Straight up the middle

John_Meade-_2009 In Africa, when a baby is born, we rejoice and call upon the departed spirits to watch over the new life. When life is taken away, we mourn and we call upon the departed spirits to welcome into their community that life which has been taken away from us. We see death as not the end, but the beginning of new life, life with the community of ancestors. The spirit of the dead person does not die but remains active in the community.

The death of John Meade is a great loss to many people – in Africa and beyond – for his life brought us such gains. In death he will continue to be a blessing to us. John was outstanding in everything he did. He was courageous and spoke the truth. He had the highest regard for his fellow Christian Brothers and was absolutely loyal in his commitment to Christ and to Edmund Rice. That is not to say he was perfect. But he never had any hesitation in admitting his faults and acknowledging his shortcomings. Basically John was a shy man who won the affection of others by his simple truthfulness and by his ability to listen gently to their stories.

John was big in every way. As the son of a farmer he was big and strong physically. Character-wise, he was big and strong. John’s father died when he was seven years of age, so John knew early in life what it was like to accept responsibility. At a very young age he was a big support to his widowed mother. As a result of this early responsibility John developed a big generous heart. And in everything he did he always looked at the bigger picture.

John came to Zambia in July 1972 at 26 years of age. His first posting was to Choma. Just over a year later he was appointed superior of our community in Mazabuka and headmaster of St Edmund’s Secondary School. This was a boarding school with close on 400 boys, for which large family John was responsible for acquiring food supplies, organising classes, and ensuring that the school ran smoothly. Here his physical strength served him well. After teaching for hours he could be seen driving a tractor, ploughing and preparing land for a maize crop or a cotton or sunflower crop. He also took a keen interest in keeping pigs. These activities helped to generate funds for a school that was growing in reputation and numbers.

By necessity, John became an expert at boreholes and water pumps. The school had its own boreholes and inevitably problems arose. John was often seen with a tripod and a block and tackle, lifting and repairing and then lowering water pumps again into boreholes that produced the precious commodity of water.

As a young headmaster he had to learn cross-cultural skills rapidly. His teaching staff was made up of expatriate teachers from Ireland, England, India, Sri Lanka, and Jamaica, as well as Zambians. His job was to blend this diverse staff into a smooth working team that produced excellent results. No one would ever claim that John was a patient man. In fact, he exuded an energy suggesting that action, and fast action, was always needed. Yet he had an uncanny skill of listening carefully before moving quickly and decisively. Most times his decisions were wise and succeeded in achieving the desired effect. At all times his decisions were fair. If some of his decisions were not liked, they could not be faulted because they were unjust. I suspect that this was a skill that he learned in the countryside of Kilfinnane, Co Limerick.

John is on the far left

As leader of the Mazabuka community, John was big-hearted and generous. During school holidays Mazabuka became the home of all the Brothers working in Zambia. Often there were twenty or more Brothers resident. There was always an air of enjoyment and fun. Mealtimes were times for the sharing of knowledge and occasionally for the sharing of ignorance which would lead to an exchange of banter and laughter. Mazabuka became a place where Brothers would come from distant outposts to recharge their batteries. It speaks volumes about John as a community leader that in all this time nobody was ever turned away and all Brothers always felt at home. It is a mighty tribute to John’s understanding of humanity that such a motley group of men could relax and enjoy each other’s company. John organised annual retreats for the Brothers and again Mazabuka was the centre for these.

Every New Year’s Eve John facilitated a party for all missionary personnel in the area. All arrived to celebrate Eucharist together and then a sumptuous meal would be served. The rest of the night would be spent dancing, singing, and playing music on different instruments.

In 1980 John returned to Ireland and after a two-year study period he became acting headmaster in Drimnagh Castle, before being appointed community leader and headmaster at CBC Cork. He had just settled in when he was called upon to be the first Regional Leader of the Christian Brothers in Zambia: the Mater Dei Region was inaugurated on 4 February 1984.

Once again John was in his element. Leadership appeared to come easily to him. In his dealings with others he was always honest and forthright. When a difficult message had to be delivered it was done firmly and nothing more was said. He never held grudges and could share his opinions honestly and forcefully with a person, but at the end of the day his relationship with that person was still positive and open.

It was during John’s leadership that land was purchased in Chelstone, Lusaka, and soon a regional centre and novitiate building arose in which many young Christian Brothers from different parts of Africa and Papua New Guinea were trained.

In 1996 John relinquished the post of regional leader and went for a sabbatical in Berkeley, California. On his return he was appointed Education Secretary for the Zambia Episcopal Conference. This was a national position which brought him into contact with Bishops, politicians, and top civil servants especially in the ministry of education. He was fearless in speaking his mind about educational matters and challenged many a senior civil servant about matters of justice in this area. Betty Ndulo from the Catholic Secretariat described John thus:

“He had a passion for education, and education in Zambia in particular. He always spoke his mind. He did not give up in his efforts to improve the standards of education in Catholic Schools. I remember in February 2006 when he was booked on a flight to South Africa for a heart operation – that morning he was in a meeting with the Ministry of Education. We will miss him.”

Brother Frank Keane has memories of John dating back to their time together in Ireland and also more recently in Zambia.

John talking with Fr Pete Henriot SJ

“I first made John’s acquaintance in Mainistir Treasa, Parnell Road, Dublin, in 1971, when we lived in the same community and taught in different schools. Several decades later, on my arrival in Zambia in 2008, we renewed our acquaintance. It was in 1971 that John volunteered for service in Zambia. I well remember the farewell accorded him by an appreciative community, grateful past pupils, and admiring parents. Certainly John was a valuable member of both the local and wider communities. The then Superior John Kenny paid him the usual tribute, ‘Ireland’s loss is Zambia’s gain.’ This was not just an empty, useful accolade. He was sorely missed in Coláiste Chaoimhín. Subsequent events proved his invaluable contribution to life, in all its dimensions, in Zambia. A big man in many ways, John was recognised for his honesty and integrity. Blunt in several aspects, he was forever kind, compassionate, understanding, and enthusiastic. As Christian Brothers we have all lost a friend, confidant, and supporter. What is his legacy? Several achievements spring to mind. His name will always be associated with the Mater Dei District, as its first elected Leader, and also with the centre in Chelstone/Avondale, Lusaka, which has now become the International Spirituality Centre (ISC). May his big and gentle soul rest in eternal peace.”

John’s life will not only be missed among the Christian Brothers and in Zambia’s Religious and Catholic community, but also in the whole Irish community in Zambia. Mr Tony Cotter, the Irish Ambassador to Zambia, was much aware of John’s commitment:

“Brother John demonstrated great commitment and dedication to his vocation and was always in good humour despite the many challenges faced. I am very much aware of the unique contribution made by Brother John over many, many years to development here in Zambia, particularly to the education sector. I also have some very fond memories of my own engagement with him during my short time here in Zambia. We will miss him. He is a great loss to the Irish community in Zambia, to the Christian Brothers, and to the communities that he worked with. Ní feicimid a leithead ann arís.”

John at a Liturgy at the ISC, 2005

John was a man of prayer and he was most gracious in acknowledging the support he felt from knowing that others were praying with him and for him. During the course of his recent illness his spirit never once dropped below the horizon of despair. Always, he was positive. Always, he was empowering others by his genuine encouragement. John was a big man in so many ways, and a big Christian Brother. His affectionate nickname among us was ‘the Bwana’ – the Big Boss. We are proud of John and we give thanks to God for the many years that he served the people of Zambia. In a very special way we thank his brothers and sisters for the gift of John to us. He was our brother and our friend, and he led us fearlessly to be advocates for justice for the poor. May he rest in peace.

Christian Brothers Puriey Musunga and Seamus O’Reilly

April 2011