Bread Cast Upon the Waters

“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Eccl  11: 1 (KJV)

St. Dominic's Church, Yaba, Nigeria
From the website for the Dominican Order of Preachers

Last Trinity Sunday, our Parish celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the ordination of our Parochial Vicar, Fr. Ignatius Madumere, a former Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph the Worker, in Nigeria.   It was a joyous occasion, and as the procession of Dominican priests and other celebrants left the Sanctuary,  my wife whispered in my ear “Bread Cast upon the waters”.

This was my thought also, an insight from 15 years in which priests from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Viet-Nam and India had filled the vocation gap in our Diocese. The bread cast by missionaries—Jesuits, Dominicans, Apostles of Jesus, Fransalians—who carried the Word to far countries has returned, multiplied into many loaves. And even more valuable than the priestly functions they carry out, is the invigorating spirit they bring to worship and liturgy.

I’m going to focus on the Dominicans from Nigeria and Ghana, and, rather than giving a ledger account of the many pastoral roles filled by these missionaries to our diocese, I’d like to tell how they have enriched my own Catholic spirituality. Before doing so, I want to issue a disclaimer. These priests from Africa are from a different culture from ours—not worse, and in fact, better suited for their missionary role. Their attitude to the world and to God seems to be one of overflowing joy, one in which each person is their true neighbor, the neighbor Jesus talks about. Their learning, which is considerable, is conveyed not to show their knowledge, but to illuminate the lesson of the day. I also want to emphasize that these missionaries have different personalities—some are quiet and shy, some are extroverted and full of fun, some are leaders, cardinals in the making.

Since my talents as a writer are limited, I’m going to let two videos convey what I would like to say.    This one is of Fr. Ignatius—“Fr. Happy”—welcoming the congregation.   How full of joy his welcome is!    The other is of the homily given by Fr. Pius, a former student of Fr. Ignatius.  He had two things to say in this homily: 1) “God is Love”; 2) how a joy-filled young priest (the alter servers called him “Fr. Happy”) had come to his village and led him to enter the Dominican Order and become a priest.  (Note: Fr. Pius is the pastor of a parish about 20 miles from mine—it serves a university community and he is also a Chaplain for a nearby state supported facility for the mentally impaired.)

If, as some would say, the Church in the West is withered, then our hope is from the seeds planted in Africa and Asia, the new, vital growth.