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CMIs IN SOUTH AFRICA

THE SPIRIT IS THE SAME BUT THE PLACES ARE DIFFERENT

Fr. Varghese Kannanaickal is one of the zealous CMI missionaries working in South Africa. As a veteran of the Silwani mission, he has applied his expertise with a fine sensitivity and a practical wisdom to the social situation in his South African parish. He came to the present parish in 2009 on the 1st September. Soon after his coming, he started many welfare activities for the children, the aged and the poor.

It is a relatively old parish blessed in 1928, during the time of Apartheid. Apartheid is an institutionalized racial segregation between the whites and the blacks, practiced in countries life South Africa and Namibia. This parish was previously reserved for the whites only.

When Fr. Varghese took charge as the parish priest, the community was comprised of a mixed population. There were some pious associations such as the Catholic Women's League, Knights of de Gama, and Society of St. Vincent De Paul. But the only active organization was the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The members of the Society were doing some kinds of out-reach programmes to help the poor and the needy.

Fr. Varghese came to this parish after some years of pastoral experience in three other former parishes from 2000 to 2009. They were Christ the King Parish, which was for the blacks, Moya Oyingcwele, meaning the Holy Spirit Parish, which was also for the blacks, and the Parish Church of the Holy Redeemer, which was for the whites.  

In the new Parish also he was continuing the feeding scheme which he had started in his former Parishes. He could motivate the parishioners to assist in his outreach programmes. Thus he could continue also other programmes such as feeding the school children. He was feeding with cooked food more or less 1500 children every working day of the week in 15 selected schools. Fr. Varghese thus re-introduced the noble idea of our Founder St. Chavara in the South African context.

The same spirit of St. Chavara is at work in his other programmes for the sick and the aged. Fr. Varghese started the assistance of old age homes and orphanages. His parish adopted 3 old age homes, 2 children's homes  and 4 crèches. Later, the government started the scheme of feeding school children. Then the parish changed its strategy to prepare parcelled food. Food Parcel distribution has  benefitted 100 under-privileged and child headed families. Except the school feeding and soup kitchens, all the programmes are still continued in the parish of Fr. Varghese in South Africa. There are a few more programmes such as “Christmas in July” and “Green Cambridge” as well.

How come “Christmas in July?” You know, the winter month in South Africa is July. In the severe winter the Fr. Varghese with the parish volunteers visit the adopted old age homes, distribute the Christmas gifts, and spend some joyful time with them. During the month of December other organisations or their own family people may visit and give some gifts to them. But the middle of the year especially during the winter time they do need assistance. That is why Fr. Varghese with his flock started this programme of Christian love called CHRISTMAS IN JULY.

Another programme with the participation of the parishioners is GREEN CAMBRIDGE. The community comes together and cleansup the premises of the suburb. It is conducted usually after the rainy season.

St. Paul Province is proud of our missionary pastors like Fr. Varghese and others who bear the torch of compassion and service in distant lands. The various programmes they conduct in their parishes among their flocks show their ingenuity to translate their experience and learning in India according to the needs of the place where they are. Congratulations to Fr. Davis Mekkatukulam and Fr. Davis Alappatt  in South Africa. May God bless your efforts and make them fruitful.