::Sept. - Dec. 2006 issue :: News Archives::

 

Message from the Superior Dear Brothers and Associates, Peace and joy in Christ the Lord. What will Zambia be like after 28th September 2006? As we approach the Election Day when we will elect our Republican President, Members of Parliament and Councilors, we are filled with expectations about what could be the outcome after the polls. One such expectation is that, the lives of our people especially in rural areas will be improved with the ushering in of a new government. In this issue, we share with you news from our missions on how we as missionaries have been trying to address basic human needs and the challenges we face. Ensuring that people have basic human needs is a responsibility of a Government. However, in our missions, this is not the case as the needy look up to the Church for help. Through St Vincent de Paul, we have provided shelter, clean water, food, clothing and education to some of the less privileged in our midst. We also share with you our efforts to enlighten our people in the missions about their responsibilities as citizen especially the duty to vote for credible leaders. Through our CCJDP committees we have taken a leading role to educate our people and raise issues of development. However, this is a challenging task because our people are easily bribed due to high level of poverty. They are also intimidated because of their ignorance on their rights. Our hope is that come September 29th, 2006 we will have a Government that is interested in the well being of its people, a Government that will enable and make it possible for its people to meet their basic needs. However, when one listens to politicians campaigning, there is little hope that our expectations of a better future for our people will be met. As you read our experiences, we ask you to keep our benefactors in your prayers because they are the ones who make it possible for us to reach out to the needy in society. Let us also pray for our country and its people so that peace may prevail during and after the elections. Enjoy reading our news letter.

 

Oblate Radio Liseli tops in developmental programmes in Western Zambia:   Many of the community radio stations in Zambia are owned and run by the Catholic Church which has lived up to its teaching of being the voice of the voiceless. In Western province, the Catholic Church through Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) realised the need to empower people through integral evangelisation and the provision information to remotest areas. The oblates thought of using the media to reach out to people in remote areas and preach the gospel of Christ. This is how Oblate Radio Liseli, whose primary objective is to spread the light of Christ, was born. Oblate Radio Liseli’s programming has in the recent past been characterized with live phone-in programmes which range from civic education campaigns to good quality governance. In the run up to this years’ tripartite election that Zambia is scheduled to be held on the 28th September, 2006, the Radio station has come up with programmes aimed at giving equal coverage to all contesting political parties and by reporting on political events objectively and accurately. ‘Meet your leaders’ is the latest addition to the already existing Good Governance and Catholic Commission for Justice, Development and Peace (CCJDP) programmes which have been running throughout the year. It is aired twice weekly on Saturdays and Sundays at 20.00 hours. This is so because all calls are charged at off peak rates during this time. During the ‘Meet your leaders’ programme, each aspiring candidate is given a free 30-minute slot on air. In the first 15 minutes, the candidates give their manifestos, highlighting what they will be able to do once they are voted into power. In the last 15 minutes, the lines are opened and people ask questions directly to the candidates. The response from the public has been very good. We usually just cut off callers because of the limited time in the programme. People are usually enthusiastic as they want to know more about the people who would like to represent them in public offices. These candidates are asked to pay for the time if they want to come back on air for extra time. All CCJDP programmes are sponsored and they are also usually interaction programmes where people phone in to discuss issue at hand whilst good governance is sponsored by Media Institute in Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia chapter. Our reporters usually go out in the field to research on the concerns of people in different areas and scenarios. Whenever there is a need for answers to concerns posed by the public, we usually bring someone in authority positions to give answers. Most aspiring Members of parliament in Western province have utilised this opportunity and the public have also responded likewise. Oblate Radio Liseli has remained non-partisan by taking a neutral stance on political issues. This is in as much as we realize that our role and duty as a radio station is to inform, educate, evangelise and provide a platform for all people to discuss on various issues affecting them.

OMI CCJDP:   We observed that people in remote areas in Zambia lack information on the electoral process. They are always cheated and fed with wrong information by the Party cadres especially from the ruling party. The people usually believe this information because they are illiterate and don’t have access to civic awareness programmes. The Zambian Delegation office of the Oblates together with Catholic Commission for Justice development and Peace (CCJDP) has made it possible for the civic awareness programme in these remotest and usually forgotten areas to be carried out. We started with our home base, St. Lawrence Parish, by holding a civic awareness workshop on the electoral process on the 6th August, 2006. This is in a bid to help the electorate better utilise their power to vote. This workshop was the first in the series of many others to follow in the township and we decided to start with our own people from the Parish of Limulunga. From here we are going to move to other denominations, markets places, schools, drama performances, radio programmes and to our outstations. Drama performances have proven to be effective educational tools. We talked about: How to choose a credible leader and where this leader comes from. During the workshop, we encouraged participants to vote for people whom they know very well and who come from the same community regardless of their political affiliations. However, this leader should be the one who understands and appreciates people’s concerns. The right to vote. The issue of hand outs and the ballot paper were discussed at length. The people were reminded that they had the right to vote for the candidates of their own choice without being intimidated. The issue of hand outs whereby aspiring candidates dished out food, gave out money and distributed t/shirts and chitenge materials was strongly discouraged. We told the people not to accept bribes, because doing so they were being abused of their right to vote. They were reminded that this was not a long term solution to their problems, but rather a short term whereas choosing a credible leader would guarantee long term benefits. We reminded them that what they should look for are leaders who will work with them to bring development to their respective areas. How to rightly use the ballot paper. During elections, ballot papers get wasted because people in the villages do not know how to use them. We showed participants how to rightly use the ballot paper. We discussed that a lot of ballot papers are always wasted on the actual days of voting, and this is due to lack of education and ignorance. We have therefore embarked on teaching people about this issue. Likapai Zone (Limulunga) By Fr. Celestino Chishimba, OMI We took advantage of the situation and held our second civic awareness programme on the 11th August, 2006 when Christians from Likapai outstation came to join their fellow Christians for joint baptismal Mass at Nangili Church. The response was extremely good. The participants asked many questions with regard to elections. Most of them said that they were tired of voting for people who did not fulfill their promises. In turn, we advised that they should never get tired of voting because it is their right. We told them that what is required is to know how to choose a credible leader who can be able to bring development in their areas. They said that they were being told by some party cadres from the ruling MMD that the people who are to take up public offices have already been hand picked by the President. They are being told that they should automatically vote for the handpicked candidates at the time of elections. We assured them that councilors and Members of Parliament are not chosen from Lusaka by the President but are chosen by the people themselves from the area, which they aspire to represent. We further enlightened them that the President in Zambia is by law allowed to contest the position for two terms. For the current President, this year's election marks the end of his term in office if he is voted into power. We reminded them that it is their right to vote for candidates of their own choice and that they should not allow anyone to intimidate them. We also urged the participants to attend rallies organised by different political parties. It is from these rallies that they can be able to detect a credible leader. We explained how to use the ballot paper on the actual day of voting. This is in order to avoid wasted ballot papers on the polling day. We learned that many people in this area were told by party cadres that when they vote for the president of one party, they should automatically choose that party’s MP and Councilor. We rectified this by informing them that they elect candidates from different parties as long as they were convinced that they would bring development to their areas. At the end of the meeting, the participants were extremely happy as they went back home knowing that they would strive to choose the right leaders to represent them in public offices.     Lukulu Eighty - two thousand network in Lukulu stand ahead of the 19-member Catholic Commission for Justice, Development and Peace (CCJDP) volunteers as they kick started their voter education exercise in the area. These are some of the challenges the group has faced as they have been working tirelessly to ensure that almost everyone receives some form of civic education before September 28. According to Father Nacidze Singini, OMI, the Lukulu CCJDP Coordinator, the organization in Lukulu has educated its members on the electoral process as well as on how to identify credible leaders CCJDP has been holding meetings to teach people in the district. The Lukulu CCJDP being the only registered Non Governmental Organisation operational in this area people turn out in numbers, whenever they are called, regardless of their religious and political backgrounds. It is also for this reason that CCJDP Lukulu is very well known in the district. “We are the only civic education NGO in Lukulu and our goal is to teach everyone the basic human right so that they will know what to look for as they choose leaders to represent them at national level,” Said Fr. Singini. He further said that it is common during the election year for political parties and independent candidates to take advantage of the electorate in Lukulu. “As you might be aware, Lukulu is the biggest district in Zambia and it is also one of the highly impoverished districts in the country. Therefore, it is very easy for the electorates to sell their rights as they would want food in return.” Against that background, the public is acquainted on the roles of elected members of Parliament by use of drama and pre- arranged meetings throughout the district. During these meetings, the electorates of Lukulu are advised to watch out for electoral offences such as: · Vote buying. · Dishing out items such as cloths, salt, cooking oil, sugar, chitenge materials, money and other essential commodities. · Buying voters cards. · Grabbing voter’s cards from opponents. · Using bad language. . · Inciting Violence. Among the tasks that lay ahead for the Lukulu CCJDP before election date is to organise public forums where the public will have a chance to assess the aspiring Parliamentary and Local government candidates. At the moment, the main challenge which the Lukulu CCJDP is facing is lack of funding. This is in form of resources, coupled by the bad road infrastructure, to enable the group to move around the seventy six (76) outstations in the district. “Among the many challenges our group faces is Transportation. In this case, it is not only lack of resources that is the problem, it is also the deplorable state of our road network in the district,” he said. According to father Singini, the group will need about K5 million to reach all the villages and carry out all their planned programmes before the country goes to the polls. The Lukulu CCJDP civic educators are volunteers who meet at least twice weekly to teach people. They also walk long distances to far away villages to educate people.

Mary Immaculate Parish Youths take their place in the Church: There is nothing that is more fulfilling for a young person than to have a sense of belonging in any environment. A sense of belonging comes in a lot of ways that includes active participation in a given task or role.  It is also about being accepted as a worth human being and being respected by all; young and old. It is also about being accepted as a worth human being and being respected by all; young and old.It is in this environment that a group presents itself. It is here, in a group, that most people who have done extremely well in their fields started from. They had an easy audience, they presented in the best of their abilities and someone spotted them and said; “he / she is a good leader, speaker and preacher”. It is also here that a young person will feel free to express themselves on things that trouble them in life. Therefore, there is no better place to shape a young future than in a group of peers with a common goal, let alone God fearing! Missionary Oblates’ Mary Immaculate Parish in Lusaka has taken the challenge of providing this kind of environment for the youths by finding ways of involving them massively in parish activities. From the time the parish opened in 2004, the youths have been actively participating in Parish activities such as the construction of the parish centre which will have among other things a hall, meeting rooms and a youth centre. Up to eighty (80) per cent of the foundation of the structure under construction was built by the youths. Also, these youths have been introduced into leadership positions to ensure that they do not feel left out. Three of the youths serve in the Parish council and one is the director for catechism. They have also been introduced to reading during Mass. Fr. Ron Walker, OMI, who is the Mary Immaculate Parish priest said that there are a number of programmes that the parish has put in place to ensure that they feel part of the parish. “We ran a number of retreats, workshops and we have had evenings of prayer vigils at the formation house with the youths,” Fr. Walker said. He continued, “We also have two vocation clubs and the turnout has been excellent on the part of the youths. Almost everyone wants to be a priest! Besides this, there is a youth choir which performs during the 08.00 hours Mass every Sunday whilst the 10.00 hours choir is a mixture of youths and adults.” As a way of orienting the Mary Immaculate Parish youths to other parishes, which are located in the remotest areas of the country, the Parish organized a youth tour to Lukulu in Western Province for 14 youths. “We sent fourteen youths to our Lukulu mission in Western province so that they can have a feel of what it is like to work in out stations,” he said. The youths financed themselves during this trip to Lukulu, a town located in Western Province. About 700 people attend Mass every Sunday at Mary Immaculate Parish. One third of the total crowd are the youths. Determined to finish Constructions at Mary Immaculate Parish By Benetria Milambo For the past two years, scores of people stream in to attend Mass in a canvas tent at Mary Immaculate Parish in Lusaka. The church is growing in numbers and is integrating in the society with about 700 people in attendance every Sunday. Parish priest, Fr. Ron Walker, OMI, said he is not sure when the construction project will end because the funds are not enough to complete it at once. However, he is very quick to state that it will finish, no matter how long it takes. Though the Oblate province of the United States of America (USA) has been supporting the project, the Parish has a fundraising committee which has been holding a number of events to help raise funds for the parish building to be erected. The committee has so far managed to raise about K70 million from these events. “We have an excellent fundraising committee that has so far managed to raise about K70 million. Soon, they will be holding a fundraising braii for the parish centre construction,” said Fr. Walker. Because building materials are very expensive, the money that is raised from each event only buys so little and more fundraising ventures are needed to continue. The parish centre (a Hall, Offices, meeting rooms, and kitchen and store room) is already under construction. When the parish centre is complete, Mass will be conducted in the parish hall until such a time when the church building, is erected. Fr. Walker also said that there are plans to buy another plot in Lusaka where a recreational centre will be built to help with the parish’s programmes for the youths. Mary Immaculate parish opened its doors in January of 2004, with 250 to 300 people attending Mass every Sunday.

Pastoral Leaders in Need of Training By Fr. Celestino Chishimba, OMI Participants of a pastoral training workshop, which was held in Mongu diocese recently, have called on the church to provide more training for pastoral leaders. The training took place at St. Lawrence in Limulunga where the Participants dedicated themselves to create the Church that is self-sustainable. The main aim of the workshop was to train pastoral leaders on Pastoral responsibilities. The workshop, whose theme was "The New Leaders of the new Parish”, attracted 70 pastoral leaders from the Parishes of St. Lawrence in Limulunga, and St. Francis Malengwa, which are served by Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Capuchin Franciscan respectively. As the Parish Priest of St. Lawrence, I was called in to see the zeal of the leaders during the training. I noted that the training had exposed their hunger for more training in the Parish in order to equip the people of God for ministry in the Parish. During the workshop, the main challenge to the participating parishes was to own the Church by integrating the Gospel in the Silozi Culture. Fr. Cletus Mwiila, the Executive Director of Radio Mosi-oa-tunya in Livingstone facilitated the training. He challenged the participants to lead the parish life towards a local Church realisation. He called on the Priests of the two parishes to animate the birth of a self-supporting, self-ministering and self-propagating Church. It came to light during the workshop that the Bishops of Zambia have called all Parishes and Dioceses of Zambia to become self-supporting in order for the Christians to own the Church.   Congo Oblate province Celebrates 75 years of Missionary presence “Our Jubilee is an Ecclesiastical Event. It is then with gratitude to God that I ask you to join us in this Eucharistic celebration. Reflecting on this event, I have identified four words which may lead us into meditation and reflection: jubilation, commemoration, renewal and constancy in our mission to preach the good news”. These were the words of Father Mane Macaire, the Congo Provincial as he addressed thousands of Christians gathered to celebrate the Jubilee. For the Provincial, the Jubilee was a time to rejoice, a time to commemorate thepast, a time to create a new future and a time to remain faithful to the Charism of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The Oblate province of Congo was started by the Belgian province Oblates in 1931. The first Missionary to arrive was Father Eudore Hubert a Belgian Missionary who was ministering in Lesotho. He arrived in Congo on July, 12 1931. He was later joined by Fathers Edmond Renson and Jean Baptiste Adam, also Missionaries from Belgium. Presently, the Province of Congo numbers 141 Oblates in first and perpetual vows as well as 1 Bishop who are working in five Dioceses within the Congo and two dioceses in the Angola Mission. More than 20 Congolese born Oblates are ministering in foreign countries. The Province seems to be dynamic, mature and full of life and the future looks promising. Beatitudes of Politicians (Adapted from Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace) Blessed is the politician who: Well understands their role in the world. Personally exemplifies credibility. Works for the common good and not for their own interests. Is true to themselves, their faith and their electoral promises. Works for unity and makes Jesus the centre of its defense. Works for radical change, refusing to call good that which is evil and using the gospel as a guide. Listens to the people before, during and after the elections, and who listens to god in prayer. Has no fear of the truth or the mass media because at the time of judgement, they will answer only to God not the media. And blessed indeed is the politician who look into the eyes of the poor and act on the anguish they see in them. For them and for those to come, the kingdom of God will be given to them. Congratulations Congratulations to our brother Oblates, Fernando Velasquez, Porfirio Garcia, Quilin Bouzi, Juan Ayala and Francisco Javier Gomez, who made their final professions on September 2, 2006 in San Antonio, United States of America Province. Fernando, Porfirio & Paco come from Mexico in Mexicalli, Veracruz & Tijuana respectively. Quilin is from New York (he did his internship in Lukulu, Zambia for one year) whilst Juan cames from Pacoima.

Teaching Ministry at Cedara: Although I have been involved in the formation ministry since my ordination in 2004, this year has brought me to a different level of involvement. Since the beginning of the year when I moved to the scholasticate community at Cedara, I have been engaged in two very important aspects of this one ministry: formation and education.  more...

My Formation Process in the USA:   Greetings to all from the United States of America. It has been positive with me so far as I continue the process of formation. I appreciated and have been enriched by the company of my Zambian brothers from the novitiate, Emmanuel, Jerome and Sydney. They brought new energy and dynamism to our house of formation. At the recommendation of my formators, Mark and Ben, I have taken to do CPE program this summer and that in Methuen- Massachusetts. It has been going on well so far but demanding. I feel that I have been enriched abundantly by this experience. I have come to know myself better and how I relate to others as well as how others relate to me. Except for the amount of work involved I would recommend it to anyone wishing to come to a better self knowledge and understanding which in turn enhances relationships. What I have enjoyed so far from being this side of the world has been the formation program in San Antonio. I must say I have appreciated being related to as a mature and responsible adult. This has helped me do my own growth and develop my own sense of responsibility which then carries more weight and value in the sense that I personally spend energy and time to cultivate and develop it. I have also appreciated being related to as a necessary piece of a puzzle. This I contrast with being related to as merely another piece that must conform to the already established puzzle. I have appreciated and it has enhanced my growth when I am related to as a mystery that is desirable and deserves endless opportunities for self discovery and in so doing revealing itself to self and others. I have valued the formation process that thinks of the individual before the system as opposed to thinking system then individual. For me it is the individuals that make a system. When a system makes an individual, it results in conformity, which (God forbid) only ends in conformed individuals who may come to self discovery only late in life or may go through life completely as the Platonic shadows that missed out on their entire earthly life! What I have come to appreciate from being here I wish for every individual who is discerning his vocation as he drowns in the mystery of his being, God’s inner dwelling. Peace and Good to all.

France meeting reveals new Breed of Formators:  Every form of life begins small. This being the case, the life of each individual, community or a nation begins in a very small way. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a congregation that began small in 1816 and today is present in about 67 countries worldwide. It is in this expansion that we locate the 2006 Formator’s Session that took place in Aix en Provence, the birth place of the congregation. The 2006 Formator’s Session organized by the General Administration under the leadership of Fr. Paulo Archiati, OMI, brought together 20 formators from different parts of the Oblate World. The purpose was to reflect together on the current and future of our Oblate Formation dynamics. Fr. Mike Morrissey, OMI (former provincial of Central Province-South Africa) facilitated the first session on Human growth and its implication on formation. Fr. Frank Santucci, OMI spoke on the Oblate Charism and how to transmit it to those who join us. He also walked us through the footsteps of St. Eugene de Mazenod and helped us see how the socio-religious situation of France by then led the young Eugene de Mazenod to find a missionary congregation. Fr. Oswald Firth, OMI gave a talk on Oblate Mission and how this understanding of mission should inspire both the formators and the formandi and move into action. On the very last day the Superior General presented a picture of the Congregation today. His main focus was twofold: The present reality of Oblate personnel; and the number of those in formation in the different Oblate regions. From the Superior General’s presentation, it was clear that in the northern hemisphere the numbers are declining while in the Southern hemisphere there is an increase in personnel. With all these presentations, the questions that remained in most of the formators are ; “what are we preparing our young men for? How are we preparing our young men to embrace the Oblate Charism and prepare them for the future?” As formators, we shape the future of the congregation in many ways. We do this by the quality of formation programmes and the quality of time we spend with those in formation. One facilitator remarked that as formators we “waste” and kill time with our formandi. The role of formators is to “give birth” to the life of the congregation. It is for this challenging reason that the formators were called to do their job well. The Oblate world is becoming a small village, yet there is still some resistance from some Oblates to cross borders and meet the other. The formators were challenged to cross borders. In order for this to take place, formators are to learn new languages in order to enrich their formation ministries. This was evidenced by the fact that some formators were only able to speak one language and did not help in reaching out to others of who could not speak their language. From the presentations, it was clear that the Oblate world is revolving not only in ministries but there is also a change in those who are doing ministries. Besides the demographical transformations that are taking place in the congregation, there are also the changes in the ages of those who are doing formation ministry. With the exception of four participants, the rest of the formators were under 40 years old. The youthfulness of the formators is yet another one of those shifts that are happening in the congregation. All in all, the Formators’ Session of 2006 in Aix en Provence was a life giving experience in many ways. It was a session that helped each one of us understand our humanness, then understand our Oblate Charism (and how to share it with others) and lastly go into missions as fully humans and fully Oblates

The life we share with Fr. Ron Walker, OMI:  Living a life of poverty and self denial is not one that is preferred by the world today. People wake up and work harder every day to enrich their lives and that of their families. As I prepared my self for an interview with Fr. Ronald Walker, OMI, a number of questions ran through my mind: Why do priests wake up early everyday? Why do they work so hard? Why did he (Fr. Walker) make the decision to join priesthood?   “Maybe because something out of the ordinary happened to him …or maybe it is because he might have almost died one day but was miraculously saved and he thought of offering himself wholly to the will of God would be a better way to express his gratitude,” I thought to myself. I was wrong. In my quest to gather more background information about Fr. Walker and the history of the Oblates in Zambia, I found myself reading a lot of information written by him – the Codex Historicus. He has so kept it well updated from the time he arrived in Zambia in 1986. Everything is neatly written and has almost all the details about the work of the Oblates in Zambia. Even though this has been written in ink, it is very clear and articulate. It bears not only pictures that provide visuals to the words but also the invitation cards to some significant occasions. It also has minutes of meetings, booklets used during papal visitations and ceremonies such as ordinations and newspaper clippings. The detail of the Codex Historicus will tell the reader how dedicated the compiler is. Fr. Walker managed to do everything well and to completion. No questions are left unanswered. Fr. Walker grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he was born in 1935 to Roy James Walker and Mina Glodena Julia. As a young man, he had a keen interest in reading books about Africa, India and other places far from that which he was brought up in. When a vocation director for Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) visited his school to give a talk, whatever he talked about seemingly fitted into what he was dreaming of doing. “I do not remember exactly what he said, but whatever it was fit very well in what I was interested in. Therefore it was very easy for me to make a decision,” Said Fr. Walker. Being an only child, it was very difficult for Fr. Walker’s parents (particularly his father) to accept his decision to become a priest. Fourteen years later, against all odds, he was ordained priest on May 27 in 1961 by Archbishop Robert E. Lucey of San Antonio Texas at the age of 26. “Being in formation was one step ahead for me but my father was not too happy about it. The situation with my father did not change until I became a priest. Just before I was ordained, he wrote me a letter and said that it was not too late to change my mind. However, on the day of my ordination, he was very happy for me and supported my decision,” he said. Fr. Walker’s first assignment was to be in Mexico but he never went. The year that I was ordained, they introduced what we call Pastoral years where one has to do pastoral work locally before going to their first assignment. One day when I was doing my homily I passed out. The doctors told me that there was something wrong with my blood and if I went to Mexico, I would die in a few months. Therefore, I was re Assigned to San Antonio and started teaching instead,” he said. Six months later, he went for review and the doctors said there was nothing wrong with him. He had to stay though. He worked in the United States of America (USA) as a Formator, Rector, Teacher, Parish priest and Chaplain for Trinity University (a Presbyterian school where 80 per cent of students were Catholics) for 25 years before he finally volunteered to work in Africa, Zambia in particular.   Above: Fr. Walker in Rome with the late Pope John Paul II, shortly before he came to Zambia Since his arrival in Zambia, Fr. Walker also has a share of challenges. Talking about these challenges, Fr. Walker said that language was very difficult for him. On the 25th of October this year, he will be twenty years in Zambia but he has not managed to learn any local languages. “I went to school to learn Nyanja for one year but I stopped doing the course after I was informed that the formation was to be done in the English Language. I did not see any reason to continue with it. On the 27th of April of 1988, Fr. Walker wrote in the Codex Historicus: “Language school is tough. I have always had trouble with Language – Latin, Spanish…, so I guess at my age, this one is not too bad. I feel confident that at the end of the course, I will be able to say Mass…Less confident of saying a homily but willing to try. It will be a long time before I will be able to say NYANJA – if ever! I am getting all the lessons put on a tape and also the Mass prayers…” In Zambia he was elected Superior of the mission for three years, was director of the Oblates Centre House for another three years, and has been a formator to date. He believes that he has a lot to offer in the formation ministry. “I believe God has blessed me with the talent of working in formation. I have been doing it for a long time, I enjoy it and I think I am good at it,” he said.   Above: Fr. Walker preparing to mount the statue at Sancta Maria Parish in Lukulu in 1986 Besides being a formator in the Zambian Delegation, he is also the Parish Priest for Mary Immaculate parish in Lusaka since its inception. As I concluded my interview, I realised that one thousand words were not enough to describe Fr. Walker’s personality. One hour was not enough to finish discussing what made him make a decision to become an Oblate. One by one and without an end, answers unfolded; it was his love for God more than self and family, his love for the people of God regardless of where they were and his love for serving people. Some positions Fr. Walker has held to date: - Teacher at a Seminary - Parish work - Associate Priest in Dallas, Texas - Parish Priest in Denhen Springs - Formation director in San Antonio - Chaplain at Trinity University - Superior for Zambian Mission - Director of the Oblate Centre house - Formation Director for Zambia Delegation

Zambia delegation Bids farewell to Fr. Leo Dummer, OMI:       The Zambia Delegation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate bids farewell to Fr. Leo Dummer, OMI after six years of his service in Zambia. Fr. Leo came to Zambia to help develop the financial system of the Zambia Delegation. He served as Delegation Treasurer for four years until Fr. Kennedy Sampa, OMI took over the position. Above: Fr. Leo Cuts a cake at his farewell party In a short Newsletter Fr. Leo sent to friends and family recently, he said “I was asked to go to Zambia with the task of helping to set up and develop the financial / bookkeeping system of the Oblate Zambia Delegation. Also Part of the package was to assist in the planning and building of all the new projects and the development / expansion of the existing projects.” He continued: “There were many successes, lots of frustrations, and to be truly human, there were failures as well. I have no regrets. The successes were due in a great part to your support in many ways in addition to the frequent words of encouragement and the prayers that never ceased to flow “up and down” …with a faith that was never daunted.” Whilst in Zambia, Fr. Leo developed the financial and record system and helped in the planning and construction of the Oblate Radio Liseli Station, The Administration offices on 11, Ngumbo Road and the Mary Immaculate Parish. The other projects that he has participated in whilst working in Zambia are the construction of Our Lady’s Hospice (now medical people and politicians from neighbouring countries go to see how the facility is operating and to use it as a model for their plans to address the HIV / AIDS problem), the new dormitory at the formation house, the study hall and the Library.

Fr. Jim Chamber's Ordination:   The Ordination to Priesthood of Jim Chambers, OMI  By Rev. Fr. Joseph Phiri, OMI During my visit to the United States of America (USA), I was privileged to be part of two memorable events – The first oblation of six Novices and the ordination of Jim Chambers to Priesthood. August 1st, 2006 was a memorable day for Oblate novices Pius Musilizo, Michael Tembo, Maurice Munyati from the Zambian Delegation together with Bart Zavalleta, Webert Merilan and Lucio Pena Cruz from the United States Province. On August 12th, 2006 at Murphysboro, St. Andrews Parish, the ordination of Fr. Jim Chambers was yet another spectacular event. The procession led by the ‘Knights of Columbus’ made the ordination ceremony to be colorful and unique. It was also a prayerful ceremony. Also present at Fr. Jim Chambers’ ordination were three Mayors whom he had worked with at the council. They all spoke very well of him and pointed out that he is a compassionate person. Fr. Jim had asked about Zambia and expressed interest to come back and work among the people of Zambia. The two events gave me an opportunity to meet the Zambian USA based Scholastics and Priests. We had a good time together. They were interested in knowing what was going on in Zambia, both politically and economically. I also interacted with the United States Administration, who proved to be a good group that is concerned with the affairs of our Delegation. They always want to help The Zambia Delegation. Fr. Jim Chambers was ordained by Bishop Paul Duffy of Mongu Diocese in Zambia. I would like to thank all the Oblate priests who made me feel at home. Special thanks to Rev. Fr. Ron Carignan, OMI, who picked me from the airport. He still has Zambia at heart.

 

 

  About Oblates :: History :: Missions :: Leadership :: Personnel :: Formation :: Vocations :: News Archives :: Oblates Radio Liseli News :: OMI CCJP ::  DMDC ::
 OMI Zambia Events :: Drum Beat :: Hospice :: OMI Zambia NewsLetter