Dear Family, Servites and Friends,
It’s been a funny sort of a day but interesting. I started at our holiday resort of St. Lucia where I had Mass for about 20 people, all white and mostly visitors to our World Heritage Site. I then moved on to a completely different scene at KwaMsane Township. There the congregation was all Zulu and about 500. Besides the usual Mass we had infant Baptisms and after Mass a Christmas party for our pensioners. Most of the children were born in 2010 and none of their parents are married. I interviewed the parents yesterday and some of their stories are sad and some hopeful. Getting married here is complicated and very expensive. The “oldies” all got Christmas gifts and were served a scrumptious lunch after Mass. They were delighted and were made to feel very special. Before Mass I said to one of the parish ladies: “So you’re having a Christmas party for the oldies!” “Yes” she said, “and you are one of them.” That put me in my place – I also got a gift!
Since you last heard from me, Fr. Thulani Ntsele’s mother, Gabriela died and was buried on 16th. Oct. It was a massive funeral with a huge turnout of the Catholic Women’s sodalities all dressed in their purple uniforms. Since his mother died in Swaziland, transporting a body from one country to another in this part of the world involves you in a lot of bureaucracy. To make a long story short, the funeral was scheduled for the 16th of October but the paperwork would not be completed until the following Monday. What to do? Mountain people are nothing but resourceful. Through the good services of a member of the Swazi Royal Family, an agreement was made with the police and the army to allow the body to be carried up the mountain. Teams of four strong men carried the body up the sheer mountain on a pallet. At the top women waited with the coffin and she was then escorted home. Fr Thulani showed great courage in preaching at his mother’s funeral. He began by waving his handkerchief saying: “I’ll be using this during my homily.”
A source of great joy to the faithful of our little “diocese” was the announcement of the ordination of our two deacons Vukani Phoseka (Ingwavuma) and Mandla Msweli (Ubombo) on the 16th December at Good Shepherd Mission, Hlabisa. Vukani spent his pastoral year as a deacon with us here at Mtubatuba.
To highlight the theme of November, our St. Monica’s association (widows and widowers) held their commemorative Mass here at Mtuba on Saturday 13th. November. Some 45 attended and had a “bring and share” repast in the parish hall after Mass. Never saw so many happy widows!
Finally, we are in the middle of the mango season. We have five very fruitful trees here and about four more at our new house. This year’s crop is the most abundant since I came here to Mtubatuba in 1999. Already in August when we were in the depths of drought the trees were already showing great promise. I asked my Afrikaner friend, Koos, “How come the promise of such an abundant crop in the middle of a drought.” “Ag, Father” he said, “you see nature compensates.”
As many of you endure the economic droughts afflicting the European and American continents, we hope that the Lord of nature will compensate and grant you a peace, joyful and happy Christmas and New Year.
Love and God bless,
Padraig/Mel
