austraLasia #2994
A story that needs to be told, Insha Allah!
KHARTOUM: 20 January 2012 -- Perhaps there's a little story in recent days that might just get entirely overlooked on the wider scene, especially in our Region where the Casket or Statue of Don Bosco has already passed through. What does one do when one State refuses landing permission for the Casket at the last moment? As far as we know, it has only happened once - a few days ago. Here is the story, pieced together from various sources.
The Don Bosco Casket was due in Khartoum on 16 January, and what's more it was on its way from Kigali, Rwanda. The Salesians in Khartoum had been working at all the correct permissions as well as preparation in 13 parishes throughout Khartoum, since October last year. But on 16 January, 2 hours before takeoff from Kigali, word came through to the pilot that his landing permission had been revoked for Khartoum. The problem was that the Government of Sudan got cold feet, if such a thing is possible in such a hot climate, at the last moment - or was it just the airport authorities?. Fortunately the newly-proclaimed State of South Sudan was already willing to accept the Casket, and those accompanying the flight had all the due written permissions with them, so the flight simply went to Juba, where Don Bosco was unloaded a week before he was due to arrive! The Casket was taken to the Don Bosco Gumbo compound in Juba and looked after by the three member groups of the Salesian Family living there - SDB, FMA and CSJ (the newly arrived Caritas Sisters from our Region).
And where did this leave our good Salesians in Khartoum and surrounding districts? Initially disconcerted no doubt but, as St Paul put it in 2 Corinthians or thereabouts, (in parpahrased form, if I may), "knocked down but still have some life in us". Or in the words of our correspondent: "Having known the situation in the country, the committee had an alternative plan for the visit of the Relic of Don Bosco. We decided that, if in case we did not get the Relic, we would keep only the holy Eucharistic celebration in the Parish and in the Cathedral. We also decided to use the statue of Don Boso and the relic of Don Bosco available in our community, for public veneration". .. and bingo.....! That solved that!
The enthusiasm has been no less in Khartoum than anywhere else in Africa so far - and has the added touch to it of 'We beat 'em!' And the reaction of the 10 or so parishes which missed out? "The parish priests of the places where the relic of Don Bosco should have gone informed us that the people started to flock to the places for veneration and receive the blessings of Don Bosco. The parish priests conducted simple prayer services and gave them the blessings, in order not to disappoint them. One member of the faithful said that she hoped that 'Don Bosco will come to Sudan one day,' another said, that he 'believes, the Don Bosco relic may not be here at this moment, but Don Bosco's Spirit is fully present here among us'." Our correspondent in Khartoum continues on a sombre note:
"At this moment both Sudan and South Sudan are facing many problems, especially lack of security. People (priests included) have disappeared in Khartoum, the Sudan generally, and many people have been killed in tribal clashes and cattle raids in the South Sudan. April 8th is the final day for southerners still living in the North. What is next? God only knows.
Trusting in God we live our daily life.."
Let's keep our Salesian Family in this area very much in our prayers. There is more than one member or former member of our own EAO Region working there. We need to let them know we are with them at this difficult time.
A story that needs to be told, Insha Allah!
The Don Bosco Casket was due in Khartoum on 16 January, and what's more it was on its way from Kigali, Rwanda. The Salesians in Khartoum had been working at all the correct permissions as well as preparation in 13 parishes throughout Khartoum, since October last year. But on 16 January, 2 hours before takeoff from Kigali, word came through to the pilot that his landing permission had been revoked for Khartoum. The problem was that the Government of Sudan got cold feet, if such a thing is possible in such a hot climate, at the last moment - or was it just the airport authorities?. Fortunately the newly-proclaimed State of South Sudan was already willing to accept the Casket, and those accompanying the flight had all the due written permissions with them, so the flight simply went to Juba, where Don Bosco was unloaded a week before he was due to arrive! The Casket was taken to the Don Bosco Gumbo compound in Juba and looked after by the three member groups of the Salesian Family living there - SDB, FMA and CSJ (the newly arrived Caritas Sisters from our Region).
And where did this leave our good Salesians in Khartoum and surrounding districts? Initially disconcerted no doubt but, as St Paul put it in 2 Corinthians or thereabouts, (in parpahrased form, if I may), "knocked down but still have some life in us". Or in the words of our correspondent: "Having known the situation in the country, the committee had an alternative plan for the visit of the Relic of Don Bosco. We decided that, if in case we did not get the Relic, we would keep only the holy Eucharistic celebration in the Parish and in the Cathedral. We also decided to use the statue of Don Boso and the relic of Don Bosco available in our community, for public veneration". .. and bingo.....! That solved that!
The enthusiasm has been no less in Khartoum than anywhere else in Africa so far - and has the added touch to it of 'We beat 'em!' And the reaction of the 10 or so parishes which missed out? "The parish priests of the places where the relic of Don Bosco should have gone informed us that the people started to flock to the places for veneration and receive the blessings of Don Bosco. The parish priests conducted simple prayer services and gave them the blessings, in order not to disappoint them. One member of the faithful said that she hoped that 'Don Bosco will come to Sudan one day,' another said, that he 'believes, the Don Bosco relic may not be here at this moment, but Don Bosco's Spirit is fully present here among us'." Our correspondent in Khartoum continues on a sombre note:
"At this moment both Sudan and South Sudan are facing many problems, especially lack of security. People (priests included) have disappeared in Khartoum, the Sudan generally, and many people have been killed in tribal clashes and cattle raids in the South Sudan. April 8th is the final day for southerners still living in the North. What is next? God only knows.
Trusting in God we live our daily life.."
Let's keep our Salesian Family in this area very much in our prayers. There is more than one member or former member of our own EAO Region working there. We need to let them know we are with them at this difficult time.
