i s t m a s c o n g r e g a t i o n t o s t a y i n t o J a n u a r y, t r i e d a s i m i l a r l i n e : “ R e m e mb e r G o d i s f o r l i f e n o t j u s t f o r C h r i s tm a s ”

L e t m e t r y a s l i g h t l y d i f f e r e n t t a k e o n t h a t . W h a t h a p p e n s w h e n w e t h i n k a b o u t t h e I n c a r n a t i o n a s s o m e t h i n g

E m m a n u e l G o d i s w i t h u s i s a m e s s a g e n o t j u s t f o r t h e f e s t i v e s e a s o n o f C h r i s t m a s b u t f o r t h e w h o l e o f o u r y e a r. J e s u s ’ c o m i n g i n t o t h e w o r l d m a y h a v e b e e n h e ra l d e d b y h o p e , b u t t h e s h e p h e r d s soon had to go back to the discomforts o f t h e i r e v e r y d a y l i v e s . T h e i r e nc o u n t e r w i t h J e s u s d i d n o t g i v e t h e m c o m f o r t b u t i t d i d g i v e t h e m h o p e

As in most South African cities, the s t r e e t s o f D u r b a n s e e m t o b e e s p e c i a l l y f u l l o f h o m e l e s s p e o p l e b e g g i n g t h e s e d a y s , e v e n d e s p i t e t h e w o r k o f t h e D e n i s H u r l e y C e n t r e a n d o u r p a r t n e r s S o m e m u n i c i p a l i t i e s t h i n k t h a t t h e w a y t o a d d r e s s h o m e l e s s n e s s i s t o r emove the beggars though, of course, t h i s d o e s n o t s o l v e t h e p r o b l e m , i t j u s t h i d e s i t M o r e o v e r, i n a s t r a n g e w a y, I think that beggars do us a ser vice; they r e m i n d u s o f t h e o n g o i n g i n j u s t i c e s a n d i n e q u a l i t i e s a n d l a c k o f b a s i c s e r vi c e s i n o u r v e r y w e a l t h y s o c i e t y. T h e y

A s C h r i s t i a n s , o u r r e s p o n s e must be not to turn away and seek c o m f o r t b u t l i k e t h e n e w b o r n C h r i s t t o f a c e t h e d i s c o m f o r t a n d c r e a t e h o p e i n i t O u r p r o j e c t f o r h e l p i n g t h e h o m e l e s s i n D u rb a n i s c a l l e d “ N k o s i n a t h i ” , which is the Zulu version of “ E m m a n u e l ” , t h e n a m e o f o u r c a t h e d r a l

W h e n y o u n g s t e r s f r o m o u r C a t h o l i c s c h o o l s c o m e t o h e l p u s , I t e l l t h e m t h a t G o d - i s - w i t h - u s i n t h r e e d i ff e r e n t w a y s : G o d i s w i t h u s b e c a u s e w i t h o u t G o d ’s h e l p w e c o u l d n o t d o a l l t h a t w e m a n a g e t o d e l i v e r ( f o r e xa m p l e b y s e r v i n g 1 8 0 0 0 0 m e a l s i n 2 0 2 2 ) ; G o d i s w i t h u s b e c a u s e e a c h o f t h e v o lu n t e e r s i s c h o o s i n g t o b e t h e h a n d s o f G o d o n t h a t d a y ; a n d G o d i s w i t h u s b ec a u s e w e g e t a c h a n c e t o s e e G o d i n t h e f a c e o f e a c h o f t h e p e o p l e w e s e r v e .

S e e t h e f a c e o f G o d

T h e f a c e o f G o d m i g h t b e h a r d e r t o s e e i n s o m e o f t h e p e op l e w h o p r e s e n t t h e m s e l v e s b ec a u s e t h e y a r e p o o r o r d i r t y o r a d d i c t e d o r f r o m a d i f f e r e n t b a c kg r o u n d B u t l e t u s n o t f o r g e t t h a t the face of God incarnate was hidd e n t o a l l b u t a f e w o f t h e p e o p l e w h o e n c o u n t e r e d J e s u s i n B e t h l eh e m 2 0 0 0 y e a r s a g o . N e v e r t h e l e s s God is with us and that is a reas o n n o t t o g i v e u p h o p e

I p r a y t h a t l o n g a f t e r y o u h a v e f o r g o t t e n y o u r c e l e b r a t i o n s f o r C h r i s t m a s , t h e N e w Ye a r w i l l c o n t i n u e t o b r i n g y o u t i d i n g s o f d i s c o m f o r t a n d j o y T h e d i s c o mf o r t o f r e c o g n i s i n g t h a t t h e w o r l d i s f a r f r o m p e r f e c t a n d i n n e e d o f s a l v a t i o n T h e j o y o f k n o w i n g that each one of us has the opport u n i t y t o c o n t r i b u t e t o t h a t p l a n o f s a l v a t i o n . A l l w e h a v e t o d o i s bring some hope to those we love, a n d t o t h o s e w e d o n o t l o v e , a n d t o t h o s e w e c h o o s e n o t t o s e e .

I n t h a t h o p e , G o d i s w i t h u s

M A R IA N E L L A

Guest House, Simon’s Town Experience the peace and beauty of God and nature with us Fully equipped, with amazing sea views Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation Special rates for families, pensioners and clergy Malcolm or Wilma Salida + 27 82 784 5676 or mjsalida@gmail com

Why grace is never earned T

HERE IS A TENSION AMONG Christians today between those who would extend God’s mercy everywhere, seemingly without any conditions, and those who are more reticent and discriminating in dispensing it

The tension comes out most clearly in our debates concerning who may receive the sacraments: Who should be allowed to receive the Eucharist? Who should be allowed to marry inside a church? Who should be allowed a Christian burial? When should a priest withhold absolution in confession?

However, this tension is about a lot more than who should be allowed to receive certain sacraments Ultimately, it’s about how we understand God’s grace and mercy A clear example of this today is the growing opposition we see in some sectors to the person and approach of Pope Francis

To his critics, Francis is soft and compromising To them, he is dispensing cheap grace, making God and his mercy as accessible as the nearest water tap God’s embrace to all No conditions asked No prior repentance called for No demand that there first be a change in the person’s life Grace for all No cost If we dispense God’s grace and mercy so indiscriminately, does this not strip Christianity of much of its salt and leaven? May we simply embrace and bless everyone without any moral conditions? Isn’t the Gospel meant to confront?

T h e r e ’ s n o ‘ c h e a p g r a c e ’

Well, the very phrase “cheap grace” is an oxymoron There’s no such thing as “cheap grace” All grace, by definition, doesn’t ask for certain preconditions to be met in order for it to be offered and received.The very essence of grace is that it is a gift, free and undeserved And, though by its very nature grace often does evoke a response of love and a change of heart, it does not of itself demand them

There’s no more powerful example of this than Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son which illustrates how grace meets waywardness We know the story The prodigal son abandons and rejects his father, takes his unearned inheritance, goes off to a foreign land (a place away from his father) and squanders the money in the pursuit of pleasure When he has wasted everything, he decides to return to his father, not because he suddenly has a renewed love for him, but, selfish still, because he is hungry.

He is still a long way from his father’s house when the father runs out to meet him Before his son even has an opportunity to apologise, he embraces him uncon-

ditionally, takes him back into his house and prepares a special celebration for him Talk about cheap grace!

Notice to whom this parable was spoken. It was addressed to a group of sincere religious persons who were upset precisely because they felt that by embracing and eating with sinners without first demanding some moral preconditions Jesus was cheapening grace, making God’s love and mercy too accessible, hence less precious

Notice as well the reaction of many of Jesus’ contemporaries when they saw him dining with sinners For example, when he dined with the tax collector Zacchaeus, the Gospels tell us, “all who saw it began to grumble” (Luke 19:7) Interesting how that discontent persists

O u r r e s i s t a n c e t o g i f t s

Why? Why this anxiety? What undergirds our “grumbling”? Concern for true religion? Not really The deeper root of this anxiety is not religious but grounded rather in our nature and in our wounds Our resistance to naked gift, to raw gratuity, to unconditional love, undeserved grace, stems rather from something inside our instinctual DNA that is hardened by our wounds

A combination of nature and wound imprints in us the belief that any gift, not least love and forgiveness, needs to be merited In this life, no free meal! In religion, no free grace! A conspiracy between our nature and our wounds keeps forever reminding us that we are unlovable, and that love must be merited; it cannot be free because we are unworthy.

Overcoming that inner voice that is perpetually reminding us that we are unlovable is, I believe, the ultimate struggle (psychological and spiritual) in our lives Moreover, don’t be fooled by protests to the contrary People who glibly radiate how lovable they are and make protests to that effect are mostly trying to keep that fear at bay

St Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans as his dying message He devotes its first seven chapters to simply affirming over and over again that we cannot get our lives right We are morally incapable However, his repeated emphasis that we cannot get our lives right is really a set-up for what he really wants to leave with us, namely: We don’t have to get our lives right We are loved in spite of our sin, and we are given everything freely, gratuitously, irrespective of any merit on our part

Our uneasiness with unmerited grace is rooted more in a human insecurity than in any genuine religious concern

IF E V E R T H E R E WA S A P R AY E R

i n t e n t i o n f o r S o u t h A f r i c a , t h e n this is it! Perhaps the most heinous crime committed by the old regime was that of “Bantu Education” This was a per version of education, a curriculum purposely designed to hold people back and keep them as labourers on farms or i n m i n e s o r f a c t o r i e s C l e a r l y t h i s w a s not really education at all, but social engineering

W h a t h a s s t u n n e d a n d d i s a ppointed educationalists is how the mentality of underperformance instilled by Bantu Education has been so difficult to r o o t o u t . I t s e n d u r i n g e f f e c t s o n t h e minds of today’s young are Ver woerd’s r e v e n g e a t e r r i b l e r e m i n d e r t h a t i t can take much longer to change a culture, especially a bad one, than to overthrow a political system

H o w i s i t p o s s i b l e , o n e w o n d e r s , that young people who were born after 1 9 9 4 s o m e h o w i m b i b e a d e e p l a c k o f

confidence in their abilities to excel academically?

The answer seems to lie in the “hidd e n c u r r i c u l u m ” o f m e d i o c r i t y i n o u r government schools This curriculum is m a d e m a n i f e s t w h e n o n e n o t i c e s schoolchildren wandering the streets of our towns and cities in the early afternoon One can be quite sure that their counterparts in Japan, China or Europe are being kept busy in the afternoons. If t h e f u t u r e e c o n o m y i s g o i n g t o b e a “ k n o w l e d g e e c o n o m y ” , t h e n o u r l o c a l schoolchildren are going to be at a serious disadvantage.

What does future hold?

I n d e e d , a t e r r i b l e p h r a s e c o m e s t o m i n d , c o i n e d b y t h e I s r a e l i h i s t o r i a n a n d s o c i a l c o m m e n t a t o r Yu v a l H a r a r i He speaks of a world in which there are “ u s e l e s s c l a s s e s ” , s e c t i o n s o f s o c i e t y which are not educated enough to participate in the coming high-tech, artifi-

c i a l i n t e l l i g e n c e a n d r o b o t i c i s e d e c o nomy, and who are doomed to a lifetime of unemployment and poverty.

Arguably, therefore, the most disapp o i n t i n g t h i n g a b o u t t h e p o s t - 1 9 9 4 regime has been its failure to foster that culture of teaching and learning which Bantu Education was so diabolically intended to stunt. As we move into a time of economic instability, and as we grapp l e w i t h t h a t o t h e r a p p a r e n t l y i nt r a c t a b l e S o u t h A f r i c a n p r o b l e m unemployment it is hard to see how o u r e d u c a t i o n p r o b l e m c a n b e r i g h t e d easily and rapidly

The present situation in the South A f r i c a n p r i m a r y a n d s e c o n d a r y e d u c at i o n f i e l d s i s h a r d l y a s c e n a r i o w h i c h e n c o u r a g e s b r i g h t y o u n g p e o p l e t o g o i n t o t e a c h i n g E v e n s o , w e s h o u l d e nc o u r a g e t h o s e w i t h t h e n e c e s s a r y courage to do so

We certainly do need high-quality e d u c a t o r s , t e a c h e r s w h o c a n l e a d a n d i n s p i r e t h e i r s t u d e n t s n o t o n l y t o d o well, but to do so while simultaneously o v e rc o m i n g t h e o u t r a g e o u s l y u n j u s

Mary Mother of God prayer

O Mar y, Mother of God, as you are above all creatures in heaven and on ear th, more glorious than the Cherubim, more noble than any here below, Christ has given you to His people, firm bulwark and protectress, to shield and save sinners who fly to you

Therefore, O Lady, all-embracing refuge, we solemnly recall your sweet protection and beg the Christ forever for His mercy.

Amen

Prayer Corner

Do you have a favourite prayer? Please send to editor@scross.co.za

P RAY ER f o r P E AC E

ST THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX

l o r D J E s u s, inspired by the example of saint thérèse, i place all my trust into Your sacred heart, and surrender myself to Your will come into my life, drive away my fears, stop my restless striving, and show me ways of pleasing You. teach me to discern the good in others, and to love them with an affectionate smile, a gentle touch, a patient ear, and an affirming word.

st thérèse, pray that i may become alive again with awe, the appreciation of truth and the courage to oppose evil remind me always that i am created for happiness, for joy of living in the presence of God.

st thérèse, pray that i, and all God’s people, may have the inner peace that comes from confidence, surrender and affirmation.

Amen

re not worthy, r unconditional ome before You sk that You peace in our nd in our homes

. rough Jesus t our Lord, Amen

ST JOHN BOSCO PRAYER

Saint John Bosco, Father, Teacher, and Friend of Youth, you have laboured so much for the salvation of souls: teach me to be patient and gentle as I seek the good of my own soul and the souls of my neighbours

Help me deepen my own reverence to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, devotion to Mary Help of Christians, and loyalty to our Holy Father the Pope. Through Christ our Lord, Amen

D A N O N S E N S E N I G E A S T U B C O M A R J A E L V O N D A B O S A Z L A T H I F I S T E N T H A L E C C L R O Q I S O I N P T N A E E I I T S O L H C M , , , , ,

DoWn

First murdered son (4)

Bats return to fish where the horses are (8)

when at it you raise heart and mind (6)

Our Lady ’s title for sinners (6)

The cock cried at the sailors (4)

They are not divine parents (10)

Is it head and shoulders above artworks? (4)

Conjectured (10)

Soapy place in the New Testament (10) 13 Neat beer can round off liturgy of Holy week (8) 15 Foundation stone-laying tool (6) 16 Be reconciled (4,2)

18

20.

Find the words associated with Moses in the puzzle above

Clue16across

Ac ro s s

Clue22across

Clue3down

1 Christian knights (9) 2 Gratia (5) 5 Lamb of God (5,3) 8 Januar y 6 feast (8) 9. Guide of the Magi (4) 10 Consolation (6) 11 Evangelist (4) 12 Catholic actor (Boys’ Town) (7,5) 13 Pressed on Jesus’ head (5,2,6) 15 Order of Pope Francis (7) 16 Botswana archbishop (surname) (8) 17 Greek missionar y or SA president (5)

18. Of God (6) 20. ‘Morning Has Broken’ singer (3,7) 21 SA Catholic poet Benedict (8) 22 Cardinal from Philippines (5)

Corrupt papal family or a saint (6) 24 Town of wedding miracle (4) 25 Mother Teresa’s birthplace (6) DoWn 1 Other name for Sea of Galilee (8) 2 Pope John XXIII’s surname (8)

Radio Veritas founder (4,6)

French Marian shrine (2,7)

Town of St Francis (6)

The Catholic Trivia Quiz

6 Sistine chapel artist (12) 7 Ancient Asia Minor diocese (7) 9 US social activist Dorothy (3) 10. Priest-astronomer (10) 11. SACBC headquarters (6,5) 12 Eight-day prayer cycle (6) 13 Muslim conqueror of Jerusalem (4) 14 Jo’burg Catholic school (4,6) 15 Marian title Maris (6) 16 ‘Divine Comedy ’ poet (5) 18 Old Testament book (7) 19 SA diocese (7)

Clue21across

In which diocese was Bishop Victor Phalana vicar-general before becoming bishop of Klerksdorp in 2015?

cathedral of which

reputed bones of the Magi? a) Cologne b) Compostela c) Coventr y 8 Which film director once wanted to become a priest? a) Francis Ford Coppola b) Abel Ferrara c) Martin Scorsese 9. Which devotion is based on apparitions to St Faustina Kowalska? a) Divine Mercy b) Miraculous Medal c) Sacred Heart

10. In which diocese is the parish of Thohoyandou? a) Polokwane b) Tzaneen c) Witbank

11 Who is the patron saint of the Catholic press? a) Archangel Gabriel b) Maximilian Kolbe c) Francis de Sales 12. When was the year of four popes? a) 1276 b) 1526 c) 1746

C o o k i n g w i t h Sa i n t s

T D y M P H

ST DYMPHNA’S CHAMOMILE LEMON LOAF

T H E PAT R O

o f t h o s e s u ffe r i n g n e r vo u s a n d m e n ta l a ff l i c t i o n s a s w e l l a s o f v i c t i m s o f i n c e st a n d s exu a l a b u s e , wa s b o r n i n I re l a n d i n t h e 7 t h c e n t u r y to a p a ga n fa t h e r a n d a d e vo u t C h r i st i a n m o t h e r w h e n s h e wa s 1 4 , D y m p h n a c o n s e c ra te d h e rs e l f to C h r i st a n d to o k a vo w o f c h a st i t y

S o o n a f te r, h e r m o t h e r d i e d a n d h e r g r i e f- st r i c ke n fa t h e r D a m o n b e ga n to s u ffe r a ra p i d d e te r i o ra t i o n o f h i s m e nta l sta b i l i t y H i s c o u n s e l l o rs s u g g e ste d t h h e re m a r r y, a n d D a m o n a g re e d to d o s o, b u t o n l y to a w o m a n a s b e a u t i f u l a s h i s l a te w i fe D a m o n s e n t m e s s e n g e rs to f i n d a n o b l e w o m a n w h o re s e m b l e d h i s w i fe a n d w o u l d b e w i l l i n g to m a r r y h i m , b u t n o n e c o u l d b e fo u n d I n ste a d h e s u b m i tte d to h i s w i c ke d a d v i s o rs ’ s i n f u l s u g g e st i o n s t h a t h e m a r r y h i s o w n d a u g h te r w h e n s h e h e a rd o f h e r fa t h e r ’s m i sg u i d e d p l o t , D y m p h n a f l e d h e r c a st l e w i t h h e r c o n fe s s o r, a p r i e st n a m e d G e re b ra n , t w o t r u ste d s e r va n t s , a n d t h e k i n g ’s fo o l T h e g ro u p s a i l e d to w h a t i s n o w B e l g i u m a n d h i d i n t h e to w n o f G e e l T h e re D y mp h n a b u i l t a h o s p i ta l fo r t h e p o o r a n d s i c k

B u t i n u s i n g h e r w e a l t h , s h e e n a b l e d D a m o n to d i s c o ve r h e r l o c a t i o n H e t rave l l e d to G e e l , o rd e re d t h e b e h e a d i n g o f G e re b ra n , a n d a tte m p te d to c o nv i n c e D y mp h n a to re t u r n to I re l a n d a n d m a r r y h i m w h e n D y m p h n a re f u s e d , D a m o n b e c a m e e n ra g e d a n d st r u c k h i s d a u g h te r o n t h e

h e a d w i t h h i s s w o rd D y m p h n a wa s o n l y 1 5 A f te r h e r fat h e r l ef t G e e l , t h e re s i d e nt s co l l e c te d t h e re m a i n s o f D y m p h n a a n d G e re b ra n a n d l a i d t h e m to re st i n a cave I n d efe n c e o f h e r p u r i t y, D y m p h n a re c e i ve d t h e c ro w n o f m a r t y rd o m a ro u n d 6 2 0 a n d b e ca m e k n o w n a s t h e “ L i l y o f É i re ” I n 1 3 4 9 , a c h u rc h h o n o u r i n g S t D y m p h n a wa s b u i l t i n G e e l , a n d b y 1 4 8 0 , s o m a ny p i l g r i m s we re a r r i v i n g i n n e e d o f t re at m e nt fo r m e nta l i l ln e s s e s , t h at t h e c h u rc h wa s ex p a n d e d

In g r e d i e n t s

• 2 te a b a g s o f c h a m o m i l e te a • ½ c u p wate r • 2 c u p s ca ke f l o u r • 1 c u p o f s u ga r • 2 t s p b a k i n g p o wd e r • ½ t s p s a l t • 1 l a rge e g g , l i g ht l y b e ate n • ¼ c u p m i l k • ¼ c u p l i g ht o l i ve o i l • J u i c e a n d ze st o f a l a rge l e m o n • 1 t b l s p p o p p y o r c h i a s e e d s • ½ t s p a l m o n d ex t ra c t

T h e ex p a n d e d s a n c t u a r y wa s e ve nt u a l l y o ve r f l o w i n g a ga i n , l e av i n g t h e to w n s p e o p l e to a c c e p t t h e m i n to t h e i r h o m e s , w h i c h b e ga n a t ra d i t i o n o f c a re fo r t h e m e n ta l l y i l l t h a t c o n t i n u e s to t h i s d ay M a ny m i ra c l e s h ave ta ke n p l a c e a t h e r s h r i n e

T h i s c h a m o m i l e l e m o n l o a f m ay re m i n d u s o f S t D y m p h n a : i t i s m o i st a n d s w e e t , a n d i t c o n ta i n s c h a m o m i l e te a w h i c h i s w e l l - k n o w n a s a st re s sre l i e v i n g te a

p re p a rat i o n : 6 0 m i n s e r v i n g s : 8 s l i c e s

P r e pa r a t i o n :

1 P re h e at t h e o ve n to 1 7 5 ° C Po u r ½ c u p b o i l i n g wate r i nto a b o w l A d d t wo te a b a g s a n d ste e p u nt i l b rewe d a n d co o l e d D i s ca rd b a g s a n d s et t h e te a a s i d e .

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt Form a well in the centre and set it aside

3 I n a m e d i u m b o w l , co m b i n e e g g , m i l k , o l i ve o i l , l e m o n j u i c e a n d ze st , p o p py s e e d s a n d b rewe d te a Po u r i nto t h e f l o u r m i x t u re a n d st i r j u st u nt i l m o i st a n d co m b i n e d 4 . Po u r b atte r i nto a g re a s e d /s p raye d l o af t i n B a ke fo r 5 0 - 6 0 m i n u te s u nt i l t h e to p i s l i g ht l y b ro w n e d a n d a ca ke s kewe r co m e s o u t c l e a n . A l l o w to co o l o n a w i re ra c k fo r 3 0 m i n u te s b efo re s l i c i n g

5 E n j oy w i t h a c u p o f s o o t h i n g c h a m o m i l e te a a n d a p raye r to S t D y m p h n a

Quiz: 1 b) Denis Hurley (Hurley 45 years, from 1947-92 Delalle 42; Napier 29), 2 c) Palestine, 3 a) 1944 (by Pope Pius XII), 4 c) Turin, 5 c) Pretoria, 6 a) Philippians, 7 a) Cologne, 8 c) Martin Scorsese, 9 a) Divine Mercy, 10 b) Tzaneen, 11 c) Francis de Sales, 12 a) 1276 (Gregory X died on January 10; Innocent V reigned from January 21 to June 22; Adrian V from July 11 to August 18; John XXI elected on September 18)

E v e r y m o n t h G R A Z I A B A R L E T T A p r e p a r e s i n h e r C a p e T o w n k i t c h e n a

r e c i p e i n s p i r e d b y t h e s a i n t s , a n d s h a r e s i t w i t h o u r r e a d e r s i n t e x t a n d p h o t o s t a

History in Colour

Great Quotes on NEW YEAR’S

‘The new year has begun for us Now must God grant us with love that we may be able so to begin it that it may be of value for love ’

– Hadewich of Antwerp (1200-80)

‘The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather that we should have a new soul ’

– GK Chesterton (1874-1936)

‘During this new year I resolve to begin a new life. I do not know what will happen to me during this year. But I abandon myself entirely to you, my God And my aspirations and all my affections will be for you I feel so weak, dear Jesus, but with your help, I hope and resolve to live a different life, that is, a life closer to you ’

– St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903)

‘It is right that you should begin again every day There is no better way to complete the spiritual life than to be ever beginning it over again.’

– St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

‘This is a continuing resolution from last year. I want to learn more about heaven. Last year I began reading more about heaven. I resolve to finish the book I started a while ago very soon, and to continue to learn more about heaven, the resurrection and how knowledge of these things can change my life now.’

– St Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-97)

‘To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often ’

– St John Henry Newman (1801-90)

‘I wish for those I love this new year an opportunity to earn sufficient, to have that which they need for their own and to give that which they desire to others, to bring into the lives of those about them some measure of joy, to know the satisfaction of work well done, of recreation earned and therefore savoured, to end the year a little wiser, a little kinder and therefore a little happier.’

– Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

R e v M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g J r , t h e l e a d e r o f t h e U S c i v i l r i g h t s s t r u g g l e i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s a n d ‘ 6 0 s , l o c k s a r m s w i t h C a t h o l i c p r i e s t s F r T h e o d o r e H e s b u r g h ( s e c o n d f r o m l e f t ) a n d M g r R o b e r t H a g a r t y o f C h i c a g o ( r i g h t ) , w i t h R e v E d g a r C h a n d l e r a t f a r l e f t , i n J u l y 1 9 6 4 a t t h e I l l i n o i s R a l l y f o r C i v i l R i g h t s i n C h i c a g o A s t h e p h o t o w a s t a k e n , t h e y w e r e s i n g i n g t h e c i v i l r i g h t s a n t h e m “ W e S h a l l O v e r c o m e ” R e v K i n g i s o n e o f o n l y t w o p e o p l e w h o s e b i r t h d a y s a r e r e m e m b e r e d i n a f e d e r a l p u b l i c h o l i d a y i n t h e U S ; t h e o t h e r i s G e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g D a y i s o n J a n u a r y 1 5 T h e B a p t i s t m i n i s t e r w a s m u r d e r e d i n 1 9 6 8 , a t t h e a g e o f 3 9 F r H e s b u r g h w a s t h e p r e s i d e n t o f N o t r e D a m e U n i v e r s i t y , o n e o f t h e l e a d i n g C a t h o l i c u n i v e r s i t i e s i n t h e U S , f r o m 1 9 5 2 - 8 7 T h e H o l y C r o s s F a t h e r w a s o n e o f t h e m o s t p r o m i n e n t C a t h o l i c c i v i l r i g h t s a c t i v i s t s , a n d a t t h e r a l l y a t w h i c h t h i s p h o t o w a s t a k e n , h e d e l i v e r e d a n o t e w o r t h y i m p r o m p t u s p e e c h .

F r o m 1 9 6 9 - 7 2 F r H e s b u r g h c h a i r e d t h e U S C i v i l R i g h t s C o m m i s s i o n H e r e s i g n e d o v e r d i s a g r e e m e n t s w i t h t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f P r e s i d e n t R i c h a r d N i x o n , w h i c h t h e p r i e s t b e l i e v e d w a s b l o c k i n g p r o g r e s s i n i n s t i t u t i n g c i v i l r i g h t s m e a s u r e s F r H e s b u r g h d i e d o n F e b r u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 5 , a t t h e a g e o f 9 7 .

Ik n e e l i n g i n p ray e r b e fo r e t h e a l t a r

To u c h e d b y t h e p r i e s t ’s fa i t h f u l n e s s , s h e m a d e a N e w ye a r ’s Re s o l u t i o n t o i m p ro v e h e r p ray e r l i fe

A f t e r t h e N e w ye a r ’s M a s s n ex t m o r n i n g , s h e a s ke d t h e p r i e s t w h a t h e h a d b e e n p ray i n g a b o u t

s u c c e s s f u l e n s ay i n g e v e r y N e w ye a r s Ev e s i n c e my o r d i n a t i o n ”

T h e s a c r i s t a n a s ke d h o w t h e p ray e r g o e s T h e p r i e s t o b l i g e d : “G o d , g ra n t m e t h e s e n i l i t y t o fo r g e t t h e p e o p l e I n e v e r l i ke d a ny w ay, t h e g o o d fo r t u n e t o r u n i n t o t h e o n e s t h a t I d o, a n d t h e e y e s i g h t t o t e l l t h e d i f fe r e n c e A m e n ! ”

tel: 017 826 0054/5 cell: 082 904 7840 Email: sales@eskaycrushers.co.za

A snapshot from the past, colourised exclusively for The Southern Cross

Original photo: University of Notre Dame/CNS