Renewal of Vows - Here I am Lord.

Some of our brothers in Utume have renewed their temporal vows they include; Solomon Gbaki, Philip Gbao, Nathanael Akotsaha, and Daniel Agbor, it was indeed a nice occasion. Fr Giovanni Rolandi AFE Vice Provincial received their vows unbehalf of the Rector major of the Salesian Congregation, Fr Ambrose Anene and Michael stood in as the two witnesses. Later in the night after supper, the AFW student Association received officially all the AFW first year students as well as Fr Ambrose Anene. We also congratulated Cleric Peter Morba for his final religious profession. All members of AFW were in attendace. Meanwhile, Fr lionel arrived today from Indian enroute Monrovia. At the moment he is working for his visa to Liberia.



Peace Ike, Secretary

The Salesian Sisters arrive in Ghana and in AFW Province

The Sisters have arrived and they have been given a very warm welcome in the parish during the Mass of the Assumption. They were well received by the people and the youth prepared a very nice drama for them. Afterwards they were presented with the keys of the hostel which they will be managing.

On the 15th of August the Salesain Sisters will officially open a new community in Ashaiman. they will intitially be staying at and mangaing the Girl's hostel, untill they establish their work over here. We wish the Salesian Sisters God's blessing and Our Lady's protection in theri new foundation.

Golden Jubilee - Fr Roy Fosker

Fr Roy was ordained on the 4th of August 1960 and therefore he celebrated his golden Jubilee this year. He presided at a beautiful Mass in the Morning for which the two Ashaiman communities participated together with the Youth Animators. The Missionaries of Charity also attended and presented him with a beautiful chasuble. In the evening a special supper was shared in the community. Here Fr Roy shares with a spiritual thought about a value in religious life that he cherishes so much.

"May I suggest three norms, in three words, for our practice of poverty in the contemporary world? To be relevant, and therefore sacramental in the lives of all who see us, our poverty must be sincere. We must be in fact, and not only by profession, really poor.

God knows if we are poor only in name. Our poverty must be laborious by which we resemble workers in the world who have to labour often in distasteful jobs under trying conditions.

Finally our poverty must be generous by which we freely devote ourselves and all we have for the service of the neighbour. Sincerity, labour and generosity may not be easy to spell out in rulebooks or constitutions, but they are not hard to determine, each one for himself, once we set our minds to it. Our poverty is sincere if we actually lack certain things we should like to have; it is laborious if we become tired in the work we perform; and it is generous if we cheerfully share.“

 

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective, Chapter 8 Poverty, Chastity and Prayer (Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J., Bellarmine School of Theology, Chicago, Ill.)

...A Great Triumph. - Br. Bill

Br William Regner

Born 26th March 1932

First Profession - 8 September 1957

Perpetual Profession - 24 August 1963

Died 27th June 2010 - Freetown Sierra Leone

“Death for the Salesian is made bright by the hope of entering into the joy of his Lord and when it happens that a Salesian dies working for souls the Congregation has won a great triumph” (C 54)

Br Bill was a man of prayer. As busy as he always was, he was the first to arrive in the chapel. Like a contemporary Artemide Zatti, he used to animate for his confreres morning and evening prayer and the rosary. He lived poverty to the fullest. He never preached or talked about poverty but he lived it.

For example, he was never heard complaining about food, or accommodation or the hardships of missionary life. His simplicity and humility were outstanding; he was a man of few words and much work. His hands were the hands of a worker, always dirty with engine oil or the dust of building materials. You can find his “touch” behind all Salesian buildings in Lungi and Freetown.

He had such a great love for the Church, for Don Bosco and the Salesian Congregation. He was always sensitive to the needs of poor children, always kind and welcoming with the poor, never bossy with his workers.

Br Bill had recently celebrated his 50th anniversary as a Salesian Brother. What a beautiful example of Salesian life in the Brother Vocation and dedication to God and to the young he leaves us!