It was eight o'clock in the evening. Johnny asked his friend if he could lend him his razor, because he wanted to shave the hair of his head. "Did somebody pass away?" asked his fellow pastor, deacon Anton. "I feel that something serious is going to happen." At eleven o'clock the phone rings. Johnny's 22 year old son suddenly passed away during an asthma attack.

This happened in Durban, during a seminar for deacons from southern Africa. Three times I had the opportunity to visit Africa and its deacons. It is a continent of mystery, of a sun that turns the other way round, of ancestors who announce death, of an overcrowded church where young people are dancing and singing of resurrection, of an endless number of dead people, of dictators letting starve their own people, of sisters working with unconditional love, of volunteers continuing their work with a hope beyond words.

I visited deacons from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Men, fathers of a family who, as everywhere else in the world, had heard the voice calling them for church, for doing this work. In Africa, this means fighting against poverty, against the remains of apartheid, against the dictatorship of a man like Mugabe, and more specifically fighting against the ever present death.

I strongly remember the centres where young women facing aids, extremely tired, still continue stringing beads, making beautiful jewellery for tourists. It is a way of earning some money. Together with other seminar participants I visited the so-called drop-in centres where small children who lost their parents, are given shelter. We met the grandmothers who are now in charge, on a daily basis, of the parentless families of their grandchildren. We met the sisters, nuns, sometimes very young, sometimes very old, preparing food for the sick, 400 meals on a simple stove, looking after the elder people and the children, leading schools and hospitals.

In Buluwayo, second big city in Zimbabwe, all deacons pay visits to people in the street as well as at their homes. Each deacon is allocated a parish where he and his volunteers do these visits. That means: inform neighbours about people in their district who are dying. Neighours who, themselves, do not have anything at all. And yet, help should be given. And they do so, as much as they can. There is no food, no bread, no running water, there are electricity break-downs lasting several hours. All this in a city in Africa, in the heat and the dirt.

I paid a visit to Francesco. He is deacon at a psychiatry hospital with hundreds of people suffering from delusions, depressions, fears. Mentally handicaped people, with the Down syndrom, with brain damages, and God knows what more sadness. All these people are housed in the large pavilions that formerly belonged to the British. There is no classification by disease but only by men, women and children. The whole situation is unbelievable. There are hardly any doctors, therapists, nurses, drugs, they have just one meal per day, without meat, milk or proteins. But they do have Francesco. He sings with the children, the women, the men. We pay a visit to the prelate of the diocese who secretly consulted a witch-doctor. He literally grew mad.

Francesco gives out the communion. The sick receive in great devoutness the only medicine that is still available... the love of God.

I visited a deacon in a South African township... a slum area. Compared to this, the well-known Soweto seems a paradise. The priest and the deacons told me about Corpus Christi. "Formerly, this was a big feast. The whole neighbourhood, whether they were catholic, protestant, muslim, or professing any African belief, they all participated in the procession dancing and singing each other's songs. They were walking in the red muddy streets while carrying the Eucharist throughout the area. Now, the priests are begged to enter the houses, to bless the sick, one by one. Actually, now we only sing the Kyrie... Lord help us, have mercy on us."

Father Martin Schupp, the acting bishop of Bulawayo, and bishop Philipp Pölitzer of Keetmanshoop in Namibia express their worries about the deacons. "Can they manage? Is their education adequate? How can we give them extra trainings? How prepare them, mentally as well as religiously? What means all the effort they give, to their family?"

How could one carry out all this in a country like Namibia where deacons live and work at a distance of six hundred to thousand kilometers or more, from an education centre? Moreover, prospective deacons are not seminarists who you can send to a seminary. They are ordinary men, with a family and a profession. Yet they need a full-time education in theology, which lasts almost five years.

How can you teach and train if you have no books, no computers, no teachers, no money? The deacons of Durban ask for extra training in counselling, in how to talk with the sick and the dying and their families. Father Schupp knows that there are all kinds of trainings for social workers in Bulawayo, but the diocese cannot afford it, while the deacons will spend even more time away from their family and their daily profession. They all have to work in the factory, in their enterprise or, as is the case in Zimbabwe, they have the daily care to find food and income. "Maybe we should, every other year, give a number of deacons the chance to do this." The centre I preside, is prepared to help.

The last day of our study meeting a group of young boys and girls from Durban comes to sing. A sixteen year old girl steps forward. The father sitting next to me whispers that, after having lost her mother, she recently lost her father. In a loud voice she sings: "Don't give up, don't give up!" This is Africa's faith.

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Comentarios en español: Informativo No. 19 del CIDAL - abril 2008

I was impressed by

- the meeting of the delegates of the IDC, coming from different continents and cultures: the interesting exchange of experiences.

- the immense extremes in South African society: 1/3 of the people owns 80% of the income, 50% owns 3% of the income. A situation of injustice.

- the Apartheidsmuseum: how 10% (white people) created and maintained a system of severe discrimination of 80% (black) and 10 % (coloured) people for decades long.

- the effect of HIV/Aids on society: 35-40% of the people in South Africa are infected. In some areas 80% of the age group 15-40.

- the immense support religious sisters, brothers, deacons, priests have given and still give to the education and health care of the people (especially to the black people during the apartheid system).

- the support and care for the orphans, by brave women as volunteers, five days a week, in order to enable their brothers and sisters to go to school.

- the resilience of the people: "Never give up" sang the youth group on our last evening in Marianhill.

- the Eucharist in the township of Soweto on Sunday: proclaiming the Gospel with joyfulness, colour, song and dance.

- the beautiful nature of South Africa, the massive mountains of the Drakensbergen, the flowers and trees, the monkeys in the garden.

It was an enriching, impressive journey, never to forget...

The International Diaconate Centre (IDC) invited representatives from Zimbabwe to participate at the international conference held in Johannesburg from 9th to 15th April 2008. Since the Archdiocese of Bulawayo has the only diaconate body in Zimbabwe, the representatives were subsequently chosen as follows:

Father Martin Schupp CMM - Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese

Deacon Gregory Garnie - Chairman of the Council of Deacons

Deacon Justice Ncube - Secretary & Assistant Director of formation

Deacon Charles Dube - Vice Secretary

The introductory meeting took place at Koinonia House. The following day, Thursday, 10th April consisted of a full day of country reports and group discussions by region. The Africa group discussed the need to build a regional network to overcome the current isolated existence of the diaconate in Southern Africa. It was agreed to form a subcommittee of the IDC in a similar manner to the CIDAL initiative. The new formation has been termed the International Diaconate Center for the Southern Africa Region (IDCSAR).

President - Bishop Philipp Pölitzer of Namibia

Coordinating Secretary - Deacon Greg Garnie of Zimbabwe (South Africa)

Member - Deacon Tony de Freitas of South Africa

Member - Deacon Charles Dube of Zimbabwe

It was agreed that other members would be co-opted from Botswana and Namibia as these were not present at the conference.

On Friday, 11th April, the delegates attended a presentation at St. Augustine College. The first topic covered the socio-economic and socio-political climate in post apartheid South Africa, whilst the second topic dealt with the social, moral and religious impact of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The delegates then adjourned for group discussions on the topics presented.

At the same time an extraordinary meeting took place during which the concept of a regional formation center for permanent deacons was proposed. After general discussions on the merits of this proposal a general agreement was reached that, in principle, this was the way forward for the diaconate in Africa. Professor Dr. Edith Raidt requested a letter from the IDCSAR outlining the concept, the proposal and the overall vision for such an initiative.

After lunch a meeting took place between Father Kees Keijsper, Deacon Greg Garnie and Deacon Rob Mascini on the needs of the diaconate in Zimbabwe. Deacon Garnie presented a project paper to Father Keijsper for the sourcing of literature and audio visual material to assist deacons in their on-going formation and to build up their own personal reference libraries. The request was positively received and we await further feedback. If successful, all twenty-eight deacons incardinated in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo should receive several resource books.  

An informal meeting was held between the Latin American, Spanish and Zimbabwean deacons in the evening of that same day. It was agreed that a South South cooperation be instituted whereby the deacons from Southern Africa would contribute articles to the CIDAL newsletter which is circulated twice per month. The Latin American and Spanish deacons are very keen to hear about the realities of the life and ministry of individual deacons and not hypothetical what-ifs.

On Saturday, 12th April, the delegation went on a tour to Regina Mundi Church in Soweto. We were also taken to see various historical sights in the same township including the memorial in honour of the late Hector Petersen. Thereafter, we were taken to the Apartheid Museum. A most disturbing, yet insightful experience which had a profound effect on the delegation.

On Sunday, 13th April, the delegates attended Holy Mass at St. Francis Church in Soweto. The community also prepared tea and eats after the Mass on the occasion of our visit to their parish. Thereafter, we traveled to Mariannhill Mission, near Durban.

On Monday, 14th April, we met with Cardinal Wilfred Napier in Durban. The Cardinal was particularly keen to learn about the formation of the IDCSAR and the prospect of a center for the formation of permanent deacons at St. Augustine College.

The delegation met with the deacons of Durban Diocese to hear the experiences of these deacons and to share information on the initiatives launched during the conference. The deacons were very appreciative of the efforts underway and pledged their support for these initiatives.

On Tuesday, 15th April, the delegates went to the Community Outreach Center at the hospital in the vicinity. A presentation was given, by the project manager, on the mission and work of the center. We were then taken on a tour to two Drop-in Centers which are a new concept in home-based care and are in fact an extension of the care given to terminally ill people in the area. The Drop-in Center is basically a day care center for orphans, who come from child-headed families.

In the afternoon, we toured the Mariannhill Monastery, founded by Abbot Francis Pfanner, where we were given the historical background of the development of the religious community.

On Wednesday, 16th April, most of the delegation traveled back to Koinonia House in Johannesburg, from where the delegates departed either that same day or the following day.

The delegation from Zimbabwe would like to thank most sincerely, the organizers and sponsors of this conference. Some of our members have attended previous conferences, Deacon Charles Dube, Germany in 2004 and Deacon Justice Ncube, Argentina in 2007, which has promoted continuity from one conference to another. During the conference a number of initiatives were proffered some of which originated in Germany in 2004 or in Argentina in 2007. It is hoped that both new and old initiatives will be taken up and pursued by the newly created IDCSAR board. A special vote of thanks goes to Fr. Christoph Eisentraut, Fr. Kees Keijsper, Deacon Rob Mascini and the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rottenburg for their support.

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