April 26, 2016
Holy Moses,
again, more than a month has gone by. Winter is now beginning to show its
fangs. For you, not much, but once you get used to the semi-tropical climate of
Durban, 50C is like freezing.
Let’s look
back. Holy Week. Pope Francis took a page out of my book. I have been washing
women’s feet on Holy Thursday as long as I can remember. But this year there
was a slight twist. Because I have been babying my bad left knee, I asked the
altar servers to put a chair in the middle and the basin, water and towel, also
in the middle, so as one came in from the left and got his/her feet washed, the
next would come from the right, and I would remain in the middle so I wouldn’t
bugger up my knee. I didn’t move from one to one, they moved. Inovation. But we
got the job done and it was my pleasure to be able to get down off my high
horse and show a bit of humility.
One of our
inhabitants of the old folk’s home, Fr. Simon, Dutch, 85 yrs. old died
peacefully after a long illness (he was on oxygen 34/7 for many months). May he
finally rest in peace.
I contacted several builders and
architects regarding what we can build if we have no money. They are very
helpful, but, I don’t think they understand. Ha! We want to build a temporary
church as strong and as cheap as possible, and we have very little to work
with. We keep praying. We would probably need about US$20,000 and it is a joke
to think that we are actually able to raise that with our poor poor people. The
Bishop and the parish priest keep looking the other way. I think that most
bishops are willing to give permission but say just don’t ask me for money as I
have my own problems. That’s life.
I continue to have Mass every morning at
the hospital since the chaplain still hasn’t arrived. It’s about two months
now. I am leaving for my home leave on the 22nd of May, and they
will have to find someone else of go on a Communion diet, the sisters, that is
and the few patients who receive communion.
I did a lot of grass cutting and bush
clearing (the bush is intruding on our property, not respecting the fact that
it is climbing well over our fence. Lots of thorns so I have to wear gloves.
Keeps me out of mischief.
I have had several School children’s
masses and I enjoy being with the youngsters. I hope to be talking to the
seniors in a week or so , outside of Mass, and I want to challenge them to use
their talents to build and not destroy. We have been having student
demonstrations where violence breaks out and buildings get set on fire. They
don’t want to pay for their university education. They think is should be free.
It is true that many really are gifted but can’t come anywhere near affording
to pay the fees. But burning buildings (even a library and a clinic) is not
helping the cause. It is much like the Wild West syndrome in the States. Have
gun and will travel. Shoot and ask questions later.
Several people have been coming regularly
for help. I was beginning to get the feeling that they thought I was a mobile
ATM machine and eventually had to say, no, maybe next month. Hard to do but
once the dependency germ has taken root, the next thing is a symbiotic
relationship. Some of the needs are genuine and you have to kind of smell
things out a bit. When they do get help (when I think it is genuine and have
some help to give ) the tell me thanks.
I tell them that I will tell those who made the help available thanks in their
name since I don’t have the money myself. “The poor you will always have with
you.” Why?
One of the priest that was in the hospital
that I was bringing communion to passed away and I was at his funeral. But I
had an appointment with my travel agent to pick up my tickets. I asked her to
delay the pickup for at least an hour. I sat near the door. The funeral service
was supposed to start at 9am. It was about 90F already. I had my shorts on
under the alb and was still sweating. We finally started at about 20 past 9. At
10:15 the bishop started his homily (sermon…he usually talks for between 30 and
45 minutes) and I did some calculating and figured that this would go on till
at least 12 noon. So at 10:30, I slipped out the side door and had to fight to
get out of the parking but managed to keep my appointment at a bit past 11am.
When I came back shortly after 12 noon, they were still in church, but were
just beginning to come out. I can’t take these long services any more. I get
locked into a sitting position and it takes a while to get unlocked.
We then had another funeral the next week
for Fr. Henry, 83 yrs. old. A good friend of the late Fr. Simon. A huge funeral as he was a very beloved man
and really was a brother to all people. He loved music, has a good sense of
humor, was always ready to help anyone any time. We will miss him terribly.
In between I managed to get my grand
niece, Katrina, on the phone and that picked up my spirits again. She is
battling to find work. She has a couple of vague offers and is waiting for the
results of her interviews. I miss her. It was the first time that I had a
member of the family with whom to share life with for a whole year. It was
great while it lasted. The kids at the orphanage really loved her too.
I have been trying to get permission from
the Prison dept. to come to say Mass, hear confessions, and do some spiritual
counseling for the Catholic inmates. I filled out sheaves of paper, got my
fingerprints put in the system (I discovered that I really am not a criminal.
The fingerprints are not connected to any of my escapades). But when all the
papers were filled in and all the “I’s dotted and “t’s” crossed, the prison
chaplain said the cut off point was 70yrs.
ha. Why didn’t he tell me that 4 months ago when, after a face to face,
we started this process. I will still
cajole him till he gives in. I can still walk and talk and don’t need a wheel
chair, although that shouldn’t be a problem in this day and age when
considering the “ physically challenged.” We shall see.
Lots of other things but let’s move on to
now. I am back in Mthatha ( I brought Fr. Macarius along. He is about 97% blind
and gets bored sitting the whole day in the old folk’s home. Some people can’t
pronounce his name so that call him Fr. Macaroni. So? ) We left MD (Mater
Dolorosa, the name of the old folk’s home…. Bad name) on Sunday the 24th
after a Mass at my outstation Savannah Park. We got the news that another one
of our brother there at MD who has been trying to die for months now (cancer,
progressive, constant pain, reached the highest limits of pain killers and then
nothing else could be done) and finally succeeded in persuading the lord to
give him the final call. We left the
house that morning about 7:30 and he died about noon or so. God was merciful to
him. Here we have been visiting our old mission at Landsend where Macarius
built a school to get the kids off the street and is still loved and remember
by the people there. We also visited Fr. Guy’s boys and had supper with them on
Monday evening. They are very good cooks. After the meal, to pay or respects to
the ancestors, we called on Jack (as in Daniels) for a bit of help. It was a
nice evening and good to catch up on who was now doing what. We are going back
tomorrow for a formal board meeting (BOM… board of management) to plan the way
forward.
We intended to also attend a CMM meeting
on Thursday and return home on Friday but because we got the news that Br.
Adrian will be buried on Friday, we decided to leave on Thurs. to be at home
when they bury our dear brother with whom we shared the last months of his
painful life. We will accompany him on his final journey.
As I said, there is lots more but let this
suffice as a quick update.
I leave for my
home leave on the 22nd of May, as I said, and I have already packed
my suitcase and carry on so that in case there is any need, I can leave at the
drop of a hat.
I have tried to fine tune my leave so that
all on what day and at what time we can meet and share life a bit. I will include it here. Don’t laugh. If I
don’t let people know a year ahead of time, when I get there I find that they
are in Beijing or Rio or something and then I won’t see them for 8 yrs. Too
much long for me. Love and Peace, Cas.
Here is the schedule, more or less .
November 14, 2015—Finalized
itinerary for Home leave 2016
(As you can see from this
itinerary, I am very relational. Relationships are precious to me. I am sorry
if I have damaged or strained our relationship in anyway and ask your
forgiveness and a chance to make up for whatever it was. You may think that I
am mad to undertake such an itinerary, but the truth is that it is you and your
love and support that have kept me and continue to keep me alive in my spirit
and able to continue to be of service to God’s people. May God bless you for
your enduring friendship over many, many years. )
(You are in here somewhere!)
*May 22—leave Durban for
London
May 23—arrive London, stay
till 28th stay with Boykie and
Pat and Family til
*May
28—Lv. London for Charlotte via Chicago
May 28—Arrive Charlotte and
Greensboro
June 1—lv. For Ocean City
June 3,4,5—D.C.
June 5-6—Warrenton
June 7 Vern & Mary Sue
June 8, Shepherdstown,
W.Va Larry Goodwin
June 9-10, Shillington PA CPS
sisters
June 11,12,13—NYC Nino,
Catrina
June 14, Pat & Jim Francek
, Hungtinton, CT, on to Sherbrooke, Que.
(cmm)15,—Sherbrooke,
June 16-—Ottawa—Ken &
Cheryl, OMI, Alec Campbell (overnight)
June 17---Whitby (Sylvia
Skrepichuk)
June 18---Supper Nicholas’
June 19---evening at Terry
McCann (back with him in the morning)
, 20, 21—, Toronto
June 22—Youngstown NY, (late
afternoon) to Retreat Center—supper with them and Ivan and Nimo
June 23 Woodstock, Ont. On to
Detroit till July 1
June 25—Bullock family
reunion—Chris and Chuck
26 June—Thanksgiving Mass, St.
Bernard Sem. Friends and family, coffee and donuts—9am
July 2—Hirmers—Lake
Michigan on to Milwaukee
July 2,3,4,5,—Milwaukee
July -6-12 —Chicago
July 12—fly Chicago (Midway)
to Denver overnight (visit two families)
July 13—fly---Denver ---
Burbank—(Los Angeles)
July 14-19— Los Angeles and
Santa Barbara
July 20-. Fly---Burbank to
Oakland--
July 20-25 San Francisco,
Berkeley, Livermore
July 25—fly Oakland CA to
Chicago (Midway)
July 26—Northern Indiana
July 27—Indpls.
July 28—North Vernon
July 30 Evansville (Bishop
Gettelfinger—classmate retired)
July 31—St. Meinrad—class
reunion
Aug. 4—New Albany
(Gettelfinger family)
Aug. 5—Louisville—Lou Harpenau
(classmate)
Aug. 6—Sue and Scott
Aug.7—Luisa KY. (Sr. Pat
Cataldi, CPS)
Aug. 8—Atlanta
Aug. 10—Aiken, SC
Aug 12—back to Greensboro
*Aug.
14—Charlotte to Joburg.
Ar. Joburg-Aug. 16 (contact Basil to leave
baggage with them for that week in Zambia)
(Dep. For Lusaka-Aug. 17 Lv.
Lusaka-Aug. 24 to Joburg—stay in Joburg till the 31st of Aug. )
*Aug. 31-Joburg to Dbn.
