Special Initiatives
The New Provincial Leadership Team: [above] Romuald L. M. Makeretta Massawe, 4th Councilor; David Mwangu, 2nd Councilor, Wolfgang Pisa, Provincial Minister, Felician Kavishe, Vicar Provincial Minister, and Evarist Mkwama, 3rd Councilor was elected on 03 March 2011 at the Provincial Chapter, in the presence of General Councilor Agapit Mroso.
Before his election as Provincial Minister Wolfgang Pisa, who made his first profession in 1992, had been studying at the Catholic University and residing with our brothers at Capuchin College in Washington, D.C.
Vicar Provincial Minister, Felician Kavishe, the oldest member of the leadership team who made his first profession 1983, previously ministered as a formator in Pretoria. Second Councilor, David Mwangu, who made first profession in 1994, also served as a director of formation in Morogoro.
Third Councilor, Evarist Mkwama, a Capuchin lay-brother, also pronounced his first vows in 1994 and ministered at the Franciscan Maua Seminary, situated in the north of Tanzania, in Kilimanjaro region. Fourth Councilor, Romuald L. M. Makeretta Massawe, with a background in journalism, served as a parish priest in Dar es Salaam. He made his first profession in 1993.
Graphics on this page are satellite images of the coast of Tanzania and Kenya
Pictured above are Brothers Kimani and Tino with Mama Muthoni, daughter Angeline and her son and nephew. Mrs. Muthoni [a widow] gave Tino a chicken to bring to the wonderful benefactors at Africa Women’s Education Fund in appreciation of sponsoring her seventh child, Agnes [not pictured] to a private high school.
The brothers are well and send warm greetings. I have spent ten days visiting various communities and ministries of the vice-province. While I wasn’t expecting a rosy picture, conditions in Kenya are considerably worse than when I left 18 months ago. The rigged elections and ensuing tribal violence have left the country politically paralyzed and socially fragmented. A two-year drought has created food shortages, and threatens famine in the north and near the Somali border. And of course, the world-wide recession is strangling the little industry which exists.
The friars however remain undaunted. They continue the peace keeping efforts of Damietta, HIV/AIDS awareness programs, and many other forms of outreach. Just last year they accepted yet another parish in a very challenging environment—in the poor district around Lake Victoria.
My three days there were eye opening indeed. On July 29 I leave for Tanzania. Please pray for our Kenyan brothers and those to whom they minister.
Know you are kept in their prayers. Asanteni. Kwa heri, tutaonana.