service and solidarity: the society of jesus in africa · visit our web site fall 2003 • in all...

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Service and Solidarity: The Societyof Jesus in AfricaREV. MICHAEL J. VJECHA, S.J.

Jesuit missionaries firstembarked for service inAfrica in 1555, a year before

the death of Ignatius, our founder.A steady stream of these earlyJesuits served in Ethiopia for near-ly eight decades, a mission whichculminated in 1622 with thereception of the emperor into theCatholic Church, and whichended shortly thereafter with theexpulsion of the Society by theemperor’s son. In 1945, under the

auspices of Haile Selassie,Ethiopia’s last emperor, Jesuitsreturned to the country and tookup key positions at the Universityof Addis Ababa, instructing sever-al generations of intellectuals andlaying the groundwork for a mis-sion which continues today,though in different ways.

Over the last two centuries,Jesuits have arrived on mission tomany different parts of Africa. Asmuch of the continent was colo-

nized by European powers, Jesuitmissionaries often followed. In the1950s and 1960s, when manyAfrican countries broke free of theyoke of colonial rule and becamenewly independent, the Jesuit mis-sion persisted and deepenedamidst the struggles of popula-tions for peace, prosperity and jus-tice.

Regions have grown intoprovinces, and new regions havebeen founded. Generations of for-eign Jesuit missionaries, whosenumbers today have decreased sig-nificantly throughout the conti-nent, have sown many seeds whichare now bearing fruit. New gener-ations of African Jesuits haveemerged who have taken up posi-tions of leadership and apostolicservice. More importantly, manyyoung African men are beingattracted to the Society in growingnumbers.

Compared to a total popula-tion of 800 million on the conti-nent (123 million of whom areCatholic), the Society of Jesus inAfrica is very small, with 1,500priests, scholastics and brothers.This year, however, nearly 500African Jesuits have been sent out-side their provinces to work or tostudy: just over half to provincesin Africa; the others to Europe andthe United States. The Jesuit mis-sion in Africa is on the move. Let’sexamine its contours.

The Jesuit Presence inAfrica

The Society of Jesus in Africatoday consists of sixprovinces and five regions,

all of which are members ofcontinued on page 3

AfricaA Jesuit Apostolic Preference

Fr. Vjecha (DET, Detroit Province)is a physician trained in infectious

diseases who served for five years asan HIV/AIDS researcher at

Makerere University in Kampala,Uganda, and five years with refugees

in Sudan, Kenya, Somalia,Democratic Republic of Congo

(Zaire) and Guinea.

The destitution and depriva-tion of so many Africansdemand an urgent responsefrom the international com-munity. Nearly 300 millionAfricans live in extremepoverty, surviving on lessthan one dollar a day. Mostlack access to health servicesor safe drinking water. Evenwith enhanced internationaldebt relief, a number ofcountries in sub-SaharanAfrica continue to pay debtservices that average close toone-quarter of governmentrevenues.

- A Call to Solidarity withAfrica: A Statement of the U.S.Catholic Bishops

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2 IN ALL THINGS • FALL 2003 VISIT OUR WEB SITE www.inallthings.org

FALL 2003VOLUME 4, NO. 3

In All Things is published by theUnited States Jesuit Conference'sOffice of Social and InternationalMinistries. The Office of Social andInternational Ministries advises andassists the Jesuit Conference Boardand the Provinces of the Society ofJesus in promoting the domestic andinternational social mission of theSociety by means of: advocating pub-lic policy; public education; socialreflection and analysis; building anetwork of Jesuit and non-Jesuitindividuals and institutions; and sup-porting persons who are working inthe social apostolate, both domesticand international.

Editor-in-Chief: British Robinson

Managing Editor: Julie Bourbon

Associate Editor: John Kleiderer

Contributing Editor: Fr. MichaelVjecha, S.J.

Designer: Marcus Bleech

James R. Stormes, S.J., Secretary ofSocial and International Ministries

British Robinson, National Directorof Social and InternationalMinistries

John Kleiderer, Policy Analyst

William Rickle, S.J., Ph.D., FieldSpecialist/Outreach Coordinator

Published tri-annually. The articlespublished here reflect the opinions ofthe editor or the authors. They are notmeant to represent any official posi-tions of the Society of Jesus.

Letters to the Editor must be signedand include the writer’s address anddaytime phone number. Letters maybe edited for length and clarity.

U.S. Jesuit Conference1616 P Street, NW, Suite 300Washington, DC 20036-1405

PHONE: 202-462-0400FAX: 202-328-9212

EMAIL: [email protected]://www.inallthings.org

From the Office…JOHN KLEIDERER

Africa. What comes to mind? Perhaps the graceful gazelles and sinewy lions of the Serengeti

Plains; children with famine-swollen stomachs and stories of war, conflict and refugees; or tribes-

people dressed in traditional clothing drumming and dancing. Those who have never had the priv-

ilege of walking on African soil may find it difficult to move beyond these stereotyped images, often

portrayed to the West through the filter of the Discovery Channel and National Geographic, and

many still refer to “Africa” as though it were a country. Africa is far more vast and complex, how-

ever, rich in culture and natural resources, and filled with joy and hope.

This issue of In All Things highlights some of the Jesuit works in Africa, to educate and raise

consciousness of the gifts, hopes and challenges of the continent, as well as to suggest some possi-

ble responses. Why Africa, why now? In short, both the Society of Jesus and the U.S. Catholic

Church have committed to making Africa a priority. In a letter to all Major Superiors in January

2003, Fr. General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., identified five apostolic priorities “that surfaced

during prayerful discernment throughout the whole Society,” noting that these preferences “should

be given special attention – privileged attention.” Africa is the first. Fr. General references General

Congregation 34, which “asks the Universal Society to do whatever it can to change international

attitudes and behavior towards Africa” (GC 34, 61). In addition to this Jesuit focus, the U.S.

Bishops have published a well-written statement, “A Call to Solidarity with Africa,” which is now

receiving increased attention. We encourage all to read and reflect upon this and have made it avail-

able via the web version of In All Things.

The issue opens with a context piece on the Society’s presence in Africa, and includes articles

by African Jesuits reflecting on their diverse works and experiences as well as by Jesuits from other

parts of the world working in Africa in a variety of ministries, from the Jesuit Refugee Service to

higher education. Also addressed are some of the continent’s greatest challenges: HIV/AIDS,

street children, famine, child soldiers and resource exploitation. In addition, you will hear stories of

celebration and hope. Be sure to visit us online at www.inallthings.org for additional arti-

cles/profiles not found in the print edition, as well as resources and web links.

Genuine solidarity must be based not on historical ties of paternalism or sponsorship, but on

mutuality and the recognition that we have much to learn from each other and much to share with

each other, beyond mere material gifts. We encourage you to reflect, pray and discern how you can

be in solidarity. It might be through greater self-education or by teaching your students, peers or

children about the continent; through direct advocacy to change US policies; through socially

responsible investing; or even by visiting a country in Africa yourself, in a way that puts you in

authentic contact with people.

A special word of thanks goes to Fr. Michael Vjecha, S.J., for his thorough research and fluid

translations and to Sydney Lulanga, Evaristus Ekwueme S.J., and Elias Omondi, S.J., for their assis-

tance to the Jesuit Conference through research and recommendations related to Africa.

In our efforts to educate ourselves and stand with the people of Africa, let us take these words

of Bishop Wilton Gregory, President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, to heart: “People

need to see the light which comes from Africa. We hear about the darkness constantly – disease,

hunger, bloody conflict and repression in some regions, dictators and denial of human rights in

some countries. But we who are disciples of Jesus also see the light – the courage and vitality of the

Church in Africa, the strength and resiliency of her peoples, the hope that is born and nourished.

This light must not be hidden. It must be placed where all can see it – Africans, Americans, and all

the world.”1

1 Homily delivered at the University of Notre Dame, September 22, 2003.



mailto:[email protected]


Service and Solidarity: The Society of Jesus in Africa

JESAM, the Jesuit MajorSuperiors of Africa andMadagascar. (See the centerfoldmap for details.) Fr. ValerianShirima from the Eastern AfricaProvince is the current Moderatorof JESAM, and is based inAbidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He isassisted by the Social ApostolateCoordinator, Fr. FerdinandMuhigirwa of Kinshasa,Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC); and the Coordinator ofthe African Jesuit AIDS Network(AJAN), Fr. Michael Czerny ofCanada, in Nairobi, Kenya. (SeeFr. Czerny’s profile of AJAN in theonline In All Things.)

Jesuits who work in theArabic-speaking countries ofMorocco, Algeria and Egypt arenot represented in JESAM, butare included in the provinces ofFrance or the Near Middle East.The provinces are characterizedby a greater number of Jesuits, thepresence of houses of study, and abroader range of apostolicinvolvement, especially in institu-tional apostolates. The regionshave been established morerecently, are usually dependent forfinances and personnel on anestablished province, and havefewer Jesuits.

An Abundance of YoungAfrican Jesuits

The Society of Jesus inAfrica is young. An aver-age of 39 percent of

Jesuits in the provinces andregions of Africa arescholastics in formation(including novices, butexcluding priests). Thisreality is both a wonderfultestament to the work ofpast Jesuits and the singlemost defining characteristicof the Society’s presentfocus on the continent.

Each province andregion has a novitiate,except for Zimbabwe(which sends novices toZambia) and Angola (which sendsnovices to Mozambique). Manyof the scholastics and brothersstudy outside of their provinces,either at formation houses inAfrica or abroad. There are twomain centers for philosophy stud-ies: St. Peter Canisius, betterknown as Kimwenza, outsideKinshasa, DRC, with courseworkin French; and Arrupe College inHarare, Zimbabwe, which opened

in the late 1980s with courseworkin English. The Scolasticat St.Paul, in Antananarivo,Madagascar, provides instructionin philosophy for young Jesuitsfrom that province. Some Africanscholastics also study at universi-ties in Yaoundé, Cameroon andMerrivale, South Africa.

Until now, Hekima College inNairobi, Kenya, has been the sin-gle center on the continent forstudies in theology, with course-work in English. (See Fr. EugèneGoussikindey’s piece on Hekima on

page 13.) A new center openedthis fall in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire,with coursework in French andEnglish. Some African scholasticsare sent to study theology in theU.S. at Weston and Berkeley (seeFr. Greg Carlson’s piece on page11), while some pursue graduatedegrees at other Jesuit schoolshere, as well as in Europe andIndia.

Old and New Apostolates

Jesuits in Africa have strug-gled with the call of recentcongregations to integrate

faith and justice and in doing soto make a fundamental option forthe poor. Although poverty isrampant on the continent, theSociety in Africa is very much likethe Society elsewhere in theworld. We attract the bright andcharismatic, and our institutionsstrive to make an impact on the

elite of society. A numberof young African Jesuits —and others, indeed, as well— are attracted to socialand pastoral ministry withthe poor and marginalized.A creative and passionatespirit can be detected inthese new apostolic activi-ties, which include min-istry to persons withHIV/AIDS and orphansaffected by the virus, min-istry to street children andthe homeless, and out-reach to people with prob-lems related to addiction.

(See Fr. Vjecha’s article on page 5and Br. Canisius Chishiri’s articlein the online In All Things.)

Collaboration with the JesuitRefugee Service remains animportant social ministry on thecontinent. JRS has been a signifi-cant force in expanding the socialconsciousness of African Jesuitsand in extending apostolic service,especially in educational and pas-

continued from page 1

An average of 39 percent of Jesuits inthe provinces and regions of Africa are

scholastics in formation (includingnovices, but excluding priests). Thisreality is both a wonderful testamentto the work of past Jesuits and the

single most defining characteristic ofthe Society’s present focus on the

continent.

Worker and children at an Ethiopian community center.

continued on page 4

What Can We Do toAnswer the Call of OurBrothers and Sisters?

Prayer. Too often we fail torecognize the power ofprayer and how important itis for our brothers and sis-ters in situations of greatdifficulty to know that wetruly are one with them inthe Spirit.

A Call to Solidarity with Africa:A Statement of the U.S. CatholicBishops

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As Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach,S.J., Superior General of theSociety, bid us in his Christmasletter 2002, let us open ourhearts and our eyes and let Africaemerge from its darkness intothe light of compassion andhuman solidarity. ✧

Burundi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe,Zambia and Madagascar. Many ofthese schools are among the bestin their countries, and haveenrollments that continue togrow each year.

The Society has made a majorcommitment in providing Jesuitpersonnel and other resources tothose institutions where scholas-tics obtain advanced degrees inphilosophy and theology, a com-mitment to higher educationthat is consistent with the promi-nence of the apostolate of for-mation in Africa. At present, theSociety does not sponsor a Jesuituniversity on the continent,although individual Jesuits serveas administrators and professorsat universities in Cameroon,Zambia, Tanzania and Ghana.(See Fr. Michael Schultheis’s arti-cle on page 15.) Other Jesuitsteach theology in diocesan semi-naries or work in a number ofindependent social institutes,some with far-reaching effectson matters of social justice.Among these are INADES (TheAfrican Institute for Economicand Social Development) inAbidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; CEPAS(Center for the Study of SocialAction) in Kinshasa, DRC; andthe Jesuit Center for TheologicalReflection (JCTR) in Lusaka,Zambia.

African Jesuits are very muchinvolved in pastoral ministry andin sharing the spirituality of theSpiritual Exercises. Jesuit involve-ment in parishes abounds, both inurban and rural settings.Frequently, the parish is a centerfor other ministries that reach outto the community. In areas withfewer Jesuits, spiritual and pas-toral ministries are often thepoint of entry. Jesuits work inurban cathedral parishes andurban slum parishes. Spiritualitycenters can be found in rural,idyllic settings, and in the poorestand most remote rural areas. TheCentre Christus, a spiritualitycenter in Kigali, Rwanda, is thesite where three Jesuits were mar-tyred during the 1994 genocideand has become for some a placeof pilgrimage.

The articles in this issue beargreat testimony to the wealth ofministries which Jesuits in Africabring to the Church and to thesuffering people they accompany.

toral ministry, to crisis areaswhere the Society and theChurch had never journeyed. JRSremains a consistent source ofoutreach to the poor, regardlessof their religious affiliation. JRSalso brings together teams ofJesuits and expatriate lay and reli-gious men and women, includinglocal Africans. (For more on JRS,see Fr. Mateo Aguirre’s article onpage 18 and Br. Stephen Power’sarticle in the online In AllThings.)

Where are Jesuits in AfricaWorking?

The majority are based inbig cities, often in the cap-ital. In some countries,

there is extensive pastoral out-reach to mission stations in ruralareas. Given the relatively largeproportion of scholastics, those information are often the largestgroup of Jesuits in a particularlocation, whether that be a novi-tiate or a center for philosophy ortheology studies.

Education remains a primaryapostolate of the Society in Africa.The Central Africa province runsseven large educational institu-tions, where 39 Jesuits collaboratewith 352 lay and religious col-leagues to instruct nearly 7,700students throughout theDemocratic Republic of Congo.The Society has high schools inNigeria, Cameroon, Chad,

Service and Solidarity: The Society of Jesus in Africa



At Silveira House, in Harare, Zimbabw: learning to help one’s self.

“The destitution anddeprivation of so manyAfricans demand a moreurgent response from theinternational community,including our nation.”

--A Call to Solidarity withAfrica: A Statement of the U.S.Catholic Bishops

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Challenges for Jesuit Mission in Africa

In Africa, there is consider-able stigma attached to “slim dis-ease,” despite widespread effortsat educating the populationabout the disease and how it maybe prevented. Stigma isolatesthose at risk, and often preventsthem from getting tested andgetting what help is available.Many community-based groupshave arisen, such as TASO (TheAIDS Support Organization) inUganda, which emphasize thatone can live “positively” with thevirus. The churches can play asignificant role in modulating thecultural shame associated withthis infection through pastoralcare, outreach, medical care andcompassionate teaching.

While highly-active antiretro-viral therapy (HAART) isreadily available in theU.S. and Europe to treatHIV-infected persons, notone of these drugs, includ-ing zidovudine (AZT), isreadily available in Africa.Very few countries havethe laboratory facilities,

technology and trained techni-cians to obtain even a simpleblood count, let alone the com-plicated and expensive monitor-ing necessary during the courseof therapy.

At present, drugs are notavailable to treat many of theopportunistic infections (such asfungal meningitis or pneumocys-tis pneumonia) that define AIDS,the end stage of HIV infectionwhen the immune system isdepleted. Once an African patientreaches that stage, palliative careto ease the process of dying is allthat concerned family and healthcare professionals can provide.

In 2002, the World HealthOrganization and the UnitedNations announced the creationof a Global Fund to FightHIV/AIDS, Malaria andTuberculosis. The U.S. hasdonated to this fund, but at alevel criticized by some as beinginsufficient. HIV, malaria and TBinfections are endemic to Africa

of spread in a given country. Warand upheaval have been shown tocreate conditions that increasethe likelihood of HIV transmis-sion. It is not surprising, there-fore, that seven percent of adultsin Sierra Leone are now infected.Senegal remains a model countrywith a low adult infection rate of0.5 percent, given the govern-ment’s early and persistent effortsto control HIV.

The political response to theepidemic in East Africa has beenmixed, which the statistics reflect.At one time, 16 percent of adultUgandans were HIV-infected, arate now reduced to five percentbecause of multiple interventionsconsistently supported over time.Uganda is a model country where

political courage and will haveworked to reduce infection rates.Kenya, on the other hand, hasonly recently stopped paying lip-service to HIV prevention effortsand consequently 15 percent ofKenyan adults are HIV-infected.In the late 1980s, very few infec-tions were reported fromEthiopia; in 2003, the countrybears a serious burden ofHIV/AIDS, but has recentlyimplemented effective preventionefforts.

Zambia (21.5 percent ofadult population infected) andMalawi (15 percent) are bothheavily affected by HIV, as isMozambique (13 percent). Thegovernment of South Africa, untilrecently, both challenged the evi-dence that the HIV retroviruswas the cause of AIDS andopposed proven interventions toreduce transmission. The adultprevalence rate of HIV in SouthAfrica is not surprisingly 20.1percent.

The Burdensome Toll ofHIV/AIDS

Of the many challengesthat confront the Jesuitsin their work on the con-

tinent of Africa, among the great-est are the scourge ofHIV/AIDS, HIV orphans, andchildren who fight adult wars orlive in poverty on the streets.

HIV/AIDS

In 2003, 42 million peopleworldwide are infected withthe human immunodeficiency

virus (HIV); Africa is home to 70percent of them (29.4 million).In contrast, the U.S. has a total ofone million infected indi-viduals (2.3 percent ofthose infected worldwide).The percentages of peopleinfected per country varythroughout Africa, and insome countries rates ofinfection have actuallydecreased. Although thevirus was first described inEast and Central Africa in the1980s, the brunt of the epidemicin 2003 is borne by countries inthe southern cone. The percent-age of HIV-infected adults ages18-70 has risen beyond anastounding 30 percent inBotswana, Swaziland, Zimbabweand Lesotho. Nigeria (7.5 mil-lion infected), Ethiopia (4.3 mil-lion), and the DemocraticRepublic of Congo (2.7 million),are the three countries with thegreatest number of people infect-ed with HIV.

In the countries of WestAfrica, the percentage of HIV-infected adults is generally lower.Countries of greatest concerninclude Central African Republic(12.9 percent of adult populationinfected), Cameroon (11.8 per-cent) and Côte d’Ivoire (9.7 per-cent). The epidemic has recentlyadvanced very rapidly inCameroon, which shows that alow prevalence rate alone is not areliable indicator of the dynamics

Challenges for Jesuit Mission inAfricaREV. MICHAEL J. VJECHA, S.J.

HIV has robbed children of their

parents and has created a population

of orphans which is becoming a major

epidemic in itself.

Fr. Vjecha (DET, Detroit Province)is a physician trained in infectious

diseases who served for five years asan HIV/AIDS researcher at

Makerere University in Kampala,Uganda, and five years with refugees

in Sudan, Kenya, Somalia,Democratic Republic of Congo

(Zaire) and Guinea. continued on page 6



Child Soldiers

Amore egregious issueinvolving children ariseswhen armies and militia

recruit or abduct children towork as soldiers. The issue ofchild soldiers is complex and hascaught the attention of many out-side observers. The JesuitRefugee Service is part of a con-sortium that prepared a reportsubmitted in November 2002 tothe UN entitled Child Soldiers1379 Report. Often, child soldiersare recruited or abducted by rebelgroups; some countries activelyrecruit 16- and 17-year-olds intothe military. Human RightsWatch has documented the pres-ence of child soldiers in 13African countries.

The recent conflict in Liberiahighlights the problem. It is esti-mated that as many as 15,000young boys and girls have beenused by both government andrebel forces, many of whom havenever attended school and whohave been subjected to the trau-ma of war and abuse by others inpower over them.

The United States is not sig-natory to a treaty that has beendrawn up by the internationalcommunity to ban child soldiersbecause of concerns related to itsmilitary recruitment efforts atU.S. high schools. Nonetheless,the United States recentlypledged $13 million to assist withthe rehabilitation of former childsoldiers, the majority of whomare well under the age of 16.

Street Children

Many large cities inAfrica have popula-tions of homeless chil-

dren, frequently boys betweenthe ages of 8 and 17, who live onthe street, are not gainfullyemployed or in school, areincreasingly addicted to petrolfumes, glue and other drugs, andwho often engage in petty crime.These children are subject toharassment and arrest by thepolice and to abuse by the gener-al population. Involvement withstreet children is a ministry whicha number of individual Jesuitshave taken up in several Africancities. (See Br. Canisius’ article inthe online In All Things) This

not readily available in Africa, noris it likely that children– who haveno political clout and are deval-ued in their cultures – will havepriority for such treatment whenit does become available.

Children Orphaned by HIV

HIV has created a cohortof infected young chil-dren in Africa that sim-

ply does not exist in the U.S. orEurope because of the availabilityof increased HIV surveillance andantiretroviral intervention duringpregnancy. An even greater prob-lem in Africa, however, is thegrowing number of uninfectedchildren whose parents have diedof AIDS. Many HIV-infectedAfrican women have repeatedpregnancies, perhaps with thehope that some of their childrenwill survive them to take care ofother family members. HIV hasrobbed children of their parentsand has created a population oforphans which is becoming amajor epidemic in itself.

UNICEF has published areport, Children on the Brink2002, which documents thenumber of orphans affected byHIV and other causes for 1990,1995 and 2001 and projects fig-ures for 2005 and 2010. The2001 report shows that 12 per-cent of all African children areorphans. Of these 34 millionorphans, 11 million have beenorphaned as a result ofHIV/AIDS. Twelve countries inAfrica have orphan numberswhich exceed 15 percent of thepopulation of children aged 0-14years. In some countries, likeRwanda and Burundi,HIV/AIDS accounts for 50 per-cent of orphans. War and dis-placement have also orphanedmany children. Countries withthe highest adult HIV prevalencerates, however, are the ones mostlikely to have high orphan rates.Projections show that even whenthe prevalence rate of infectionhas leveled, such as in Uganda,the number of orphans will con-tinue to increase for up to 10years. The world can thereforeexpect that the problem oforphans affected by HIV/AIDSin Africa will worsen considerablyby 2010.

and are among the leading causesof mortality on the continent.Without the political will ofAfrican leaders and donor nationsto find solutions, these infectionswill continue to decimate Africaand its peoples.

Children With HIV

HIV/AIDS has killedmany African mothersand fathers, leaving

behind children to be cared forby an extended family network,or – as the infection has taken itstoll – by society itself. Motherscan transmit HIV to their chil-dren during pregnancy, deliveryor through breastfeeding, but therate of such “vertical transmis-sion” ranges between 25 percentand 40 percent; and can bemarkedly reduced if a single doseof the antiretroviral drug nevirap-ine – which is widely available inthe United States and Europe, aswell as some African nations – isgiven to the mother before deliv-ery as well as to the newborn.

The majority of children bornto HIV-infected mothers are thusnot themselves infected withHIV. Since maternal antibodiespass freely through the placenta,all children born to an HIV-infected mother will, however,have a positive HIV-antibody testat least until they are 12 to 18months old. HIV infection innewborns can only be detectedby laboratory tests that directlymeasure the virus, and not theantibody response to the virus.These tests are expensive, techno-logically sophisticated and notreadily available in African labora-tories. In most instances, it isimpossible to determine in Africawhether a child is infected withHIV until an HIV antibody test isfound to be negative sometimeafter 18 months of age.

Children who have beeninfected with HIV generally dowell initially, but begin to developrecurrent ear, respiratory andother infections between 6 and 9months of age, after which theyfall behind on their growthcurves and then become moreseriously ill and often die by 24months of age. Children respondand do well with antiretroviraltherapy, which can prolong theirlives indefinitely. Such therapy is

“What will we choose?

Will we allow ourselves todescend

Into univeral chaos anddarkness?

A world without hope, withoutwholeness

Without moorings, withoutlight

Without possibility for mentalfight,

A world breeding massmurderers...

With murder, rape, genocide asnormality?...

Too bored and too passive tocare

About what strange realitiesrear

Their heads in our days andnights,

Till we awake too late to thedeath of our rights

Too late to do anything

Too late for thinking

About what we have allowed

To take over our lives

While we cruised along incasual flight

Mildly indifferent to storm orsunlight? ...

Or might we choose to make

This time a waking-up event

A moment of worldempowerment?”

– Nigerian poet Ben Okri, “MentalFight” (London: Phoenix House,1999).



For more on HIV/AIDS poli-cy in Africa, see the fall/winter2002 issue of In All Things onSocially Responsible Investing.

Additional information onresource exploitation in Africacan be found in “Bottom ofthe Barrel. Africa’s Oil Boomand the Poor,” released thisyear by Catholic ReliefServices.


Teaser/Directional Subhead for this Article’s Thematic Position



issue has not gained as muchattention by the internationalcommunity as others, althoughany expatriate who has everworked in Africa has encounteredthese children. The reasons forthis urban migration of youth arecomplex: HIV/AIDS and con-flict are two of the forces whichhave pushed young boys into thecities.

Food Security

Famine is a political realitywith often harsh conse-quences for African popula-

tions, especially for women andchildren. Certain areas, such asthe Horn of Africa, are at riskbecause of frequent drought, par-ticularly Eritrea and Ethiopia.War, conflict and migration forcepeople off their lands, often intotowns and cities where theyremain dependent on food assis-tance. The cycle of El Niñoweather patterns has alternativelybrought drought or floods to var-ious African regions, disruptingagriculture patterns and leadingto an increased frequency offamine and the need for interna-tional food assistance.

In 2002, 38 million Africanswere at risk of starvation.Drought was particularly severe inEritrea and Ethiopia, which facedimminent famine. In Ethiopiaalone, 14.3 million were at risk ofstarvation, in addition to 1.4 mil-lion in Eritrea. Donor countrieshave responded to pleas for assis-tance from the World FoodProgram, which predicted thatfamine in Ethiopia and Eritreacould have been worse than theone these populations endured in1984-85 and which led to themigration and death of thousandsof people from starvation, measlesand cholera.

The countries of southernAfrica faced a difficult year in2002, but it now appears that the2003 harvest will be abundant.Particularly hard hit wereLesotho, Swaziland, Zambia,Malawi and Mozambique. Thepolitical devastation wrought byPresident Robert Mugabe onZimbabwe has plunged that onceprosperous country into a situa-tion of dependence on externalfood assistance to feed its popula-tion. Madagascar has faced famine

in the southern part of the coun-try. A severe drought has alsobegun in the West African coun-tries of Mauritania, Senegal,Gambia and Mali.

Countries which have been atwar remain dependent on WorldFood Program supplies to feedlarge numbers of people.Hundreds of thousands are servedin the Mano River region, whichincludes Liberia, Sierra Leone,Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea. Inaddition, WFP provides foodassistance to 1.1 million in DRC,3.2 million in southern Sudan,1.5 million in northern Uganda,one million in Burundi and twomillion in Angola.

Since the Ethiopian famine of1984, famine early warning sys-tems have been put in place in var-ious regions of Africa. While theability to predict famine is evermore precise and allows for earlyintervention, it is still difficult toavert the primary causes offamine.

Robbing Africa of ItsWealth

A1999 report on the diver-sion of diamonds tofinance war in Angola was

the first to focus the attention ofthe international community onthis increasingly devastatingissue. Trade in so-called “conflictdiamonds” has been documentedand analyzed by numerous

observers and has led to multipleinquiries by the United Nations,the diamond industry and vari-ous African governments. TheKimberley process, an agreementbetween nations and industry toverify trade in legal diamonds, isongoing.

Diamonds have fueled con-flict in Angola, DemocraticRepublic of Congo, Liberia andSierra Leone, and CentralAfrican Republic, to name themost notorious. It is clear thatdiamonds and other naturalresources have been used to payallied fighting forces, as in thecase of DRC with Angola,Zimbabwe and others.Countries have allowed foreignmining interests to strip theland and enrich the coffers ofthe ruling elite. Such richeshave been used to buy armsand, some allege, to financeinternational terror. At times,other countries have occupiedareas and looted resources.Critics have charged thatUgandan and Rwandan militaryunits engaged in plunderingeastern DRC in their recentoccupation of that country.

Diamonds are not the onlyresource diverted in these ways.Coltan is a substance used inthe manufacture of chips inelectronic equipment such ascellular telephones, a high-demand commodity in theWest. Coltan is mined in other

parts of the world, but it is par-ticularly abundant in easternDRC. The diversion of coltanto finance war in DRC has alsobeen documented in detail. Inthis case, the proceeds go to therebel groups that control theeastern part of the country.

When one delves into thecomplexity of such operationsand their wide internationalscope, one has to wonder whichcame first: war, then diversionof resources; or greed forresources, then war. The diver-sion of diamonds, coltan, oil,timber and water involve manyinternational players and busi-ness interests with agendas thatare far from transparent. Anexcellent collection of essays hasrecently been published by theInstitute for Security Studies inSouth Africa entitled Scarcityand Surfeit: The Ecology ofAfrica’s Conflicts. These essaystake up the issue of “greed vs.grievance” and examine landscarcity in Rwanda, coffee inBurundi, coltan in DRC, oiland water in Sudan, and waterin Ethiopia. These essays bringus full circle, linking Africa’snatural wealth and war betweenits peoples.

Although there are manychallenges, our faith demandsthat we take action in Africa, insolidarity with our brothers andsisters there.✧

An Eritrean war widow with her twins.

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The Joy of an African Ordination Liturgy

Christ’s love in our divided socie-ty.

As I lay down for the invoca-tion of the saints, I understoodthat from now on I would have torely fully on the power of theHoly Spirit, who alone sanctifies,governs and teaches God’s peo-ple. I had a clear sentiment ofbeing consecrated and set apartfor the service of God’s people.The sentiment grew stronger asthe bishop and priests laid theirhands on me while the congrega-tion prayed. The rest of the ritualfurther heightened my convictionof having received a mission tothe community from the LordJesus Christ himself.

In the midst of all the ritualand celebration, I felt weigheddown by the responsibility thathad just been bestowed on me.The Eucharist took on a new per-sonal meaning. It gave me a senseof completion. The Lord is myrefuge. This sentiment was re-enforced at the end of the cere-mony when the bishop and theconcelebrants bowed down in theyard to receive a blessing fromthe newly ordained priests.

The African Way ofCelebrating OrdinationLiturgy

Ihad longed to be ordained apriest back in my home coun-try because of the way

Africans celebrate ordinations.African liturgies take into accountelements of our tradition and cul-ture, and this makes me feel athome when I pray. In Africa, thesacred and the secular, the bodyand the soul, are not two sepa-rates entities but one. As scholarKabasele Lumbala puts it:“African cultures are impregnatedwith the sense of the religiousand the holy, so that in Africa

church, including the celebrantand concelebrants, was singingand dancing to the rhythm ofdrums and guitars. People weremoved with joy, shouting andclapping their hands. The churchwas in a festive mood. With everystep towards the altar, I was over-come with emotion. Henceforth,I became more aware and con-

vinced of my ministerial role as apriest and of how much theChristian community was expect-ing from me. I was now to betheir shepherd, their pastor,accountable to God and to thecommunity. The responsibilitythat comes with the sacramentwas unfolding before my veryeyes.

Bishop Nlandu gave a verychallenging homily. He stressedthe need for the Church – thefamily of God – to have seriousand dignified priests, men fullyaware of their mission andrespectful of their priestly, pas-toral and prophetic identity. Healso invited us to be men of themagis and true witnesses to

The Most Beautiful andMemorable Day of My Life!

July 13, 2003 was one of themost beautiful and memo-rable days of my life. A day

of thanksgiving to God, theMaster of the harvest, who hasanswered the prayers of his peo-ple: “the harvest is abundant butthe laborers are few; so ask themaster of the harvest to send outlaborers for his harvest” (Mt9:37-38). It was a day of rejoicingfor the Society of Jesus, my fami-ly, my friends and the many menand women who have supportedme throughout my formation. Aday that the Lord had made for usto rejoice and be glad in Him.

That morning, I walked toSaint Mary’s Parish in Kimwenza,where the ordination was to beheld. It was a bright and sunnyday. Reaching the church com-pound, I noticed that it had beenbeautifully decorated with flow-ers, ribbons and palm branches,creating a warm and festiveatmosphere. Even at this earlyhour, the parish was crowded withmore than 2,000 people ready toparticipate and witness the ordi-nation ceremony. In the sacristy,servers, deacons and priests werevesting, while in the church hall,the congregation and the choir ofJesuit scholastics and youth fromthe parish were singing and danc-ing. Everybody was excited. Itwas going to be a great day, agreat celebration!

Sometime later, amidst themusic and dancing, the entranceprocession began. A column ofabout five dozen priests movedtowards the altar, led by the Massservers carrying candles, incenseand the cross. Next came the fiveordinands and their religioussuperiors, followed by two dea-cons and the bishop. The whole

“The future of the CatholicChurch in Africa is the future ofthe Universal Church insignificant measure.”

- The Most Rev. J.H. Ricard, SSJ,

Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee

“New Wine, New Wineskins: A Call

to Solidarity with Africa”

The Joy of an African OrdinationLiturgy REV. JACQUES MUTIKWELE MUNGWONO, S.J.

Fr. Mutikwele Mungwono (ACE,Central Africa Province) is a theology

student at Weston Jesuit School ofTheology in Cambridge, Mass.

In the midst of all the

ritual and celebration, I

felt weighed down by the

responsibility that had

just been bestowed on me.

The Eucharist took on a

new personal meaning. It

gave me a sense of

completion. The Lord is

my refuge.

This summer, I returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for my ordination to the priesthood. Fivedeacons – four Jesuits and one member of the Society of African Missions (SMA) – were ordained in a colorfulceremony outside the city of Kinshasha. I would like to share with you my experience and give a short reflectionon the African ordination liturgy.



Bios here

Suggested Reading

1.“Body and Memory inAfrican Liturgy,” byElochukwu E. Uzukwu, inConcilium, 1995/3.

2. “Celebrating Jesus Christin Africa,” by FrançoisKabasele Lumbala. NewYork: Maryknoll, 1998.

3. “Culte Chrétien enAfrique après Vatican II,”by Boniface Luykx.Fribourg: Nouvelle Revuede Science Missionnaire,19.

and symbols used in the ordina-tion ritual correspond to thequalities Africans expect in apriest. The priest should be anadult who has gone through ini-tiation, lives close to the people,is a consecrated person and anelder. According to Lumbala,these gestures and symbols areborrowed from two traditions –enthronement and initiation.

African ordination liturgiesare essentially communal incharacter. On the day of ordina-tion, there is no Mass in theother parishes. Everyone isinvited to come and pray withthe bishop for the new priests.This communal character is alsoseen in the material preparationfor the celebration. The prepara-tion is not exclusively the busi-ness of the ordinand’s family butit is the responsibility of thewhole community.

By way of conclusion, I daresay that our African ordinationliturgies are festive gatheringswhere we encounter JesusChrist, our unique high priest,who calls some of his disciples toserve in a sacerdotal function.These gatherings truly expressthe mystery of Christ whobecame human so that we mightbecome divine. ✧

sion of dance from the Romanliturgy.”4

In Africa however, we do notsee the human body as being sin-ful. The body is “the center ofthe total manifestation of a per-son in gestures. Its corporate orindividual deployment revealsthe person.”5 We need our bod-ies to communicate with othersand with the divine, and thebody necessarily forms part ofthe prayer. “In Africa, oneexpresses oneself through dance,but above all, one seeks harmonybetween one’s body and spirit inthe liturgical action, harmonybetween the members and thecommunity at prayer, harmonywith the spirit of God, whichmakes us pray.”6 Dance inAfrican liturgies has nothing todo with “folklore” as some out-siders might call it.

Signs and symbols also havea vital place in African ordina-tion liturgies. In our diocese,after the “call,” the parents ofthe ordinand are asked to ratifythe step that their son is aboutto take by marking his armswith white kaolin (clay). Inother dioceses, the parentsaccompany their son until he ispresented to the congregationand handed over to the bishopfor ordination. The gestures

attention to culture and theencounter of the Christian reli-gion with other religions gotogether.”1 It is important thatAfrican liturgies confess and cele-brate salvation in Jesus Christ ina way that represents Africans asthey perceive it.

If “the liturgy of Christianworship is a display of theChristian assembly beforeGod,”2 writes Spiritan Fr.Elochukwu Uzukwu, then thatdisplay cannot be separated fromthe people’s culture. “At theroot of the western liturgy,”continues Lumbala, “there is asuspicion for the body whichgoes back to the thought ofPlato and Aristotle, from whomthe best form of life is that wherethere is no place either for joy orpain, but only for thought at thehighest possible degree of puri-ty.”3 This idea is brought furtherby Ezukwu who, talking ofWestern liturgies, affirms that“body motions were regulatedby moderation (modestia).Excesses (or gesticulations) wereoutlawed. In this universe ofbelief and reflection, the bodywas held suspect. It was fallenand an instrument of sin. Anydisplay considered immodest orexcessive was removed from theliturgy. This explains the exclu-

The Joy of an African Ordination Liturgy

1 Kabasele Lumbala, “Celebrating Jesus Christ In Africa,” p. x. 2 Elochukwu Uzukwu, “Body and Memory in African Liturgy,” p. 71.3 Lumbala, p. 24 Uzukwu, p. 73.5 Uzukwu, p. 73.6 Lumbala, p. 25.

JSTB community members at a liturgy at St. Patrick’s Church in Oakland, California.

PHO

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A President’s Challenge

Iput the document aside andtook the third, the Tanzanianpresident’s speech to the

Association of Member EpiscopalConferences of Eastern Africa(AMECEA), from the “incom-ing” tray to see what it said. Themain theme was “The Challengeto Preserve Humanity in aRapidly Changing World.” I readthrough it and found it similar toour province priorities. PresidentMkapa advocated the spirit ofgiving, which we certainly needto recapture. It is part and parcelof the Gospel of Christ, reachingout to those who are weak, poorand disadvantaged. It makes a lotof sense to the AMECEA regionand to the whole continent.

The optimism remains only ifwe have peace and stability in theentire region. Education, ourfirst priority, presupposes there isenough food, shelter and medi-cine, the basics that keep thechildren who can go to schoolalive. When the conditions areripe, we can count on justice,freedom, economic prosperityand a quality life for all the chil-dren of God.

A Day Comes Full Circle

It is 5:30 p.m., the appointed timeto go to Kibera to be with thegrieving family. They can actually goon without me. But it is good to bethere with them. ✧



ill or are in need of rest afteraddressing decisive apostolicchallenges. I decided to putthis hopeful and yet challeng-ing formation document asideand picked up the second one.

Province Priorities

The second paper on mydesk addressed ourprovince priorities. The

Commi s s i onof Ministrieshas a list of13 priorities:e d u c a t i o n ;Christian for-m a t i o n ;S p i r i t u a lExercises; jus-tice andpeace; intel-lectual forma-tion andhigher educa-tion; HIV andAIDS min-istry; pastoral

ministry; mass media andcommunications; inter reli-gious dialogue; inculturation;direct care of the needy;refugees and internally dis-placed persons; and the envi-ronment.

I immediately thought ofplanning as the next stage. Weneed time to call for short,medium and long term goals.As St. Paul wrote to theEphesians:

The figures are indicatingsome growth. There are cer-tainly more Jesuits in thisprovince than they were somesix years ago. But how are theydoing after the novitiate, Iasked myself? There is devel-opment, a steady growth. Thefigures are encouraging for ayoung province like EasternAfrica. These companions arealready contributing signifi-cantly to thea p o s t o l i cworks, arecoming backfrom studiesand are avail-able for min-istry. I shallalways prayfor their per-severance.

The dataare sources ofe n o r m o u shope for thepresent andthe future ofthe Eastern Africa Province.And this phenomenon seemsto be replicated in mostregions and provinces ofAfrica and Madagascar.However, this means moreneeds to be done across theboard: more space is neededeverywhere, from the class-room to the kitchen; morefinances; and more competentformation staff, but it cannotbe done alone. We must workin collaboration with the com-panions in Africa and theUniversal Society, counting onthe generosity of friends andpeople of good will.

On the apostolic side, ourexpansion pace should also bemonitored in relation to ourformation pace. Health care isalso becoming a more perti-nent issue, for several reasons:the number of our seniormembers is increasing, andyounger members may become

A Typical Day in Office

This morning as I entered theprovince offices, I found on mydesk three documents, two ofthem letters accompanying reportsfrom the Delegate of Formationand the Commission ofMinistries, both addressed to theProvincial. I guessed that theywere not only asking for prayersbut for some action from theprovince offices, if not from theprovincial himself. Of course, it isnot a mere guess, as this is notthe first time I have seendocuments like this in the last fiveyears. They are usually a resultof many months of hard workfrom dedicated companions,teams, communities, or even froma country or a province assembly.The third document was different.It was the speech of TanzanianPresident Benjamin Mkapa to the14th Plenary of the Association ofMember Episcopal Conferences ofEastern Africa (AMECEA).

Before I could peruse any of theletters, the telephone rang. “Who isit?” I asked. “It is from the SmallChristian Community in Kibera.The woman who was sick died andshe left a husband, a nine year oldboy, a seven year old girl and a onemonth old child. The husband isalso sick. And they do not knowwhat to do,” lamented the officesecretary. “Okay. I shall see themin their house later this evening,” Ireplied. I put the telephone downand went back to the documents onthe table.

Formation

The formation report isusually very hopeful. Itis good to start the day

with as much hope and opti-mism as one can get. I looked atthe growth trends and won-dered a bit; the ways of theLord are not our ways, manycome in but only some remain.

The Church and Society in Eastern Africa:Hopes and Challenges REV. FRATERN MASAWE, S.J.

The Church and Society in Eastern Africa: Hopes and Challenges

Each one of us, howev-er, has been given his ownshare of grace, given asChrist allotted it. To somehis gift was that they shouldbe apostles, to someprophets, to some evangel-ists, to some pastors andteachers, so that the saintstogether make a unity in thework of service, building upthe body of Christ. In thisway we are all to come to

Fr. Masawe (AOR, Eastern AfricaProvince) is the Provincial of Eastern

Africa.

We must work in

collaboration with the

companions in Africa and

the Universal Society,

counting on the generosity

of friends and people of

good will.

unity in our faith and inour knowledge of theson of God, until webecome perfect Man,fully mature with thefullness of Christ him-self (Eph. 4: 11-13).


FORMATION: An Exchange of Lives and Ideas in Berkeley


While the superiors of theAmerican Jesuitprovinces have made

some significant decisions in thelast few years about their two the-ology centers in California (JesuitSchool of Theology at Berkeley, orJSTB) and Massachusetts (WestonJesuit School of Theology) –namely to send their men equallyto the two and to form an endow-ment for each – no decision hasbeen as dramatic as the one thatconcerns not American Jesuits,but those from developing coun-tries.

The superiors have committedto sponsoring Jesuits from devel-oping countries at each schoolevery year. Many of the men whohave come are Africans, men whowill be important shapers of thefuture Church in Africa. AfricanProvinces choose carefully themen who are to continue theirstudy at Berkeley and Weston;these men are the superiors, for-mation directors, seminary teach-ers and school presidents of thenext generation in Africa. WeJesuits of the United States areoffering the gifts that we haveright now: educational expertiseand technological sophistication.The Jesuits of Africa are offeringthe gifts that they have right now:wise, generous and talented youngmen. What a marvelous exchangefor the Church!

After one year of overseeingthe 100-man community inBerkeley, I can say with assurancethat this is an exchange, not a one-sided gift. Africans come to uswith good questions, particularlyquestions about dialogue withother religions and about interac-tions between cultures. Those arethe Church's future questions,and we in the United States maynot yet realize how acute they areand will increasingly be. Taughtwell by excellent theologians here,these men form their own goodanswers and return to their cul-tures. After their years with us,

they are at home in the world oftechnology and business nowdominated by the U.S. and itsmultinational firms. With the aca-demic degrees and technologicalsavvy they acquire here, their con-tributions to Africa and to theChurch are deep and lasting.

Many Americans think of sub-Saharan Africa as one country, butit is not. It is a world teeming withmore countries and cultures thanany other continent. Young Jesuits,even those within the sameprovince or country, come frommany different cultures. Almost allof them speak several African lan-guages along with two or threeEuropean ones. Their back-grounds may be Nilotic pastoralist,Bantu agriculturalist or Sanhunter-gathering, but they learn toshare that richness and diversity inthe one Society of Jesus. They alsolearn to confront the ethnic ten-sions and misunderstandings thatcan plague any diverse environ-ment.

Fr. Carlson (CFN, CaliforniaProvince) is the rector of the Jesuit

School of Theology at Berkeley(JSTB).

“The future of the CatholicChurch in Africa is the future ofthe Universal Church insignificant measure.”

- The Most Rev. J.H. Ricard, SSJ,Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee

“New Wine, New Wineskins: A Call toSolidarity with Africa”

An Exchange of Lives and Ideas inBerkeleyREV. GREGORY I. CARLSON, S.J.

Young African Jesuits arealso experienced in the interac-tions of many different faith tra-ditions. While perhaps half ofsub-Saharan Africans areChristian, there are a bewilder-ing number of denominationsand sects. Ecumenical opportu-nities abound, but are oftenundercut by the same cross-identifications of religion andethnicity which have led to vio-lence in Europe and Asia.There are also many differentforms of Islam, as well as themany traditional religions thatset the background of allAfricans. Africa thus presents akaleidoscopic swirl of faith tra-ditions. Looking through thiskaleidoscope, young Jesuitsmust come to an understandingof their own faith, rooted intheir African-ness, and in dia-logue with so many other faithsaround them.

continued on page 12

Viet Tran, S.J. (ORE), Buberwa Karongo, S.J. (AOR), Robert Wawer, S.J. (PME) and Mathieu Ndomba, S.J. (AOC) of ChardinHouse Jesuit Community at JSTB hike on the North Fork of the American River near Applegate, Calif.

Phot

o by

Just

in D

affro

n,S.

J.


And what does our worldneed? We North Americans inthe Berkeley Jesuit communityhave received the precious giftof living, praying, studying andworking with people fromAfrica, as well as India, Europeand Asia. In this setting, no per-son can think only nationally,much less locally. The perspec-

tive must be global;that is a gift to anAmerican, RomanChurch easily engulfedby its intramural con-cerns.

There is one last chal-lenging gift exchangethat I wish to mention.People from aroundthe world, and Africansin particular, havereminded us NorthAmericans more thanonce of a precious partof our cultural heritagefor which they have akeen sense: the free-dom to develop ourtalents. Perhaps we canbe cynical about theAmerican dream, butthey are not, even asthey are realistic about

the shortcomings of Americanculture. They come here with alively sense that this is still aland of opportunity. They liveout that dream here and devel-op their talents well. Theircoming has enriched this landfor me and for us! ✧

100 million faithful; it continuesto grow rapidly. The majority ofCatholics are under 20 and, cor-respondingly, faith formation isthe greatest religious challengeof the continent. The AfricanCatholic Church needs to focusits leadership and resources ondeveloping indigenous ways tosupport the faith of young gen-

erations. The Society of Jesus inAfrica is certainly focusing onthis challenge. Rather than justforming young Jesuits, we areeducating them to be the for-mators of the African Churchcoming into being with somuch life.

Our young African Jesuitsare thus at home in the worldof religious pluralism in whichthe Church will find itself inthe days to come; they knowMuslim and animist better thanmany of us who have lived inthe more confined religiousworld of the United States.They know culture-clash firsthand, including theclash with American cul-ture, and they handlethemselves well in themidst of it.

These young Jesuitsare not silent while theyare with us. Last spring,as we watched theUnited States movecloser and closer to warwith Iraq, among thevoices that raised thebest and most incessantcritiques of this move-ment were those of ourAfrican Jesuit scholas-tics. In many cases, theyknew war first-hand.Even better, they knewthe perception of theUnited States aroundthe world and knew theimpact that our attackon Iraq would have both onterrorists and on world opin-ion.

What does their worldneed? The Catholic Church insub-Saharan Africa is young,growing in last century fromaround two million to well over



FORMATION: An Exchange of Lives and Ideas in Berkeley


One Saturday afternoon last spring, I had a singularlyunexpected experience. I was looking forward to a goodbike ride through San Francisco and across the Golden GateBridge later in the day. For the early afternoon, I had beeninvited to a Mass remembering the people killed in theRwandan genocide. In retrospect, it was an event thatcrystallized how special the African students at the JesuitSchool of Theology at Berkeley (JSTB) are to me.

Fr. Jean-Pierre Karegeye, a Jesuit of the Rwanda-BurundiRegion, issued the invitation. I was coming to know Jean-Pierre well, not only because I am his local superior butbecause we were studying together. He had come toBerkeley to get an STL, a degree roughly equivalent to amaster's degree in theology. At the same time, he had alsobegun graduate work in French African literature in thehighly regarded program at the University of California two

blocks from our houses. I knew that he was workingparticularly on the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in which, inthe space of some 100 days, tens of thousands of the Hutumajority murdered an estimated 800,000 of their Tutsi andmoderate Hutu countrymen.

I had come to know Jean-Pierre even more closely when westarted reading French fables together. Jean-Pierre knowssomething about fables and a great deal about French; Iknow something about French and a great deal about fables.It was a fine partnership and we enjoyed lovelyconversations on Jean Anouilh's fables every two weeks orso.

For the memorial Mass, Jean-Pierre brought together aremarkable set of people, including the Counselor-Generalof Rwanda from San Francisco, Rwandans from both

northern and southern California, other concerned Africans,and several people very close to victims of the genocide.He also invited his Jesuit brothers from JSTB, and many ofus came – it was a remarkable chance to be included inremembering a singular piece of African history. It wasparticularly moving for me to hear the pained memories ofthose close to victims, to pray with their hopes for healingand then to celebrate Eucharist as humanity's great hopefor healing. Beautiful native dress, music and danceenhanced the splendor of the event.

I went for my bike ride afterward, reflecting on the piece ofAfrican experience that had been brought much closer tomy heart and my head that day.

-- Rev. Gregory Carlson, S.J.

No Regular Saturday Afternoon

Young Jesuits, even those within the same

province or country, come from many

different cultures. Almost all of them speak

several African languages along with two

or three European ones. Their

backgrounds may be Nilotic pastoralist,

Bantu agriculturalist or San hunter-

gathering, but they learn to share that

richness and diversity in the one

Society of Jesus.


FALL 2003 • IN ALL THINGS

Nigeria-Ghana (NIG)

■ Ghana, Nigeria■ Population: 150,179,055■ Catholics: 16,924,580 (11.3%)■ Ethnic strife in Nigeria■ 5.8% of adults HIV+ in Nigeria; 3%of adults HIV+ in Ghana■ More than 15% of children inNigeria are orphans

Rwanda-Burundi (RWB)

■ Burundi, Rwanda■ Population: 13,771,076■ Catholics: 8,094,183 (58.8%)

■ Ethnic war in 1994, reconstruction since 1996 in Rwanda; ethnic war,new government in 2003 Burundi ■ 8.9% of adults in Rwanda HIV+; 8.3% of adults in Burundi■ More than 15% of children are orphans■ Various groups employ children as soldiers in Rwanda and Burundi■ 1 million in Burundi at risk of starvation in 2003

Mozambique (MOZ)

■ Mozambique■ Population: 19,607,519■ Catholics: 3,294,063 (16.8%)■ 13% of adults HIV+■ More than 15% of children areorphans■ 650,000 at risk of starvation in2003

South Africa (SAF)

■ South Africa■ Population: 50,391,365■ Catholics: 4,317,523 (8.6%)■ Post-apartheid reconstruction■ 20.1% of adults HIV+

Angola (ANG)

■ Angola■ Population: 10,593,171■ Catholics: 6,239,378 (58.9%)■ Reconstruction in 2002 after 30year civil war■ 5.5% of adults HIV+■ Various groups employ children as soldiers in this country■ 2 million served by World FoodPopulation■ Long history of conflict diamonds

Zambia/Malawi (ZAM)

■ Malawi, Zambia■ Population: 20,660,861■ Catholics: 5,142,932 (24.9%)■ 15% of adults in Malawi HIV+■ More than 15% of children areorphans■ 2.8 million in Zambia served byWorld Food Program; 3.5 million inMalawi served by World FoodProgram

Egypt (PRO)

■ Egypt■ Population: 70,712,345■ Catholics: 247,493 (0.3%)■ 0.1% of adults HIV+

Maghreb (MAG)

■ Algeria, Morocco■ Population: 78,886,131■ Catholics: 94,005 (0.1%)■ 0.2% of adults HIV+

Population figures: CIA World Factbook, 2002.Catholic population percentages: Statistical Yearbook of the Church, 1997.HIV prevalence rates in adults: UNAIDS, December 2002.Orphan rates: UNICEF, 2002.Presence of child soldiers: Human Rights Watch, 2002Food aid: World Food Program, 2003.

IN ALL THINGS • FALL 2003

FALL 2003

This map, depicting the Society of Jesus’s presence on the continent of Africa, is based

on data compiled by Fr. Michael Vjecha, S.J., from province catalogues and inde-

pendent research. The list of apostolates is not inclusive but rather focuses on the

Society’s educational institutions. The many retreat centers, parishes, research cen-

ters and other ministries are too numerous to show in one graphic. The reverse side

provides a snapshot of the 12 provinces and regions and highlights a few of the

urgent realities which call out for a response.

West Africa (AOC)A Province based in Douala, Cameroon, member of JESAM

Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Republic of Congo,Senegal, Guinea, Central African Republic, Benin, Mauritania, Mali, Niger,Equatorial Guinea, Gabon

■ 244 Jesuit members■ 118 novices/scholastics (48% of the Province)

Primary and Secondary Education:

Collège Libermann, Douala, CameroonLycée-Collège Charles Lwanga, Sarh, Chad

Higher Education

Institute of Theology of the Society of Jesus, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire (opening fall 2003)

Nigeria-Ghana (NIG)A Region based in Lagos, Nigeria, dependent on

New York, member of JESAMGhana, Nigeria

■ 92 Jesuit members ■ 67 novices/scholastics (73% of the Region)


Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, Nigeria

Central Africa (ACE)A Province based in Kinshasa, DRC, member of JESAM

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

■ 365 Jesuit members (includes 75 missionaries who reside inBelgium)■ 108 novices/scholastics (30% of the Province)


Collège Alfajiri, BukavuInstitut Ntemo, Kasongo-LundaInstitut Technique et Professionel de KikwitInstitut Sadisana (Centre Kinduku), KikwitInstitut Bonsomi, KinshasaInstitut Boboto, KinshasaInstitut Kubama, Kisantu

Higher Education:

St. Peter Canisius (philosophate), KimwenzaInstitut Supérieur Agro-Vétérinaire (ISAV)

Angola (ANG)A Region based in Luanda, Angola,

dependent on Portugal,member of JESAM

Angola

■ 9 Jesuit members ■ 7 novices/scholastics (78% of the

Region)

South Africa (SAF)A Region based in Johannesburg, South Africa,

dependent on Britain, member of JESAM

South Africa

■ 28 Jesuit members■ 7 novices/scholastics (25% of the Region)

^

^

Maghreb (MAG)Region, dependent on France

Algeria, Morocco

■ 13 Jesuit members

Egypt (PRO)Member of Near East Province

■ 33 Jesuit members

www.inallthings.org VISIT OUR WEB SITE

Zimbabwe (ZIM)A Province based in Harare, Zimbabwe,

member of JESAM

Zimbabwe

■ 121 Jesuit members■ 36 novices/scholastics (30% of theProvince)


St. Ignatius College, ChishawashaSt. George's College, HarareMakumbi Mission & High SchoolMusami Mission & High School

Higher Education:

Arrupe College (philosophate), Harare

Zambia-Malawi (ZAM)A Province based in Lusaka, Zambia, member of JESAM

Malawi, Zambia

■ 114 Jesuit members ■ 40 novices/scholastics (35% of the Province)


Canisius High School, Monze, ZambiaSt. Charles Lwanga College, Chikuni, Zambia

Madagascar (MDG)A Province based in Antananarivo, Madagascar,

member of JESAM

Madagascar

■ 256 Jesuit members ■ 55 novices/scholastics (21% of theProvince)


Collège Saint Michel, AntananarivoCollège St. François Xavier, FianarantsoaCAPR, FianarantsoaCollège de l'Imaculée Conception, Mananjary

Mozambique (MOZ)A Region based in Maputo, Mozambique, dependent

on Portugal, member of JESAM

Mozambique

■ 42 Jesuit members■ 24 novices/scholastics (57% of the Region)


Some scholastics teach in local schools

Rwanda-Burundi (RWB)An independent Region based in Kigali, Rwanda, member of JESAM

Burundi, Rwanda

■ 59 Jesuit members ■ 36 novices/scholastics (61% of the Region)


Lycée du Saint-Esprit, Bujumbura, Burundi

AFRICAAFRICAEastern Africa

(AOR)A Province based in Nairobi, Kenya,

member of JESAM

Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia,Uganda

■ 169 Jesuit members ■ 89 novices/scholastics (53% of theProvince)


Loyola High School, Dar es Salaam,Tanzania

Higher Education:

Hekima College (theologate), Nairobi,Kenya

The African Assistancy consists of the MajorSuperiors of Africa and Madagascar, alsoknown as JESAM, and is based in Abidjan,Cote d’Ivoire. The Provinces arecharacterized by a greater number ofJesuits, the presence of houses of study, anda broader range of apostolic involvement,especially in institutional apostolates. TheRegions have been established morerecently, are usually dependent for financesand personnel on an established Province,and have fewer Jesuits.

The 2003 catalogues are the sources ofdata for these pages. Please note that theterm “scholastic” as used here counts onlythose who are not yet ordained to thepriesthood.

^

A continent with urgent needs

Countries in gray are not part of any current Jesuitprovince or region. JRS is present in Liberia and Namibia.


VISIT OUR WEB SITE www.inallthings.org

Central Africa (ACE)

■ Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)■ Population: 55,255,478■ Catholics: 27,999,317 (50.7%)■ Long, complex civil war■ 4.9% of adults HIV+ ■ More than 15% of children areorphans ■ Various groups employ children as sol-diers in this country■ More than 1.1 million served by WorldFood Program■ Diamonds, coltan and gold mined and diverted

West Africa (AOC)

■ Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Republic of Congo,Senegal, Guinea, Central African Republic, Benin, Mauritania, Mali, Niger,Equatorial Guinea, Gabon ■ Population: 129,873,744 ■ Catholics: 16,276,815 (12.5%)■ 12.9% of adults in Central African Republic HIV+, 11.8% of adults inCameroon, 9.7% of adults in Cote d’Ivoire■ More than 15% of children in Central African Republic are orphans■ Populations of Mauritania, Senegal and Mali are at risk for drought;90,000 refugees in Guinea are served by the World Food Program; 170,000are at risk of starvation in Cote d’Ivoire

Eastern Africa (AOR)

■ Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan,Ethiopia, Uganda■ Population: 210,480,877■ Catholics: 29,821,816 (14.2%)■ Sudan, civil war since 1983;Ethiopia, war with Eritrea 1960-91, 2001-02■ 15% of adults in Kenya HIV+,7.8% in Tanzania, 6.4% inEthiopia, 5% in Uganda■ More than 15% of children inEthiopia are orphans■ Various groups employ chil-dren as soldiers in Ethiopia■ 3.2 million in Sudan served by World Food Program; 14.3 million at highrisk in Tanzania; 1.5million displaced in Uganda served by World FoodProgram■ Oil diversion in Sudan; very low water availability in Ethiopia

Zimbabwe (ZIM)

■ Zimbabwe■ Population: 11,376,676■ Catholics: 989,771 (8.7%)■ Dictatorship, repressive land reform■ 33.7% of adults HIV+■ More than 15% of children are orphans■ Newly reliant on food aid■ Diamond plundering

Madagascar (MDG)

■ Madagascar■ Population: 16,473,477■ Catholics: 3,459,430 (21%)■ New famine in south■ 0.3% of adults HIV+

AFRICAAFRICA

^

^

^

A continent with urgent needs



Teaser/Directional Subhead for this Article’s Thematic PositionFORMATION: Hekima College: Faith, Justice, Formation

Hekima College, the Jesuitschool of theology inNairobi, Kenya, is a col-

lective dream translated into areality, thanks to the personalcommitment of the late Fr.General Arrupe. From its incep-tion, the desire for the college tohave an “African character” deter-mined its two-fold orientation: tooffer a solid theological formationfor future Jesuit priests in Africawithin an academic and socio-cul-tural environment attentive to thelocal context; and to collaboratewith other institutions and tobring the Jesuit contribution tothe Church in Africa by investi-gating ways of inculturation andby searching how to transmit theGood News of a “faith that doesjustice” in African societies. Thedream of Fr. Arrupe was that it be“a research centre in the service ofthe local church and as such achallenge to the Jesuits of theAssistancy of Africa.”

Hekima College opened itsdoors on September 29, 1984,and became the first Jesuit theo-logical center in Africa. At the eveof its twentieth anniversary,Hekima has trained hundreds ofyoung men and womenfor the service of themission of Christ inAfrica, with a significantnumber holding posi-tions of responsibility intheir religious institu-tions. Many recall withappreciation the “pas-toral fieldwork,” animportant componentof the program atHekima College, as wellas the weekly“Apostolate” thatbrought them in con-tact with the poor andthe young of Nairobi.

As an academicinstitution, Hekima has acquiredthe reputation of offering a solidbasic formation in theology. Mostof our students have been able tocontinue post-graduate studies inand out of Africa. In Jesuit insti-

tutions such as Centre Sèvres inParis, the Gregorian in Rome,Regis College in Toronto, WestonJesuit School of Theology and theJesuit School of Theology atBerkeley in the USA, it has almost

become a tradition to welcomestudents from Hekima College forpost-graduate studies. Our greathope is to see many of them com-plete doctoral studies and return

to Hekima to offset the presentshortage of qualified staff. Withtheir competence, they can alsohelp Hekima face local challengesby engaging in research on incul-turation and social justice. At

present, humanresources remain ourgreatest challenge. It issignificant that all butone of the resident staffthis academic year arealumni of HekimaCollege.

Recent events inAfrica – wars, the dam-aging effects ofHIV/AIDS, thedestruction of the socialfabric – have called us toa new consideration ofthe Jesuit contributionto the Church in Africa.Theological formationis but one aspect of thiscontribution. Indeed,

even with a degree, such trainingdoes not open the way in Africanchurches to a professional layministry. Moreover, there areareas of compelling need in the

Hekima College: Faith, Justice,FormationREV. EUGÈNE GOUSSIKINDEY, S.J.

Fr. Goussikindey (AOC, EasternAfrica Province) is the rector of

Hekima College in Nairobi, Kenya.

Fr. Oduor Afulo, S.J., talking with Linda Menes, JSTB Admissions Director, at aschool liturgy. Oduor finished his Licentiate at JSTB and is now working on adoctorate at Marquette University. He is from Kenya and a member of the EasternAfrica Province.

There are areas of need in which a

theological formation is not enough to deal

professionally with difficult issues such as

war, security, peace, sexuality and human

development, debt, the new international

environment (globalization), etc. The task

of inculturation – the main concern when

the college was founded – has given way to

new challenges.



Responsible investment.Retirement or other invest-ment funds can either beused to strengthen Africa’scapacity to address its prob-lems or, wrongly invested,can exacerbate conflicts andhuman suffering.


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14 VISIT OUR WEB SITE www.inallthings.orgIN ALL THINGS • FALL 2003

FORMATION: Hekima College: Faith, Justice, Formation

lives of millions of innocent civil-ians, sent many more into exile asrefugees, destroyed the economicinfrastructure and delayed politi-cal reforms that are much neededfor a new social contract to bindthe citizens in building nations.The trafficking of arms has creat-ed insecurity in East, Central and

West Africa. The southernpart of the continent is justemerging from the long andbloody conflicts inMozambique and Angola.The sad legacy of these warsis the development of an ille-gal international trade in dia-monds, timber, oil andcoltan for mobile phones andcomputers. Young AfricanJesuits are sensitive to thesocial issues affecting the

lives of so many people. Throughthe Institute of Peace Studies andInternational Relations, theSociety of Jesus pledges hercourage and commitment to theChurch in Africa.

What one may expect fromthe Society is a greater opennessto the continent and collabora-tion with existing secular and reli-gious institutions. The Society ofJesus in Africa has been chargedwith the task of educating andtraining our people to stand firm-ly on their own – spiritually, cul-turally, politically andeconomically – in a competitiveglobal world. This we will do tothe best of our ability. ✧

religious context of Africa compelus to tackle the question of humansexuality from the broader pointof view of human development,thus the idea of an Institute ofHuman Development.Undoubtedly, the need to accom-pany human growth from whatev-er impedes this growth should be

explored within the fast changingAfrican societies. The Society ofJesus in Africa has followed theJesuit tradition of helping peoplethrough retreat centers, but theever-growing demand of healingministry suggests that there is stillmuch work to be done.

The Institute of Peace Studiesand International Relations willtrain laity, religious, priests andnon-Christians to deal with issuesof war and security, conflict andreconciliation, within the contextof Africa and international rela-tions. Peace is becoming the pre-condition for any development inthe continent. The many armedconflicts in Africa have taken the

Church and the society where thecontributions of competentChristian laity are expected. Thereare areas of need in which a theo-logical formation is not enough todeal professionally with difficultissues such as war, security, peace,sexuality and human develop-ment, debt, the new internationalenvironment (globaliza-tion), etc. The task ofinculturation – the mainconcern when the collegewas founded – has givenway to new challenges.Rather than revise the the-ological curricula, it hasbecome necessary to opennew institutes to deal withthese new demands.

As a response to thenew challenges facing theChurch in Africa, Hekima Collegeis marking its twentieth anniver-sary with the creation of theInstitute of Human Developmentand the Institute for Peace Studiesand International Relations. TheInstitute of Human Developmentis a transfer from Hartford, thanksto the enthusiasm of Fr. AngeloD’Agostino, S.J., executive direc-tor of the Christian Institute forthe Study of Human Sexuality(CISHS), founded by the late Fr.James J. Gill, S.J., to offer aca-demic preparation from aChristian perspective in the area ofsexuality. The spectrum of theeffects of HIV/AIDS and the spe-cific demands of the cultural and

The Nyumbani Childrens Home in

Nairobi, Kenya, is a safe, loving

place for orphans with HIV/AIDS.

Founded in 1992 by Fr. Angelo

D’Agostino, S.J., the 70-person

staff presently provide care to

almost 100 children, infant to age

20. Children attend school and

receive assistance from social

workers who help them with the

difficult emotional adjustments of

their living situations.

Visit www.nyumbani.org for more

information.

The Society of Jesus in Africa has been

charged with the task of educating and

training our people to stand firmly on

their own – spiritually, culturally,

politically and economically – in a

competitive global world.

Fr. Jose Lukoli Minaku, S.J. and Mr. Frederick Kabwe, S.J. at graduation 2003. Jose is from the Congo, Province of CentralAfrica, and completed a Licentiate at JSTB. Fred is from Zambia and completed a Master of Divinity at JSTB.


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http://www.nyumbani.org


Teaser/Directional Subhead for this Article’s Thematic PositionHigher Education in Africa

2002 and students began first lec-tures in March. Although I donot teach on a regular basis, attimes I find myself in the class-room.

The number of students thisfirst year was 50, which is wellbelow the intake of 40 per facultythat we can accommodate in ourpresent facilities. The second aca-demic year will begin inNovember 2003; the third beginsin late August 2004, and thenCUG will be on the calendar ofthe main public universities.

What of the facultiesand the courses beingoffered? With assistancefrom several Jesuit compan-ions and friends, mainly inthe USA, we developed cur-ricula in three faculties: eco-nomics and businessadministration; informationand communication sciencesand technology; and reli-gious studies (philosophy,theology and adult educa-tion).

What of future plans forother areas of study? Taskforcesare looking at additional facultiesin these areas: health sciences;environmental and agriculturalsciences; education; and law, witha focus on human rights and theenvironment. With the resourcescurrently available, CUG cannotbegin these programs before2006.

CUG also is beginningresearch and study projects infour areas that address communi-ty concerns and public policyissues while inviting internationalpartners. Eventually these willcome within the competency of afaculty. They include the follow-ing areas: migration studies(focus on Ghanaians in diaspora);water as a universal public good(focus on policy issues); goodgovernance and conflict resolu-tion (focus on training personneldirectly involved in conflict situa-tions); public health/AIDS(focus on effectiveness of AIDSeducation programs).

Ghana, given the Jesuit reputa-tion in higher education, it wasthought that a Jesuit might helpin setting the foundations of theCatholic University project.

Two other questionsemerged in the personnel dis-cernment. Could a Jesuit con-tribute something of an Ignatianvision to the university? Andwould I be up to the task?Presently Jesuits in Ghana arefew: two young Ghanaian priestsand three New York Jesuits, withseveral Ghanaian Jesuits in forma-

tion and completing higher stud-ies. Ghana was a new geographicalarea for me, after working in east-ern and southern Africa. With awarm welcome from the universi-ty planning committees and thestrong endorsement from theJesuits of the region and of supe-riors, I took the position of presi-dent/vice-chancellor of theCatholic University, and in earlyJune 2002 arrived in Ghana totake up this new work.

An Assessment of a FirstYear

One year later, it has beena rich experience, includ-ing a mix of frustrations

and unexpected delays. TheGhanaians are welcoming andwarm hearted, the Church isvibrant, with many dedicated andprofessionally qualified priests andreligious and an impressive bodyof lay leaders, men and women.

The Ministry of Educationgranted accreditation to theCatholic University in December

One Jesuit’s Journey inHigher Education

My interest in Africa goesback to my days as agraduate student at

Cornell, doing dissertation stud-ies on labor migration patterns inSouthwest Uganda and teachingat Makerere University inKampala (1970-73). Over thenext 28 years, I would spendmuch time living and workingthroughout Africa

In October 2001, Fr. BobGrimm, S.J., then OregonProvincial, wrote and askedif I would consider a posi-tion in Ghana. TheGhanaian Catholic Bishops’Conference had requestedthe Jesuits of the Ghana-Nigeria Region and NewYork Province to assist themin getting the CatholicUniversity underway. Fr.Ken Gavin, S.J., then NewYork Provincial, had circu-lated this request amongthe U.S. provincials. Myresponse to Frs. Grimm andGavin was a short question: “Butwhy a non-Ghanaian?”

Catholic University ofGhana

After much soul searchingand discernment withsuperiors and compan-

ions, it seemed the “magis” lay inthis direction. Why? TheGhanaian Bishops had set forth avery positive vision of the contri-bution that a Catholic Universitywould make to the Church andthe nation. A growing number ofprivate universities, most with areligious affiliation, were beingestablished in Ghana. TheCatholic Church there has a longtradition of education – some 40percent of secondary school stu-dents are in Catholic schools andmany prominent lay people aregraduates.

It seemed important that theChurch also be present in the ter-tiary education sector. Althoughthere were not many Jesuits in

Higher Education in Africa REV. MICHAEL SCHULTHEIS, S.J.

Fr. Schultheis (ORE, OregonProvince) is the president of theCatholic University of Ghana.continued on page 16

The Ghanaian Bishops had set forth

a very positive vision of the

contribution that a Catholic

University would make to the

Church and the nation.

“The progress of brothers and

sisters in Africa is our progress;

their sufferings are our sufferings;

their missed opportunities are our

missed opportunities; and their

joys bring joy to all of us.”


“New Wine, New Wineskins: A Call toSolidarity with Africa



My presence here enablesCUG to develop ties with Jesuituniversities in Europe as well asNorth and South America andwith other Jesuits involved inhigher education in Africa.Several Jesuit universities in theStates have sent books for theuniversity’s small but growinglibrary, and several AmericanJesuits have advised us on curric-ula and course development. TheAssociation of Jesuit Collegesand Universities (AJCU)Network is also helping to plan aprogram on distance education.Because Ghana has many profes-sionally trained men and womenwho are qualified to teach at theuniversity level, we do not needprofessors from outside, exceptin the area of computer science.The AJCU is circulating ourneeds for next year, and someuniversities are helping to identi-fy qualified personnel.

A Concluding Note: “Comeand See”

Let me conclude on thisnote: if any of you are pass-ing through or flying over

west Africa, “come and see,” or asthe Ghanaians say Akwaaba orwelcome. ✧

an ongoing building programand each year add to the infra-structure and facilities required.With the natural growth inenrollment, UCG will need facili-ties sufficient to accommodate500 students when the fifth aca-demic year begins in August2006. Only then can we expandthe enrollment in the establishedfaculties and begin new ones.

Where will the money comefrom? The strategy is to build asustainable funding base that canraise most of the target of $1 mil-lion from within Ghana, mainlyfrom Catholic communities butfrom other “friends” as well. Atthe same time, we are developingties with Ghanaians abroad – anestimated one million Ghanaianslive and work outside of the WestAfrican region. Our objective isto engage them to support theuniversity; they in turn areencouraging CUG to think ofdeveloping a center on migrationand ethnic studies. This would bethe first of its kind in Ghana,linking us to the black Catholiccommunity in the USA andenabling the development ofprograms with Jesuit universitiesand others, such as the CatholicUniversity of America.

Plans for the University’sFuture

Presently the university isusing the facilities of theSunyani Diocese Pastoral

Center, but traditional authoritiesand the late Bishop of theDiocese have obtained 4,000acres of land for the university.Building plans are much scaleddown from the initial vision. Thedevelopment office hopes to raisethe equivalent of U.S. $1 milliona year for the next 10 years,allowing CUG to continue with

Higher Education in Africa

Chaplain and students after Mass.

Members of the Board of Trustees.


“Solidarity demands that wemake our own the hopes andaspirations, the struggles andthe sufferings of all peoples.Christian faith and hopecreate within us the capacityto hear and to respond to thehuman cries for freedom, love,truth, and justice. It is withthe eyes of faith that werecognize the bonds of loveand a common humanity withthe peoples of Africa,especially the poor.”


“New Wine, New Wineskins: ACall to Solidarity with Africa”

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A Call to Solidarity with Africa

Bishops Call for RenewedAttention to Africa

“The urgency of our attention to the Church andthe peoples of Africa is prompted by twoconflicting convictions: hope and concern. Wewrite in hope, recognizing the history, strength,spirituality, courage, and capacity of the Churchand peoples of Africa. We write with deepconcern, witnessing the proliferation of armedconflict, a deterioration in health care andeducation infrastructures, the weakening ofsocial and community structures, and anincreasing spread of disease and other threats tothe lives of our African brothers and sisters. Ourfear is that Africa’s hopes could be destroyed byindifference and inaction in Africa and aroundthe world. For these reasons, we raise our voicesand echo the plea made by the Holy See at theU.N. Millennium Summit, “that Africa be givenspecial attention, and that efforts be made whichare really capable of meeting its needs.”

From A Call to Solidarity with Africa. A Statement of the U.S.Catholic Bishops.


Corporate responsibility.Catholics managing U.S.and multinational corpora-tions bear a special responsi-bility in the exercise of theirprofessional obligations,particularly where the activi-ties of their corporationsmight exacerbate conflict,corruption, human rightsabuse, and environmentaldegradation in Africa.


In December 2001, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a seminal documenton the Church’s responsibility to its sisters and brothers in Africa. Coming on the heels of theSeptember 11th terrorist attacks in the United States, “A Call to Solidarity with Africa” did notreceive the attention it so richly deserved. Although the world’s attention continues to focus on theUnited States and its war on terror, the USCCB has committed itself anew to the search for peace,justice and reconciliation on the continent of Africa and for its people, with whom all Catholicsstand in solidarity.

The Catholic Task Force on Africa has published a helpful resourceguide to accompany the Bishops’ Statement. Social justice groups atparishes, high school and universities will want to refer to “Walkingwith the Peoples of Africa,” available online athttp://afjn.cua.edu/news/ctfa-packet.cfm.

“The critical challenges and enormous potential facing Africa today serve as the oppor-tunity for -- and test of -- our mutual solidarity. Our response to this vocation of soli-darity with the Church and peoples of Africa enables us to express love “in deed andin truth” (1 Jn 3:18, italics added), a love that creates no borders and sets no limits towhat might be accomplished together in Christ.”


http://afjn.cua.edu/news/ctfa-packet.cfm


I’ve had the opportunity tolive on this beautiful continentfor a long time. I began in Zaire,now the Democratic Republic ofCongo, where I worked for 20years in pastoral ministry andwhere I also taught theology andphilosophy in seminaries andother religious institutes. I havenow worked for nine years withthe Jesuit Refugee Service, initial-ly in the Great Lakes region(Burundi, the two Congos,Rwanda) and presently in JRS’new West Africa region (IvoryCoast, Guinea and Liberia).

men, its women, and the valueswhich are a firm part of their lives.Africa’s greatness is in seeing lifeprosper even in the midst of warsand massacres. Africa’s sense ofwelcome for the stranger, its expe-rience of solidarity and sharing,the importance it places on “beingwith” in order to “be better,” andthe profound sense of the tran-scendent which enlivens its peo-ples – these are the living valueswhich call out to the cultures ofthe North in their absorption withwhat is convenient and their intox-ication with materialism.

Africa is the second largestcontinent in the world. Itoccupies almost a quarter

of the world’s land mass. It is alsosecond in terms of population:700 million people who live in 50countries where 3000 ethnicgroups speak a thousand differentlanguages. Africa is very rich, evenmore than the beauty of its coun-trysides. It possesses immensepockets of oil, vast deposits of pre-cious materials: gold and dia-monds and huge reserves ofstrategic minerals like cobalt. ButAfrica’s genuine wealth are its

JRS in Africa: To Accompany, Serve and Advocate

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organization whose mission it is to accompany, serve and defend therights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. JRS undertakes services at national and regional levels with the support of aninternational office in Rome. Founded in November 1980 as a work of the Society of Jesus, JRS was officially registered on March 19,2000 at the Vatican State as a foundation.

JRS programmes are found in over 50 countries, providing assistance to refugees in refugee camps, to people displaced within theirown country, to asylum seekers in cities and those held in detention. The main areas of work are in the field of Education, Advocacy,Emergency Assistance, Health and Nutrition, Income Generating Activities and Social Services. In total, more than 376,000 individualsare direct beneficiaries of JRS projects.

Over 500 workers contribute to the work of JRS, the majority of whom work on a voluntary basis, including about 100 Jesuits(priests, brothers and scholastics), 85 religious from other congregations and more than 300 lay people. These figures do not includethe large number of refugees recruited to take part in the programs as teachers, health workers and others.

JRS is also very much concerned with Advocacy and Human Rights work. This involves ensuring that refugees are afforded their fullrights while in exile and during repatriation as guaranteed by the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and workingto strengthen the protection afforded to Internally Displaced people (IDPs). Our work extends to lobbying for and promoting greaterinternational protection and human rights legislation, either through participation in international campaigns and coalitions orthrough membership of international fora such as the UN Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC).

JRS also contributes to refugee research at the University of Oxford and the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. At Oxford, thePedro Arrupe Tutor oversees research undertaken in the name of JRS as well as facilitating the formation of personnel at JRS. At theInstitute of Human Rights at the University of Deusto, JRS and the Loyola, Spain, Jesuit Province are joint sponsors of the newlyestablished Pedro Arrupe Tutorship. The main tasks of the Tutorship include conducting research, teaching and consultancyconcerning refugees and forced migration for church agencies, other non-governmental organizations and for governments.

Visit www.jesref.org for more information.

JRS in Africa: To Accompany, Serveand AdvocateREV. MATEO AGUIRRE, S.J.

TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH BY REV. MICHAEL VJECHA, S.J.

To accompany, To serve,

To advocate

Fr. Aguirre (ACE, Central AfricaProvince) is the JRS regional director

for West Africa.


http://www.jesref.org

one else is present, and to dowhatever will benefit the greatestnumber. However, if we couldchoose, we would prefer to call ourwork “human” rather than“humanitarian”: education and theaccompaniment of vulnerable per-sons such as the elderly, widows,orphans, the handicapped and

chronically ill. We place a verygreat importance on accompa-niment of such persons, a“being-with.” We think thatthe quality of our projects can-not be measured by theamount of millions spent or bythe tons of goods distributed.Rather, we look at the qualityof our relationships, of the “I-thou,” with the refugees, wher-ever they come from, whatevertheir religion or social status.

What Fr. Arrupe left in the1980s as a seed has today

become a body, simple, thoughactive and effective, present in allplaces where refugees and thosewho have been internally displacedby war and serious human rightsviolations carry their cross. JRS ispresent in 57 countries with aninternational office based in Romewhich covers 10 regions: two eachin Asia and Europe, one each forNorth and Central America, andfour for Africa.

As we have pointed out above,it is this continent and its great dra-mas which have pushed the inter-national office to involve itself morestrongly here. The East Africaregion is based in Nairobi, Kenya,

This is the context in whichthe work of the Jesuit RefugeeService in Africa unfolds. Butwhat is JRS? What is its mission?What are the principles whichguide it? JRS was created in 1980by Fr. Arrupe, the former SuperiorGeneral, in order to help relievethe drama of Vietnamese “boat

people” who were fleeing war. Inits option for a preferential love ofthe poor, the Society of Jesus andits Superior General regardedrefugees to be the “poorest of thepoor” and they desired to placethemselves alongside refugees andaccompany them. This mission ofservice is thus to accompany,serve, and advocate for refugees.

JRS has no one particular taskas do other non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) which mayspecialize in health or nutrition.For us, it is a matter, without anypretension, to collaborate withother agencies in doing what isnot being done, to be where no

Despite so much wealth,Africa is rarely the source of goodnews. The tacit complicitybetween crooked African politi-cians, greedy for power andmoney, and the large financialconcerns, greedy to exploit areaswith natural resources, havethrown many Africans into fratri-cidal wars where the truestakeholders – besides the oneswith noble sentiments con-cerning the definition of theirown identity and group mem-bership – are the importantgeopolitical and financial inter-ests, who are in no waystrangers to either the U.S. orto Europe.

The face of Africa thusappears more deformed to ustoday than ever. We havereached the point where it hasbecome, under the influenceof some of the media who havebeen partial and biased, a syn-onym for genocide, massacre, andpoor governance. At the presenttime, there are over 10 millionrefugees and more than 20 mil-lion internally displaced personsin the world. Over three millionrefugees and many more dis-placed persons are found inAfrica. War and severe humanrights violations in larger coun-tries such as Sudan and DRC, andcivil war in smaller countries likeBurundi and Liberia, are a never-ending source of exodus for mil-lions of people who live in thehardest of circumstances.


Africa’s genuine wealth are its

men, its women, and the values

which are a firm part of their

lives. Africa’s greatness is in

seeing life prosper even in the

midst of wars and massacres.

Africa hosts more than 3.5million refugees—nearly 30percent of the world’stotal—and approximately 50percent of the world’s 25million internally displacedpersons. Primarily because oflong-lasting conflicts, mil-lions of refugees have fledunrest in their respectivehomelands, only to face anunstable and meager exis-tence in insecure refugeecamps. Because of a lack ofresources and political willfrom the international com-munity, many refugees, forwhom resettlement is theonly durable solution, lan-guish in camps for years.

- A Call to Solidarity withAfrica: A Statement of the U.S.Catholic Bishops

A group of displaced in Khartoum, Sudan

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Côte d’Ivoire

It is clear that the situation inCôte d’Ivoire also calls to us.We have done site visits in the

occupied towns of Man andBouaké, where we are going tobegin very shortly– if we find thenecessary funding – a food distri-bution project, two mobile med-ical clinics, and an educationproject on HIV/AIDS, an afflic-tion which has profited from thedisequilibrium created by thewar, extending its grip on youngpeople.

Liberia

But it is also clear that ourattention is drawn todaytoward Liberia, a country

wounded from many long yearsof civil war. Last March JRSbegan an education project withthe construction of schools incamps for the displaced sur-rounding Monrovia. The eventswhich began in June and whichprovoked the departure of CharlesTaylor forced us to evacuate our staff.At the time of this writing, we lived ina suspended state, waiting for theRegional Director along with theDirector of the Monrovia Project, Mr.Alberto Saccavini, an Italian vol-unteer, to return to Monrovia tomake contact with the new situa-tion, to undertake a new discern-ment, and to become involvedagain alongside our humiliatedbrothers and sisters. A team oftwo Jesuits (an Indian and anAmerican) and two other priestshas since returned to Monrovia.

In all of this, we undergo avery singular experience, onewhich is bitter and sweet at thesame time. In the refugee camps,on the one hand, we experiencemuch inhumanity as we walkalongside men and women whosedignity has been marred by mal-ice and human hatred. On theother hand, we experience a veryprofound humanity. We see it inrefugees who struggle relentlesslyagainst this inhumanity. We seethat life is stronger than death.We have an experience of solidar-ity with men and women of goodwill from the entire world, whowith their support and theirprayer make our work and ourwitness possible. Our thanksgoes out to everyone who offersus this great gift to be instru-ments of the compassion of theLord. ✧

the reconstruction of their socialand economic lives as well, withvarious projects of solidarity anddevelopment. Guinea has alwaysbeen a land of welcome. After hav-ing sheltered some 400,000refugees from Sierra Leone andLiberia for over a decade, today thecountry once again serves as a landof exile for nearly 200,000Liberians who have recently foundrefuge in the forest.

At the camp of Laine, about 45miles from N’zérékoré, five JRSstaff accompany 25,000 Liberianrefugees. The team – whose meanage is 34 years – includes three reli-gious women (from Spain, Guineaand India), a young Jesuit in for-mation (from Republic of Congo),and a young volunteer (fromFrance). These five are responsiblefor the very important serviceswhich are organized at the requestof the refugees themselves. Wehave a center for professional capac-ity-building for women, with proj-ects making soap, dye and clothing,a bakery, and a literacy program,and for youth, with projects inmasonry, carpentry and computers.We also accompany refugees at acenter for vulnerable persons withcourses in braille, in signing , and inphysical rehabilitation for thosewith handicaps. In addition, we areresponsible for cultural activities forthe camp, including the organiza-tion of music and dance groups,theater presentations and sportsactivities.

and is the largest. Their officecoordinates some 20 projects inEthiopia, Sudan, Uganda,Tanzania and Kenya. The office inBujumbura, Burundi, is the head-quarters for the Great Lakes regionand coordinates 15 projects inBurundi, the two Congos(Kinshasa and Brazzaville) andRwanda. From Harare,Zimbabwe, the Southern Africaregion coordinates 20 JRS projectsin Angola, Zambia, Namibia,Malawi, Zimbabwe, and SouthAfrica.

West Africa: Newest JRSRegion

N’zérékoré, the capital ofthe Guinean rain forest,provides a base for offices

in the West Africa region, theyoungest JRS region in the world.Although JRS had been present inLiberia since 1992, it only began toplant definitive roots there in 2001.The first projects in the 1990s wereorganized directly by the interna-tional office. Today, we are a newregion in the process of growing.JRS West Africa now has two largeprojects in Guinea (Conakry) help-ing with the resettlement of inter-nally displaced Guineans. Initiallywe helped people return to theirvillages and distributed a variety offood supplies. Today we collabo-rate with them in the reconstruc-tion of their living environmentand we plan to work with them in


Choir for JRS Refugee Day in Addis Adaba, Ethiopia.

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hopes of the part of the popula-tion which had not been in powerfor many years. He was assassinat-ed, and this act immediately pro-voked terrible ethnic violence.Hundreds of thousands of peopleleft to seek refuge in Tanzania, aswell as in Zaire (now, DemocraticRepublic of Congo) and Rwanda.A civil war erupted in the countrywhich has still not ended to thisday. The categories “displaced”or “regrouped persons” definethe social condition of the major-ity of the poor population. Thereare widows, orphans, street chil-dren, the unemployed; armedpeople commit terrorist acts andbloody fighting. No one, any-where, can feel beyond the con-flict. Why this burden of violenceand these victims of violence?There are many reasons. We areneither sociologists nor politicalscientists, who could list themwith nuance and accuracy. Whatwe must first take into accountare those who are suffering anddo as the Good Samaritan woulddo.

Rwanda

In Rwanda, war broke out in1990 between the govern-ment then in power and a

group of people who had longbeen in exile and wanted toreturn to the country.Mediations, compromises andplans had been worked on labori-ously. Then, in 1994, thePresident of the Republic wasassassinated. The plane bringinghim back from a meeting inTanzania was attacked shortlybefore landing in the capital,Kigali. What followed was a tidalwave of violence, a genocide.Hundreds of thousands werekilled, simply because of theirbelonging to an ethnic or politi-cal group. The entire countryfound itself cast onto the roads toexile in Tanzania, Zaire (DRC),

atively independent developmentand periods of intermingling. Atthe very least, the following isnotable: the two countries havethe same cultural roots, the samelanguage, the same social life andthe same traditional economic lifewhether through cattle-raising orfarming. Both countries are pop-ulated by the same three ethnicgroups: Hutu, Tutsi and Twa.They live all mixed together onthe hills, in the same villages, andin the same city neighborhoods.

The reality is that all of thesemen, women and children – all ofwhom struggle for life on a landtoo small to produce all the foodneeded – make up two nationsthat have organized themselves aswell as can be expected, despitehaving not overcome all of theconstraints of their huge growthand of their entrance into a civi-lization of school, city and the“democratic” state. These arepeoples who listened to Christianmissionaries and who became dis-ciples of Jesus Christ, very rapidlyand in great numbers. Catholicsare an absolute majority in bothcountries. Many others belong tovarious Protestant churches.There are small numbers ofMuslims, as well as a certainnumber of families who remainattached to religious roots whichare now called “traditional.”

You ask about the violence?The two countries have a historyfilled with violence. It is impossi-ble here to recount all the“chains” of violence of the lasthalf century. However, it is usefulto recall the upheavals of 1993and 1994 in Burundi andRwanda, with their long trains ofsuffering and longings for peace.

Burundi

In Burundi, an arduous evolu-tionary process toward a pop-ularly-elected government

culminated in the election of apresident in 1993 who bore the

When God graced mewith the call to becomea member of the Society

of Jesus, I had no idea of the socialupheavals within which I wouldbecome a “companion of Jesus,”nor did I have a sense of whatwould catalyze my future apostolicwork as a Jesuit priest. Today,after 28 years of Jesuit life and 15years as a priest, I find myselfplunged into the fire of a cruciblewhere I am unable to assess theevangelical value of what we aredoing. Nevertheless, my brotherscall out to me: tell us what you areliving; tell us what moves you; tellus what preoccupies the hearts ofJesuits, of Christians, in these twotiny countries nestled in the centerof Africa; tell us if you expect any-thing from Jesuit and ecclesial soli-darity. And so, I will try to tell yousomething about this.

I am Rwandan. As a Jesuit, Iam at the service of the peoples oftwo countries, Burundi andRwanda. These two small geo-graphical entities are very littleknown by the world. Small insquare mileage, yet heavily popu-lated, they carry no economic,political, cultural or scientificweight. However, placed in themedia’s glare, these two countrieshave been viewed for nearly 50years as hotbeds of violence.There have been assassinations,massacres, terrorism and civilwars. In Europe, when the word“genocide” is used, many peopleimmediately attach the adjective“Rwandan.” In the West, whenjournalists wish to explain thereasons for such a loathsome his-tory, they speak of ethnic rivalriesand affix the adjectives “Hutu”and “Tutsi” to all the stages inthe spiral of violence, without anysense that they themselves are“doing violence” to the humanrealities of our peoples.

Burundi and Rwanda arecomposed of human groups whohave lived through periods of rel-

Spiritual Reflection on Solidarity in Rwanda and Burundi

A Spiritual Reflection on Solidarityin Rwanda and BurundiREV. TITE MUTEMANGANDO, S.J.

TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH BY FR. MICHAEL VJECHA, S.J., AND FR. STEPHEN YAVORSKY, S.J.


Fr. Mutemangando (RWB,Rwanda-Burundi Region) is regional

superior of Rwanda-Burundi.


Self-education andinvolvement in publicadvocacy. Individuals andgroups are actively engagedwith the Church in Africa inthe promotion of humanrights, debt relief, increaseddevelopment assistance,demobilization of child sol-diers, promotion of peace introubled regions, and pro-tection of the environment.




universal Society of Jesus gave usthis new breath which we neededthrough the Jesuit RefugeeService (JRS). Jesuits haveworked in refugee camps inBurundi, Tanzania, DRC andRwanda. Today, a Jesuit commu-nity in Burundi coordinates proj-ects there involving theresettlement of displaced persons,the accompaniment of peoplewith HIV/AIDS and the wel-coming of students who had beenexiled. In Rwanda, Jesuits work intwo camps for Congoleserefugees, one at Kibuye, the otherin Byumba. Just after the geno-cide, our Region opened thedoors of the former novitiate inCyangugu to 225 non-accompa-nied children. With the help ofreligious and lay people, theJesuits of the Region helped themgrow in humanness and strove toentrust them to families. We thenturned our efforts toward the pro-fessional formation of joblessyouth, which continues at theMizero Educational Center(mizero means “hope”).

The acts of the GoodSamaritan are never finished.The poor are always there,though often hidden. One can-not just “pass them by.” Andthen there is the great misery ofAIDS, which clearly affects ourRegion. Little by little we arebecoming more open, thanks tothe help of the African JesuitAIDS Network (AJAN) (see Fr.Michael Czerny’s article in theonline In All Things). Our mostconcrete work is the AIDS proj-ect of JRS Bujumbura. But weare awakening and are awarethat we have much more tolearn.

Thus we had to engage inthe work of discernment. Wehad several solid works: HolySpirit High School and a retreathouse in Bujumbura; andCentre Christus in Kigali.Should we continue “asbefore”? The Jesuits of theRegion sought to discern ourprimary mission through vari-ous workshops of social andapostolic reading. The Spirit ledus on a specific road: “be onebody and become artisans ofreconciliation.” The GoodSamaritan must continue to“see and have mercy” uponthose who are lying down intheir sufferings. But there isalso the “master of the vine-yard” who must assemble all hisworkers – with the risk of sur-facing their jealousies, recrimi-

The Society of Jesus inBurundi and Rwanda is a very tinypart of the Church. Some 15Jesuits are active in Burundi. Thereare a similar number in Rwanda, towhich we can add the novices, andabout 20 scholastics are in forma-tion in other countries. Each onehas endured experiences of vio-lence. Each one has had to mournmembers of his family. Each onebears an interior fragility, a heartafraid, a heart divided. No one cansay “I wasn’t there,” nor even, “Itdidn’t affect me.”

Challenges

Three fellow Jesuits wereassassinated in Kigali in1994 in one of the rooms of

Centre Christus, our retreat house:Fathers Mahame, Rutagambwaand Gahizi. Their Jesuit brothershastily buried their bodies in theearth while shots of gunfire wereexchanged nearby. In 2001, severalJesuits in Burundi were shot at withautomatic weapons while drivingalong the road; one of them wasvery seriously wounded. Othersoften trembled in houses being rid-dled with bullets, or while beingconfronted by violently angryyouth. Many hold in their memorythe death of a parent, the circum-stances, the persons responsible.How not to remember? How notto be afraid? Not to make distinc-tions? Not to take sides? How topray? To do good works? To love?

The challenge for all Christiansand, yes, for all Jesuits, is clear:How can we be witnesses of JesusChrist in the midst of violence andall of its monstrous consequences?

First we had to face up towhat was most urgent: truly tobecome Good Samaritans. The

and Burundi: a humanitarian catas-trophe impossible to imagine if youhad not lived through it; if you hadnot had to crouch, numbed withfear, in the precarious hiding placeof a ceiling; if you had not walkedhundreds of miles on foot amidstdestitute crowds; if you had not hadto replay day after day the memoryof the loss of parents, of brothers, ofsisters, of friends, of colleagues.

Later, the exiled, by hundredsof thousands, were forced to returnto their country. And little by little anew society has been born, with aburgeoning of towns (with theirgreater anonymity); the creation of“regroupment” neighborhoods(umudugudu), orphanages andwidows “settlements”; and theoverpopulation of prisons (withnearly 120,000 inmates). The newleaders are imposing calm. They arealso bringing the war beyond theborders against groups of formermilitary personnel living in exile.And they are arousing new enmitieswith their African neighbors. Incontrast to Burundi, Rwandatoday is a place where you can goabout without fear of a terroristattack. But widows and orphanssearch for a means to live; prison-ers await judicial procedureswhich might give them a future;street children abound; the peas-ants are poor; and the pandemicof HIV/AIDS gnaws at society inits own obscure way.

Why, you ask, have so manymiseries piled up? We leave it tocompetent persons to define thestructural evils which have pro-voked these catastrophes andwhich continue to erode a socialedifice so painstakingly put backinto place. Let us look, rather, atthe six million men and women inRwanda and Burundi who suffer.


Training group of displaced women in Ethipoia.



Diocesan and parish twin-ning. Dioceses and parisheshave found twinning to bean enriching experience ofcommunion with othermembers of the Body ofChrist and a means of deep-ening bonds of solidaritywith a Church in need.


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new paths step by step. TheApostolic Plan for the regionstill retains the following state-ment:

Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach,S.J., superior general of theSociety of Jesus, wrote the fol-lowing after having visited theRegion in 2001:

In only a short time, theAfrican continent has beenrocked by the pandemic ofHIV/AIDS. We Jesuits have feltthat the Lord is asking us to findnew ways of being GoodSamaritans.

I have at times wondered: ifGod has given us a “mission” toproclaim the Gospel in themidst of so many upheavals andendless woes, perhaps it isbecause He has a design whichgoes beyond our borders. Whatthen, I wonder, have I done tohelp these small “lights” whichHe has so recently kindled inBurundi and in Rwanda to shinetheir light a bit into the dis-tance, onto our brothers and sis-ters in Peru, in Timor, in Bosniaor elsewhere?

We seek to find the ways, themeans and the help of others totake care of so many of ourbrothers and sisters who arewithout help. Whether it be tocontinue developing ministriesof reconciliation, or whether itbe to engage in new efforts torespond to the call of the Gospelsuch as we experience withHIV/AIDS, this small kernel ofJesuits in the Rwanda-BurundiRegion knows that we can counton solidarity from Africa andfrom the world. We are com-pletely aware that we too mustparticipate in this solidarity. ✧

guided by the Spirit in a reformof life without passing throughthe crucible of reconciliationwith God and without referringto the model of all renewedChristian life, Jesus Christ.

Discernment is underway.God is at work. In every way,spiritual ministries are drawingthe Jesuits of the Region intonew commitments. Let us cite,for example, sacramental min-istry among prisoners. When aJesuit goes for the first time intoa prison of 7,000 men consid-ered to be “genocidaires,” hecannot repress a terrible feelingof unease and fear. “What did Icome here for?” Then it is theprisoners themselves who makehim sense that they need hissacramental ministry, forEucharist, for penance, for hear-ing the Word. And behold, thusbegins an unexpected work ofreconciliation with God, prepar-ing hearts for numerous recon-ciliations in society.

Challenges, at times, cancross borders. Jesuits fromRwanda, Burundi and DRCwere once members of the sameJesuit province (Central Africa).A single novitiate formed all ofthe young Jesuits of our threecountries and was located inRwanda. But then, the tidalwave of violence in Burundi, inRwanda, and then in DRCended in “cutting off communi-cation.” We had to create twoseparate Jesuit jurisdictions, onefor DRC and one for Rwandaand Burundi. We had to livewith the consequences of thepolitical situation. All the mediareported that Rwanda andBurundi had invaded DRC. WeJesuits were no longer able tovisit each other. Today, I believethat we Jesuits have a duty towork for the reconciliation ofour three countries.

Let us also note the organiz-ing of meetings of mutualacceptance and reconciliation inBurundi for priests, religiousand laity to become more fullyaware of the profound feelingsthat divide us, to acknowledgeour own responsibility, to allowthe light of the Gospel to shineon these areas, and then to seektogether for “what we can do asChristians” so that “life togeth-er” may move forward in lightof the communal banquet of theKingdom of God.

And what about the future?The Jesuit Region of Rwanda-Burundi will continue to mark

nations, and refusals to befound together – and who mustbe good “as the heavenlyFather, whose sun shines on thegood and the wicked.”

An immense task, onealmost impossible to handle. Wehave a task that begins in com-munity: to be witnesses ofcommunion; to know how todraw regularly from the foun-tain of the sacrament of recon-ciliation; to bear each other’shardships both in deed and on adaily basis; to pray for innerhealing, despite our abundantweaknesses in words, judgmentsand relationships. This witnessby our communities may not bemanifested by outstandingdeeds nor be measurable insociological terms. We “will”that it exists, and we “walk” dayby day on this road.

Apostolic Works

An immense task is inapostolic commitments.Our high school in

Bujumbura, with its 900 stu-dents, has never made granddeclarations, but the educationalteam has not stopped looking forways to build up a “reconciledcommunity” by being welcom-ing and friendly, by helping oneanother as well as those outside.When a whole class of studentsand their professor get out of aminibus on a “hill at risk” inorder to be at the side of aschoolmate who has just lost hismother, the peasants exclaim,“What is this? You, you’rehere?” And when the choralechooses new members or goes torender some service outside theschool, the adults are amazed:there are no distinctions, no bar-riers. This is our task: to grow inhumanity, to deepen commun-ion, to build a reconciled com-munity day after day. Along thesame lines, the Mizero Center ofCyangugu is a service of recon-ciliation. Fr. Martin, its director,said one day: “You make speech-es about reconciliation; we, here,do the work of reconciliationevery day, without words.”

A retreat house like CentreChristus is open to all. Christianscome there in great numbers.Admittedly, the Jesuit team hasnot yet come up with a written“project” of spiritual exerciseswhich show beyond any possibledoubt the priority given to theviewpoint of reconciliation. Butit is impossible to let oneself be


“In the present context of ourRegion, the apostolate ofreconciliation as a struggle againstethnocentrism must be thedistinctive form of our uniquemission to proclaim the Gospel thatdoes justice in dialogue with ourculture.” (n° 41)

“I earnestly invite you to beartisans of peace in yourRegion, to be persons whocultivate peace. You can laborto build peace and justice in allof your apostolic works.”

Visit www.inallthings.orgfor more information,including a special Fall2003 Online Supplementwith the following stories:

Zambuko House: A Bridgeto the FutureAN INTERVIEW WITH BR.CANISIUS CHISHIRI, S.J. BYFR. NIGEL JOHNSON, S.J.

African Jesuit AIDSNetwork (AJAN)REV. MICHAEL CZERNY, S.J.

Silveira HouseREV. DAVID HAROLD-BARRY,S.J.

JCTR – A “HouseholdName” In ZambiaREV. PETER HENRIOT, S.J.

Youth AIDS Project inZimbabweGIBSON MUNYORO, S.J.

The Jesuit Refugee Service:Guarding Dignity, LivesBR. STEPHEN POWER, S.J.

The Serenity Center: AJourney to New LifeREV. TONY WACH, S.J.




BOOKS

ContentsAN OVERVIEWService and Solidarity: The Society of Jesus in Africa

REV. MICHAEL J. VJECHA, S.J.A description of works and ministries on the continent of Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1

Challenges for Jesuit Mission in AfricaREV. MICHAEL J. VJECHA, S.J.Social, economic and political factors that impact our work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5

The Joy of an African Ordination Liturgy REV. JACQUES MUTIKWELE MUNGWONO, S.J.Recollection of a newly ordained African Jesuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8

The Church and Society in Eastern Africa: Hopes and Challenges REV. FRATERN MASSAWE, S.J.Perspectives of an African provincial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 10

THE GIFT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: A LOOK AT FORMATION INTHE UNITED STATES AND KENYA

An Exchange of Lives and Ideas in Berkeley REV. GREGORY I. CARLSON, S.J.American, African Jesuits study, pray together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 11

Hekima College: Faith, Justice, FormationREV. EUGÈNE GOUSSIKINDEY, S.J. Preparing men for ministry in Kenya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 13

Higher Education in AfricaREV. MICHAEL SCHULTHEIS, S.J.The ministry of a Catholic university . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 15

JRS in Africa: To Accompany, Serve and AdvocateREV. MATEO AGUIRRE, S.J.A mutual relationship in Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18

A Spiritual Reflection on Solidarity in Rwanda and Burundi REV. TITE MUTEMANGANDO, S.J.An African Jesuit prays for spiritual solidarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 21

Map of Africa and Jesuit Apostolates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Centerfold

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5WEB RESOURCES

■ Bottom of the Barrel. Africa’s Oil Boom and the PoorIan Gary and Terry Lynn Karl. (Baltimore: Catholic Relief Services, 2003). The perilsand opportunities of the African oil boom. Recommendations to governments, oilcompanies, the World Bank and IMF.

■ King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in ColonialAfrica.Adam Hochschild. (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998). A history ofKing Leopold II of Belgium and the colonial plundering of Congo and of those whoprotested.

■ Towards an African Narrative Theology.Joseph Healey, MM, and Donald Sybertz, MM. (Nairobi, Kenya: PaulinesPublications Africa/Daughters of St. Paul).

■ The Shadow of the Sun.Ryszard Kapuscinski. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001). Poland’s most celebratedforeign correspondent provides a rich memoir of his 40-year love affair with theAfrican continent and its peoples. A rich, literary journey.

■ The Lost Empire: The Story of the Jesuits in Ethiopia 1555 – 1634.Philip Caraman. (London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985). A history of a lesser-knownmissionary effort by the early Society of Jesus and its ultimate failure.

■ When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocidein Rwanda.Mahmood Mamdani. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001). One ofAfrica’s best-known intellectuals explores the historical, geographical, and intellec-tual forces which made the Rwandan genocide possible.

■ This Our Exile. A Spiritual Journey with the Refugees of East Africa.James Martin, S.J. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1999). Spiritual writing, reportage,travel narrative, humor and recent history.

Africa Faith and Justice Networkhttp://afjn.cua.edu/The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) strives to bea meaningful voice for Africa in U.S. public policy. AFJNworks closely with Catholic missionary congregations andnumerous Africa-focused coalitions of all persuasions toadvocate for U.S. economic and political policies that willbenefit Africa's poor majority, facilitate an end to armedconflict, establish equitable trade and investment withAfrica and promote ecologically sound development.

Catholic Relief Serviceshttp://www.catholicrelief.org/Catholic Relief Services was founded to assist the poorand disadvantaged outside the country. CRS providesdirect aid to the poor, and involves people in their owndevelopment, helping them to realize their potential.

Maryknollhttp://www.maryknoll.orgSince 1911, Catholics in the United States have respond-ed to the worldwide cry of the poor by becomingMaryknoll Missioners. Some work in war zones withrefugees, others minister to the sick, the elderly, orphansor people with AIDS. Through lives of service, Maryknollerstranslate the gospel of love into different languages andin different cultures.

USCCB Statement “A Call to Solidarity with Africa.”November 14, 2001http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/africa.htm “This call to solidarity with Africa extends well beyond thewitness of the Church. Most recently, it has beenexpressed through an increased awareness among, andinvolvement of, the world community in the search to pro-mote development and foster peace with and among thepeoples and nations of Africa...”



http://afjn.cua.edu/

http://www.catholicrelief.org/

http://www.maryknoll.org

http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/africa.htm

service and solidarity: the society of jesus in africa · visit our web site fall 2003 • in all...

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