August 7, 2014

I think that I had better put something in this blog before I procrastinate some more.

Our two retired bishops, Bucher and Lobinger, returned from their home leave in Germany on the 29^th of July and brought new life to our house. Table talk has been scarce while they were away but has come back with them here now.

     I had another appointment with the dentist and the optometrist. I am sure that God could haeeve done a better job on our teeth.

     I got a bug in my system and worked like crazy on Saturday, Aug. 1, cutting branches from a huge tree that came down to the ground and raked up about two tons of leaves. Slept like a baby that night.

     I celebrated Mass at the hospital on the 3^rd and gave our some handouts for their reflection. (It is only the sisters who are not on duty who can come, about 10 of them).

    Then I visited a lady friend who damaged her foot and has to have it in a big shoe to encourage her a bit. She hates having to just sit there. And another family after that so the day was pretty full.

    On Monday I saw the Ophthalmologist who examined my eyes and he said that the drops are working well as the pressure in bothes was in the normal range, but, because of a cataract forming in the right eye, I don’t drive at night because when the lights from the oncoming cars hit that fogged up lens, it just diffuses the light and I go temporarily blind. We agreed to get that cataract out once I get back from the wedding in Milwaukee in September.

     But, yesterday  was a full, full and happy day. I got my eye drops, bought some broccoli for my special salad, visited a fashion designer in downtown Durban , a friend, and  we  plan to help Sinovuyo, my kid from Landsend who is a self-taught tailor, by her giving him some  training, but that will be in October, I think. She will be off to a fashion show in London in early September.

    Then I went off to Parklands Hospital to visit a young doctor who lost one of her twins when he came out unexpectedly, but the other stayed inside with the placenta so there is hope that, if she can just stay cool and calm, the other can survive and bring her and her husband joy. Her doctor admits that he has never seen this before and she is like a guinea pig as he tries to figure out what to do day by day. It is a learning curve for both of  them.  Then off to another hospital, Shifa, where a friend was supposed to have am amputation of his left  foot. He stepped on a nail back in Mach and it eventually got septic and led to this. However, when I went into his room, he told me that when they wheeled him in for his prepping they found that his leg and foot and toes were all warm so there must be circulation going on. So the doctor said, no amputation. Let’s see how it goes. The removed a vein from one place and put it in his leg and it seems that it is getting a blood supply to the foot. Prayer. It was a happy day. The day before I went to another hospital (R.K.Knan) at the request of a friend. A lady had had a stroke and was partly comatose. I had just come back from the doctor who had put drops in my eyes to dilate the pupils and I just couldn’t read the Zulu words in the ritual I was using so I just put it away and prayed  my own prayers. I hope it was acceptable to the Lord.

     That is the 4^th time now that I have been asked to visit patients in the hospital because most priests are just too busy to be able to take the time unless it is a real emergency. And it helps to keep me out of mischief.

July 24, 2014

Let me just add something quickly. I am sitting in the dark and trying to make sure that I hit the right keys. Last Saturday there was an ordination at the Cathedral here in Mariannhill. The sanctuary was filled with more than 80 priests. I was one of them. The choir, as was expected, was marvelous. The church was packed with standing room outside. But aside from the solemnity of the occasion, I was struck by the fact that of those more than 80 priests, there were only three white faces in that bunch, and, again, I was one of them. At 79 yrs. I am sure that I was the oldest there. However, when I arrived in SA back in 66, at a function like this, there would have been 80 or so priests and they would all have been white, except for one of two black faces. What does that mean? Well, it could mean that we did our job. We came to build the local church and there you have it. So now I don’t have to feel guilty about retyring. What do you think?

Actually it is now July 17the but I can't remember when I last included all this in my blog. Hey, try not to get old. Ha.

 

It is now July 2^nd. Time flies. I think I have to fast forward to June 26th.(Then, if I have a chance, I will fill in before that).

    A funeral. On June 15^th. One of our elderly sisters, Sr. Mary Paule, originally from Idaho, who joined the CPS (Precious Blood Sistrers) way back in the late 40’s, came out to South Africa around “52 and taught at one of our Catholic Schools, Mariazell, from ’55 to ’74. She was a great teacher teaching English. Then she came to Mthatha and got involved in social work and eventually started something like 21 NGO’s mostly for children and battered women. 82 yrs. old this yr. She was busy delivering goodies to Thembalihle Home (for abused children) when she was spotted by a couple of young gangsters who grabbed the keys from her, shoved  her into the back seat and drove off with her and one of them in the back seat and the other speeding off. A gun was pointed at her and she was trying to tell the driver to slow down, frightened to death. As a matter of fact, she tried to get them to stop the car because she felt that she was having a heart attack. They kept going and, yes, she passed away, probably literally frightened to death. They must have damaged the care somehow as they were driving kind of wild and eventually dumped her now dead body, fully clothed as a nun with a white habit, into a ditch with water and went on their way. They had been driving in one direction with the intention to rob some stores but it was Sunday and all the stores were closed and locked tight so they went back to town and were driving around with this now damaged car and were spotted by friends who knew her car and who gave chase after informing the police. The two crashed the car and fled. The others waited for the police to come. When they went into the car, they guys were in such a hurry that they left a cell phone and a gun. The cell phone led the police to their home and eventually to them and their arrest. The will be up for bail on July 4^th.

     I swear that there were about 2000 people at the funeral, representing many NGO’s most of which she had started and supported up till her death. She was…

 

July 16, 2014

     I am so far behind I will never catch up. So much has been happening that It is hard to keep up. I can’t remember the date now but about a month ago, even before the funeral of Sr. Mary Paule, someone rear-ended me and after the police report and the insurance and the panel beaters  the final decision was that the car was a write off. In the meantime, thank goodness, the insurance covered a rent-a-car from Avis so I had some wheels to continue what things I had to do. I was offered R35,000 for the car or I could talk to the panel beaters and ask them to buy the wreck and try to fix it. But then the panel beaters would only offer me R14,000 for the wreck but wanted R27,00 to fix it (however it would be fixed!!!) I took the R35,000 but discovered that there are not many vehicles on the market for that low a price (it would be the equivalent of $3500) So you can imagine. In the meantime I was able to continue my visits to the sick as well as the Sunday commitments. Then I took another trip to Mthatha for several important meetings, one of them being with Fr. Guy and the lawyer, Jerome, about the appeal to the commission in Rome that deals with religious against the unilateral decision, taken without discussion or consultation (as is supposed to be the case according to our constitutions), to down grade our province to a ‘region”, including the appointment of a “ new” provincial and some councilors. What a rotten trick to get rid of Fr.Guy in a back –handed way.  In any case we also had a nice meal with Mike McNamara and Malcolm Grant who have helped us immensely in our Bedford Project. They are now having a huge project in Nigeria and were only here for that week and would be going away again soon and this was their only chance to get Fr.Guy and myself together before Guy heads back to Canada at the beginning of August. It gave me a chance, too, to check into the insurance of Nomonde’s new car to get a better deal, and to bring Nothemba (from Landsend) to town to connect her with our new IT man, one of Guy’s boys, so that she could get her printer fixed and maybe find out how to get on the internet. I also managed to see Sinovuyo who had just come back from Germany and was very happy and could connect him with someone who would help to market his goods (he is a self-made tailor and does beautiful stuff.) On the way back I stopped at the dealer where we got Nomonde’s  car as he had promised a good  used car (now it is euphemistically called “pre-owned”)  but the deal fell through when the guy asked more that I was able to give. To cut a long story short, on the 11^th of July I got a confirmation from a guy I had contacted on the internet to sell his vehicle to me for R35,000. He wanted R38,000 but I said I didn’t have it so he agreed to R35,000. On Sunday, the 13^th,  We clinched the deal and he brought the car (which we had seen and test-driven on Saturday with a friend who knows cars and approved) and left it here. That afternoon I returned the rent-a-car to Avis as it was the last day to use the car—the 30 days were up.

     This week I have been going up the hill to the Augustinian Sisters at Jacob’s Well, a retreat center overlooking a breathtaking view of the valley of a thousand hills each morning for Mass and 9am (not my usual time as you know). On Monday I went to get the roadworthy clearance and they found a few things wrong that needed fixing before I could take it for registering. On Tuesday, I took it to get those things fixed and got the COR as they call it. On Wednesday, today, I go the thing registered—two hours in the queue. Holy Moses. By the time I finally got to the window, I was ready to burst my bladder. Luckily I could rush out with the precious papers and find a tree just in time. Ha. Don’t laugh. You will get your turn one day.

     Then I had to get the new license plates this afternoon and now I am finished. Hooray. Tomorrow another trip up to the sisters and Friday and then Saturday an ordination here at Mariannhill—two of our young men. We have been waiting for them. Sunday I will be at Savannah Park again with the fledgling community so we are back on track. I think that that is enough for now. We have had another wi-fi installed today and at first it was working fine but then it just fell apart and there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. Nothing works now. I am writing this offline and, maybe tomorrow, if we manage to get back on line, I will send it out. So, for now, have a great day. Never a dull moment. Love and Peace, Cas

July 3rd (I don't know where I am at now_

Dear Everyone,                                                                                                                     June 14, 2014

Hey, lots of water over the dam since I last entered something in my blog, way back in May . Let me start with May 14^th . I returned from a very relaxing and informative 12 days in Zibabwe. My car was delivered back to me that night with some improvements.  On the 15^th I got my computer back from Shirley’s son, Peter, again, with some improvements. On the 16^th I collected a bunch of old clothes and off cuts to be taken to Landsend for use by the poor there. I stopped to fill up with petrol in the afternoon (for the trip on the 17^th to Mthatha—about 300 miles or 5 hours driving). When the tank was full and I wanted to pull off, it wouldn’t start. The guys at the petrol station said it was definitely the battery and phoned a battery place to order a battery for only R980 or so. But, unfortunately (for them) he had no transport to deliver. So they scouted around a bit more and tried using the jumper cables to get it started but that didn’t work either. So they said I needed a new starter (changing their tune from battery to starter motor). I asked them to just give me a push and let me get back to the monastery which they did. The car was full up with used clothing and off cuts and, since it wouldn’t start, I parked in on a slight incline because I was determined to head for Mthatha in the morning.

     I arrived in Mthatha , never turning off the engine till I got there and made arrangements with our mechanic to see him on Monday to see if he could fix it. I slept at Bedford that night and kept my fingers crossed that it would start in the morning, which it did. I had Mass with Fr. Guy at Sabelani Sun. morning and visited the sisters at the convent in Mthatha. Car wouldn’t start and I had to get the confreres from Abbot Francis to push it (backwards) and it started easily. I managed to get out to Landsend to leave the old clothes and off cuts there, seeing Nothemba and Sinovuyo. Parked on a hill and needed it to start. Frustrating. 

On Monday, the 19^{th May}, we had our big CMM meeting with the superior general and his councilor where CMM things were discussed, especially the matter of Guy and the bishop. Too much talk and not much else. However, the Superior General had visited the bishop and the bishop sent a message to the SG that he would like to see Guy and his lawyer to meet with himself and his lawyer. This was progress. We had a braii (cook out) and just relaxed a bit and discussed, informally, what had been discussed formally in the meeting. (I had taken the car to the garage before the meeting and it was diagnosed as needing a small part but a part that would not be sold separately from the whole starter motor.There you are.  So he ordered a starter motor and by the time I was leaving on Wednesday, it still wasn’t there so I told him to cancel it and I would take it to a friend in Durban who would have a look at it)

That evening I spent with Guy and the boys at Sabelani (home for boys) and slept there and again on Tuesday night. ON Wed. morning we organized a 7am meeting with Mr. Sachin, the troubleshooter from Eskom (electricity supply) to solve some problems (we have been working on these problems for more than 2 yrs.( and then I headed back to Mariannhill. I stopped on the way to visit a friend whose  arches had collapses on both feet and he couldn’t walk.One had bee repaired earlier but this one needed special surgeryand he had a big boot on his right foot that he would have to wear fro a couple ofmonths.That was on the 21^st. The car continued to start or not start, like Russian roulette. Mostly it started but you had to be wary and prepared.

I slid back into my usual routine for Friday and on Saturday I took Bishop (emeritus) Lobinger to the airport for his home leave trip to Germany. I spent the morning with the friend who specializes in helping Cas, and fixing Opel Astras. He fixed the problem with the starter and when I was ready to go home to fetch the bishop and take him to the airport, ha, it wouldn’t start again. So he had to crawl around under the car till he found what the problem was and  fixed it. I was sweating because we were cutting it rather fine for getting  the bishop to the airport.

On Sunday, the 25^thMay, I took one of the sisters from the hospital to Savannah Park to get her involved with the community and to give them a chance to see a real live, active, young(er) nun. She was then invited to join their choir and since she is the head matron of the hospital, she has her own transport so she is free to drive herself if she wants. We then went to a home for a nice bryani lunch. And then home.

From Monday 26^thMay to Wed. 28^th May, I attended a workshop on Leadership and Ethics at Glenmore Center, a conference center in Durban. I won’t go into details but it was presented by a prof. from Chicago, an Italian American, and he could easily have been a stand up comedian, which made his lectures enjoyable and interesting but, too American. I felt that many of the references that he made (like Saturday Night Live) went over the heads of many of the African participants, and he talked way too fast especially with his American Chicago accent. Otherwise his presentation were lively and excellent. One of the things that came up was that one of the virtues that is often lacking in leaders is humility, being able to admit that they made a mistake.

On the 29^th May, I picked up some copies of the wedding brochure which I had suggested to my cousin’s daughter for the wedding in September in Milwaukee. After that I took one of our students to the prison to visit his brother who is one of 4 or 5 accused of murdering one of our priests at his mission. That was 4 yrs. ago and the trial is still going on. They were supposed to hear their sentences the next week but it was postponed, again, till August. Holy Moses. They have been in jail all this time without being sentenced. What the heck is going on

It is now July 2^nd. Time flies. I think I have to fast forward to June 26th.(Then, if I have a chance, I will fill in before that).

    A funeral. On June 15^th. One of our elderly sisters, Sr. Mary Paule, originally from Idaho, who joined the CPS (Precious Blood Sistrers) way back in the late 40’s, came out to South Africa around “52 and taught at one of our Catholic Schools, Mariazell, from ’55 to ’74. She was a great teacher teaching English. Then she came to Mthatha and got involved in social work and eventually started something like 21 NGO’s mostly for children and battered women. 82 yrs. old this yr. She was busy delivering goodies to Thembalihle Home (for abused children) when she was spotted by a couple of young gangsters who grabbed the keys from her, shoved  her into the back seat and drove off with her and one of them in the back seat and the other speeding off. A gun was pointed at her and she was trying to tell the driver to slow down, frightened to death. As a matter of fact, she tried to get them to stop the car because she felt that she was having a heart attack. They kept going and, yes, she passed away, probably literally frightened to death. They must have damaged the care somehow as they were driving kind of wild and eventhally dumped her now dead body, fully clothed as a nun with a white habit, into a ditch with water and went on their way. They had been driving in one direction with the intention to rob some stores but it was Sunday and all the stores were closed and locked tight so they went back to town and were driving around with this now damaged car and were spotted by friends who knew her car and who gave chase after informing the police. The two crashed the car and fled. The others waited for the police to come. When they went into the car, they guys were in such a hurry that they left a cell phone and a gun. The cell phone led the police to their home and eventually to them and their arrest. The will be up for bail on July 4^th.

     I swear that there were about 2000 people at the funeral, representing many NGO’s most of which she had started and supported up till her death. She was a fantastic woman. She didn't easily fit into the usual convent schedule but the convent discovered why when the throngs came to celebrate her life and accompany her on her final journey home. (More later or another time. I have to go and make some salad now.) Cas

Dear Everyone,                                                                                                                     June 14, 2014

Hey, lots of water over the dam since I last entered something in my blog, way back in May . Let me start with May 14^th . I returned from a very relaxing and informative 12 days in Zibabwe. My car was delivered back to me that night with some improvements.  On the 15^th I got my computer back from Shirley’s son, Peter, again, with some improvements. On the 16^th I collected a bunch of old clothes and off cuts to be taken to Landsend for use by the poor there. I stopped to fill up with petrol in the afternoon (for the trip on the 17^th to Mthatha—about 300 miles or 5 hours driving). When the tank was full and I wanted to pull off, it wouldn’t start. The guys at the petrol station said it was definitely the battery and phoned a battery place to order a battery for only R980 or so. But, unfortunately (for them) he had no transport to deliver. So they scouted around a bit more and tried using the jumper cables to get it started but that didn’t work either. So they said I needed a new starter (changing their tune from battery to starter motor). I asked them to just give me a push and let me get back to the monastery which they did. The car was full up with used clothing and off cuts and, since it wouldn’t start, I parked in on a slight incline because I was determined to head for Mthatha in the morning.

     I arrived in Mthatha , never turning off the engine till I got there and made arrangements with our mechanic to see him on Monday to see if he could fix it. I slept at Bedford that night and kept my fingers crossed that it would start in the morning, which it did. I had Mass with Fr. Guy at Sabelani Sun. morning and visited the sisters at the convent in Mthatha. Car wouldn’t start and I had to get the confreres from Abbot Francis to push it (backwards) and it started easily. I managed to get out to Landsend to leave the old clothes and off cuts there, seeing Nothemba and Sinovuyo. Parked on a hill and needed it to start. Frustrating. 

On Monday, the 19^th, we had our big CMM meeting with the superior general and his councilor where CMM things were discussed, especially the matter of Guy and the bishop. Too much talk and not much else. However, the Superior General had visited the bishop and the bishop sent a message to the SG that he would like to see Guy and his lawyer to meet with himself and his lawyer. This was progress. We had a braii (cook out) and just relaxed a bit and discussed, informally, what had been discussed formally in the meeting. (I had taken the car to the garage before the meeting and it was diagnosed as needing a small part but a part that would not be sold separately from the whole starter motor.There you are.  So he ordered a starter motor and by the time I was leaving on Wednesday, it still wasn’t there so I told him to cancel it and I would take it to a friend in Durban who would have a look at it)

That evening I spent with Guy and the boys at Sabelani (home for boys) and slept there and again on Tuesday night. ON Wed. morning we organized a 7am meeting with Mr. Sachin, the troubleshooter from Eskom (electricity supply) to solve some problems (we have been working on these problems for more than 2 yrs.( and then I headed back to Mariannhill. I stopped on the way to visit a friend whose  arches had collapses on both feet and he couldn’t walk.One had bee repaired earlier but this one needed special surgeryand he had a big boot on his right foot that he would have to wear fro a couple ofmonths.That was on the 21^st. The car continued to start or not start, like Russian roulette. Mostly it started but you had to be wary and prepared.

I slid back into my usual routine for Friday and on Saturday I took Bishop (emeritus) Lobinger to the airport for his home leave trip to Germany. I spent the morning with the friend who specializes in helping Cas, and fixing Opel Astras. He fixed the problem with the starter and when I was ready to go home to fetch the bishop and take him to the airport, ha, it wouldn’t start again. So he had to crawl around under the car till he found what the problem was and  fixed it. I was sweating because we were cutting it rather fine for getting  the bishop to the airport.

On Sunday, the 25^th, I took one of the sisters from the hospital to Savannah Park to get her involved with the community and to give them a chance to see a real live, active, young(er) nun. She was then invited to join their choir and since she is the head matron of the hospital, she has her own transport so she is free to drive herself if she wants. We then went to a home for a nice bryani lunch. And then home.

    From Monday 26^th to Wed. 28^th , I attended a workshop on Leadership and Ethics at Glenmore Center, a conference center in Durban. I won’t go into details but it was presented by a prof. from Chicago, an Italian American, and he could easily have been a stand up comedian, which made his lectures enjoyable and interesting but, too American. I felt that many of the references that he made (like Saturday Night Live) went over the heads of many of the African participants, and he talked way too fast especially with his American Chicago accent. Otherwise his presentation were lively and excellent. One of the things that came up was that one of the virtues that is often lacking in leaders is humility, being able to admit that they made a mistake.

On the 29^th I picked up some copies of the wedding brochure which I had suggested to my cousin’s daughter for the wedding in September in Milwaukee. After that I took one of our students to the prison to visit his brother who is one of 4 or 5 accused of murdering one of our priests at his mission. That was 4 yrs. ago and the trial is still going on. They were supposed to hear their sentences the next week but it was postponed, again, till August. Holy Moses. They have been in jail all this time without being sentenced. What the heck is going on.

Hey, it is now the 24^th of June and it seems that the hurrier I go the behinder I get. I will put this looooong epistle out and try again next week. Enough is enough and maybe even too much. Cas.

May 17, 2014
   
This is just a kind of afterthought. I sent this message to a few people and then thought that I might as well share it with  you all. It is what happened since I returned from Zimbabwe on Wednesday the 14th of May.
     I flew up to Harare, Zim on the 2nd of May and stayed with some dear friends till the 7th when I flew down to Bulawayo to visit our Mariannhill confreres there and then back on the 9th to the 14th when I returned to SA.  While in Harare I managed to visit old friends at the Dominican Convent (we worked together in Zambia before we both moved down to Zimbabwe back in the 70's) and also my Jesuit friends at Aruppe college and at Silveira House where some are teaching Philosophy and others and running  courses for various skills and projects. Also met the head of Justice and Peace to understand a bit about what they are doing under the present circumstances, and a few others who have been working with NGO's who are in the picture. I also visited our new house in Harare near Aruppe College and Trinity college where our guys will study philosophy and theology because it is much cheaper than here in SA. I also had the pleasure of celebrating Mass at our CPS house in Harare twice. I paid a special visit to my old haunt, Imbisa (Inter-regional meeting of the bishops of southern africa) where I lived and worked with refugees (exiles) from 1988 to 1992. I met a friend and colleage, Fr. Richard Menatsi who has been the secretary for the past 5 1/2 yrs. and is ready to come back to SA.
     In Bulawayo I visited the CPS sisters and especially one of our sisters from Mthatha, Sr. Martina, who is working for a project called Mustardseed Project. Physically challenged children being taught to do handwork, sewing, candle making, etc. She is enjoying it and it is a great project. CMM also has a project in the offing for building a school for skills training that is greatly needed in their rural area. I also saw, among others, Fr. Andy Heier, the only other American who has been working in Zim for many years now and is finally retired like myself--re-tyred. We also visited our candidates and hope that one or the other will pick up the baton and carry on were we left off.
    But with the indiginization policy for businesses in Zim, many businesses have had to close down and the unofficial number of unemployed is 80%. That means now money is circulating. Only a comparative few have the US dollars to buy things. Everything is presently available but it may not last through next year when things will have come to a head. People survived the total collapse of the economy in 2008 so they feel that they will also be able to survive whatever happens next year.
so that is the Zim story. Now after the return..

  I had a wonderful time in Zim and settled back in at MD, catching up on things. My car wouldn't start yesterday after fetching a lot of used clothing etc. at Estie's. I was at the petrol station and it just wouldn't start after filling up with petrol. The guys in the petrol station said it was a cell in the battery that was dead and I would need a new battery and they phoned to get a price and to have it delivered now, now. Only R982 or something like that. Ha! But because the battery place had no transport just at that moment, they tried getting it started with jumper cables. That didn't help either. so they were sure that I needed a new starter motor. Ha again! But that they couldn't do there so I got a push to get it started and drove to the monastery. There I parked on a small hill so that, in the morning, come hell or high water, I would be able to go to Mthatha. (I left at 7:30am and arrived at 12:30 just after noon. That is averaging about 100km. and hour. Not bad. That vehicle moves nicely.) After breakfast I got a crew to help to push to get it started -- including two bishops, Ha again, but before they started pushing, I tried to start it again and it started nicely. I had phoned Neil who had done some fixing and repairing while I was gone (he washed and polished it and blacked the tires and polished the inside as well so that it looked better than a new car) and he said that they had put in some new brushed in the starter so it might be that one of them got stuck a bit when it was heated or maybe they might need to be sanded slightly so that they slide up and down easily. Well, I prayed and talked to the  Lord and asked him to cool down those brushes or whatever was needed and he did. So it started nicely and I never stopped till I got here (except once to empty my bursting bladder). 

     I grabbed a lunch with Guy and some of the boys and at 2pm we had a meeting till about 5pm about the future of Sabelani and the boys. We yakitty yaked and had supper together and at about 7:15 pm I left. I don't like driving at night but I took it easy and went out to Bedford to our office where I will get a good and long night's sleep. Everyone says how good I look. Yes, indeed, I had a marvelous holiday with fantastic  hosts and that explains it. I was treated like royalty and spoiled silly and I must say that I didn't mind. 

     So, tomorrow Guy and I will celebrate mass together at the kitchen table and I will take the clothes out to Nothemba at Landsend after lunch. On Monday we meet for the last time with Fr. Damian and Thulani from Rome on their official visitation, and then they will go home and I will head back to Mariannhhill on Wednesday.

    So that brings you all up to date on my horribly boring (???) life. Love and peace, Cas

May 10, 2014
     I am kind of rushing this off because I am not in the mood to sit down and do something proper right now. When I get home, SA, I will try to update you on things here in Zim.

     Sorry. I forgot, perhaps, to let you know that I would be travelling to Zimbabwe from the 2nd  of May till the 14th. I have been in Harare from the 2nd to the 7th and then down to Byo from the 7th to the 9th (Mariannhill ran the diocese from the beginning and there is a new crop coming up---some good things and some not so good things) and am back in Harare again since yesterday. I am meeting people that I haven't seen for maybe 20 yrs. and am being spoiled rotten and enjoying it. I still want to visit the offices of Imbisa (Interregiional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa) where I worked from 88 to 92 and also the J&P office to  see how they are able to operate in the present circmstances. Also, I hope to visit the Jesuits, who have done great things here in Zim.

    As soon as I get back, 15th and 16th, May, I will be collecting old clothes for Landsend, as winter is coming, and on the 17th I will drive down to Mthatha where we will be having CMM meetings especially with our boss, Fr. Damina, who is here from Rome. On the 19th we have a gathering of all the guys from the Mthatha Province and, after that, I will be coming back on the 21st. There is a planned workshop at Glenmore Center on Ethical Leadership. I think it is from the 24th to the 26 th, 9am to 3:30 pm

    Love and Peace, Cas