Yes, this is has been for a long time since I have done something with my blog. The reason is that very often I have been working with face book. Most of the communication has been done in it. Now in the last two days or so, something has happened and I thought that it would be kept in blog.
On last Thursday, that on Monty Thursday I left Aliwal North. Since I came from India I have been staying there. Just two days before father provincial came to me and said that in two days we will leave for De Aar. So I have prepared everything for leaving the house. On Thursday morning around 9 we left our house. But on the way only father told me that we will not be going to the bishop’s house, rather we will be staying in the Holy tridium in a parish and then only on Sunday we will go to the Bishop’s house. This particular place is known as Colesburg. Here there is an SCJ community and around it there are two parishes which are given to the care of SCJ. The parish priest is from Poland and he was painting one of the church’s roofs. He fall down from the roof and broke his leg and both hands. That had happened in last August and now he is getting better. He is in Aliwal North at present and having some exercise to make him walk more perfectly. So we came on Thursday to this community. This is rather a small house. There is the room of that particular priest’s room, which is closed. And then there is room attached to the garage. So I decided to stay in that room. Fr. Provincial is with me. So he cooks for us. But also there are people who send us food. Before he became provincial he was parish priest and so he knows all the people here. Here there are some Portuguese families who are very close to us. So they bring food for us now and then.
This SCJ house is very historical one, because one of the priests who were staying here was murdered in this house. He was an English Man, and he was a diocesan priest. He was priest in the diocese of East London here in SA, later he came to know about diocese of De Aar, and joined with the diocese. Then Bishop of the diocese was from USA and he was happy to have him. This priest was assigned in this parish. Then he was killed by a man. He stole the car and left the house. But the surprise is that people come to know about the death only after three days, because of the smell. The man was caught with the car after some days, but he denied that he killed that priest. So none knows for what that priest was killed. May he rest in the peace of the Lord.
On Monty Thursday, we had service in one parish only. We reached there around 4.45 and some people came for confession and it was over by .5.30, the mass was suppose to be at 5. Suddenly the Altar boys and girls came and said, father we don’t have wine and bread. Because fr. Colin (director of the retreat house) was coming for services and he was bringing and he has the key of the Tabernacle also. So I had to come to our house and take host and wine. As we begin our service after 6, there were some 70 people. When it was time to wash the feet, father announced the people elected for washing of the feet, please come forward. There were only 5 people, one man and four ladies. I was asked to wash the feet. While I wash the feet, there came one more lady. So total of 6 disciples to wash the feet. The whole celebration was in Xhosa. But I read the Gospel in English. Then I gave a short reflection about the day and its importance. Everything was over by 7.15 or something like that.
Good Friday
We had some time in the house, to clean and arrange things in the house. Because after the priest met with accident, none was staying in the house. Then around 11, we went to the St. Francis, parish and then we arranged things for the day’s celebration. After coming to the house, we had lunch with fish curry, because some Portuguese family had send it for us. Around 2.15, we left the house. Because, we had decided to have celebrations in both the parishes. So I came to the parish called parish of ST. Peter. It was from this church’s roof that father had fallen down. It is a small and beautiful parish. In the time of apartheid, the people in the parishes were divided according to the color. So one is of the black and the other is of the white. When we started the celebration I think there were only some 30 people were there. They say that this “crowd” because it is Good Friday. Here what I want to keep in mind is that, the whole of the passion narrative I read in Afrikaans. After the celebration people said that they could understand that it was in Afrikaans. .after the celebration, one of the ladies came and gave a bottle of grapes juice. So around 4.30, one of the drop me in the house. And at 5.15 or so, father came home. We decided to make a walk. The place is very beautiful with mountains and beautiful roads and good traffic systems. I think this is cooler than in Aliwal North. As we make our walk, there comes a car, two girls come with dinner for us. Again fish and noodles rice and vegetables. After the dinner we sit at 7 to watch the news. As we watch the news, father fall asleep and I said, good night and came to my room. In my room there is no light, I have only a candle and so I just light it to arrange my bed and I lay on it. May be this is the first time I go to bed so early. I lay there and turn one to another side and slept.
On Holy Saturday the services are at evening 7 again in two different places. The thing that surprised me most was the number of people who attended the Easter Vigil Celebrations. There were only 12 people. Out of 12, it was four kids and then two youth and the six of them either parents or some elderly people. What a surprise for me. Last year I was at my home parish we had some 500 to 700 people for celebration and here we have only 12. Jesus what is this!!!!!
So I have more free time to type these things and when I get an internet connection I can post them in the blog. So HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL.
On the Easter day, we had Eucharistic celebration at 9 in the morning. It was good, because there were around some 30 people. After the Eucharistic celebration Mrs. Handly brought me back to our house. She is actually born and brought up in the Protestant faith. But she loves to come to the Catholic Church. She says, she cannot miss the celebrations of the Catholic. Because this has an official person and things and set up, and not like any other churches or tradition. It was good to hear her. Then we prepare ourselves to move to De Aar. Yes, it is a long journey for me. It is something like 120 kilometers from Colesburg to De Aar. It is really boring journey. Because once you are out of the town, it is simply empty land with a special kind of bush. It is really hot, because there is no shadow on the road side. Its long and long empty roads. At last by 1 in the noon I came to the bishop’s house in De Aar.
On last Thursday, that on Monty Thursday I left Aliwal North. Since I came from India I have been staying there. Just two days before father provincial came to me and said that in two days we will leave for De Aar. So I have prepared everything for leaving the house. On Thursday morning around 9 we left our house. But on the way only father told me that we will not be going to the bishop’s house, rather we will be staying in the Holy tridium in a parish and then only on Sunday we will go to the Bishop’s house. This particular place is known as Colesburg. Here there is an SCJ community and around it there are two parishes which are given to the care of SCJ. The parish priest is from Poland and he was painting one of the church’s roofs. He fall down from the roof and broke his leg and both hands. That had happened in last August and now he is getting better. He is in Aliwal North at present and having some exercise to make him walk more perfectly. So we came on Thursday to this community. This is rather a small house. There is the room of that particular priest’s room, which is closed. And then there is room attached to the garage. So I decided to stay in that room. Fr. Provincial is with me. So he cooks for us. But also there are people who send us food. Before he became provincial he was parish priest and so he knows all the people here. Here there are some Portuguese families who are very close to us. So they bring food for us now and then.
This SCJ house is very historical one, because one of the priests who were staying here was murdered in this house. He was an English Man, and he was a diocesan priest. He was priest in the diocese of East London here in SA, later he came to know about diocese of De Aar, and joined with the diocese. Then Bishop of the diocese was from USA and he was happy to have him. This priest was assigned in this parish. Then he was killed by a man. He stole the car and left the house. But the surprise is that people come to know about the death only after three days, because of the smell. The man was caught with the car after some days, but he denied that he killed that priest. So none knows for what that priest was killed. May he rest in the peace of the Lord.
On Monty Thursday, we had service in one parish only. We reached there around 4.45 and some people came for confession and it was over by .5.30, the mass was suppose to be at 5. Suddenly the Altar boys and girls came and said, father we don’t have wine and bread. Because fr. Colin (director of the retreat house) was coming for services and he was bringing and he has the key of the Tabernacle also. So I had to come to our house and take host and wine. As we begin our service after 6, there were some 70 people. When it was time to wash the feet, father announced the people elected for washing of the feet, please come forward. There were only 5 people, one man and four ladies. I was asked to wash the feet. While I wash the feet, there came one more lady. So total of 6 disciples to wash the feet. The whole celebration was in Xhosa. But I read the Gospel in English. Then I gave a short reflection about the day and its importance. Everything was over by 7.15 or something like that.
Good Friday
We had some time in the house, to clean and arrange things in the house. Because after the priest met with accident, none was staying in the house. Then around 11, we went to the St. Francis, parish and then we arranged things for the day’s celebration. After coming to the house, we had lunch with fish curry, because some Portuguese family had send it for us. Around 2.15, we left the house. Because, we had decided to have celebrations in both the parishes. So I came to the parish called parish of ST. Peter. It was from this church’s roof that father had fallen down. It is a small and beautiful parish. In the time of apartheid, the people in the parishes were divided according to the color. So one is of the black and the other is of the white. When we started the celebration I think there were only some 30 people were there. They say that this “crowd” because it is Good Friday. Here what I want to keep in mind is that, the whole of the passion narrative I read in Afrikaans. After the celebration people said that they could understand that it was in Afrikaans. .after the celebration, one of the ladies came and gave a bottle of grapes juice. So around 4.30, one of the drop me in the house. And at 5.15 or so, father came home. We decided to make a walk. The place is very beautiful with mountains and beautiful roads and good traffic systems. I think this is cooler than in Aliwal North. As we make our walk, there comes a car, two girls come with dinner for us. Again fish and noodles rice and vegetables. After the dinner we sit at 7 to watch the news. As we watch the news, father fall asleep and I said, good night and came to my room. In my room there is no light, I have only a candle and so I just light it to arrange my bed and I lay on it. May be this is the first time I go to bed so early. I lay there and turn one to another side and slept.
On Holy Saturday the services are at evening 7 again in two different places. The thing that surprised me most was the number of people who attended the Easter Vigil Celebrations. There were only 12 people. Out of 12, it was four kids and then two youth and the six of them either parents or some elderly people. What a surprise for me. Last year I was at my home parish we had some 500 to 700 people for celebration and here we have only 12. Jesus what is this!!!!!
So I have more free time to type these things and when I get an internet connection I can post them in the blog. So HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL.
On the Easter day, we had Eucharistic celebration at 9 in the morning. It was good, because there were around some 30 people. After the Eucharistic celebration Mrs. Handly brought me back to our house. She is actually born and brought up in the Protestant faith. But she loves to come to the Catholic Church. She says, she cannot miss the celebrations of the Catholic. Because this has an official person and things and set up, and not like any other churches or tradition. It was good to hear her. Then we prepare ourselves to move to De Aar. Yes, it is a long journey for me. It is something like 120 kilometers from Colesburg to De Aar. It is really boring journey. Because once you are out of the town, it is simply empty land with a special kind of bush. It is really hot, because there is no shadow on the road side. Its long and long empty roads. At last by 1 in the noon I came to the bishop’s house in De Aar.
2 comments:
Sanil, thanks for writing about your experiences. Sounds very challenging!! All the best
the main challenge for the time is the weather.......... yesterday it was minus two. today it is just two degree. from the tropical climate of Kerala to here, the change is very much and distrubs me a lot.
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