Christian Brothers West African Assembly, December 2011
District Leader Chris Teh warmly welcomed each brother and reminded us that: “Palava in an atmosphere of trust and respect, is a fine ingredient of the African tradition of sharing our sacred stories – leading to peace and reconciliation … this is a special time for each brother to share their stories, both joyful and painful moments, in a brotherly manner.”
Inviting our ancestors to come join us …
Then Charles Belmoh, our elder African brother, the first from West Africa to join the Christian Brothers, began pouring libations inviting the spirits of our ancestors, i.e. Christian Brothers who have since passed on, who began this mission in West Africa 42 years ago in Liberia, or who had been missioned here in Salone, to come and join us in this sacred gathering. He called each one by name, often recounting some memory or idiosyncrasy, men whose names and works live on in our hearts – Denis Darcy, Aidan Dorothy, Alban Grace, Vincent Crease, Senan Kerrigan (“your very life’s blood, Senan, spilt into our soil”), Paul Noonan (who died of malaria in Tamale after attending our Chapter), and more recently our own beloved Emmanuel Marrah and Tom McNamara (“you are most welcome!”) and Liguori Gillespie (“Yes, I see you sitting over there, Liguori, smiling broadly!”), and of course our brother Edmund. It was all quite moving and we felt their presence among us.
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Only This Moment Is Mine
by Daniel O’Donnell
There’s so many thing we’d change if we lived our lives again
So many things we would and would not do.
All the past mistakes we’ve made,
and the price that we have paid,
Oh how we’d live if we could start anew.
But there’s no going back and we can’t change the past
Or turn back the hands of time.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery
And I know that only this moment is mine.
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Our facilitators, situated out of sight in the dark, through a microphone read slowly and anonymously what brothers themselves had spoken during personal interviews and workshops over the past months. It was very effective and focused for us some of the issues and concerns among us. A beautiful rendition of Daniel O’Donnell’s song, Only This Moment is Mine, brought the evening to a close. It readily became our theme song and was used frequently throughout the Assembly.
Reconciliation: a long process with no quick fix
Next morning a scriptural reading and prayerful reflection on the Prodigal Son gave context to the day. Sylvester highlighted some of the components of reconciliation – that it sometimes involves a long process with no quick fix and that it cannot be imposed; that reconciliation is a process through which a society or community moves from a divided past to a shared future. Andrew then introduced a medium we would use for the next two days, Wisdom Circles, or Listening Circles – an ancient form of coming together used by our ancestors for palava, involving truth-telling and reconciliation. He introduced the ancient ritual of using the ‘talking stick’ while sharing, symbolizing that this is your sacred time to share deeply with your brothers what needs to be shared, and that you are not to be interrupted. He stressed that it is in our deep listening to each other that wisdom emerges and that we find a way forward. In pairs the facilitators creatively opened and led the various Wisdom Circles throughout the two days.
“This time I give you light …”
It was no coincidence it all took place in the beautiful circular chapel of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom. For the next two days there was a steady flow of brothers coming forth in the circle to share. Interestingly it was the older brothers who dominated the first day and laid bare their stories and some old, old wounds, some that had been festering for years. While sometimes there was real struggle with the truth of what happened or didn’t happen, there was also honest acknowledgement of failings, letting go of, releasing, and asking for forgiveness.
We heard of Judas’ betrayal, of his preoccupation with money, of Peter’s threefold denial; we heard too of James’ and John’s positioning for places of power and prestige in leadership; of Mary Magdalene’s “Do you also condemn me?” We heard of Thomas’ disbelief and loss of confidence, of the Emmaus disciples’ discouragement and loss of hope, of Paul’s being knocked off his horse, of his thorn in the flesh, and of how he came to see that power reaches perfection in weakness. Yes, it was all there, just as it was with Jesus’ first disciples, waiting to be freed, released, liberated, and transformed by the power of the Spirit.
The Wisdom Circle seemed the perfect medium to get at what we needed to finally get at with each other. Each circle was opened with the simple lighting of a candle and was closed reverently with a variation of simple rituals: drumming, or the sprinkling of cleansing water over the entire assembly, or the passing around of cola nuts, sacred to West African culture symbolizing the giving of life, peace, reconciliation, or by simply passing the candle from one to another saying: “This time I give you light” … while our theme song Only One Moment in Time played in the background.
Reconciliation: finding a way to live that permits a vision for the future
{xtypo_rounded2}A reading used at our Celebration of Reconciliation
“I am so delighted that in these days you are sharing with each other, at a deeper level than ever before … that you are being open and honest with each other in naming what needs to be named, what needs to grow and develop and what needs to diminish and die … My Brothers, I am asking you, what are you giving birth to? What is it that is determining your agenda such that you cannot come and go as you choose? I believe that you are giving birth to something that is new, is demanding and is life-changing, but is ultimately as rewarding as the raising of a child within a family.”
Richard Walsh, African Province Leader
(from homily at a recent Final Profession Liturgy)
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Next morning Sylvester picked up on what happened in the circles the previous day, emphasizing that though reconciliation won’t be completed when we leave here, at least we had begun the process. He reminded us that reconciliation involves finding a way to live that permits a vision for the future; that any reconciliation process is a very delicate operation, but not to address the issues is a far worst response. He reiterated that the truth will indeed set us free – no more blaming, denial, or minimizing my own responsibility in what I did or did not do; to simply let go of all that and not to engage in any justification but to humbly ask the forgiveness of my brothers, and to pick ourselves up and move forward with renewed energy.
On this second day it was the young men who began speaking up and there was a constant flow of them coming forward that day, relating how they came into the District from novitiate not aware of some of these undercurrents that had crept in during recent years, but knowing things were not as they ought to be. They spoke of their own struggles in coming into all of this, how it has affected them personally or in community; of how grateful and relieved they were to hear some of their elder brothers speak so humbly of their own faults and failings, of some of the things that had gone wrong in the District; and of how these revelations are helping them to comprehend what has happened and to move forward together in confidence. It was obvious that the young men did not carry the wounds and pain of the years that some of the older men carried and the tone of the day became much lighter, hopeful, and brighter, and laughter was shared easily. But they too very openly asked for forgiveness of their brothers for their own faults and failings and for where they had caused hurt along the way
“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul” (from the poem INVICTUS)
In the evening of the third day, we gathered to view Clint Eastwood’s award-winning film INVICTUS, powerfully highlighting Nelson Mandela’s strong conviction that “reconciliation frees the soul” and is the only way forward. Mandela’s photo in our centerpiece, a powerful symbol for us all, kept us focused on what we also need to do.
A Celebration of Reconciliation concluded the three days with the ceremonial burning of those things we need to let die and to let go of, followed by the washing of the hands. After spirited dancing in a circle to the tune of The Jesu Song, we shared a meal together in small groups, eating from a common plate with the bare hand, in true African fashion.
The next two days of the Assembly were devoted to business matters and planning, led by our District Team and members of various District committees. Emmanuel and Marie Bokai-Tongai from our newly formed Edmund Rice Network also took some time with us. A special word of gratitude goes to Peter Dowling from our Congregation Leadership Team, who attended our Assembly, and who along with Jack Mostyn, who could not be with us, have given us such helpful and brotherly support in the District.
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22 brothers take their annual vows
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On December 22, twenty-two Annually Professed Brothers pronounced their annual vows at our closing Liturgy, prepared by Jeremiah Kargbo, Paul Mendy, and Leo Kamara. In a spirit of deep gratitude we thank God for the gift of these young men to our District. Ten minutes before Eucharist began, two of our brothers from the diaspora, Titus Kallon and Martin Vamboi, who had completed their studies at Iona and Fordham in New York earlier in the month, and who that very same morning had arrived back, appeared at our chapel doors so you can imagine the joy, welcome, and energy that erupted in the chapel that evening.
Important messages sometimes come to us in dreams. On the morning after our Celebration of Reconciliation, our District Leader, Chris Teh, shared with us a dream he had just had. He was in a field with many people on the outskirts. They were talking but he could not understand what they were saying. Then he heard the words, spoken clearly and loudly to him in his own Kono language: “MOR KWOR MOR NYON TINA YOR SUMANWE NU”. Literally translated, it means – “Let us talk (communicate) with each other as members of families or clan.” A significant message indeed for us all.
There was general agreement that this District Assembly was by far the best ever, most probably because we drew upon our own talents and expertise and gave ample opportunity to honestly listen to each other and to talk about what we really needed to talk about. Special credit is due to our six facilitators, who set the very positive tone for the entire assembly and have perhaps, demonstrated a way forward for the future.
Christian Brother John Holden
who is co-ordinator of the Personal-Spiritual Growth Programme for the Brothers of West Africa, and acted as mentor to the facilitators in their preparing for the District Assembly
The facilitation team - (back) Charles, Frank, Andrew (front) Paul Luseni, Sylvester, Paul Mendy
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Fire at opening ceremony
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The Centrepiece
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The talking stick
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published February 2012
