This month, we have enjoyed promoting chess practice in two of our missions in Turkana. We want to help develop the skills of this game to positively impact the children’s academic level and the teachers’ work.

Thanks to Colombian friends and other benefactors of the Kokuselei mission, we have been able to inaugurate 3 chess clubs in Todonyang, Riokomor, and Kokuselei. And to celebrate the First Chess Tournament at the Don Bosco Center in Kokuselei with amazing results and a very good experience for all.

Members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle and Mary Mother of the Church, have recently started a presence in the Eparchy of Endibir. Located 4 hours southwest of Addis Ababa, a place inhabited by people from the Gurage community, and where there is a big number of Ethiopian Catholics, who follow the Ethiopian eastern rite.

On 16th April 2023, hundreds of catholics, young and old, gathered at Holy Trinity Church, in the village of Dakuna, to celebrate Easter Sunday. During the feast, people celebrated the resurrection of the Lord as well as breaking from the 55 days fasting from animal and dairy products.

Apart from its unique mix of fascinating history, deep-rooted identity, incredible natural wonders and rare wildlife, Ethiopia is well known of maintaining the use of its own calendar which is very similar to the Julian calendar. Most of the Christians in the world celebrated Easter Sunday a week earlier, following the Gregorian calendar.  However, things were different in Ethiopia. Their Easter followed one week later.

Prior to Easter, many Christians commit themselves to extended periods of both personal and communal prayers. This is done with the sole purpose of growing closer to God and to remember Jesus’ life and death.

On Easter Vigil, all Christians of Dakuna had their candles lit to express their faith. Then drums came. And then, the joy of the Risen Lord illuminated the face of all the faithful who were gathered at Holy Trinity Church.

Following the Ethiopian tradition, most people invite their family and friends for a common meal on Easter Sunday. And of course they cannot miss the presence of traditional dishes like injera, dorowot, kitfo and kocho, which altogether give a sweet fragrance to the celebration.

By Lydiah Obok.

La Pascua estuvo llena de vida en la iglesia de Mombo, parroquia de Benga, Malawi. Los cristianos cantaban con alegría que “Ha resucitado”. “Ya no está en la tumba”! Luego tuvimos 37 bautismos que incluyeron confirmaciones. Fue emotivo ver a una pareja de ancianos recibir los sacramentos. Sus débiles rodillas me recordaron nuestra fe floja. Pero con la alegría que vibraba en la iglesia abarrotada, nuestra fe se elevó y los sacramentos dieron a esta pareja de ancianos una esperanza renovada. Que la luz pascual nos fortalezca en nuestra fe débil.

P. Steven Ochieng

MCSPA

A day like today just 8 years ago, we blessed the Kakuta mission. It was the first Catholic mission in Ethiopia’s Nyangatom land.

From the year 2011 to 2013, Father David and I were often traveling to Nyangatom from Lokitaung, Turkana.

We usually came and went. Our stays were short and lasted as long as our drinking water and food lasted.

The year 2014 was when we would finally “burn our ships” and we would no longer turn back. After being camped for a few months in the compound of the government’s dispensary in Kakuta, and from where all our belongings were stolen in August, on November 24th we moved our large tents while they were set up, between 6 people, almost like a Holy Week processional image, from the dispensary to the mission.

After the blessing of the compound according to the Catholic rite, the elders blessed us in the Nyangatom style. We ate goat and drank the traditional epun (coffee husk infusion).

Today the Kakuta mission houses the St John XXIII – Ekisil mother and child center, where 50 preschool children learn hygiene habits, eat breakfast and lunch, in addition to receiving a quality education!

These last eight years have flown by. At the same time, it gives us the feeling of having already lived several lives here: both good and bad times! Always being grateful, with the firm hope that it was a mission from God, trusting in Jesus Christ, who from the first moment “guided our steps along the path of La Paz”.

Alakara lowoi!

Angel Valdivia MCSPA

Since last Friday we hosted 200 young soccer players from Ave Maria parish, Catholic Diocese of Tombura- Yambio, in South Sudan.

We had workshops on how to play soccer as a team without fighting or hurting each other, team building and friendship.
Players came from the following villages; Tombura, Nabanga, Akpa, Dingimo, Mozungu, Bambú, Sabamile, Ave Maria, Bariguna, Hia Matará, Rii Yubu, Bariguna. In most of these towns there were massacres last year, and now through sports we are trying to help young people reconcile and learn to live together peacefully.

Thank you the deputy Commissioner of Tombura, the Paramount chief and the Sultan for building bridges for peace.

Let’s embrace peace wherever we go and this time football for peace one of the ways of reconciliation.

Lillian – MCSPA

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