Newsletter

Christian Brothers, South Central District

September - October 2017 Issue 12

Dear Brothers and Friends of Blessed Edmund Rice,

I am happy to present you with the September October 2017 issue of the Christian Brothers South
Central District Newsletter.
I thank our many contributors for giving of their time, energy and interest to write articles and provide
photos that give life and colour to the working of the Spirit in their particular life and ministry.
Since the last issue of our newsletter, we were saddened by the death of Brother Kostka Turner in
Bulawayo. An aunt of Brother Chanda Mubanga (Livingstone community) also passed on recently.
Our sympathy and prayers go out to the brothers in Bulawayo and Livingstone, to their families and
communities, and to all others who have lost a loved one.
Our contributors wrote about the following topics:
Final Professions: We rejoice with Br. Kephas Ndalama and Br. Clement Kamwi who made their
Final Profession as Christian Brothers in Assumption Parish Church, Mazabuka, on 26 August. We
reprint the homily that Br. Clement Sindazi gave during the Eucharistic Celebration.
Community News: We welcome Community News from George and Abigail in York Community.
Br. Allan Rilley writes about Br Kostka Turner who died on 29 July. Allan lived with Kostka for some
years. Our 5 young Brothers in Kabwe Community have joined the Orientation Programme in
Tamale.
School-related News: 1. Inaugural visit of St. Josephs College, Bloemfontein, to St. Columbas
Secondary School, Lukulu. 2. Report on EREBB gathering in CB Centre, Stellenbosch.
Edmund Rice Justice Desk: Jessica Dewhurst introduces us to Ignatius France, their new Training
Coordinator.
Courses & Gatherings: The following courses/retreats have been attended during the last two
months: Child Protection Course in (Nairobi); Training for Transformation Course (at I.S.C.);
Annually Professed Brothers Retreat (at I.S.C.); Annually Professed Brothers: Upcoming events.
Reflective Articles: In his article Why Scripture? Michael Chalmers draws on his own experience
of how contemplating the Word continues to enrich his personal life. He gently invites each one
of us to have our own personal experience of the Word.
Under the title A Christian Brother, one Brother gives a very honest and moving account of what
Living as a Christian Brother vowed to Chastity means to him.
Celebrations: 100 Years of the Christian Brothers in Africa; Silver Jubilees in Veritas College
(Springs) and St. Raphaels Secondary School (Livingstone)
Birthdays: In this issue we focus on brothers birthdays in October and November. If perchance you
are not included (e.g. ERN members) and wish to be included in future issues, please let me know by
email: moloney2011hugh@gmail.com
I hope you enjoy reading the many and varied articles in this issue.
Sincerely,
Brother Hugh Moloney (Editor)
P.S. Renovations at the District House in Lusaka will, hopefully, be completed by earlymid October.
 Final Professions of Brothers Kephas Ndalama and Clement Kamwi
Assumption Parish, Mazabuka, Zambia
Saturday 26 August 2017
Homily given by Brother Clement Sindazi CFC

Today we Christian Brothers are grateful to God
and to the parents of Brothers Kephas Ndalama
and Clement Kamwi for the gift of these two
Brothers to our Congregation.

I have known Brothers Kephas and Clement since
2004 from our time in Moreau House, where I
worked as Director of Postulants. This shows that
Kephas and Clement have been on this journey for
a long time. During this period of their journey,
they went through different stages of training,
Assumption Parish Church starting with their initial formation in Zambia and
in Cape Town, South Africa. They also did their
academic studies at Nkrumah University in Kabwe. Through their personal discernment and the
support they received from the Brothers and the people they have worked with in various
ministries, they have been helped to understand what God wants from them.

It is because of their honest personal discernment over many years that Kephas and Clement
come before God and the Christian Brothers Congregation today to commit themselves for life as
Christian Brothers.

The theme that is coming out of the Scripture Readings in Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Luke 10:1-5 is
Mission. In the readings we are reminded that God calls us to take part in his mission in
different ways as married people, as single persons, as priests, and as Religious Brothers and
Sisters. So, it is not our mission; it is Gods mission! Therefore, when God calls, we are expected
to answer.

In the First Reading we hear God addressing
Jeremiah: Before I formed you, I knew you. Before
you were born, I consecrated you. A Prophet to the
Nations I appoint you. These are assuring words.
God reveals to Jeremiah and to us that he is in
relationship with us, and that this relationship
began before we were born. Today God is saying to
you, Kephas and Clement, that He has consecrated
you as Christian Brothers, and that he has appointed
you to be brothers to all, especially to those people
Kephas and Clement
who are oppressed by poverty and injustice. When
profess their Vows
he was called by God, Jeremiah responded, like most
of us who are driven by fear, by asking to be
excused: Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy. We hear that God
not only consoled Jeremiah; He continued to support him by anointing him and by touching his
mouth. In this way, God confirmed his call of Jeremiah and granted him the authority and the
gifts he needed for the mission to which he was called. Jeremiah submitted to God and became a
powerful Prophet. I now ask you, Kephas and Clement, to consider what are the concerns that
you, like Jeremiah, may have before you commit yourselves to God in the presence of this
congregation this morning:

 Is it your family?
Is it your relationships?
Is it about having more money and having your own families?
Is it your fear about living our 2014 Chapter Calls,
and embracing Our Way into the Future ?
God is assuring you not to worry about all these because He knows your limitations and your
strengths. If you submit all your worries to God, He will take care of them and make you
powerful (great) Christian Brothers. In the First Reading there are important lessons for you,
Kephas and Clement, that you can lean from Jeremiah:
God calls people to serve him.
God equips those he calls.
Gods view and understanding of who we are is infinitely greater than
our own imperfect comprehension of ourselves.
We must listen to Gods call.

In the Gospel (Luke 10:1-5) we hear how Jesus sent out the 72 disciples with a message that had
two elements to it, Peace and The Kingdom of God is at hand. These two elements are related:
the peace that they were to announce was precisely the peace that Jesus had been preaching.
The way to enter into peace is to allow the Lord to be the King of ones thoughts and actions.
The 72 were sent out as Lambs among wolves. They were sent to preach the Gospel with
freedom, to proclaim it with confidence, with gentleness, and with the convincing power of their
faith and goodness. They were sent out two-by-two as a way of companionship and support for
each other. Jesus also told them to handle rejection by wiping the dust off their feet as a witness
of rejection, rather than carry the pain of their rejection with them to another town. In other
words,` they were to carry only Jesus message, not one of rejection.

Our Constitutions remind us that Formation is a
lifelong process. Therefore, Final Profession is
not the end of formation. I want to assure you,
Kephas and Clement, that, with the training you
have received so far, you are equipped with the
necessary tools you need to carry out Gods
mission. So, dont consider yourselves young,
like Jeremiah; you are adults.

Con, Moy, Michael and Mike Lastly, allow me to thank you parents, all our
enjoying the meal in the Brothers and our many friends for supporting
Parish Centre Kephas and Clement in their formation process.
The journey is still ongoing; hence the men
continue to need both your support as parents, and our support as Brothers.

Finally, Kephas and Clement, may God ever bless you, so that you remain faithful to your
commitment as good Christian Brothers in the vineyard of the Lord.

Clement Sindazi
Africa Province Deputy Leader

Worship of Jesus is rather harmless and risk-free;

actually following Jesus changes everything.
Richard Rohr
 The Justice Desk welcomes Ignatius France to our Training Department



We would like to welcome Ignatius France as our new Training
Coordinator at The Edmund Rice Justice Desk for South Central
Africa. Ignatius comes from the small town of De Aar in South
Africas largest province, the Northern Cape. He is a graduate of the
University of Cape Town, having obtained his Social Science Degree
majoring in Public Policy and Administration, as well as Sociology.
He has previously worked for the Justice and Peace Commission in
the Archdiocese of Cape Town and has a passion for justice and
human rights. For the past four years, he has been working for the
Anglican Churchs HOPE Africa organisation. He was responsible for
the capacity building programme of the organisation and has
extensive knowledge and experience in coordinating and
conducting various forms of training.

Ignatius France He describes himself as an introvert who due to his work has had to
New Training Coordinator be an extrovert, and youll never see Ignatius without a smile! He
enjoys meeting people from different walks of life. His philosophy in
life is that there is always room for improvement and that education is not only found in the halls of
universities and colleges. The indigenous knowledge that people have accumulated over time, is just as
educational as the books in your university library.

Our Training Department has thrived in 2017! In just eight months, we have trained over 5000 people,
empowering them to be agents of change in their communities. We have won an award
from Independent Media for our work and were recently co-commissioned by The Queens
Young Leaders Legacy Panel to put our HIV trainings into an international HIV Toolkit
which can be used by organisations and communities across the globe! We look forward
to even more accomplishments with our newest addition to the team. Should you ever
wish to contact Ignatius, you are welcome to email him on training@justicedesk.org

Jessica Dewhurst
Edmund Rice Justice Desk

York Community News

Two testimonies from our Community Members, George and Abigail


A couple of months ago, I received an awesome opportunity to
complete a training course for a global international IT Company
in Cape Town, which I accepted without giving it much thought.
Only later on did the reality of the matter start to sink in that I
would have to leave me life in Johannesburg, my family and
friends and move to Cape Town knowing no-one, and looking for a
place to stay.
Through a friend and a current community member, Abby, I was
ABIGAIL George referred to Joan and Steve and the York Community, which I
contacted and requested if I could stay at the York Community for
a month until I found my feet. Joan send me an e-mail and a newsletter about what the York Community
is all about - and how they aim to have all people from all walks of life, who live together as a community.
I must admit that at first I was not so keen on the idea of living with people whom I knew from nowhere.
However, decided that I will give a try.
Long story short. The day finally arrived where I had to say goodbye to my parents, my family and my
friends, and head off on my new adventure. My dad offered to do the 1400 km drive down to Cape Town;
I had dropped him off at Cape Town International Airport to catch a flight back to Johannesburg. At that
moment, when my dad walked through the boarding gate, it finally hit me that I was now actually alone
in a city where I know one, and I was going to a house that I had never seen before, and I was going to
stay with people whom I had never met before . I was sad and had mixed emotions; I was nervous and
anxious!

All that changed the moment I met Joan at the gate of the York Community and she welcomed me in and
made me feel at home. By the time I arrived, the Yorkies were already sitting around the dinner table
eating dinner and Joan had dished a plate for me and told me to have a seat and join in. At that moment
all the mixed emotions that I had been feeling disappeared! In a matter of minutes I was no longer sad; I
was, rather, looking forward to the new chapter in my life, and I felt some kind of relief that I was being
introduced to these awesome community members who made me feel right at home; they made me feel
as though I had know these people for years already!

It is great coming home to this community after work, sharing time in the chapel with them for evenings
prayers, and sharing meals with them around the dinner table - speaking about any random topic we
could think of, laughing and cracking jokes. Living in York Community and with my fellow Yorkies has
opened my mind to the different and vast number of people that I would of never have met had I not met
them. It has taught me to be more accepting of other peoples beliefs and values, and to learn from them.
It helped me not to be lonely and to always have people around me with whom I could share my day and
just have a chat. Most importantly, I have managed to build a better relationship with God while living
here. I always believed myself to be a religious person, but I just could not find the time in my busy day
to sit down and thank God for the day and the blessings he gave me. Living with my fellow Yorkies, I have
learnt from them that I should never be too busy for God!

I would never have met the people that come to visit us at York Community had I not stayed here. The
many people who have stayed here have brought special blessings to us: I learn so much from them and
share some good laughs.

My one-month stay turned out to be almost 4 months. I am currently back in Johannesburg visiting my
family for a week and I find myself always checking the Yorkie Facebook Page to see what they are up to,
and I cannot wait to see them again. It makes me wonder, when the time comes that I have to move out
of this awesome community, how much I am actually going to miss it!

To Joan and Steve, Thank -You so much for everything that you guys do for us , for all the little things you
do for us, like doing something special when a community member has a birthday, words are not enough
to say Thank-You for being my family away from family and making me feel so welcomed.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say Thank-You to the Christian Brothers and to everybody
involved for allowing this community to be here and to help all people from across the globe to find this
little special place called The York Community of Green Point.

George Robolakis


Being part of the Green Point Community is one of my passions. I became involved in Outreach to the
Less Privileged after being introduced to Edmund Rice Camps. Due to my attendance and leadership
skills I was privileged to be elected as a member of the Board of Edmund Rice Camps.

My initial plan was to stay for 1 year, but that did not happen at all! Every single year that went by was
so interesting and exciting; it made me stay longer in the York Community. Each and every person who
came to stay in the York Community made it interesting and exciting.

Personally, at some point, I was convinced that each person that joined the York community was cut
out/selected from a certain magazine to be the perfect fit in the York Community. I personally never in
my life thought that I would share a house with any Catholic priest!

Well, the York Community opened that experience to me. I had Catholic priests, Christian Brothers,
Sisters /Nuns from different orders as housemates from different parts of the world. I have lived with
atheists, lesbians, gays and straight males and females. My journey in the York community has been
really phenomenal!

Being part of the York community can also be a bit challenging. Some of our challenging moments would
be eating someone elses food; finishing the hot water and someone else having to take a cold shower; not
cleaning up ones dirty dishes. The best part about those challenges is the fact that they get resolved
through communication when we have our community meetings.

What is also amazing about the York Community is that every evening we do short prayers in the chapel
after a long hard working day. Then we all sit around the table and enjoy a wonderful meal together that
Joan Armstrong prepares for us on weekdays. I must say Joan really spoils us a lot. We get lots of home
baked treats. She always has some lovely soup prepared for us from scratch, and the salads and main
course meals are always amazing!

The most wonderful thing about York Community is that there is always love and care among us and for
each other. Thats why Im still with the York community. I am absolutely grateful to be blessed enough
to be a part of this journey.

Abigail Zengetwe

WHY SCRIPTURE?

How does one come to an understanding of Scripture? I assure you that there are no
shortcuts. The Word of God has to be experienced. God speaks to each of us
individually. Each of us will have our own personal experience of the Word.

The Hebrew Scriptures were written during the one thousand years BC. The writing
of the New Testament took some eighty years after Jesus death. The language and
cultural changes that have taken place over the past three thousand years are
enormous. We need the help of scholars to come to a better understanding of what we
are reading.

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. God in His wisdom chose to allow humans to do the writing.
We may define the Bible as, The Word of God in words of men. The many authors were writing down
their experience of God.

I was once asked, Mike, where do you get your interpretation of Scripture? My reply was, On my
knees. This is indeed true. However, I acknowledge the contribution of many other authors who have
shared their experience of Reading, Reflecting on and Praying the Word of God.

The Bible, hopefully, is our first source of prayer. When we read the Scriptures God speaks to us; when
we respond to Gods Word, we pray. The deeper we enter into the text, the story, the deeper will be our
understanding of the Word and the greater the impact on us.

We go to the Scriptures to meet Christ Risen. Each encounter with the Word should be a life-giving
experience. As we daily expose ourselves to Gods Word so too will we experience the transformation
which the early disciples and apostles experienced after the resurrection of Jesus. You may not notice the
change in yourself, but others will. God has worked a miracle in you, Billy Naidoo told me. In my pre-
Word of God days, he had known me as that principal of the school his daughter attended. I leave it to
you to imagine what that principal was like. All that I can say is that Pauls words have come true in me.

20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we
can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen. (Eph 3: 20 21)

It is my hope that reading this book will encourage you to follow Pauls advice:

15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be
thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and
with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in
word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Col 3: 15 17)

We are called to reflect on Gods presence in His Word, inviting God to echo his words in us today.
Nobody can tell God what he is to say to each one of us. As you read through the chapters of this book
you may wonder why I have not chosen to present you with a systematic commentary on one or two
books of the Bible. This book reflects how God chose to speak to me over a number of years. It has been
a wonderful journey and I can truly say, The Lord has done great things for me. (Lk 1: 49)

It is my prayer that these words will bring the Scripture message to life in a way that helps you to realise
that Gods Word is present and at work in your everyday lives.

Let us Pray.

Be with us Lord Jesus. Be our companion on our way. It is no easy walk for us. After all, this is
your way we are trying to walk. We need you to walk every step of it with us. We are so
wooden, such earthly clay, it takes soaking rain or persistent soft showers to melt the grime
and shatter the hard shell around us, to reveal the human being we could be, underneath. It is
no easy journey, so we say, in your mercy inflame our cold, unbelieving hearts and raise our
hope. Without you we do not really hope! Stay with us, Lord Jesus, so that we will slowly begin
to recognise you in the glimpses shining through the Scriptures and in the Breaking of Bread.

Blessing

May God bless you, and may he give you a heart to worship him. 2 Mac 1: 3

Michael Chalmers
La Rochelle Community

Retreat for Annually Professed Religious

I.S.C. Lusaka Zambia
12 18 August 2017

Discipleship: Following Jesus was the theme for the retreat

that was led by Andrew Pinto and Fr. Jose at the I.S.C. from
12th to 18th August. The retreatants described the experience
in their evaluations as: outstanding, excellent, favourable,
creative, wonderful life-giving.

Each day there was a forty-minute input session by Andrew.

There was a helpful and clear single-page handout to use for
Eucharistic Celebration our personal prayer. We had a participatory Eucharist before
in the Nano Nagle Chapel lunch and ended the day with a Holy Hour after supper. There
was ample time during the day for prayer and reflection,
exercise and to meet individually with ones director.
One day we had a community Sacrament of
Reconciliation. We also managed to prayerfully
celebrate two birthdays during the retreat
The retreat was greatly enriched by the presence of
Presentation and RSHM Sisters who joined us.

At the concluding Eucharist we were joined by Br Hugh

ONeill who stayed for lunch and helped us to bring this
memorable retreat to a close.
The Full Retreat group and Team

The Annually Professed Group

If we live in the Spirit,

let us also follow the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25


 Why do I continue to live as a Christian Brother
vowed to celibate Chastity?


When I became a Christian Brother I knew that I was expected to remain celibate. I accepted
that because I thought it was important for me as a Christian Brother. It seemed to say to me
that being a Christian Brother is an important way of living and that it will demand some
sacrifices from me. At the time I joined the Christian Brothers I was willing to make that
sacrifice. To remain a Christian Brother I must continue to renew my sacrifice.

When I first made this sacrifice I felt that I was being generous and that I was avoiding being selfish and self-
centred. I felt that Christ was calling me to walk with him in a life dedicated to caring for all Gods children. I
felt at the time that by remaining celibate I would be available at all times to walk with Christ as a Christian
Brother. I felt that I would be available to respond to Christ promptly. I felt that by being celibate I would be
available to go to wherever I was sent by my leaders in the Christian Brothers. I felt that I was making myself
available to teach and work in whatever school my leaders thought fit. I felt that I ought to be ready to go to
the poorest school we had.

In my early years as a Christian Brother I was not assigned to a school but rather I was directed to
attend college to prepare myself for my future ministry. I had to pursue studies and at the same
time I had to learn how to be a man of prayer. Life became very regular and repetitive. The
discipline of community living at times made me aware that I could not always choose to do my own
will and remain as a Christian Brother. I discovered that a good degree of selfless service was
required of me. I was also introduced to mental and communal prayer at this time. At times I found the
demands of this discipline irksome. However I could still tell myself that I was willing to accept these
challenges so that I could continue to be a fully-fledged Christian Brother.

It was impressed upon me that prayer was important. Prayer was my opportunity to converse with God. I
believed that God had called me to be a Christian Brother, so now I believed I had to give myself the time and
the opportunity to grow into being a dedicated Christian Brother. It was absolutely essential for me to develop
the habit of spending at least thirty minutes in private prayer each day.

When I professed my vows I promised that I would love Christ with all my heart for better or for worse in
sickness or in old age until death called me home. I committed myself to loving Christ. Christ is every single
person that I encounter in life. I realised that the only way I could get to know Christ was to spend quality time
with Christ; hence my need for at least thirty minutes of quality time each day. Faithfulness to this practice
would make me deeply aware of how Christ loves me and it would prepare me to be Christ to the many
people I encounter each day.

At this time other people recognised me as a young man who was pursuing the Christian Brother way of life. I
felt proud that people thought that of me. However, now I had to be brutally honest with myself! Was I a real
Christian Brother? Was I really in touch with what it would take to be a real Christian Brother? I began to ask
myself Do you really want to continue as a Christian Brother? Am I really prepared to accept all the
challenges of being a Christian Brother? I had to start visualising the challenges before me.

I had not accumulated riches and doing so did not seem all that important to me because I felt that if I
continued to aspire to be a Christian Brother, then money matters would be taken care of by my religious
leaders. I felt I had joined Christs army and so I was willing to stand to attention and pay heed to every
demand of obedience. I felt that I was growing in courage and so I would be ready like a brave soldier to
charge into action once the command was given. I was studying at university and I noticed some very pretty
and charming young women around me. I noticed other men of my age forming friendships with attractive
young women. I sometimes felt a little bit envious of these young men. I felt that if I was to remain a Christian
Brother I had to figure out what would be my response to the idea of forming a relationship with a young
attractive woman. I felt that I must treat all women as my sisters. I reasoned that I would keep myself open to
accept all the women I encountered as my sisters. I asked the Spirit in prayer to help me be as Christ was to
Mary and Martha. Christ loved both of them dearly and he could communicate with them in a gentle, caring
non-possessive manner. When he spoke with them they felt totally at ease. He was a compassionate,
understanding friend.

 It is easy to remember why I joined the Brothers. I joined because it seemed a very good
thing to do with my life, and my school-mate was also joining. Now I have to ask myself why
I am remaining a Brother. Generally I feel at peace with myself. I get on well with the
members of my community although I have disagreements and misunderstandings with
them now and again. Occasionally I feel lonely but I realise that I have friends in the
Brothers with whom I can share my understanding of life and this brings me peace. I have
never chosen the people with whom I have lived but mostly I have had a very positive and
healthy relationship with the Brothers who have shared their lives with me. Generally their
positive outlook on life and the generous manner in which they endeavour to serve others has been a source
of great peace to me.

I look around me and I see many people of my age engaged in different types of relationships. I feel that my
style of living is a source of great peace to me. Also as I grow older the idea of sharing at least thirty minutes
of my time with God in prayer leaves me quite satisfied. Now and again I have a spot of loneliness but living
with men who are humble about their giftedness gives me great consolation. So when I hear the aspiration
Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever I experience a strong sense of belonging.

Written by a Christian Brother

Panegyric for Brother Denis James Kostka Turner

Greetings to all, especially dignitaries and those
who have come from afar. Fathers, mothers,
brothers and sisters, in this Year of the Family, I
am honoured to be allowed to give a tribute to
Brother Denis James Kostka Turner - a really
great man and Brother.

Denis was born on the 4th December 1932 in
Cork, Ireland - a land traditionally known as the
land of saints and scholars. I will mention in this
brief Panegyric these two words again, saint and
scholar, for that is what our Brother Turner truly
became. He had two older brothers and two
younger brothers and a sister who was the last
Edmund Rice of Bulawayo born. Denis had special love for the last-born
sister, Annette, a nurse and teacher.

The three sons in the middle of the family group followed their vocations as Christian Brothers a
Congregation founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice. His brother Paddy, who became novice-master in South
America, used to phone occasionally to say that he was praying that his young brother, Denis, would
return to full health. Paddy, who is now +/- 87 years of age, is still a Christian Brother in Ireland.
Annette, too, phoned on a few occasions to speak to and pass on her love for her brother Denis. Denis
used to ask me to email Paddy and pass on best love for Annette.

When he entered the novitiate and received the habit of a Christian Brother, Denis - as was the custom at
the time and for many years after that - was given the religious name KOSTKA. I admit I know very little
about this saint or where he came from.

Unlike his brother Paddy, who has an out-going personality, our EDMUND RICE of Bulawayo was of a shy
disposition. This last appellation, as you have heard from Br Kennedy, was given by the CBC pupils a
fitting tribute for ONE who did so much for the poor! For them he was a SAINT.
The Turner parents, back in Cork, Ireland, must have taken great pride in the work and perseverance of
their two sons.

I now give 5 small cameos of the Brother Kostka I knew:

In WOODSTOCK (Cape Town) - he showed soccer films, like Benfica vs Real Madrid, to the soccer players
of the St Agnes School and their football club. He became Mr. Woodstock to them.

In BLOEMFONTEIN, - he was a credited SCHOLAR of History and Biblical Studies at the University of the
Free State. His past student, Peter Heidegger, said he taught them Maths in standard 2 and 6/7; they
thought he was a great teacher. I might add that they found his stories in the last period on Friday
absolutely thrilling!

In MARIASDAL (TWEESPRUIT) he was boarding master and on a very cold evening he would tell the
cooks (the ladies in the kitchen), that they could take the day off; he was going to prepare a braai, with
sadza and a hot mug of cacao/coco for the boarders. They will probably remember the braai for the
rest of their lives.

In CBC here in BULAWAYO he was headmaster and, by accounts of past pupils, he was STRICT- he had
the school area as a SILENT ZONE on entering and leaving school. He seemed to appear from nowhere
and hence he acquired the nick-name CASPER, the SILENT GHOST.

In the latter years, as founding member and later principal of the NIGHT SCHOOL in Bulawayo, he
became a LEGEND. So many of his past pupils would love to say a few words of thanks:
Thank you for a life well spent. We have another star in heaven.

Our Brother Kostka returned to the Lord on 29th July 2017 after a long life of 84 years most of it spent
as the Lords good and faithful servant in the apostolate of education in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
May his gentle soul rest in eternal peace.

Allan Rilley
Bulawayo

Report on the Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders Conference

held at Christian Brothers Centre, Stellenbosch
3 - 6 August 2017


The Planning of the Conference
has been part of an idea shared
with some Heads over several
years. These ideas gathered
momentum in India when we
were asked what we should do
in our region. Schools were
invited to be part of the first
local EREBB conference. The
use of the CB Centre in
Stellenbosch is well suited for
this gathering particularly at
this cold time of the year.

THE PROGRAM
The final program that evolved
more by chance than real
design achieved most of the
goals of EREBB. One persons
response: (Thanks) to ALL the
participants for their input. One of the very few conferences which I have had the privilege to attend, where
the participants have jelled so quickly and completely.

The Theme of our time together was I am your neighbour as many schools had not run the campaign in
their schools. We started at CBC St Johns in Parklands where we were warmly welcomed in true EREBB
style. We returned to the Centre, settled in and started in earnest with a reflection on Who is my
neighbour? using the Good Samaritan as a point of reflection. The next day we were challenged to face
our prejudices. We like to think we dont have any but we all need to look at them, acknowledge them, so
that each of us can see everyone as my neighbour this was all done in theory.

This was followed by a thought-provoking YouTube clip called Everything is Spiritual 2016 Tour. This
had a component of RE attached to it which could be used in schools, if used wisely. In addition, it gave
us reason for a deeper understanding of how we are all neighbours connected on a spiritual level.

On Friday afternoon, the ERJD was invited to challenge us on how to do Advocacy work rather than just
doing charity. This is critical if we are to make fundamental changes in our society. This is a life skill
that our students need to learn if they are to be more than just fund-raisers. The ERJD followed this with
a discussion about campaigns in our schools. Last year October some schools sent students to become
Youth Ambassadors; they might have been joined by staff who are now the Contact teachers. It gave an
opportunity to widen that perspective to these other staff.

On Saturday, we put into action the ideas from the day before. We were immersed (gently) into the
Umoya Project. We joined the young people who volunteer their services every third Saturday to sit and
work with a group of adults who live at a centre run by the Missionaries of Charity Mother Theresas
people. We then joined a young man who is one of the HIV Ambassadors for the Justice Desk. We visited
his home in Kayalitsha. This day was a hard day, and for some it moved them into an uncomfortable
space. This is the real challenge of working with the marginalised.

We returned to the centre and heard of Wallys Immersion into Zambia. Sharon kept us abreast with new
developments, particularly the Online Leadership Course.

It was important for the participants to experience our society as it is. Therefore on the last night we had
supper at a wine estate. That is the SA experience - the great divide between Kayalitsha and our beautiful
winelands.

NEXT STEP
Staff have been challenged to reflect on the weekend and to write a report to their Head Teachers, giving
feedback to show in what way we collectively can do more, but, more importantly, to show how the
school can take this Charism of Edmund Rice and make it work in their communities. As we are
constantly reminded, we are the next generation being tasked with carrying this message into the future

Peter Ross
Christian Brothers Association (CBA) Support Officer

Training For Transformation Workshop

at I.S.C. Lusaka Zambia


We the novices had a workshop on Training for Transformation at
I.S.C Formation House in Lusaka Zambia. The training which took
place from 28th August to 01st September 2017 was facilitated by
our two Brothers, Elly Sakwa and Paul Mutuku from Kenya.

This was the second phase of our Training for Transformation,
which started in 2016. This phase comprised of theory and
Alphas and practical application where we were given a chance to put into
practice some of the skills we had acquired during the workshop.
Alphonce

At I.S.C. Lusaka
Alphas and Alphonce We had lots of learnings. What particularly impressed us was the
In I.S.C. Lusaka fact that we can use this course to transform ourselves and others,
both in the communities where we will be after our First
Profession and in our various ministries. One important fact we will need to keep in mind is that in order
to transform others we have to begin with ourselves. We also learnt ways through which we can address
various issues affecting society.

We extend our gratitude to all who contributed to the success of this programme, especially our two
Brothers who took their time to facilitate it and to present us with Certificates of Completion at the end of
the Workshop.

Alphas and Alphonce
I.S.C. Novitiate, Lusaka

SEVEN FROM AFRICAN PROVINCE ATTEND CHILD PROTECTION TRAINING COURSE, KENYA,
SEPTEMBER 18-22
FRONT: (L-R) Ms. Danielle Grebe, (Edmund Rice Camps, Cape Town); Fr. Andrew Shekuamba (Tanzania); Mr. Peter Ross
(C.B. Association Support Officer, Pretoria); Ms. Grace Wanjihia (CORAT Programme Coordinator); Br. Puriey Musunga
(St. Raphaels Secondary School, Livingstone). MIDDLE ROW: Fr. Lucas Riziki (Tanzania); Fr. Benedict Bigirwamungu
(Tanzania); Br. Pious Conteh (WAD Child Protection Officer, Sierra Leone); Mr. Moses Muchai (CORAT
Consultant/Facilitator); BACK: Ms. Kayla Britten (Edmund Rice Justice Desk, Cape Town); Fr. Prosper Luhinda
(Tanzania); Br. John Holden (Western Cluster Child Protection Coordinator, Mongu); Br. John McCourt (SCD Child
Protection Officer, Kabwe); Mr. Fred Olweny (CORAT Consultant/Facilitator); Rev. Nichodemus Bogohe (Tanzania).

South-Central District send six for Child Protection Training Course

Six of the seven representatives from the Africa Province attending the 5-day training course on Child
Protection at CORAT AFRICA in Nairobi, Kenya, were from the South-Central District. They included Br.
John McCourt, Kabwe, (SCD Child Protection Officer); Br. Puriey Musunga, Livingstone, (St. Raphaels
Secondary School Faculty); Br. John Holden, Mongu (Western Cluster Child Protection Coordinator); Mr.
Peter Ross, Pretoria, (Christian Brothers Association (CBA) Support Officer for South Africa &
Zimbabwe); Ms. Kayla Brittan, Cape Town, (Education Coordinator for the Edmund Rice Justice Desk);
and Ms. Danielle Grebe, Cape Town, (Manager of the Edmund Rice Camps at Stellenbosch). Also
participating was Br. Pious Conteh from Freetown, Sierra Leone, (WAD Child Protection Officer), along
with four priests and one seminarian representing various Dioceses across Tanzania.

Ms. Grace Wanjihia, CORATS Training Programmes Coordinator, along with Consultants & Facilitators,
Mr. Moses Muchai and Mr. Fred Olweny, covered essential components for safeguarding and protecting
children, and for creating effective Child Protection Policies and Procedures for our various
organizations.

Called to enhance Stewardship and Integrity, is the motto of CORAT AFRICA (Christian Organization
Research & Advisory Trust of Africa). CORAT offers a vast host of programmes and courses providing
capacity enhancement to churches and church-related organizations through innovative approaches and
creative learning models. The twelve participants enjoyed working together and thoroughly appreciated
the professional training and conducive learning atmosphere that has become synonymous with CORAT
AFRICA and its programmes.

John Holden
Western Cluster Child Protection Coordinator, Mongu
 St. Josephs College, Bloemfontein, R.S.A. visit
St. Columbas Secondary School, Lukulu, Western Zambia
July 2017

On the 7 July 2017 a group of

nine students, and Messrs
Wally and Tyrone Borchard,
from CBC St Josephs in
Bloemfontein began their long
journey to Lukulu, a small rural
town in the Western Province
of Zambia. The purpose of the
trip was the twinning of
schools that are part of the
Edmund Rice Network. St
Columbas Catholic Secondary
School was the chosen school
because it is the most
inaccessible, deep in rural
Zambia and one has to endure
roads that are in a very bad
condition in order to get there.

Our first stop was in CBC

Back: Wally Borchard, Thabo, Phakoe, Boksburg. This was 430km
Abdul, Naema, Mikhail, Tyrone Borchard from our starting point. We

were welcomed by three
Kneeling: Khanyi, Keke, Neo and Lerato
brothers who reside in
Boksburg. Two of the Brothers,
who are from Zambia, told us about the journey ahead and about our final destination. Thereafter we
said a prayer and they blessed us. The next morning, we were up bright and early to begin our
886km journey to CBC Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Our route took us through Botswana. Border crossing
is an experience! At the Zimbabwe crossing we were kept at the border a total of three hours. Hence,
we reached CBC St Patricks in Bulawayo at around 1am. Our late arrival, meant we did not meet the
ERS members of CBC St Patricks and enjoy the supper they had prepared for us. Instead, we had
breakfast with a few of them. We then left for Zambia.

We had a rather pleasant experience at the border even though it was relatively long. We could hear
the Victoria Falls and felt the excitement that we were to see it. We set up camp in a small lodge in
Livingstone. The next day we went to St Raphaels Secondary School for a few hours. Here we met
the principal and the friendly teachers, one of whom showed us around the school. We introduced
ourselves to the different classes and had a few lessons with them as well. We gave each student a
card with an Edmund Rice prayer as a small gift. We later went to a local crafts market and finally
onto the Victoria Falls. This was one of the highlights of our trip. We all got soaking wet, we were all
amazed and grateful for the opportunity to see a wonder of the world.

The next day we headed to Mongu. We were faced with our first stretch of poor roads. Part of the
road to Mongu was full of deep potholes which made the trip a lot longer. We stopped at St Johns
School and were introduced to some of the Brothers who live there. Thereafter, the principal of the
school brought us to a lovely motel where we stayed for the night. The next day, before leaving for
Lukulu, we went to St Johns School. Again, we met a few teachers and introduced ourselves to a
few of the classes. On our journey to Lukulu we had to push our vehicle out of some sand. The road
to Lukulu was even longer and in a terrible condition, this further lengthened the journey. Finally, we
arrived in Lukulu that night. We stayed in what used to be the Brothers house. The staff of St
Columbas School welcomed us with a buffet-style dinner. The generosity of food did not allow us to
do it justice. After dinner, our welcoming party lead us to our big house on the bank of the Zambezi
River.

The next morning, we walked to the school. After meeting a few of the teachers, we were taken to
separate classes where we had a few lessons with the students. After break, we attended Mass at
the school. The Mass was lively with beautiful singing and harmonious choirs. We were then taken
around the residential area of Lukulu and to the Zambesi River. We were led and accompanied by
four members of staff and three students. We took a boat across the river to the beach of Mifete
where we had a little fun and took a few pictures. The next day, after break, we were whisked away to
the electricity production and distribution plant of Lukulu. We were amazed at how electricity is cut off
from midnight to 5am in order to allow the machines to cool down.

Afterwards we went back to the school for presentations, there were a few presentations from St
Columbas and we had a few of our own. We joined the Edmund Rice Group for a few songs,
including one in Silozi. There was a traditional Zambian dance item which was a definite crowd-
pleaser. The dances continued outside where everyone in town could watch. Here we had a chance
to socialise and make new friends. That night, we invited the students of the Edmund Rice Group for
a braai while the staff had one of their own. The night was filled with dancing and laughter. We had
the pleasure of meeting the former head girl of St Columbas who cleared her busy schedule just to
meet us. The night ended quite abruptly as some of the students had quite a distance to walk in order
to get home. With somewhat tearful goodbyes, the students of St Columbas, or rather our new
friends, wished us well on our journey back and headed home.

Lukulu is a lovely place with unbelievably friendly people.

We were welcomed with open arms and were quickly made
to feel at home. In no time, we felt like one of their own. Our
one of a kind visit to Lukulu was one of the most memorable
and enjoyable experiences of our lives, it was truly one to
remember. So, we began the long journey back through the
We have finally same derelict roads. We went into Zimbabwe and arrived at
arrived at St. CBC St Patricks Bulawayo in time to share a meal with a
Columbas Secondary group of students from the school.
School, LUKULU

Throughout the trip, we experienced some challenges. The bad roads were only one of the
challenges. There was no cell phone connectivity which meant that a few of us were unable to keep
in touch with friends and family. Some of the time there was no hot water so we had to take a cold
shower. We had to adjust to the Lukulu lifestyle. For
example, we had to learn how to walk through the
sandy roads. But we overcame these challenges with
smiling faces and happy spirits. We faced each hurdle
with a positive attitude because these were small
sacrifices and luxuries one can live without. Through
this trip we made a connection with St Columbas. Our
trip was the first of many to come in order to ensure
that this connection is permanent. Not only will CBC St
Josephs send a group to Lukulu, but a few students
from St Columbas will visit our school as well. By
Farewell to our new friends
visiting them, we were acknowledging that they are and the setting sun over the Zambesi
also an important part of the Edmund Rice Network. Zambezi
We also made a lot of new friends whom we will try to make the effort to keep in contact with. The
people at St Columbas were overjoyed by our visit. They had never had visitors before, not even
from Zambia! The fact that we endured such a long and at times tedious journey in order to see them
delighted them even more. This trip gave us a chance to meet new people and experience new
cultures and cuisines as well. This broadened our minds and perspectives. We learnt to show
gratitude and appreciation for what we have and what we continue to receive. We also realised that
we are very fortunate and immensely blessed. This was an unforgettable experience and we hope
that our courage to go will influence others to take on the journey as well.

Wally Borchard and Fellow Travellers
St. Josephs College, Bloemfontein, R.S.A.


Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
 An early announcement for all Annually Professed Brothers

Dear Brothers,

As 2017 is fast approaching its conclusion we wish you all a satisfying end to the year and
also to those beginning new things e.g. OP, studies, new ministries and community, etc.
May you have a blessed start to the new chapter in your life. This message is to inform all
Annual Professed Brothers who belong to the South Central District or who are living in the
South Central District in 2018 of 3 Annually Professed Brothers (AP) gatherings planned for
2018.

1- AP weekend, January 2018. Arrivals on 5th January. 6th and 7th full meeting days.
Departures on 8th January. Venue; ISC. Theme: Healthy Living. Speaker; Ms Pamela
Marinda.

2 - AP weekend, July 2018. Arrivals on 30th June. 1st and 2nd July full meetings days.
Departures on 4th July. Venue and Theme; to be announced.

3 - AP Retreat, August 2018. Arrivals on 11th pm August and departures on 17th am

August. Venue; Mount Sion Retreat Centre, near Poor Clares, Lusaka. Facilitators: Br John
Casey, Andrew Pinto, Fr. Jose Kaleekel. Theme: Living Brotherhood here and now.

We will keep you informed as more details emerge. We anticipate 30+ AP Brothers in the
District next year including 'new' arrivals to the Western Province Cluster from other Districts.
You are most welcome, and we look forward to seeing you all.

Fraternally

Marvin P, Tatenda C and Senan D.

AP Brothers Committee
P.S. Any questions, suggestions etc. please contact us on the A P Brothers' Whats App
group.

Birthdays during October November 2017

October November
12 Bruce Hakalembe (I.S.C. Novitiate Lusaka) 18 Alfred Banda (D.L.T.)
20 Isaac Nyambe (Mazabuka) 24 Kephas Ndalama (Mazabuka)
21 Mark Cody (Senanga) 27 Donald Kennedy (Bulawayo)
29 Igidious Chalo (Kabwe) 28 Chanda Mubanga (Livingstone)

Our greatest glory is not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius (551 BC 479 BC)



And finally, a story for all catechists




Lazarus and the Rich Man

One day a catechist told the parable of Lazarus and The Rich Man to her class.
As she spoke, she was tying knots in a beautiful scarf.
Each knot is for a time
when we close our hearts to those who are like Lazarus, she said.

Who is like Lazarus? a child asked.

Lazarus is everywhere, she replied.
He is those suffering from hunger, natural disasters, or war.
He is the addict and the abused. He is our neighbour.

Who was the rich man? another queried.

Continuing to tie knots, the catechist responded,
The rich man is everywhere, too.
He is those who never share their wealth with the poor,
who are selfish with their time and concern.

The scarf grew shorter;

soon, it was a tight ball, no longer useful or beautiful.
The catechist continued,
When we close our hearts to those in need, we end up like the rich man:
with a withered heart, tight and useless like this knotted scarf.
That is the greatest poverty of all.