Inauguration of the academic year 2013 - 2014

Le Onde

I desire mercy and

not sacrifice

The 9th of November was a memorable day for all the members of the St. Peters College community. The occasion was the inauguration of the academic year 2013-14, the blessing of newly reconstructed casa nuova building and to extend a warm welcome to the new superiors and new student priests. Our joy was doubled with the presence of the Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Mons. Savio Hon Thai Fai, Mons. Rugambwa Protase and with the presence of other invited guests.

The celebration began with Eucharist presided over by the Cardinal. In his homily, he highlighted the missionary nature of the Church and the responsibility of all the baptized to preach the Gospel to everyone. He also called upon the student priests to make use of this opportunity of higher studies in the „Eternal City‟ with the intension of serving the local churches with greater care and diligence.

After the Eucharistic celebration the Cardinal Prefect led the prayer service before blessing

the new building. It was followed by a fraternal festive meal. During the meal priest‟s representing Africa and Asia entertained the community with their typical continental songs. Fr Rector in his address thanked all those who have been responsible especially those benefactors and well-wishers, because of their contribution the renovation had been taken place. The Cardinal in his address encouraged all, and called again to make use of this opportunity to the fullest.

Indeed it was a happy and joyous moment for all and for the new comers in particular, to experience the festive celebration in an international community of priests, for the first time.

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE PONTIFICAL COLLEGE OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE

V O L U M E 0 4 N ° 0 1 * E N G L I S H E D I T I O N * F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

IN THIS ISSUE

1 Inauguration of the

academic year

2

Value of mercy

In memoriam

3

Mercy and pastoral life 4

Conclusion of the

year of faith 5

St. Peter’s college

My struggle with

Italian

6

7

8

Rector’s message His Em. Fernando Cardinal Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of peoples,

Between His Ex. Rev. Mons. Savio Hon Tai Fai (left) and His Ex. Rev. Mons. Protase Rugambwa (right)

Director:

Thomas PERINGALLOOR

Editor-in-Chief:

Georges EKO

Editors of English edition:

Alfred Ryan D‟SOUZA,

Charles NDHLOVU

Editor of French edition:

Edouard AKOM

Editors of Portugese edition:

Marcos Baliu SIBANDIO

David Rui SAMBO

Editorial Board

Alfred Ryan D’SOU-ZA

Editorial

Message of the Rector

“I want mercy and not sacrifice”, these famous words of the Lord, seem to be relived in the Pontificate of Francis, the Bishop of Rome. It‟s there in his words, in his actions, and much more, in his silences. One does not have to look for it. It‟s the core of his message for many audiences and for the well-known Sunday Angelus. I saw his words taking flesh in our own house more than ones. The last was in October.

I was delighted to welcome the mother of one of our Ugandan priests, here in the College. She was advised to have surgery on her liver and her son-priest did not leave any stone unturned to help her. Of course, mothers are precious to everybody, but he managed to get her a flight to Rome, and an Italian doctor was willing to do the surgery all for free. Our sisters were generous in offering her lodging for a couple of days prior to the operation. All the arrangements for the two months stay in a therapy center, again were organized free of charge, with an ambulance dispatched to collect her from the col-lege…! There really are so many beautiful and merciful people still around!

Amid this flurry of activities, you should have seen the joy and elation on her face when she was presented to our community of 170 priests. She received a thunderous applause, as if she was the mother of all for that moment. It was one of those experiences when I felt that the words of the Lord were very much alive „under our roof‟. The mother of our Ugandan priest deserved mercy and not sacrifices. Or rather, “she came to her own and her own re-ceived her” with genuine affection.

The academic year 2013-14, witnesses the completion of the renovation work of the College, which began a good six years back. It was a very systematic and well programmed effort, not disturbing the normal course of the events of the house. A lot of energy, time and money were spent on its completion. Gratitude to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and its very many dedicated functionaries rings through all our hearts. We are glad we have a new vice-rector and a new spiritual director beginning this academic year: Fr. Carlos del Valle and Fr. George Fernandes respectively, and we welcome them wholeheartedly.

Dear friends, kind actions begin with kind thoughts. It is true that the one who knows one page more, controls the one who knows one page less. Academic pursuits can go on, but an occasion to be merciful should not be bypassed. It‟s unfortunate that many people see the writing on wall, and think it‟s for someone else. Let it not happen to us!

God bless all.

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2

Mercy and

not sacrifice

Thomas PERINGALLOOR

LE ONDE

The Newsletter of the Pontifical College of St. Peter the Apostle

Viale delle Mura Aurelie, 4, 00152 Roma, Italia

Tel. (+39) 06 39 874 1 • Fax: (+39) 06 393 763 51 • E-mail: colsanpiet@yahoo.it

The word “mercy” may

signify „to have a heart

for others in their

misery‟, that is, say „to

devote oneself to the

needy‟, having pity for

them. For this reason,

the merciful person

should stay close; even

identify with those who

are poor, suffering,

weak, and marginalized and the least among

us. God is love and God's law is the law of

love, mercy, compassion, mercy, and

support to every man, especially towards

those who suffer.

The word “sacrifice” can mean what is offered

and consecrated to God. In the Old

Testament, we see various kinds of sacrifices

made by the Jews and with different rules

governing the sacrificial cult. For us Christians,

the sacrifice may be an act of love, but it

can sometimes also be just a selfish gesture

made to clear your conscience or consider

ourselves worthy of the admiration of others.

"I desire mercy and not sacrifice," the word of

God encourage us to reflect on the true

meaning of religious life, that cannot be

reduced to a cult external of man , made of

words , gestures or rituals . At times we may

seem too bound by certain rules of little

importance, while neglect the more

important aspects of the Christian life: love,

mercy and forgiveness of others.

We live in an international community, and

we come from different cultures and different

life experiences. Diversity is a great gift of

God that enriches our knowledge and our

lives, but at the same time it also tests the

difficulty of mutual understanding with the

boundaries of conflicts. In community life,

sacrifice and mercy are both necessary and

good. They are good things, if we choose

sacrifice for us and mercy for others.

Instead, they become both bad if we do the

opposite and choose mercy for ourselves

and sacrifice for others.

St. Augustine praises the mercy of God who

has forgiven the sins of all of us, and

therefore, we can thank the Lord for his

merciful love. Only the memory of being

loved by God, having experienced his infinite

mercy, one may obtain the strength to walk

the path of love and mercy that Jesus has

shown us. The tender embrace of merciful

Heavenly Father transfigures the wounds of

our hearts and His Spirit will lead us to

always forgive as God has forgiven us

countless times.

The value of mercy and sacrifice L

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3

Liu ENCI

Welcome to the new members of the community

Rev. Fr. Carlos DEL VALLE

Vice Rector Sr. Roberta

Rev. Fr. Gorge FERNANDES

Spiritual Director

Mercy and

not sacrifice

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Mercy in the pastoral life

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

brought fear to the hearts of several Catholics

in the world. Many of us were afraid of what

the future held for the Church. But during

that time of the resignation which really filled

us with uncertainty, Pope Benedict kept on

assuring us to have confidence and faith in

Jesus who is the head of the Church. By the

grace of God, on 13th March 2013, Pope

Francis, became the spiritual leader of

the Church. His election to

the papacy has brought

with it exciting moments

and we are really living in

interesting times!

Personally what I have

found more interesting

about Pope Francis is the guidance and

example that he continually gives all pastoral

workers in the treatment of the People of God.

For example on Holy Thursday, 28th March

2013, on the occasion of Chrism Mass, Pope

Francis delivered a homily in Saint Peter‟s

Basilica which was particularly addressed to

priests as pastoral workers. He advised them

saying; This I ask you: be shepherds, with the

‘odour of the sheep,’ make it real, as

shepherds among your flock, fishers of men.

This in my view agrees with the words of

Pope John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis

where the Pope quorted the words of Jeremiah

“I will give you shepherds after my own heart.

(Jer 3.15)” The characteristics of shep-

herds are mercy, love, compassion and loving

care, among others. All, if not all, of these

characteristics can be summarised into the

words of Jesus in the Gospel, “go and learn

what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

For I have not come to call the righteous, but

sinners” (Matthew 9:12-

13)

It is in this light that as

pastoral workers, we need

to be merciful towards the

people that we lead. We

need to embrace the

poor with love; the sick

with loving care, the aged with compassion, the

young with hope and all these

actions should be bound togeth-

er in loving mercy.

We need to find guidance from

Pope Francis whose merciful

and loving actions have been

appreciated by so many people

in the short time of his pontificate.

The Pope continues to teach all pastoral

workers to be merciful and not to rush into

making judgements about sinners; Pope Francis

writes letters to his flock, he phones simple

people, he touches people who are sick and

disfigured. In the same way, priests and all

religious must show love, compassion and mer-

cy in their service for the People of God.

At times, this mercy may demand sacrificing

for the People of God, but our starting point is

to show love, compassion and mercy.

Charles NDHLOVU

Mercy

and not

sacrifice

Proclaimed by Pope

Benedict XVI on 11

October 2012 with the

Motu Proprio Porta

Fidei, the year of the

faith was concluded

and closed by Pope

Francis November 24,

2013 with the

Apostolic Letter Evan-

gelii Gaudium. But the life of faith is not

going on holiday, rather it is an opportunity

given to each of us to make the commit-

ment and being missionary of going " out

of oneself" so as to communicate to the

world “in the suburbs of existence“,

the joy of our encounter with

Christ .

“The door of faith” (cf. Acts

14:27) that leads into the life

of communion with God and

allows us entry into his

Church is always open for

us. One whose threshold can cross when

the word of God is being proclaimed and

the heart allows itself to be shaped by that

transforming grace . Going through that

door, leads one to a journey that lasts for a

lifetime " (PF 1). With these words with

which begin his Motu Propio, Pope

Benedict invites us to reflect, to meditate,

to rediscover and revisit together with the

whole Church, " the journey of faith to put

in light with growing evidence of the joy

and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter

with Christ "(PF 2). Closing the Year of

Faith, the Pope Francis invites us to a

concrete verification of our encounter with

Christ walking with him, imitating him ,

that is, following his example in the

humble service of love and compassion

for people, especially those who are not

able to meet the basics, the poor, the

sinners.

Hence this the reason why the Holy

Father does not cease to ask us to "

come out of ourselves " to go out and

get in contact with our brothers in the

outskirts of life because " the joy of the

gospel fills the hearts and the life of one

who encounters with Jesus" (EG.1).

This encounter with Jesus puts us in a

"permanent state of mission" (EG.25)

taking away from us" boring

schemes" inside, in which

we are barricaded and also

in which we sometimes

have imprisoned Jesus" (EG

11). In his Apostolic Letter

Evangelii Gaudium, Papa

Francesco shakes, urges

with provocative words, with a strong

subversive tone, in a positive way all the

structures whether ecclesial, politi-

cal, economic or cultural , so that they

can " recover the original freshness of

the Gospel" (EG.11) and "all be-

come more missionary " (EG.27). And

to get there or to be there is no other

way. The Way is Christ. Let us be con-

verted to Him by the power of the Holy

Spirit and the intercession of Mary,

Mother of the Gospel.

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Conclusion of the year of faith

The year of faith is closed. And the life of faith?

EKO Georges

Mercy

and not

sacrifice

6

The College of St. Peter the Apostle, since its

opening in 1947, welcomes student priests from

different parts of the missionary world. We must

recognize that cultural diversity is a major

challenge in different human societies. In fact, the

encounter between different cultures is not always

so pleasant. Living in a community made up of 42

nationalities, what is our perception of

multiculturalism lived at St. Peter‟s college?

As said by Cardinal Jozef Tomko, the then Prefect

of the Congregation for the Evangelization of

Peoples, the cultural diversity that characterizes

our community, true meeting of priests, offers us

the opportunity to live a unique experience of the

Church. In the college we are given the chance to

breathe the unity and multiplicity of the Church,

the richness of the gifts of the Spirit

and the variety of cultures in which it

incarnates the gospel. (In Pontificio

collegio San Pietro Apostolo,

1947-1997, Roma, 16 Luglio 1996).

The priests in St. Peters do not have

to get rid of their culture, and not un-

critically embrace other cultures. What is nec-

essary above all to experience a sacramental fra-

ternity (Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 8). We need to

take advantage of the presence of others to enrich

ourselves, this requires from all humility, patience,

mutual acceptance, opening effort, ability to listen

and welcome. It is not always easy. The great

adventure begins with individual awareness that

our presence in St. Peters must help us to grow

not only on an intellectual level, but also on the

spiritual and human level. Paul VI said that the

College of St. Peter is not like a hotel where you

enter and exit, or simply as a school where the

student listens and learns along with the other

companions.

According to the Pope, the College of St. Peter's

is something more intimate and more personal.

Our community must produce a collegiality that is

a communion, a friendship, a fusion of spirits,

which began here and enjoyed the unity, and then

to remember and relive, in future years, when we

are dispersed in the world. So the College is a

place that welcomes the priests from the East and

West, from North and South. In this way the col-

lege becomes the familial

home.

In addition to the academic

life, we have other riches par-

ticularly the exchange of cul-

tures and linguistic diversity. It

is a beautiful experience for

those who have to work in the

Church of tomorrow. (Cf. Don Thomas

PERINGALLOOR, Le onde, Volume 01, n.1,

Ottobre 2010). Almost all the ex alumni of the Col-

lege of St. Peter the Apostle are able to witness to

the benefits of multiculturalism. Here is the

testimony of Cardinal Simon Pimenta, Archbishop

Emeritus of Bombay: "For me, to live with

priests of various Asian and African countries

(...) was a beautiful and fruitful

experience. Already this was

training, because we

learned a lot about each church

in the various countries from

which we came. No book could

have given us such a

splendid lesson (In Pontificio

collegio San Pietro Apostolo,

1947-1997, Roma, 15 mai 1996).

Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala, Archbishop Emeritus

of Kampala wrote: "The community life of priests in

our times indeed had a formative aspect. The

environment, with the coexistence of priests of vari-

ous experiences, races and nations, different

languages and cultures, created a communion and

sharing the Catholic faith. The two years I spent in

the college were a period of growth as a person, as

a Christian, as a Catholic and as a priest “(In

Pontificio collegio San Pietro Apostolo, 1947-1997,

Roma, 19 aprile 1996).

These two testimonies of two former students of

the College of St. Peter the Apostle are quite

eloquent. The popular wisdom says, “If you‟re

different to me, instead of hurting me, you enrich

me”.

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St. Peter’s College - A multicultural reality

Edouard Martial AKOM

Mercy

and not

sacrifice

The option of learning a

language other than your

own one requires personal

practice: be it that of

immersing oneself in a

different world, be it that of

being able to obtain an

opportunity in a business

world or any other. For us

who learn Italian so as to have basics that may

enable us follow the lecture in the different

Pontifical Universities in Rome, where we have

been enrolled, our goal and purpose is already

mapped and known.

The language allows us to express our thought

and be able to communicate them well. At the

same time to have the key and a gate way to a

culturally determined world. It is more than just a

person‟s dominance of his/her vocabulary or

grammatical structures. It is an opportunity that

brings us to the discovery of the other. For us, this

adventure began in Urbino.

The University of Carlo BO, in fact, is and will be a

mandatory reference for us, and we will never

forget it as being a part in our learning of the

Italian Language. However, it is necessary to

emphasize that this process started with some

struggles and difficulties which were inherent in

the process itself. This can be divided into two

phases.

First is the stage of struggle: the new environment

in Urbino, the climate, different food, intensive

lessons which we attended in the mornings and

afternoons; meeting new people of different

nationalities hence different languages; the

pronunciation and/or accentuation problems; the

fear of speaking or deciding to be silent due to the

fear of making mistakes; the block even at time of

speaking and difficulty to understand what one

has said or meant.

After three months of commitment on the part of

each one of us, the teachers and students alike;

came a time for putting this into practice; thanks to

the advice and exhortation of the Rector of our

College, Rev. Fr. Thomas, who before our departure

from Urbino, said that “you have to learn to grow

together”. Many of these problems have been

resolved especially towards the end of the course

which was marked with the presentation of

diplomas. However, the battle was not yet over.

As freshman, when we came back to Rome, a new

challenge, a real struggle with the Italian language

started. Taking or writing notes during lectures,

understanding the written texts, asking questions in

the classroom, establishing a sustainable dialogue,

reading in the liturgical celebrations and making

reflections. This is primarily also due to the many

courses one may have and hence this controls

much in speech than in writing.

Though these difficulties were generally felt and

lived by all, it emerged that basically two levels of

evolution became evident in this process of learning

the same language. This is verified according to the

origins and mother tongues, their official national

languages. The problem is greater among those

who like their basic languages.

However, despite the fact that these problems are

there, no person gives up or feels defeated. Indeed,

there is courage, determination, commitment and

knowledge, whereby it is only through great sacrifice

and practice does one gets to the point of speaking

well and thinking well without any mediation of ones

language. Until when, and up to where will this

adventure lead? Will it really end? Allow me dear

readers, to thank all of you who engage this process

and of conclude with the following Latin adage

“Guta cavat lapidem”, that is, “the drop pierces the

stone”, indeed is only with a strong will that you can

achieve goals that would otherwise be impossible.

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My struggle with Italian

David RUI SAMBO

Saturday, 15 February 2014, was a sporting day in our college. In fact, we had two sporting matches between Casa-vecchia and Casa-nuova against Casa-letto and Casa-nuovissima. Casa-vecchia and Casa-nuova won in basketball (16 - 12). Instead Casa-letto and Casa-nuovissima won in football (4-2). Best wishes and congratulations to you all!

Sporting Day in St. Peter’s College

Mercy

and not

sacrifice

In memoriam: Rev. Fr. Everest Yabvwo Hyuwa (1979-2013)

“Here, on Gianicolo, facing the Seat of Peter, Propaganda wants to form a maniple of Apostles for the distant lands of the Mission, repeating to the students, the words of St. Patrick: ut christiani sitis et romani!”

Words of the H.E. Celso Costantini (Founder of St. Peter’s College, 1946)

8

This saying is trustworthy: If we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If

we deny him, he will also deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself. (2Tim.

2:11-13) For most of the members of the community of the Pontifical College of St. Peter the Apostle, Thursday

the 22nd of August, 2013 began as any other normal day. It did not end that way: Rev. Fr. Everest Yabvwo

Hyuwa, a cherished member of our community died that day, plunging all of us who knew and loved him into

profound shock and mourning. At the age of 33, he simply was too young and his death too sudden. The News

came as a shock even to those who knew he was sick. I remember being in class for a summer language course

in Bonn, grappling with the mechanics of the German language, when I received the news of his passing. I simply

could not believe it. If I ever thought that I would have to do a commemorative write up on any of my friends, I

would never have imagined that it would be on Fr. Everest Hyuwa.

I first met him, strange as it may seem, here in Rome. My first impression? This young man is mature beyond his years. And as I got to know

Everest better as time passed, we became quite close and this impression was confirmed. As the only Nigerians from the persecuted

northern Church in the college, we consoled ourselves and drew strength and solidarity from each other at each fresh news of random acts of

violence perpetrated against Christians in Northern Nigeria by Islamic fundamentalists. And now, he is gone; taken away by a freak illness no

one thought was serious enough to warrant death. Pericles said around 430 B.C, “men can endure to hear others praised only so long as

they can severally persuade themselves of their own ability to equal the actions recounted: when this point is passed, envy comes in and with

it incredulity”. I am not writing to recount all the facts of Everest‟s character. Consequently, those who knew him well may feel that something

was left out or not given proper attention, while those who did not know him might feel that this write up is an exaggeration. That‟s alright too;

for nobody can capture the full complexity of the God-reflecting-mystery called „Adam’ (human being), in just a few words.

Everest, simply put, lived an amazing life even though it was rather short. In the African traditions, old age is cherished and elders are

honoured. Not so much for their age, but for the wealth of experience, wisdom and insight they can offer the young, and to society in general.

Accordingly, their invaluable contribution to society lies in offering guidance, tested and trusted by experience. Yet, this is not the whole

aspect. For there is also an African proverb which says, “If any child washes his hands well, he can eat with the elders”. In other words,

anyone who distinguishes himself in a worthwhile manner is worthy of honour. I think by this standard, Everest is an elder. The Bible agrees

with this piece of African wisdom when it says, “For old age is not honoured for length of time, or measured by number of years; but

understanding is grey hair for anyone, and a blameless life is ripe old age” (Wis. 4:8-9). Everest was born in 15th December, 1979, and

ordained priest in 2008. He served as secretary to his bishop and a curate in Zaria diocese in Northern Nigeria for three years, before coming

to Rome to study philosophy. At the tail end of his studies, with only an exam left, he took ill in June 2013, never regained his strength, fought

valiantly for life for two months, and was called home by God.

Who was he? Why do we remember him? Because he was a hero. I describe him as such because “heroes have the whole earth for their

tomb; and in lands far from their own, where the column with its epitaph declares it, there is enshrined in every breast a record unwritten with

no tablet to preserve it, except that of the heart.” By this saying of Pericles, Fr. Everest was a hero for the community in this college – so far

from home in Kaduna State in northern Nigeria, he was a hero for his friends, his diocese, and definitely for his family. If it is true that we

acquire our friends not by receiving but by conferring favours, he was a great friend. The kind of friend that stands by you when you need

somebody to be there. He was untiring in his service to the college, contributing to the friendly fraternal atmosphere that is found among us.

He served as a librarian, a volunteer choir master, stand-in liturgist and was willing to serve in any other capacity required of him. He took his

studies very seriously yet never lost the focus of nourishing his prayer life. His commitment in this regard constantly challenged me,

especially when I tended to lose focus of the really important things in face of the pressures of academic life in Rome. Everest never got

impatient or angry, nor was he a grumbler. His forbearance was heroic, as those of us who saw him during his last illness can testify. He was

in so much pain yet he sought to set his visitors at the hospital at ease and to reassure them. Such forbearance was born of a desire not to

be a burden on anyone, since he preferred to give rather than to receive. His fortitude showed his deep belief “that the sufferings of this

present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18).

For all this and for more, we shall all remember him. He was likeable, approachable and funny, and goodness shone

through him. During the two years he spent with us at the college, he was the smallest in stature. This not only made

him easily recognisable, it often prompted our esteemed rector to say in jest, "Everest, when will you grow up?" to

which he will reply, "when Salvatore (the tallest man in our college) becomes smaller”. Maya Angelou said that “people

will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Everest made many of us feel good. Now, he has passed out of death and into life (1 Jn. 3: 14), but he will be

remembered. He will forever live in my heart and most likely in all our hearts.

Vincent O. OKOYE

Rev. P. Everest

Mercy

and not

sacrifice