Divine Word Novitiate Nkwatia-Kwahu Ghana Province
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DIVINE WORD NOVITIATE NKWATIA-KWAHU GHANA PROVINCE NOVITIATE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER, PENTECOST EDITION,2012 ISSUE NO. 4 From The Director's Desk In this Edition An Outpouring of Gifts On the eve of the Solemnity of Pentecost, the time at which this issue of our newsletter is scheduled to “come out of the * From Every Nation, press”, taking a look around the novitiate and also, of the People and Language Pg 2 events herein recorded, I feel * We are doing well!....Pg4 very much that they are all a manifestation of the Great * Workshop For SVD-HDR Pentecost! Novices……………… ….Pg 5 Indeed, in the past few weeks, a number of initiatives have been carried out on the compound and in the community to indicate *In the designs of this. I recall that we were going to try to place orders for more bee Providence……. Pg5 hives. I had actually made the contact when one of the novices made known to me that he could produce the hives. We had wood * Unity in Diversity.....Pg 6 recently harvested from our farm for the needed materials. This * All Priests and Religious was indeed good news! An article tells of the Jubilee Hut constructed to mark the 25th and have sinned ……Pg 10 anniversary of the present residence of the novitiate. Knowing that Friends of the SVD and our confreres in one of our SVD adminis- tered parishes in Accra helped us achieve this is also indeed, sharing in the giftedness of all the people involved. The final EDITORIAL BOARD paintings and artistic decorations of this hut are also made by other Stephen OSEI ASANTE novices. And indeed, the recent 30 Day Retreat Journey undertaken by the novitiate community was found to be principally the Anthony C. MUSONDA acknowledgement and relisihing of the great gift of the Triune God Alex OWINO OMONDI in our personal lives – his unbounded unconditional Love! When Valentin LISSASSI you or others visit us, you share your giftedness with us also. And again, in the theme From Many Nations, People and Languages …of the upcoming XVII General Chapter of the SVD, isn’t it another reflection on our giftedness to one another? CONTACTS With this Pentecost issue, therefore, the whole novitiate The Divine Word Novitiate community wants to wish you all, a rich experience of the outpour- ing of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and that the diverse gifts with P.O. Box 17, which we have been blessed, would truly be always generously put Nkwatia-Kwahu at disposal of our communities and families, and making the world Ghana experience through us, the love of the triune God, and thus making Email: [email protected] the world a better place for us all! Enjoy reading and have a blessed feast of Pentecost! website: www.svdghana.org Fr. George Angmor, SVD Tel:+233-28-9100966 (Director of Novices) Page 2 NOVITIATE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER, PENTECOST EDITION,2012 From Every Nation, People and Language……… George Angmor welcomed us and urged us to take keen interest The Novitiate in learning about other cultures. Community pose with the He urged us to reflect on our Friends of the culture especially this year as we Novitiate . have the General Chapter with its main concern on culture. This year the community went a community, or family larger than The Guests of Honour was agog when we celebrated the our natural family. Mr. & Mrs. Matthias Kudiabor. Cultural Day from Sunday, 8th to This also brings us a lot of respon- Present at the programme were Monday, 9th January 2012. The day sibilities because of the different our brothers and sisters from the also coincided with the solemnity of elements we take on during adjoining Divine Word Language the Baptism of Jesus Christ. This baptism; priestly, prophetic and and Cultural Centre. was the second of its kind. The kingship. He added, “Looking Later that evening, Mr. Matthias Novice Directors instituted the around, we are from different coun- Kudiabor, the Headmaster of St. cultural day last year to promote our tries and culture and its through our Peter’s Senior High School, diverse cultures. The theme for this baptism that we have gathered here Nkwatia, together with his wife, year’s celebration was taken from and called ourselves brothers and this were presented a Certificate of the SVD 17th General Chapter: should make us live out our baptism Honour as special Friends of the From Every Nation, People and as priests, prophets and kings.” Novitiate for their concerns, He therefore urged us to cherish Language: Sharing Intercultural supports and encouragements to each other’s culture as a gift of Life and Mission. the Novitiate community. God and live together as one. On Sunday morning, the On Monday, novices to- Later in the afternoon, the novices dressed in their traditional gether with the two directors novices prepared their traditional costumes during the Eucharistic shared deeply on their cultures, local foods: Fufuo and Eto from celebration. Fr. Nicholas Aazine concerning rites of passage like Ghana, Chapati served with beans presided over the Mass and the naming ceremony, initiations, stew from Kenya, Nshima with concelebrants were Frs. George marriage, death, burial rites. Fr o o Angmor, Rafael Mesi and Alfonse soup from Zambia,Gari F t from Nicholas on his part shared his Amanor. Togo and Amiwo from Benin. In missionary experience in Australia In his homily, Fr. Nicholas said by the evening, the community met highlighting some cultural to share on our cultures. virtue of our baptism which we elements. The “Nene of the House” Fr. share with Christ, we are born into Founder’s Day at Blessed Clementina Parish This year the Novitiate community celebrated St. Arnold Janssen Feast day at Blessed Clementina Parish, Ashaiman in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra. The main celebrant was Fr. Nicholas Aazine and the concelebrants were Frs. Rafael Mesi, Andrew Quaye-Foli and Sondry Matondo. In his homily, Fr. Rafael Mesi said St. Arnold Janssen was a man who knew, understood and shared his faith with others. To share his faith with others, he established three international religious congregations to proclaim the good news to all. He said: “People before and after St. Arnold Janssen‟s time believed that “Extra Ecclesia Nulla Salus”- Outside the Church there was no salvation, there was only darkness.” “So, St. Arnold„s dream was to make Jesus known to every person in every nation, language and Culture. Continued on page 5 Page 3 NOVITIATE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER, PENTECOST EDITION,2012 We are doing well Parents! Time stood still in the novitiate this year during the parents’ visit from 10th to 13th Febru- ary, 2012. As it has been the custom for some years now, the parents and guardians of all the novices from Ghana, Togo and Benin came to the novitiate to interact with the formators, superiors, as well as novices to see how we are doing in the Novitiate. In all, 45 parents and guardians were present for the three day event. during which the parents asked several perti- The parents and guardians arrived on Friday nent questions as well as expressed their 10th February. On Saturday, 11th, a conference gratitude for all that is being done for their involving all the parents, the novices, formators as well as invited guests was held. children. The Kwahu District Superior, Fr. Rafael Mesi The Mass on Sunday was presided over welcomed all the parents, guardians and all by Fr. Rafael Mesi, who is also the Assistant gathered after which Fr. Nicholas Aazine elabo- Novice Director and was celebrating his 50th rated on the SVD Formation Journey in Birthday Anniversary. In the homily, he AFRAM. He explained to them that the noviti- ate is a place where the novices and the Society shared his vocation story with us and urged get to know each other. He further urged the us to perserve in the vocation we have chosen. parents to support their children in whichever The occasion was also graced by some Indo- way possible. As part of the programme, one of the nesian Priests and Religious working around novices introduced the parents to the daily here, the Christian Mothers from Our Lady of activities undertaken by the novices in the Good Counsel Parish, Kwahu- Tafo, Friends novitiate. Fr. George Angmor, the Novice of the SVD, Dansonman Branch; Fr. Provincial Director, used the occasion to thank all the parents and guardians for all they have done Thomas D’Mello and Fr. Fred Timp and continue to help the novices. (Provincial Secretary) who were on their way The conference ended with question time to the north. WORKSHOP FOR SVD-HDR NOVICES This year‟s inter-novices workshop of the maids of the Divine Redeemer (HDR). Br. South-Eastern Sector of the National Association Emmanuel Osei, a member of the Franciscan Friars of of Religious Formators (SES-NARF) came off Africa (FFA), sat in for the formators of the sector as from 23rd to 27th April at our premises. It was on the coordinator of the programme. Human Sexuality and the topic was “Human Sexu- The novices were taken through the origin of sexuality; the human being as a sexual person; types ality as an access of fidelity to the Vows.” It was to help and barriers to sexual orientation, the spiritual life of a us novices preparing to embrace the evangelical coun- celibate and ways for a joyful celibacy. At the end of sel of chastity, poverty and obedience. The workshop the workshop, the novices were happy and grateful to was facilitated by Sr. Mary Theodoret Madu, IHM. have the privilege of having the workshop and Sixteen novices attended the workshop; 13 of us promised that they would live by what they have SVD novices and 3 sister novices from the Hand- experienced.