AFE Salesian History Decade 1980-1990


AFE Salesian History Decade 1980-1990

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Don Bosco in Eastern Africa
Kenya | The Sudan | Tanzania | Uganda
A Narrative History of the First Decade (1980-1989)
Sahaya G. Selvam, sdb
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© Salesians of Don Bosco, Eastern Africa
Nairobi, 2023
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Prologue
The Launch of Project Africa
Arrival of the Salesians in Eastern Africa
Early Salesian Missions in Kenya
The First Presences in Nairobi City
Further Opportunities and Challenges in the Sudan
Salesians in Tanzania – Part 1
Three Salesian Communities in Mafinga
Salesians in Tanzania – Part 2
Four More Communities in Tanzania
Sowing the Salesian Charism in Uganda
First Salesians for and from Eastern Africa
Epilogue
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Prologue
Among the church vessels at the Salesian Novitiate at Morogoro,
Tanzania, there is a silver chalice. Ancient looking indeed! At the bottom
of that chalice is this inscription:
To
Rev. James Szaforz, SC.
Director
Silver Jubilee
Salesian School
Goshen, N.Y.
March 19th, 1931
The engraved inscription seems to have a story of its own. To a curious
mind it raises many questions: how come a member of the Brothers of
the Sacred Heart has been the Director of a Salesian School in New York?
Was the occasion of the Silver Jubilee his own or that of the school? An
online search suggests that the Salesians only bought the property in
1925, and the school was eventually closed in 1985. The online story
about a mysterious death at the school also suggests that in 1931 a new
chapel was built. We can only guess that someone gifted this chalice to
the Director on the feast of St Joseph of that year, and it was his Silver
Jubilee. How did it reach Morogoro, anyway? Was it Fr Edward Liptak, a
pioneering Salesian missionary in East Africa from America, and once a
director of novices himself, who brought it to the novitiate in Moshi which
at present is located at Morogoro? Or was it brought by Fr Brian Jerstice
of happy memory – also a missionary in Tanzania? Questions are galore!
Salesian communities are full of artefacts – not only in terms of material
objects and buildings, but also programmes and initiatives. They have
stories to tell. They tell the history of the institutions. If one is attentive,
we can hear those stories and recognise the protagonists of these stories.
The memories borne by these artefacts, events and the agents of these
events not only help us acknowledge with gratitude our past, but also
orientate us to plan for our future. Collective memories bring people
together. They have wisdom to pass on to us.
In this book, I want to tell stories about the Salesians of Don Bosco and
their indefatigable ministry in Eastern Africa, extending across the first
decade (1980 to 1990) of their presence. My original plan was to cover
four decades of history (1980 to 2020), similar to the Memoirs of the
Oratory that Don Bosco wrote of the four decades of his own life and
ministry (1815 to 1855). With the time available and the heaviness of the
task, I have limited the scope of the present volume to the first decade.
Presumptuous though it might seem, we want to make our own for this
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book, the purpose that Don Bosco states for putting down in writing his
own Memoirs:
Now, what purpose can this chronicle serve? It will be a record to help
people overcome problems that may come in the future by learning from
the past. It will serve to make known how God himself has always been
our guide. It will give my sons some entertainment to be able to read:
about their father's adventures…
Don Bosco reserved his memoirs only for the benefit of his Salesians. We,
on the other hand, want our story to be available to any person of good
will. It could make an entertaining reading particularly to young Salesians
and members of the Salesian family, and to all who are interested in the
history of religious institutes in Africa such as the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Gratefully, many of those who arrived as first Salesian missionaries are
still alive, and most of them are still ministering within Eastern Africa.
Therefore, it was possible to get some first-hand accounts of chronological
and episodic details. On the other hand, it is also difficult to write a critical
history when the events and the people involved are contemporaneous
with the writer. That is why, I venture on a narrative history, and not a
scientific objective account.
I attempt to tell stories. I go beyond the mere chronicles of events. I
desire to highlight some insights and draw out some wisdom that history
can offer us, while being very respectful of individuals and their
affiliations. Therefore, the purpose of this book is not to critically evaluate
the history of the Salesians in Eastern Africa. I wish to highlight individual
contributions to the establishment and the deepening of the Salesian
charism in Eastern Africa.
The book has short chapters. There are several texts within boxes that
dot the narrative; they capture some interesting information. I have also
employed copious amounts of footnotes; these, not only cite the source of
the information, but also add more details about people and events,
which if included in the main text would tend to discontinue the thread of
the narrative.
The Salesian Eastern Africa
What is the geographical extent of the coverage of the stories? Again, I
had to make some choices here. The boundaries and the status of the
circumscription of the Salesian unit of Eastern Africa have been shifting
over the years. The process of the formation and restructuring of the
circumscription through this decade itself form part of our story. The
geopolitical history of Kenya, Tanzania, the Sudan, South Sudan, and
Uganda has also been fluid. The first part of most chapters describes the
situation of each of the Eastern African nations at the time of the arrival
of the Salesians in those countries. However, in speaking about the
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geographical delimits of Salesian Eastern Africa, it is also necessary to
consider some geopolitical history.
When the Salesians arrived in Kenya, Tanzania, and the Sudan in 1980,
the Republic of Sudan was one country including the territory that in 2011
became South Sudan. Therefore, in this volume of the history of Salesians
in Eastern Africa, we speak of one Sudan: The Sudan. Another geopolitical
detail relevant to the Salesian history of Eastern Africa is the history of
the East African Community. This structure has gone through its own
evolution in the past decades. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have
enjoyed a long history of co-operation under successive regional
integration arrangements and extending their relationship to other
countries. In 1967, the East African Community was established under
fully independent states of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. However, in
1977, following the aggressive leadership of Idi Amin in Uganda and the
unrest thereof, the East African Community was unceremoniously
dismantled. Therefore, in 1980, when Project Africa was launched,
Uganda was not part of East African Community; as such, the community
was defunct. This could have been one reason why the geographical
territory entrusted to the Salesian Provinces of India to plant and develop
the Salesian charism did not include Uganda. Parallel to the Salesian
presences started by the Indian provinces, the Salesian province of
Piedmont was allowed to start presences in the then Meru Diocese in
Kenya at the request of Bishop Silas Njiru. On the other hand, the
Salesians from Poland began their ministry in Uganda in early 1989,
having spent almost a year learning English in Kenya. From 1993, the
political-economic structure of the East African Cooperation was
reconstituted. This prompted the Salesians also to consider the
consolidation of the various entities to form the unified Province of
Eastern Africa in 1994. From 1994 until 2005, the Salesian Province of
Eastern Africa (AFE) included four countries: Kenya, the Sudan, Tanzania,
and Uganda. In 2005, the countries constituting AFE was reduced to three
countries, with Uganda being reconstituted with Burundi and Rwanda to
form the Salesian province of Great Lakes (AGL). In 2011, with South
Sudan officially becoming an independent country, AFE still had four
countries: Kenya, South Sudan, the Sudan, and Uganda. Meanwhile,
already in 2004, Sudan, and later together with South Sudan, came to
constitute a Delegation of the AFE province. This volume focuses on the
first decade of Salesian presence in the four countries of Kenya, The
Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
History of the History of AFE
There have been several attempts in the past to write the history of
Salesians in Eastern Africa. The first one to attempt a rather systematic
history was Brother Robert Dias. His writings were published in the
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Salesian Bulletin between 2003 and 2005. Unfortunately, these
manuscripts have been lost. However, what could be salvaged from the
Salesian Bulletin has been integrated into the present account. Between
2003 and 2004, there was an exercise of Participatory Strategic Planning
carried out by the Planning and Development Office (PDO) in Nairobi, and
the creation of the first website of the province (www.donbosco.or.ke;
www.donbosco.or.tz).1 For this purpose, I had put together a brief write
up on each community existing at that time. This was highly influenced by
the write up of Brother Dias. The present narrative includes a sizable
integration of material from that version. Fr Gianni Uboldi, currently
ministering in Uganda and once a missionary in Kenya, has written an
elaborate historical narrative of the Salesian ministry in Uganda. Chapter
8 of this volume is basically borrowed from his writing. Similarly, Fr Jacob
Thelakkadan had written a less technical history of Salesian presences in the
Sudan. I have also used his writing to corroborate some of my own conclusions.
The souvenir published a few months after the Silver Jubilee of the
Province of Eastern Africa in 2005 contained a few pages of the history of
the Province. I also had access to a short well-written history, whose
author remains unknown. More recently, Fr Dietrich Mwenda attempted to
write the history of the Salesians in Eastern Africa as part of his Licentiate
in Church History in 2016. However, given the enormity of such a task
and the limited scope of the Licentiate thesis, he abandoned that dream.
In any case, the data that he gathered has formed a substantial part of
this book. Credit should also be given to Fr Sebastian Koladyil, who, out
of his own personal commitment to Don Bosco in Eastern Africa,
interviewed the Salesian pioneers of Eastern Africa.2 The narrative
analysis of the interviews of the individual Salesians, available in video
form, has filled the enormous gaps in documentation and provided the
narrative framework for what you now hold in hand, in book form. I also
had first-hand reading of many files present in the archives in Nairobi and
the chronicles of several communities.
I am grateful to all those who have contributed to this tedious exercise.
My particular gratitude goes to Fr Joseph Pulikkal, and especially to Fr
Neville Luis, for their time and energy in going through the manuscripts,
correcting historical details, adding anecdotes, and proofreading them,
and polishing them with appropriate language and punctuation.
1 These websites went live on the occasion of the Provincial Chapter 2004, held
at Oysterbay, Dar es Salaam.
2 Fr Sebastian had video-interviewed 25 of the early missionaries to Salesian
East Africa, including those who have returned to their country of origin, India,
Italy and U.S.A. Fr Dietrich has audio-interviewed 19 Salesians some who were
first native Salesians of Eastern Africa. This provided enormous data on human
perception and experiences. There were also some who were interviewed by
both. This data was useful also to corroborate the information found in
chronicles and Provincial visitation reports.
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Chapter 1
The Launch of Project Africa
From 1864 onwards, Don Bosco was in correspondence with St Daniel
Comboni (1831-1881),3 pioneer missionary in Africa, and Archbishop
Charles Lavigerie (1825-1892),4 the great apostle of Algeria, concerning
possible Salesian initiatives in Africa. Because of his inability to send
Salesians immediately to the places suggested by either of them, Don
Bosco was content with accepting a few orphans from Africa into the
Oratory of Valdocco (BM 9:348-349).5 In 1875, Don Bosco expressed his
dream for Africa in a wish: "What a memorable day that will be, when
Salesian missionaries sailing up the river Congo will meet their confreres
coming up the Nile and shake hands, praising the Lord [...] I see that
already in Africa" (BM XI:409). In 1886, Don Bosco spoke to the Superior
Council of his plan to send Salesians to Africa (Cairo). But the plan was
not executed immediately.
Don Bosco's dream for Africa began to be gradually realized during the
time of Fr Michael Rua in the overall context of the worldwide expansion
of the Salesian Society. The very first foundation in the African continent
goes back to 1891 when a group of French Salesians arrived in Algeria. In
1894, there was a Salesian foundation in Tunisia, and in 1896, others
followed in Egypt and South Africa. Still other foundations were opened in
different countries between 1907 and 1975, such as in Mozambique
(1907) and Belgian Congo (1911). Father Pasqual Chavez, then Rector
Major, in his letter to the Salesians in 2007, summarises thus, the
expansion of the Salesian presences in Africa prior to 1978:6
It must be recognised that between 1891 and 1978, the Salesian charism
made slow progress in different African countries. At the death of Don
Rua in 1910, there were Salesian foundations in Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt,
South Africa and Mozambique. Fr. Paul Albera sent Salesians to the
Belgian Congo. During Fr. Philip Rinaldi's Rectorship the Salesians opened
houses in the Canary Islands (1923) and Morocco (1929). Fr. Peter
Ricaldone was responsible for their entry into Libya (1939) and Cape
Verde (1946). When Fr. Renato Ziggoti was Rector Major, Salesian
3 He founded, in 1867 and 1872 respectively, two missionary Institutes of men
and of women: the Comboni Missionaries and the Comboni Missionary Sisters
(Verona Fathers and Sisters).
4 In 1868, he founded the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).
5 Father Pascal Chavez, the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco from
2002 to 2014, writes in his letter to the Salesians. ACTS, no.399 (Oct-Dec
2007).
6 Father Pascal Chavez. ACTS, no.399 (Oct-Dec 2007).
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foundations were established in Rwanda and Swaziland (1953), Congo
Brazzaville (1959), Burundi (1962) and Gabon (1964). Fr. Aloysius Ricceri
added two more countries to the Salesian map of Africa, namely
Equatorial Guinea (1972) and Ethiopia (1975). Preparations for a Salesian
foundation in the Ivory Coast were already begun in 1973 through the
presence of a single Salesian.
Meanwhile, Salesians had to withdraw from some of the countries in
Africa due to the hostile political climate, for example in Mozambique the
Salesians left in 1975 following the establishment of the totalitarian
communist regime and returned to it after 20 years,7 and from Algeria
they had to retreat in 1976. In any case, one must admit that there was
no concerted effort throughout this decades to reach out to the length
and breadth of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Then came the 21st General Chapter (1977-78). Fr Jacques Ntamitalizo
from Rwanda was the only autochthonous African present at the General
Chapter as the delegate of the Central African Province. He made a moving
appeal to the Chapter to consider that the time had come for the Salesian
Congregation to do something more for Africa with greater commitment
and planning. His simple message made a deep impression on all present.
In the six-year period that followed the Chapter, Fr Egidio Vigano
formulated the response to the appeal Fr Ntamitalizo, in the form of "Project
Africa." More than one hundred years after the Salesian mission in the
Americas, and more than seventy years in Asia, Africa was in focus. In
launching the Project Africa, Father Vigano spoke of an African Don Bosco.
"Don Bosco must be totally and genuinely himself but, on the other hand,
he will truly possess the essential traits of African culture".8 This genial idea
was to be a kairos not only for the youth and the Church in Africa but for
the entire Salesian Congregation, as the following pages will demonstrate.
Fr Bernard Tohill9 was the General Councillor for the Missions. However,
the initiative of Project Africa was entrusted to Fr Harry Rasmussen. After
7 During this time, one Salesian brother was allowed to remain back because he
was not a priest. Brother António Pedrosa (b.1932) was hired by the regime
and salaried to coordinate the educational activities of the college and for 11
consecutive years received the Medal as the best educator and teacher.
8Cf. ACS 297 (1980) 3 -29.
9 Bernard Tohill was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 12th August 1919. After
his profession in 1937 at Beckford, UK, he opted to go to China/Hongkong as a
missionary. He was ordained in 1948. He was Provincial in China and the USA.
In 1965 he was elected Regional Councillor of the English Speaking Salesian
world that included Ireland, Britain, Southern Africa, USA, Australia and the
Asian Provinces. Then, for 13 years (1971- 84), he was General Councillor for
the Salesian Missions, a task he performed enthusiastically. He helped set
Project Africa in motion after the 21st General Chapter. That 13-year
missionary service made him, perhaps, the most travelled Salesian in the
history of the Congregation. We don’t know how many times he travelled by
boat after his first trip by ship to China. However, he kept count of all the times
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completing his term as Provincial in the Western Province of United States
(SUO), 10 Fr. Harry Rasmussen coordinated the 'Africa Desk' at the
Generalate, under the Missions Sector, from 1980 to 1986. He was tasked
with the responsibility of contacting the bishops in Africa who had invited
Salesians to their dioceses. He also travelled widely making prior visits of
the dioceses before the first groups of Salesians could arrive. Fr Tony
D’Souza, the Provincial Superior of Bombay, India, and later Delegate
Superior of Eastern Africa, describes Fr Rasmussen as “a very genial and
jovial Salesian,” and goes on to pay tribute to him, “from him, I learnt
much about dealings with Bishops, choices of places for Salesian
presences, and organisation of mission communities. I must give him
credit for the good start we made in Eastern Africa. In difficult and
confusing moments his faith in God and optimistic spirit kept my hopes
alive. I remember him with love & esteem.”11
Box 1
The Inspirer of Project Africa: Fr Jacques NTAMITALIZO, SDB
(1942-1995)12
Born in Rungu, in the North of Rwanda, on
September 14, 1942, he studied at the minor
seminary of Rwesero, which was then under the
care of the Salesians, then at the “Collège Saint
François de Sales” in Lubumbashi where he was
able to complete his secondary education.
Entering the novitiate in 1964, he made his first
vows in 1965. Ordained a priest in Rwaza on
August 13, 1972, after a few years of priestly
work in Salesian houses, he continued his studies
he took a plane of some kind or other. They add up to 1538 trips! Fr Tohill
passed away in Hongkong on 21 December 2010 at the age of 91. See,
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~sdbmedia/salesians/biogs/sdb_biogs_tohill.htm
10 From the blog of Fr Ivo Coelho, the General Councilor for Formation (2014 to
date). http://ivocoelho.blogspot.com/2018/10/fr-harry-rasmussen-sdb-one-of-
pioneers.html
11 Fr Harry Rasmussen, SDB passed away at Bellflower (SUO) on 15 October
2018 at the age of 87.
12 From the book published by Marcel VERHULST, L’évolution de la province
d’Afrique Centrale entre 1993 et 2005. Lubumbashi, Ed. Don Bosco 2012, p.
103-105.
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at the UPS in Rome, and obtained a Licentiate in Theology (Spirituality
option).
After being appointed master of novices – first in Butare (1979), then in
Kansebula (from 1981 to 1984) – he was chosen as the Delegate Superior
of Rwanda and Burundi from 1984 to 1990. He combined this function with
that of being the director in Kimihurura, where, under his leadership, the
Institute experienced great progress. At the time of the war and genocide
in Rwanda (in 1994), Fr. Jacques was in the Salesian house of Rango
(Butare); in that period, he decided to remain there alone and guard the
Salesian house despite the difficult situation in the country. On 10th July
1995, when Fr Jacques travelled to Burundi to visit his family members who
were at the refugee camp, he was killed there during the second of wave
of the genocide.
What follows is an account of his intervention at GC 21. Father Jacques, the
only African confrere present at the General Chapter, timidly raised his
hand to ask permission to speak without having any illusions that he was
going to obtain it, given the large number of requests to speak recorded
that day. But the Rector Major, Don Egidio Viganò, whispered in the ear of
the moderator for the day, Father Karl Oerder: “Make him speak right
away!" Father Jacques stood up and made a brief speech:13
“Through my poor words I would like us to hear an ardent and welcoming
cry of appeal from so many young people who feel the need to experience
the Salesian spirit. The harvest is great and ripe, but the Salesian workers
are not enough for the immense and promising apostolate that awaits
them. From the time of Don Bosco until today, eminent personalities of
the Church, having deep esteem for the Congregation, have not ceased to
issue this cry of appeal […]. Speaking of the missions in Africa, Don Bosco
said: “This mission is my dream”. He could not realize this apostolic
dream because of his age. And suddenly, I remembered this other word
he had said as a testament to his sons: “What I have not done, you will
do”. I would like to invite the Congregation, with great respect and
simplicity, to consider these words which have filled me with joy and hope
[…]. With the support of the words of the Rector Major in his general
report on the state of the Congregation, it seems to me desirable that in
the lines of action […] there be one that engages Salesian missionary
action in Africa. I ask the Congregation for this service, in the hope that it
will bear good fruit.”
There followed a brief silence, after which Don Viganò intervened to
emphasize the importance of the request made. This unleashed a great and
long applause: the request was considered as an inspiration of the Holy
Spirit coming through an African confrere. Subsequently, the Acts of the
13 M. VALENTE, In memoriam. P. Jacques Ntamitalizo, salésien de Don Bosco, lettre
mortuaire, Lubumbashi, 1995.
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21st General Chapter of the Salesian Society (Rome, 1978, n. 147)
emphatically stipulated the launch of Project Africa:
At the beginning of the second centenary of the Salesian missionary
endeavours, remembering the prophetic desire of Don Bosco, that the
Salesians undertake to significantly increase their presence in Africa.
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Chapter 2
Arrival of the Salesians in Eastern Africa
When Project Africa was launched there were five Salesian provinces in
India. These provinces were entrusted with the plan of establishing
Salesian presences in three countries of Eastern Africa: Kenya, Tanzania
and Sudan. Meanwhile, the Italian Central Province (ICP) took interest in
starting Salesian ministry in the then Diocese of Meru in Kenya. These
initiatives began in 1980. The task of sending Salesians to Uganda was
given to the Polish Provinces, who had already started sending
Missionaries to Zambia. They would arrive in Uganda only in 1988.
Largely maintaining a sequence of the chronology of the arrival of the
Salesians in these countries, the present chapter describes the logistical
issues and the human experiences around the arrival and the launching of
the Salesian mission in 1980 in the first three countries: Kenya, Sudan,
and Tanzania. The subsequent chapters (Chapters 3 to 6) enumerate in
some detail the growth of the Salesian works in individual communities
grouped together as per their respective countries among the four:
Kenya, Sudan,Tanzania, and Uganda. Uganda is included here for the
sake of maintaining a chronological sequence, even though Uganda would
be amalgamated among the trio to form the Salesian Province of Eastern
Africa (AFE) only in 1994.
Salesians of Central province (ICP) in Italy in Kenya
It is apt to begin the story of the Salesians
in Eastern Africa with a non-Salesian Church
leader: Bishop Silas Silvius Njiru (1928 -
2020). Born in Meru, Eastern Kenya, on 10th
October1928, he was ordained a priest in
December 1955. He was appointed Auxiliary
Bishop of Meru in October 1975, and
consecrated as a Bishop in January 1976.
He became the Bishop of Meru diocese in
December 1976, a position he held for 28 years until he retired in 2004.
He was very close to the Consolata Missionaries,14 given that most parts
of the Central Province in Kenya were evangelised by them. And through
14 It should be noted that Consolata Missionaries were founded by Blessed
Joseph Allamano, who was a nephew of St Joseph Cafasso, and an inmate at
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them and due to his numerous visits to Turin, Bishop Silas came to know
and appreciate the figure of Don Bosco and the charism of the Salesians.
So, he was one of the first bishops to request the Rector Major to send
Salesians to Eastern Africa, even prior to 1977. And apparently, since the
response was not in the affirmative, the story goes that during one of his
visits to Turin, the Bishop wrote a letter to Mary Help of Christians herself
requesting the arrival of Salesians to his diocese and placed the letter
very visibly at the sanctuary of the Basilica at Valdocco, Turin.15 The letter
eventually reached the Salesian Provincial of the Central Province of Italy
(ICP), who perhaps felt personally obliged to send Salesians from Turin
to the Diocese of Meru in Kenya.16
This, of course, coincided with the launch of Project Africa. Father Dario
Superina, who was 40 years of age then and was the Rector in one of the
communities of Turin, had expressed to his Provincial his desire to be part
of the Project Africa. When the right time came, he was given an option to
choose between Kisii diocese17 and Meru diocese. Considering that there
were Consolata Missionaries from Turin in Meru diocese, Fr Dario opted to
go to Meru. Prior to his departure from Italy, when he went to meet Fr
Bernard Tohill in Rome, according to Fr Dario,18 Fr Tohill said, “You are
here, yes! Let us say one ‘Hail Mary’. Tomorrow morning you go to buy
the ticket.” Thus, on 10th January 1980, Fr Dario Superina landed in
Nairobi with the aim of meeting Bishop Silas Njeru and of scouting around
the Diocese of Meru for the Salesians to start their first mission in Kenya.
The Bishop took him around the diocese and showed him four possible
places.
the Oratory of Valdocco with Don Bosco. And the three came from the same
parish of Castelnuovo D’Asti, now renamed, Castelnuovo Don Bosco.
15 This story has not been independently verified, but is consistent with the
events taking place around the time of the arrival of the Salesians from Italy in
Kenya. I personally heard it from Fr Thomas Panakezham, the Regional
Superior of Australasia during the launch of Project Africa.
16 The land on which the Don Bosco School (Embu) is built is a personal gift of
Bishop Silas Njiru to the Salesians from his own inheritance through his family.
Even when there were some issues with the land, after the Bishop had retired,
he travelled back from Italy to make it easy for the Salesians to regularize the
ownership of the property. After his retirement in 2004, Bishop Silas lived with
the Cistercian monks at Tre Fontane, Rome, Italy. On 28th April 2020, the holy
Bishop succumbed to COVID-19 while living in Turin with the Consolata
Missionaries, and went to his final reward, aged 91.
17 According to the verbal report of Fr Dario Superina, by 1980 even the Bishop
of Kisii, Bp. Tiberius Charles Mugendi, who was the Bishop of Kisii from 1969 to
1993, had invited the Salesians to his diocese.
18 Video interview with Fr Sebastian Koladyil at Church of St John the Evangelist,
Turin.
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Based on the first hand report of Fr. Dario, back in Turin, in March 1980,
during the Provincial Chapter of ICP, and Fr Mario Colombo being its
Provincial superior, it was accepted almost unanimously19 to take up the
parish of Siakago, which was then in the southern part of the diocese of
Meru. The Generalate of the Salesians had by then adopted a policy that
the new presences of Project Africa would be directly under well-
established provinces, for canonical purposes, for the care of personnel,
and for catering to the financial implications involved in establishing new
presences, even if they were assisted by the Generalate. The ICP province
decided to take up Siakago parish which was under the care of the
Consolata Missionaries who were willing to hand it over. The Parish
compound had already a built-up area with a church, a presbytery, a
small school for girls, and a dispensary, the latter two being still under
the care of the Consolata Sisters. Father Dario came back in the month of
September 1980, and after living with the Consolata Missionaries both in
Nairobi and then in Siakago, he readied himself to take up the parish.
Finally, the parish was officially handed over to the Salesians on 31st
January 1981, in the presence of Bishop Silas and the Provincial Superior
from Turin. Later, he was joined by Brother Esteban Burja from Argentina
who eventually returned back home after less than two years.
Salesians from India to Eastern Africa
The Rector Major, Fr Egidio Vigano, visited the provinces of India in 1979.
During his visit, he spoke very enthusiastically to the Provincials, then five
in number, and their council members about the challenge that he was
going to offer to the Indian Provinces, namely. to take up some specific
role in Project Africa. The Provincials responded with enthusiastically to
take up the challenge. The Salesian Provincial Conference of India (SPCI),
under the direction of Fr Thomas Panakezham, the Regional Superior for
Australasia then, appointed Fr Tony D’Souza, then Provincial of Bombay
(INB) to coordinate the initiative.
In May 1979, months before Fr Dario Superina had reached Kenya, Fr
Harry Rasmussen and Fr Tony D’Souza made their first missionary
journey travelling extensively around Kenya and Tanzania. More
specifically, they visited the dioceses in these countries and met the
respective Bishops who had requested for Salesian Missionaries. With
these Bishops they visited missions such as Korr in Kenya, Dodoma,
19 With one abstention.
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Iringa and Mafinga in Tanzania.20 Their intention to visit Rumbek in South
Sudan was not possible due to visa issues. On return to India, Fr. Tony
travelled to all the Provinces of India, presenting to his fellow Provincials
the locations that could be the first possible missions for the Salesians
from India. The Provincials agreed and the following 15 confreres were
identified to be part of the pioneering team. It was also agreed that the
confreres from different Provinces would work together in the missions
chosen. After meeting and explaining to the chosen confreres what Fr
Tony knew about the locations and the nature of work that awaited them,
their target mission was fixed. These were:21
From Bombay22 Province
Fr Crispin D’Souza to Dodoma, Tanzania
Fr Lawrence D’Souza to Rumbek, the Sudan
Fr Antony Fernandes to Mafinga in Tanzania
From Madras23 Province
Fr Peter Mathew Fernando to Mafinga, Tanzania
Fr John Vellayil to Iringa, Tanzania
Bro. Baron Tyrone to Iringa, Tanzania
From Bangalore Province
Bro. Celestine Nathan24 to Dodoma, Tanzania
Fr Joseph Pulikkal to Mafinga, Tanzania
Fr Mathew M. Vadacherry to Korr, Kenya
Fr Jacob Kizhakayil to Rumbek, the Sudan
From Calcutta25 Province
Brother Trophy D’Souza to Dodoma, Tanzania
Fr. Thomas Punchekunnel to Korr, Kenya
20 Bp. Mario Mgulunde of Iringa Diocese and Bp. Mathias J. Isuja of Dodoma
Diocese were great friends till their dying days. While making an ad limina visit,
they both thought it best to follow up on their written invitations already sent
to the Superiors in Rome, by visiting and emphasizing in person to the Rector
Major, their eagerness to have the Salesians to help out in the missions in their
respective dioceses.
21 Helpful for this section was also: Joseph Pulikkal, “Don Bosco in Eastern
Africa: From Dream to Reality.” Nairobi: Salesian Bulletin (02/02/2009).
22 Bombay was renamed by the state government as ‘Mumbai’ in 1996.
23 Madras was renamed by the state government as ‘Chennai’ in 1996.
24 Though originally from Chennai city, Bro. Celestine was in Andhra at the time
of the creation of the Province of Bangalore in 1979, which then consisted of
three states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.
25 Calcutta was renamed by the state government as ‘Kolkata’ in 2001.
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From Gauhati Province
Fr. George Padinjaraparambil to Korr, Kenya
Fr. James Pulickal to Rumbek, Sudan
Fr. Stephen Chemmalakuzhy to Iringa, Tanzania26
Meanwhile, Fr Ernesto De Gaspari, an Italian by birth who had gone out to
Australia as a missionary, was interested in joining the Project Africa. He
was by then seven years a priest. In conversation with Fr Tohill, he was
assigned to the Sudan. In preparation for this, he was sent to Cairo to
learn Arabic. He would join the confreres assigned to the Sudan arriving
at Juba around 10th December 1980.
(Photo taken at Mumbai, 28 August 1980 – the night before departure)
The arrival of the 2nd Group of Salesians in Kenya
The first pages of the chronicles of the community of Korr, written by Fr
Mathew M. Vadacherry, SDB on 6th October 1980, include detailed
26 An appendix to this
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descriptions of the events surrounding the preparation and execution of
the arrival of the Salesians from India in Eastern Africa. I quote here,
almost verbatim, an extract in order to capture the excitement of the first
group:
Each Province had a send-off function for their own confreres, after
which all the 15 Salesians gathered in the Provincial House of
Bombay for a “live-in-experience” of about ten days. On the last
day, on 28th August 1980, at a solemn function in the Shrine of
Mary Help of Christians at Matunga, Bombay, all the fifteen were
given missionary crosses by Archbishop Antonio Maria Javierre
Ortas, SDB, then Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic
Education at the Vatican, who happened to be in India at that
time.27 In the early hours of 29th August 1980, all fifteen were sent
off to Pisana-the Salesian Generalate, Rome by Air India Flight 129
from Bombay. In Pisana, they had an orientation course until 24th
September.28 On 25th September, the Rector Major, Fr. Egidio
Vigano gave all of them the missionary crosses once again, in the
Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, Turin. On the same day, they
were sent on pilgrimage to Lourdes, to dedicate their lives of
missionary work to our Blessed Mother. They returned to Pisana on
the night of 2nd October 1980.29
All groups, except those for Rumbek, were scheduled to leave Rome
on Sunday, 5th October 1980, for Tanzania and Kenya. But on 4th
October, news came from Tanzania that those for Tanzania should
not leave right away since their Entry Permits were not yet
obtained. There was a commotion that night at Pisana. All wanted
to get the correct news about this. Fr. Tohill, who had arranged
their departure and bought the tickets had been admitted at the
hospital on 4th October evening for a Hernia operation, before he
could know of this sudden development. So, Fr. Harry Rasmussen
phoned to Dar es Salaam and they contacted Dodoma. In short, on
Sunday 5th October morning, confirmation came that those for
Tanzania should not leave Italy. And so only the three for Korr left
on that day for Africa. They left Fiumicino Airport at 10.45pm by
Kenyan Airways Flight KQ717. After a short halt at Mombasa, they
27 In 1976, Pope Paul VI had made him Archbishop and secretary of
the Congregation for Catholic Education. He became cardinal deacon in 1988,
as well as the librarian and archivist of the Holy Roman Church. In 1992 he was
elevated to cardinal priest and prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments, positions he kept until 1996. He died in
2007 in Rome.
28 There were also 12 others from other provinces who joined those from India
for the orientation course.
29 Almost verbatim narrative from the Chronicles of Korr Mission, dated 6th
October 1980.
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landed in Nairobi on Monday, 6 October at 9.05am. Since they too
did not have Visas or entry permits, or return tickets, they were
kept at the Airport till the Consolata Fathers from Nairobi who had
come to receive them gave in writing to the Immigration Officer
that they are hereafter responsible for the three Salesians.
The Consolata Fathers then took them to Flora Hostel (belonging to
the Consolata Sisters) where Fr. George Padinjaraparambil and Fr.
Thomas Punchekunnel were accommodated. They then took Fr.
Mathew Vadacherry to the Methodist Guest House, Oloitokitok
Close, Nairobi. This was about 5kms away from Flora Hostel. So,
they began to live at the two centres in Nairobi from the very first
day of their arrival in this capital.
The Bishop Cavallera of Marsabit,30 under whom Korr Mission was,
had made this arrangement for giving them a chance to learn
Swahili. He could not get a place where all the three could stay
together! “So here we are in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.... We
had with us our simple belongings and $200 that Fr. Tohill had
given us (in fact, he had given an envelope to each community
leader).”
On 16th October 1980, the two Salesians from Siakago, Fr Dario Superina
and Bro Esteban Burja and the three who were assigned to Korr mission,
namely, Fr Mathew M. Vadacherry, Fr. George Padinjaraparambil and Fr
Thomas Punchekunnel had a cordial meeting. On the next day, Fr Harry
Rasmussen, the coordinator of Project Africa at the Generalate, flew into
Nairobi from Madagascar. Eventually, Fr Tony D’Souza also landed there
from Bombay.
Finally, on Saturday, 1st November 1980, the three Salesians who were
assigned to Korr mission together with Fr Harry and Fr Tony reached Korr
in the company of Bishop Cavalerra and Fr Peter Morassi, IMC, the Parish
Priest of Laisamis. The community chronicles31 recall, “The whole village
of Korr came to receive us. The Bishop said the mass in the existing
church. I should say that the church was full with men, women, and
children.” A meeting with the people followed. And the Bishop declared
the establishment of the Parish dedicated to St John Bosco – Don Bosco
Korr. After this introduction, they returned to Nairobi visiting Siakago on
the way and greeting the Salesians there – being envious of the good
accommodation, the greenery, the mangoes in Siakago, and continued
with their Swahili lessons back in Nairobi.
30 The diocese of Marsabit was created in 1964, and its first bishop was Mgr.
Carlo Cavallera, IMC (1964 to 1981). He passed away on 22 Sept 1990.
31 Daily, each Salesian community is expected to write an account of the events
of the day. Throughout this work, ‘chronicles’ refers to this document that is
preserved in every institution.
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By 17th December 1980, cutting short their six-month Swahili course, the
Salesian-trio decided to settle down in Korr. Korr is about 550 kms from
Nairobi. Those days, the tarmac road ended in Isiolo. And after Laisamis
there was no proper road but only a dusty track that kept changing during
the rainy season. The adventures of the first weeks in Korr for the
Salesians were marked by, having a cook who knew only to boil water,
bath that had to be taken in the open-air after sunset with water they
fetched from a pump, the scorching heat during the day, the relentless
wind and the fine dust in the makeshift shelters, and the long nights
without electricity. All these make an entertaining but empathetic reading
for us today. The parish was formally taken up on 24th May 1981. The
Salesians from Siakago had travelled to Korr for this event.
Salesians Arrive in Tanzania
The nine Salesians assigned to Tanzania, Fr Peter Fernando, Fr John
Vellayil, Fr Crispin D'Souza, Bro. Trophy D'Souza, Fr Tony Fernandes, Fr
Joseph Pulikkal, Bro. Tyrone Baron, Bro. Celestine Nathan, and Fr Stephen
Chemmalakuzhy, arrived in the country on 13th October 1980. After a few
days of stay in Dar es Salaam, the Dodoma group headed towards their
destination to be staying at the Bishop’s House in Dodoma. The rest of the
group headed towards Mafinga for their first Swahili Course. Bishop Mario
Mgulunde (1931-2006)32 had a great vision for the Salesians and assisted
them at every step of the actualisation of the Salesian mission in the
diocese since their arrival and until his transfer to Tabora in 1985.
During the months of the Swahili course, they kept up their Salesian
practices such as the monthly recollections, commemoration of Mary Help
of Christians on 24th of the month and of Don Bosco on the last day, and
the Salesian feasts. Meanwhile, they were also doing the groundwork for
their ministry in Iringa diocese by visiting and meeting fellow priests and
the Diocesan hierarchy. Mgsr Stanislaus Daki, the Vicar General of Iringa
Diocese gets mentioned rather often in the chronicles kept by one of the
members of the Iringa group, while still being in Mafinga even before the
communities were established. The chronicles recall with a sense of
achievement how some of them were able to preside at the Eucharist in
Swahili for the first time on 15th November, after a month of their arrival in
the country.
32 A native of Kalenga-Iringa himself, Mario Epifanio Abdallah Mgulunde was
ordained the Bishop of Iringa in 1970 and remained there until 1985, when he
was transferred to Tabora Diocese, Tanzania, where he died in 2006, at the age
of 75.
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After helping out in the respective parishes the Bishop assigned them to
during Christmas 1980, the community members of Iringa and Mafinga
headed towards Kipalapala, in Tabora, about 850 kms from Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania, on 10th January 1981, for a more formal and longer Swahili
course. Bro. Baron Tyron continued to stay at the Bishop’s House of Iringa.
Once again, the account of their experience at Kipalapala captures their
Salesian identity. On 31st January 1981, the feast of Don Bosco was
celebrated solemnly at the language centre and a volleyball match was held
between the Salesians and the rest of the community. Unfortunately, the
Salesians lost the game. “Failure is the steppingstone to success,” notes
the chronicler. The three-month long language course ended around the
beginning of April 1981, and the Salesians returned to their respective
locations of their future mission.
On Palm Sunday, 12th April 1981, the parish of Mafinga was formally
entrusted to the Salesians and the pioneers – Frs. Peter Mathew
Fernando, Tony Fernandes and Joseph Pulikkal – launched out
courageously without being cowed down by the challenges posed by the
novelty of language and culture. Fr Peter, the senior most among the trio
was the Parish Priest, and the other two in the first years of priesthood
were assistant parish priests. Mafinga was the second parish that the
Consolata Missionaries handed over to the Salesians in East Africa; the
first being Siakago in Kenya. As per their policy, they handed over the
parish with all the vehicles and bank accounts that were operated by the
Consolatas for the parish. The Parish had recently been shifted from
Makalala 12kms away to a hill overlooking Mafinga town (formerly known
as John’s Corner). The infrastructure was all new and the Consolata
Missionaries, taking care of the Parish, had made great sacrifices and
worked hard to finance and prepare the site. It was not easy for them to
accept the request of the Bishop to relinquish their newly built and
furnished Parish complex. Yet, with immense faith in God and in the true
missionary spirit of detachment they welcomed and supported the three
Salesians to establish themselves comfortably as new pastors. Fr Sandro
Nava, one of the Consolata Missionaries, spent a whole month living with
the Salesians in the community of Mafinga parish introducing them to the
people and the ministry.
In Iringa, the Regional headquarters and about 80 kms from Mafinga, Fr
John Vellayil, Bro. Baron Tyrone and Fr Stephen Chemmalakuzhy were
given the task of starting a work for the youth of the town of Iringa, this
included teaching religion in schools and running an oratory. For a year
they were hosted at the Bishop's residence. The Bishop also offered them
a Peugeot pick-up 504 to facilitate their movements. Fr Stephen began
the work among the youth in the town by carrying out a survey about the
number and the needs of the youth in the locality, visiting all the schools.
This was also meant to be the groundwork to establish a youth centre and
technical school at the location called ‘Frelimo’, a little out of the Iringa
town. The land was offered by the government to the Salesians. There
was a cordial relationship between the SDB communities in Mafinga and
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Iringa, celebrating birthdays, and coming together for monthly
recollections and retreats. Fr Tony D’Souza, the Provincial from Bombay,
paid the first “canonical visit” to the communities in July 1981. For a few
months during the year, Brother Baron went to stay with the
Servi Cordis Immaculati Maria-SCIM Brothers at Tosamaganga, with the
aim of assisting the Teresina Sisters to run the printing press. Months
later, the printing press would eventually come under the care of the
Salesians at Frelimo.
The building work for the Don Bosco Technical School and Youth Centre
began on 24th September 1981 with the blessing of Mary Help of
Christians. The building work for the Don Bosco Technical School and
youth centre began on 24th September 1981 with the blessing of Mary
Help of Christians. In the same week, Fr Dominic Padinjaraparambil
joined the Mafinga community and Mr John Williams joined the Iringa
community.33 The residence for the Salesians was built by the Diocese
and on 24th May 1982, the Salesians moved into their new home and
commenced youth centre activities. Finally, the buildings of the
workshops were blessed on 24th April 1983. Thus, the school ministry
began.
At Dodoma too, a similar story would be played out. The confreres, Fr
Crispin D'Souza (Rector), Bro. Trophy D'Souza and Bro. Celestine Nathan
arrived in Dodoma after a few days of their landing in Dar es Salaam. For
months, they stayed at the Bishop’s House. From January to April 1981,
they attended the Swahili course at Kipalapala. On their return they
continued to stay at the Bishop’s house, hosted by Bishop Mathias Joseph
Isuja (1929-2016).34 Even while living at the Bishop’s residence, the
Salesians were noted for their community life. They were found praying
the rosary as a ‘community’ every evening after supper. There was a
genuine bonding among them.
After some months of restless waiting, they acquired the land at Miyuji
and the building work progressed beginning with the residence of the
Salesians. During the building work, they stayed with the Jesuits for some
time. Work began on the school building on November 7, 1981, and as
the work progressed in small strides the SDB began some youth activities.
They faced many initial difficulties. For one, the land was a low-lying area.
In addition, the hydrophobic soil of Dodoma that does not absorb water
easily contributed to floods during the rainy season disrupting the
33 They arrived on 27/09/1981. Both of them came from Calcutta. Mr John
William, a printer by profession, was a Salesian Cooperator then, later he would
go back to India to become a Salesian and make his First Profession on 24th
May 1985. A later chapter in this part of the book covers that story. Fr Dominic
would soon move to Mafinga parish where he was known for planting the fruit
trees and carrying out tremendous manual work.
34 Bishop of Dodoma from 1972 to 2005. Fr Candido, a Passionist was the
diocesan treasurer who helped the Salesians to buy the land.
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progress of the building work. Finally, on 30 October 1982, exactly two
years after their arrival the Salesian community was able to move to the
new location having made their first intake in the school in September of
that year.
Arrival of Salesians in Sudan
On 6th November 1980, the three Salesians who were assigned to the
Sudan from Indian missionary expedition, Fr Jacob Kizhakayil (KC), Fr
Lawrence D’Souza, and Fr. James Pulickal, arrived in Nairobi from Rome
to head towards Rumbek Diocese. They stayed with Fr Marengoni35 at the
Apostles of Jesus Seminary, Langata, waiting for their visa to travel to the
Sudan. Meanwhile, they were offered some Arabic classes, but the
Salesians were rather restless with enthusiasm, anxious to reach their
mission land rather than to “waste” time in Nairobi, as evidenced by their
letters to Fr Tony D’Souza, the Salesian Provincial of Bombay. Eventually,
on 5th December 1980, out of missionary zeal, we might say, Fr Lawrence
D’Souza travelled by road from Nairobi to Juba together with a Comboni
Brother. A few days later, he was joined by Fr. Jacob Kizhakayil and Fr.
James Pulickal in Juba who both travelled by plane. Soon, Fr. Ernesto Di
Gaspari flew in from Cairo. They stayed with the diocesan clergy in St.
Joseph’s parish, Juba. After a month, they were taken by Fr. Peter Dada
to his parish in Yei, in the diocese of Rumbek to which they were
destined. The group stayed in Yei until 19th January 1981.36 Fr James
preceded alone to Maridi a few days earlier. He found that the Bishop was
a bit surprised at his arrival because the accommodation for the Salesians
was not yet ready. Fr James himself had to set the beds and clean the
rooms. After a few days, the rest of the group joined him. The Bishop of
Rumbek, Gabriel Dwatuka Datuka (1922-1990)37 had his residence in
Maridi, about 200 kms from Juba. Being a Zande, perhaps he felt it safer
to live among his own people in Maridi rather than in Rumbek.38 The first
SDB Community in Maridi was made up of the four confreres mentioned
above. They were entrusted with the pastoral care of Maridi, with Fr.
Jacob as the parish priest and superior of the community; Fr Ernesto was
35 Father Giovanni Marengoni (1922-2007) was a Comboni Missionary who
founded three Religious Institutes: The Apostles of Jesus, The Evangelising
Sisters and the Contemplative Evangelisers. At the time of the arrival he had
founded only the Apostles of Jesus.
36 There is a confusion of dates emerging from different sources.
37 Bishop of Rumbek from 1976 to 1982, when he resigned at the age of 60,
probably demanded by the Nuncio in Khartoum. He continued to serve in Maridi
as the parish priest. And he died in a Cairo hospital on February 18, 1990.
38 Fr Jacob Thelakkadan, Beginning of Salesian Work in the Sudan (Rome:
Salesian Pontifical University, 2004-2005).
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the assistant parish priest and following up the church and liturgy; Fr
James was in charge of the school in Munguo; and Fr Lawrence was the
community bursar and chaplain in the local government schools.
In due course, the Salesians also began to work on a school building in
the church compound. Unfortunately, from the perspective of the
Salesians there, the Bishop did not accept the way a religious
congregation operates. He wanted to have the SDB totally under his
authority. He demanded strict and prompt obedience from the Salesians,
and often they had to be at his beck and call and do his errands,
particularly in looking after his own coffee estate and the school which he
claimed to be his own. On the other hand, Salesians wished to spend their
time in direct pastoral ministry. Meanwhile, there was also a lot of
interference from the family members of the Bishop regarding
administrative tasks. This led to misunderstandings, and the situation
began to get sour by the day.
The Salesians themselves, coming from diverse backgrounds and with
varying personalities, began to have differences of opinions among
themselves – as they wrote individually to the Provincial back in Bombay
– some of who took the side of the Bishop. What emerges from a well
preserved record of correspondence between the four confreres with the
Provincial39 during the 15 months that ensued is that apparently Fr
Lawrence had some straight forward confrontation with the Bishop, which,
Fr Ernesto felt was disrespectful to the Bishop. Fr Ernesto also suffered
from insomnia, which, in the words of Fr Jacob, was on account of the fact
that the former had expected to be the leader of the community.
Meanwhile, Fr James was energetic and passionate about his mission
getting involved in some accidents (with a motor-bike) and suffering from
strong bouts of malaria. In between, in July 1981, Fr Tony D’Souza did
pay a visit to Maridi and worked towards a reconciliation between the
Bishop and the community, and tried to foster a better rapport among the
confreres themselves. While he returned to India with a reasonable sense
of hope, the situation soon got worse in the subsequent months. Fr Jacob
himself was often critical, and sometimes cynical about the whole
situation that evolved. In a letter written in August 1981, the Provincial
Superior gently invited Fr Jacob to live up to the Salesian virtue of
optimism! Fr Jacob was also affected by rheumatism and eventually had
to travel to Nairobi for treatment in October 1981. The Provincial used
this opportunity strategically to ask him not to return to Maridi, making Fr
Ernesto in-charge of the community.
The last straw on the camel’s back was when the Bishop accused the
Salesians of not teaching the right Catholic faith, which might have been
based on the report by the unhappy catechist at the parish centre. Finally,
in March 1982, exactly after 450 days of the Salesian presence in Maridi,
during an ecclesiastical court session held by the Bishop, the Bishop
39 See folder in the archives of Provincial House, Nairobi.
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ordered the Salesians to leave his diocese under police escort! It is not
clear if the police escort was to ensure the security of the Salesians on
their journey back, or to humiliate them! The three were taken by a truck
to Juba. The journey was certainly an adventurous one for Fr. Lawrence
and Fr. Ernesto. In fact, they were involved in an accident and on arrival
in Juba, Fr. Ernesto was admitted to the hospital with a deep head injury.
Archbishop Augusto Barone of Juba Diocese then intervened and arranged
for the priests to be flown to Wilson Airport, Nairobi. In Nairobi Hospital,
Fr. Ernesto was restored to health. Meanwhile, Fr. James Pulickal stayed
on in Juba until April 1982, and found his way back to Nairobi by truck via
Kampala. This journey was also coloured by some adventure for Fr James
as some people wanted to rob his belongings somewhere during the
journey.
Thus, the first Salesian presence in the Sudan was closed in a dramatic
manner. The irregularity of their expulsion from Rumbek Diocese was
eventually dealt with by the Salesian Superiors in Rome with the Holy
See. The Bishop himself was requested by the Holy See to resign at the
age of 60. It is not clear if his resignation was demanded on account of
the way he dealt with the Salesians, or it was also contributed by the
growing conflict between him and the local clergy. Perhaps it was both.
Word spread around in the Sudan that the Salesians are so powerful even
as to remove a Bishop! As for the Salesians, since there were pending
invitations from other Bishops in the Sudan, almost immediately they
would be reassigned to Tonj and Juba. And this is a story for another
chapter.
Box 2
The first Salesian to set foot in Eastern Africa
Close your eyes! Here is a surprise! The first
known Salesian to set foot on the soil of Eastern
Africa for purposes of ministry, could be said to
be Fr John Macguire, SDB (1916-1989) from
Britain. John professed as a Salesian at Shrigley-
Oxford, UK, at the age of 20. He was ordained a
Salesian priest in 1946. He served for almost 20
years as a priest in various roles in the UK.
During this period, he joined Cardinal John
Heenan (1905-1975) of Westminster, London, in
his travelling mission during his summer holidays,
that took him to British controlled territories in
Africa. Eventually, Cardinal Heenan approached Fr. Provincial for a
Chaplain to the University of Kampala (Makerere University), Uganda, and
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John’s name came to the fore. Fr John Macguire spent seven very
rewarding years there (possibly from 1966-1973). Eventually, he returned
to the UK and served as a chaplain at the University of Reading. He
breathed his last in 1989.
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Chapter 3
Early Salesian Missions in Kenya
Kenya in the 1980s
In 1895, the British established the East Africa Protectorate in Kenya,
whose territory kept growing with the British province of Uganda annexed
together in 1902, and in 1920, the Colony of Kenya was established. After
World War II, it became increasingly difficult for the British to maintain a
vast empire and they began to declare independence to many of their
former colonies. The independent Republic of Kenya was formed in 1963.
It was ruled as a de facto one-party state by the Kenya African National
Union (KANU), led by Jomo Kenyatta from 1963 to 1978. Kenyatta was
succeeded by Daniel Arap Moi. Following a coup attempt in 1982,
President Moi began a near-dictatorial rule, changing the constitutions in
his favour in 1987. Eventually, after the end of the Cold War, the Western
countries became aware of the infringement of human rights in Kenya,
and President Moi was forced to adopt a multi-party “democracy” in 1991,
with elections in 1992. The situation in which the Salesians arrived was
this of the 1980s.
What was the socio-economic situation like? After the coup attempt of
1982, ethnic sentiments began to surface more succinctly across Kenya.
This was fuelled by a greater awareness of the ethnic biases around land
reallocation in the years following independence, accompanied by land-
grabbing carried out by some influential ethnic leaders, and the lop-sided
narrative about the coup itself. These tensions culminated in violent
ethnic clashes of 1991. These tensions have resurfaced every now and
then especially around the election period. The Salesians' missionary
entry points in Kenya were in the rural areas which were not hotspots of
politics. However, Siakago was in the heartland of the Embu people who
were powerbrokers of the Moi era of the 1980’s. As for the northern parts
of Kenya, such as Marsabit (administratively, this was part of the Eastern
Province until 2010) where Korr was also located, were largely considered
insignificant, and hence isolated by the Centre, and neglected by Nairobi.
Hence, these regions where pastoral communities lived lacked
infrastructure and access to social amenities, and thus experienced
famine almost every dry season.40 This chapter will explore also how the
40 Amartya Sen won the Nobel Prize in 1998 for demonstrating that there is no
correlation between drought and famine in his publication in 1981. See Sen,
Amartya K. 1981. Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and
Deprivation. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
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Salesians, finding themselves in these socio-economic situations,
responded to the needs of the people.
As regards the situation of Christianity, and the Catholic Church in
particular, the first known Europeans arrived in Kenya towards the end of
the 15th century. In 1498, Vasco da Gama entered into treaty with the
Muslim ruler of Malindi, about 100 kms from Mombasa on the Kenyan
coast. This paved the way for the subsequent arrival of the Portuguese
along the coast of Eastern Africa. By 1506, the first group of about 40
people were baptised in Kilwa in Tanzania, in the current day geography.
The 16th century witnessed some attempts in evangelisation along the
coastal regions between Mombasa and Zanzibar, but this was also marked
by violent encounters between the Portuguese Christians and the Muslim
rulers. In effect, these conflicts were counter-witness to Christian ideals.41
In any case, by 1624, there seems to have been four established places
of Catholic worship in Mombasa, including an Augustinian monastery.
However, it was only in the 19th century, from 1844, that serious
evangelization began to take place in the interior of the Kenya mainland
with the arrival of the Anglican missionaries. The Holy Ghost Fathers
(Spiritans) arrived in Mombasa in 1889 and began to evangelize the
environs of Mombasa, and began to move to the interior parts of Kenya
especially among the Kamba people. They established St Austins Mission
in Nairobi in 1891. The Spiritans are credited with bringing coffee to
Kenya and Tanzania! Eventually, the Consolata Missionaries arrived in
June 1902 and began their evangelization among the Kikuyu people in the
Central Province, beginning in Kiambu. The Mill Hill Missionaries
evangelized parts of Kisumu among the Luo people beginning from 1903,
and slowly spread among the Luhya and Kisii territories. Other missionary
societies followed. These missionaries were also accompanied by
numerous groups of religious women. The Catholic Church began to
flourish. In 1957, Bp Maurice Otunga became the first African auxiliary
bishop of Kisumu. He was moved to Nairobi Archdiocese in 1971, and
became a Cardinal in 1973. By the time Pope John Paul II visited Kenya in
1980, the Catholic population in the country was estimated to be around
3 million, among a total population of 16.42 million, spread across 24
ecclesiastical units which included archdioceses, dioceses, vicariates, and
prefectures.
Siakago Mission
As narrated in the previous chapter, the first mission in Kenya, taken up
by the confreres coming from the Italian Central Province (ICP), was the
parish in Siakago, in Mbeere-land, which was under the care of the
41 See, Stephen Mbugua Ngari, History of Catholic Church in Kenya: Past and
Present. Paper presentation to ICCM, Nairobi, 2016.
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Consolata missionaries. Initially, Fr Dario stayed and worked with them in
the parish of Siakago. And on the Solemnity of Don Bosco in 1981, the
Salesian Community was constituted and the presence was formally
initiated. As said earlier, he was joined by Brother Esteban Burja from
Argentina. We have already described in some detail the early works in
Siakago.42
When the parish church of Siakago was first built in 1948, it was
dedicated to St Francis Xavier. However, the Salesians changed the
patron saint to St John Bosco. Strangely enough, out of their enthusiastic
affection for Don Bosco, they even changed the original plaque to ensure
this change.43
The second group of Salesians from Turin with an aim of providing an
enforcement for the Salesian presence in Kenya consisted of three
Salesians: Fr Vincenzo Donati,44 Fr Felice Molino45, and Fr Mario
Robustilini. While Frs Vincenzo and Mario went to Malta for a few months
to learn English, Fr Felice busied himself learning more practical skills like
motor vehicle mechanics, back in Italy. The three arrived in Kenya on 11th
42 Since the parish was handed back to the Diocese in 2003, information on the
Salesian contributions to the parish from 1980 to 2003 has not been easy to be
retrieved. We hope in subsequent editions this information can be
supplemented.
43 Thanks for Mr Anastasio Kiura Nyaga for his contribution to this brief sectoin.
44 Born on 12th March 1928, professed as a Salesian on 16th September 1944,
and got ordained on 8th December 1954. After being dispatched to Japan in
1950, Vincenzo went to Korea in 1962 and worked at Gwangju Salesian High
School for 19 years. He was loved unreservedly by his teenage friends. After
earning respect for his benevolent character and austere, honest attitude, he
suddenly decided to join the group going out to Kenya in 1981, at the age of
53.
45 Born on 22nd May 1947, professed on 16th August 1966, and ordained on 17th
September 1977. Worked in a parish for three years, and in 1980 opted to join
the Project Africa.
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December 1981. They joined Fr Dario in helping out the mission in
Siakago. We have already described in some detail the early works in
Siakago.46 Fr Dario remained as the parish priest until 1990. He fostered
vocations in the parish, by encouraging the adolescents to belong to
‘vocation groups’.
Development of Don Bosco Mission in Korr and Marsabit
The three confreres who arrived in Kenya from India via Rome on 6th
October 1980, were assigned to the frontier mission of Korr, in the heart
of the Kaisut desert. The Indian missionary team comprising Fr Mathew
Vadassery, Fr George Padinjareparambil and Fr Thomas Punchekunnel,
spent a few months at the Flora Hostel in Nairobi and were initiated in the
new cultural and linguistic realities they were to face in their new mission.
Eventually, on 24th May 1981, the Salesians took up residence in this
fledgling mission.
Prior to the arrival of the Salesians, a Fidei
Donum missionary from Italy, by the name
of Fr Redento Tignozoni, was the first to
establish a mission in what was known
later as Korr.47 Fr Redento arrived in Kenya
in 1968 having been ordained a priest in
Brescia, Italy. He was about thirty years
old when he arrived. Having worked for
some years in several places including
Baragoi, Sololo on the border of Kenya and
Ethiopia, he arrived at Korr in 1972.
Initially he stayed at a manyatta,48 and
gradually he found a place for himself and established his camp in a place
that is now called Geyyo Bathiri (literally, Priest’s Trees). As he found
water there, people started to live around his camp. In 1973, Fr Redento
started a small dispensary. The following year, he constructed water pans
and wells. Seeing the necessity of making roads he bought a bulldozer
and a grader, and with the help of paid workers, roads were made from
Korr to Halisurwa, Laisamis, Illaut, Kargi and Ngurnit. The year 1975 saw
the construction of two windmills, one at Goborre and another in Korr
46 Since in 2003, the parish was handed over to the Diocese, information on the
Salesian contributions to the parish from 1980 to 2003 is not easily traceable.
The church was rededicated to St Francis Xavier.
47 These details are from the 50th Anniversary of Korr Souvenir.
48 Among pastoralist communities of Eastern Africa, a “manyatta” is a group of
huts forming a unit within a common fence, usually belonging to a single clan.
As such, clans are exogamous. Clans make up a tribe, which are generally
endogamous.
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centre. For hygiene purposes he made a few pit latrines around his camp.
Resting places were also made for visitors.
In the same year, he started to buy goats, cows and camels and
distributed them among the catechists and some poor people. Free food
distribution was already ongoing, having been started in 1972. By 1975,
more than 40 catechists were appointed, and these catechists were to
carry food to each manyatta and distribute it to the people. The nursery
school, which he started, had some 20 children. Fr Redento had a great
respect for the Rendille nomadic way of life and the indigenous spiritual
values of their culture.
The work of evangelization started when Fr Redento was staying in
manyatta Ong’eli. In his work he was helped by Mr. Digir Turoga49 who
accompanied Fr Redento in his village tours. The first baptism took place
in 1975. A small prayer house was constructed in 1973, and in 1975 it
was made a bit larger. This was the ‘church’ that the Salesians found
when they arrived, and it remained as the parish church until 1986.
In 1976, Fr Redento returned to Italy,50 and Korr became part of Laisamis
parish. Fr Peter Moruzzi and Fr Giulliani of the Consolata missionaries
would come for usual mission activities, especially the administration of
sacraments, celebrations of masses, and human promotion activities.
They were not resident there. Therefore, when the Salesians arrived,
while the major works established by Fr Redento was visible, the Korr
Mission itself was largely neglected. The previous chapter of this book
enumerated the Salesians’ early days in Korr and the taking up of the
parish formally on 24th May 1980. Soon the Salesians got busy starting
various educative and evangelisation projects. In September 1981, they
started the Don Bosco Nursery school with two teachers. December 21st,
1981, was a happy day for the missionaries as the new Bishop Rt Rev
Ambrose Ravasi baptised 171 catechumens at the old church. And within
a month, on 3rd January 1982, Ngurnit Nursery School was started. Soon,
there were some changes in the composition of the Salesian community,
with the arrival of Fr John Premoli.
In order to assist the Salesians with their work among women, in 1983,
they invited the Nirmala Dasigal Sisters,51 a diocesan Congregation of
Trichur Archdiocese, Kerala, India, who joined the Salesians. They took
care of the women-folk and the girls, instructing them in the Christian
faith. They also began health programmes for the people in the vast
49 See, Lloyd Timberlake, Only One Earth. London: Routledge, 1987.
50 Fr. Redento died on 16th May 2021 in Italy.
51 The Society of Nirmala Dasi Sisters (SNDS) was started in the year 1971 in
the Diocese of Trichur, Mar Joseph Kundukulam, the then Bishop of the
Diocese, being its Founder, and Very. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Vilangadan its Co-
Founder.
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mission area. The first group of sisters who arrived on 19th April 1983
were: Srs Leela (Superior), Sr Lucy, Sr Annie, and Sr Teresa.52
Catholic Technical School, Marsabit
Soon there was another offer from the Diocese of Marsabit to the
Salesians, who were happy that there was a possibility for a second
Salesian presence in the diocese of Marsabit: a technical school. The
school was started by the Consolata missionaries in 1968. It was closed
down for lack of personnel to run it in 1976. Since 1977, when it was
reopened, it was being managed by three young Swiss volunteers
commissioned by the Bethlehem Society.53 It was a residential school
preparing the students for the trade exams. Admissions were offered to
students who completed grade seven, and were selected and sent by the
various missions of the diocese of Marsabit. The diocese of Marsabit was
financing the institution. The students’ fees was Khs.250/- per term.
On 24th November 1982, Bishop Ambrose Ravasi, IMC, handed over the
Catholic Technical School at Marsabit to the Salesians. Fr George
Padinjaraparambil (PD George) was the coordinator of the Salesian
presence;54 together with Fr Mathias D’Cunha and Bro Cherian
Palathunkal they were the first to be assigned there. On 2nd Feb 1983, at
the liturgical celebration of the Feast of Don Bosco the official agreement
was signed.
When the Salesians took up the school, it had 71 boys doing two-year
courses in carpentry, motor mechanics, and masonry leading to Grade III
exams. The Salesians had to carry out a lot of maintenance work to bring
the school back on its feet.55 This included cleaning up, repairing parts of
the building, and construction of a new water tank and washrooms. The
Salesians were also quick to note that staff records were missing, and
their statutory deductions had not been remitted for several years. The
Salesians also had to look for funds to take care of the operational costs,
partly supported by the diocese. At the first Board Meeting held on 4th
May 1983, it was observed, “From information that could be gathered
from the parishes, the boys have so far, a positive reaction to the school
under the new management’s administration and have even commented
that it is ‘like a family’.” What a tribute to the Salesian spirit!
52 On 31st March 2019, sadly the Nirmala Dhasigal sisters left Don Bosco Korr
Parish for another assignment after having been in Korr for 36 years.
53 See Annual Report, dt. August 1984.
54 On 25th August 1983, Fr George was moved back to Korr as the Parish Priest.
55 Minutes of the Board Meeting held on 4th May 1983. See SDB Archives in
Nairobi.
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Later in August 1983, Fr PD George was moved back to Korr as the Parish
Priest, and Fr Mathias took over as the one in-charge at the Marsabit
school. Two young Salesians, clerics V.J. Mathew and Loyola Castelino
also joined the community. As the humdrum of school life set in, the
relationship among the confreres was marked by ebbs and tides.56 Again
at the Board Meeting of January 1984, the bishop expressed satisfaction
at the way the school was being run. In the middle of the same year, the
young Salesian Loyola left for theological studies back to India. In June
1984, Fr Jacob Thelekkadan joined the community and took up the task of
boarding director and bursar. Three aspirants, Nicholas Nyaga Kiringa,
Joseph K. Nyagah, and Simon Njeru Kathuri were accommodated with the
Salesians from January 1983 to June 1984. These first group of aspirants
from Kenya were basically recruited by the Salesians in Siakago. They left
for Mafinga seminary in August 1984 to join the Tanzanian aspirants.
Despite all this, in a neatly typed annual report of the community in
198457, the Salesian members felt that “the future of this work for us
Salesians here is not very certain!!!” The report itself mentions two
problems – which seemed not very grave at that time. One, Fr Matthias
D’Cuhna, not being a qualified person in M.V. Mechanics, while being in-
charge of the department could not attract customers who would come to
service their vehicles. Secondly, since 1984, the Muslim boys complained
of being compelled to attend church services, a practice that was in place
since 1983. And so, they were allowed not to attend the church liturgy,
but could go to their mosque for their weekly worship.
Again on 13th June 1985, the community members wrote to the
Delegation Superior, “After having completed a little over two years of
stay here at the Catholic Technical School, Marsabit-Kenya, we have
made an evaluation. We find that it is not advisable to continue with the
existing agreement. We therefore propose that we should not renew the
agreement.”58 What was the problem with the existing agreement? A
hind-sight examination of the communication between the diocese of
Marsabit and the Salesians suggests that there were some subtle issues
that could not be resolved amicably:
Firstly, when the Salesians took up the parish of Korr also in the diocese
of Marsabit, it was under the leadership of Bishop Carlo Maria Cavellera,
IMC (bishop from 1964), who resigned from office on 19th June 1981, at
the age of 72. He had proposed to the Salesians the possibility of taking
up the Catholic Technical School. The new bishop, Ambrogio Ravasi
resumed the conversation with the Salesian superior about the school. Fr
56 Letter from Fr Mathias D’Cunha to Fr Tony D’Souza.
57 The exact date of this report could not be established.
58 Letter signed by three Salesians addressed to Fr Tony D’Souza, the Delegate
for Salesian Eastern Africa, dt. 13th June 1985.
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Tony D’Souza, however, had some minor problems in communication with
the new bishop.
Secondly, the Salesians were not comfortable about the role of the Board
in relation to the school, partly due to the fact that the Indian Salesians
were not familiar with such a structure to which they had to report.
According to the contract between the diocese and the Salesians, the
diocese had the ownership of the school but the management was
entrusted to the Salesians. This was not easily understood by the
members of the community.
Finally, on 10th September 1983, the Bishop appointed the Diocesan
Development Coordinator, Fr Leonel, as a member of the Board. The
bishop was aware that this could create interference, therefore, he
suggested that Fr Leonel be only an invitee to the Board. All this accrued
to a situation where the Salesians decided that the contract due for
renewal in January 1985 would be acceptable only on the condition that
the diocese “should provide complete management responsibility to the
Salesian Society.”59
Since the diocese was not relenting, despite the good atmosphere that
existed at the school, Fr Tony D’souza offered a one-year notice to the
bishop on 2nd January 1985, expressing the intention of the Salesians not
to renew the contract, without listing the reasons, but only referring to
previous discussions. The Bishop in his reply to the notice, dated 26th
January 1985, expressed shock of this “abrupt decision,” and he pointed
out that no alternatives were suggested by the Salesians. On the part of
the Salesians there was no going back on that decision.60 Thus, sadly on
14th November 1985, the school was handed back to the Diocese.
59 Canonical Visitation Report dated 21st October 1984. What they meant was,
‘complete ownership’. There is a lot of confusion between how ‘complete
management’ was understood by both the parties. For the Bishop, this meant
that the Diocese still had the ownership, but for the Salesians it meant
ownership.
60 In a letter dated 25th January 2002, Bishop Ravasi while writing to the
Salesians to take back the school, notes: “It was I who welcomed them to
Marsabit, signing the first “Agreement” with them for the period of 3 years. But
unfortunately, towards the end of this first three years period, we were
sorrowfully told that they would not renew their “Contract”, unless the Diocese
of Marsabit would agree to given them not only the responsibility of the
management of the School, but the whole school, which would have become a
Salesian Institution. We were surprised at that time of their decision, since we
were very happy with their performance and of the results achieved. We asked
them why. No other reasons, or complaints were ever given to us for their
decision. The only reason that we were given was that it was the first time in
their history that they were having the responsibility of the management of a
school, which was not of their own.”
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Salesian School in Embu
As the Salesians continued to minister at Siakago, it was keenly felt that
the Salesians should have a presence of their own to implant the charism
of Don Bosco. And the Divine Providence offered the means through the
kind intervention of the then Bishop of Meru, Rt Rev. Silas Njiru. He gifted
the Salesians with six acres of land belonging to his family, outside the
Embu town on the road to Kirititi.
After a short break back in Italy in March 1983, Fr. Felice Molino was
entrusted with the inevitable task of clearing the bush in the six-acre
land. Going into the unknown, he camped in a small wooden hut with no
facilities for running water or electricity. He came to discover that the
land had no title deed, or perhaps the paper was misplaced. Not even the
survey map of the place could be traced in Nairobi. Eventually, with
persistent follow-up, building permit was obtained. In May 1983, with the
support of Fr Oerder who was responsible for the Bonn Don Bosco Mission
in Germany, the bush was cleared and the building work began right in
earnest. It is interesting to note that Fr Tony D’Souza, then Delegate of
the Salesians (from Indian provinces) in Eastern Africa, was kept
informed of the developments in Embu by the Mission Procures.61
On 24th May 1984, another group of Salesians arrived from Turin. These
included Bro Umberto, Bro Alfonso Morcelli, and Fr Luigi Abbate. While the
Brothers helped Fr Felice in following up the work in Embu, Fr Abbate
helped at Siakago. The construction work now gained speed and by 25th
February 1985, the first group of boys who finished primary school
arrived, to start their class 8.62 Fr Vincenzo Donati was the first Rector.
More Salesians arrived. Bro Georgio Conte and Cleric Gianni Rolandi came
out to Embu for their years of practical training in 1985. Father
Pierbattisti Sergio63 arrived in Embu on 16th February 1987.
At that time, my Consultors and most of the Diocesan Priests advised me to let
the Salesians go and so they went. The decision was based on the fact that the
Technical School was then the only Private School owned by the Diocese.”
61 See letter from Peter Karl Oerder of Bonn Missionsprokur to Fr Tony D’souza,
dated 27th January 1984.
62The Kenyan government introduced the 8-4-4 system in 1985. Therefore, Don
Bosco would take the first batch of Form I students in 1986. Probably, there
were still class 8 students.
63 Fr Sergio worked in Nairobi following up the students of philosophy for two
years (1991-1993), then went back to Embu as Rector, and returned to Italy
on 17th February 1997, after 10 years of intense ministry in Kenya.
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How did the boys of Embu respond to the Salesian charism? Fr Sergio,
with his inimitable sense of analysis observes,64 “The first thing that
impressed me about the boys was that they were too eager to study.
They always carried books in their hand – during the recreation, during
games, and at night.” This implied that they were not initially very
eagerly warming up to the Salesian opportunities for music, games, and
the development of other talents. Secondly, again in the words of Fr
Sergio, “the boys easily organised strikes, and wanted to throw stones”,
even for reasons, that were perceived by the Salesians as being silly.
Even when Fr Vincenzo was in-charge of the school, one day the students
refused to go to the refectory to eat. Fr Vincenzo called them group by
group to the dining room, listened to them, and then they ate, group by
group. Unfortunately, by the time the Form IV students came to the
dining room, there was no more food left. According to Fr Sergio, strikes
were a communal expression of grievance, lacking the ability to see other
possible expressions. Perhaps, it was also part of the culture of many
schools in Kenya by then. The Salesians in their matchless style managed
to get the boys on their side and succeeded gradually to realise the
mission of Salesian holistic education.
The Mission at Makuyu
It was in the year 1986, Rt Rev Peter Kairo, the then Bishop of Murang’a
invited the Salesians of Don Bosco into his diocese. Two places were
proposed, that of Karaba Parish which was already established as a
parish, and the out-station of Makuyu, which was in a developing area
with many schools around, and thus offering a virgin soil for planting the
Salesian charism. In 1987, the Salesians chose Makuyu and began to
make pastoral interventions. Mr Cruz D’Souza, a Goan Catholic, who was
an accountant at Kakuzi Plantations had facilitated the diocese to acquire
this land from Kakuza that would later become a Salesian property.65
Initially, “Fr Felice Molino often commuted from Embu, a distance of over
80 kms of bumpy ride and spent most of the weekends with the people of
Makuyu. He spent some time in Kitito parish to be nearer to Makuyu.
During this time, he made contact with the several of the Small Christian
Communities that were at that time part of Saba Saba Parish.”66 Finally,
on 31st January 1988, when the Salesian world was celebrating the
Centenary of the Death of Don Bosco, two Salesians, Fr Felice Molino and
Fr Luigi Abbate, built a little residence at Makuyu their home.
64 Interview conducted by Fr Sebastian Kol, in Italy.
65 Mr D’Souza became a close friend of the Salesians. Unfortunately, he died in a
car accident returning from the Thiba project that the Salesians had initiated.
66 Don Bosco Makuyu, 10 Years Anniversary Celebration Booklet, 31st January
1988.
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Within a year of their coming, a giant step was made. On 1st January
1989, Don Bosco Parish was officially erected carving out territory from
Saba Saba Parish. In the same year, the Salesian community was
canonically established. Right from the start, Fr Felice felt the importance
of involving the Salesian Sisters in the mission, just as Fr Dario had done
in Siakago. Sr Rose Farina was the pioneer; she visited Makuyu in 1989
on weekends from Nairobi where she was stationed. In 1991, the FMA
presence was made a regular community with four sisters: Sr Ligia
Aristostabella, Sr Rosa Farina, Sr Assunta Colossi, and Sr Susan
Fernandes.
Soon, with the funding from the German Catholic Funding agency,
Miserior, the construction of the Technical Training Centre. Eventually,
Father Felice founded the “Associazione Amici OK Onlus” back in Italy to
facilitate fund raising for the development of the Salesian mission in
Kenya. In 1989, the Salesian Novitiate was constructed, attached to the
Makuyu community. In 1990, Makuyu was happy to welcome the first
batch of six novices with Fr. Benjamin Listello as their Director. With the
tireless work of the Salesians and the FMA Sisters, and the consistent
development of the infrastructure, the Salesian mission began to flourish.
The number of prayer houses went up from eight in 1989 to 13 in 1995.
We reserve the achievements of the school and the parish to another
chapter in the subsequent volume that will fit well into the Salesian works
in Eastern Africa in the second decade of their mission (1991 to 2000).
Box 3
JESUS BE MY SHIELD
A Poem by Fr George Padinjaraparambil, one of the Salesian
pioneers in Eastern Africa, together with the physical valour and energy
he had, was a great English teacher and penned many poems. Here we
sample one of his poems that brings out his closeness to mother earth
and to Brother Jesus!
When howling storms blow at will,
Driving monstrous waves with their wide-open jaws,
Everything on their way ready to swallow,
Merciful Jesus, be my shield.
When unimpeded sweeps the whistling wind,
Widely sways the majestic palms,
Unsure what their fate shall be,
Merciful Jesus, be my shield.
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When lightning flashes in the darkened sky,
And shoots its flaming arrows across the vault,
Turning thousand lights but a dull dying star,
Merciful Jesus, be my shield.
When our mother earth groans and shivers,
And the tall towers that pierce the blue
Come tumbling down in a cloud of dust,
Merciful Jesus, be my shield.
I’m but a mutely speck in a tiny little bark,
Rocked by the roaring, rolling, frothing billows,
Driven hither and thither by the whimsy wind,
Merciful Jesus, be my shield.
I shake like a reed in the swift running stream,
My weak knees knock o’rwhelmed by some crippling fear
Lest I should lose all my hope in thee,
Merciful Jesus, my shield thou be.
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Chapter 4
The First Presences in Nairobi City
Nairobi City in the 1980s
The Nairobi of the 1980s, where the Salesians found themselves was very
similar to that of Turin of 1840s, where Don Bosco found himself in.
Demographically, during the 1980s, Nairobi's population grew rapidly due
to urbanization and rural-to-urban migration. The city attracted people
from various provinces of the country seeking better economic
opportunities, employment, and improved living standards. For instance,
at the time of independence in 1964, the population of Nairobi was
382,000; but by the end of 1990, the population was 1,380,000, marked
by an annual increase of 5 to 6%.67
Housing was proving to be a problem. The City Council and the National
Housing Corporation (NHC) invested on high-rise flats such as Madaraka
Estate, which was one of the first such residential blocks for the middle-
income groups in the early 1970s. However, the low-income groups
settled down in slums, or as they were euphemistically referred to by the
government, ‘informal settlements’. These were sometimes built up in
dumping grounds or on public land, grabbed by tycoon-god-fathers, and
often they had groups of the same ethnic communities living together.
Nairobi's social fabric was a reflection of the nation's diversity. Industries
were cropping up in the outskirts of the city, where the residents of
informal settlements worked. Not all were skilled in technical trades. This
offered a fertile ground for Salesian ministry.
The Kenyan economy, like many other African countries during this
period, faced challenges related to fluctuating global commodity prices
and international debt. However, Nairobi's economy still demonstrated
resilience and growth, particularly in the informal sector, which played a
significant role in providing livelihoods for many residents. The city was
emerging not only as an economic hub for Kenya, but it was the logistical
hub for Eastern Africa, with many international organisations investing in
their headquarters there. And the leaders of the Salesian Project Africa
saw an opportunity here.
Nairobi had several educational institutions, including universities,
colleges, and schools. The city's education system was relatively well-
developed compared to other parts of the country, with access to both
public and private educational opportunities. The disparities in educational
67 The population would double in the following decade (1990-2000) crossing the
2 million mark, and this would more than double by 2020, touching 5 million,
at least going by official statistics.
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quality existed, with better-funded schools and universities offering
superior facilities and resources. In the 1980s, there was a wide divide
between the urban and rural population in Kenya. The City in the Sun, as
Nairobi was known, with its National Park within easy reach from the city
and the exotic hotels all over the country, attracted a good flow of
tourists. Also, prostitution and drugs were rampant in the city. Victims of
these vices were young people.
Nairobi was also a melting pot of various religious beliefs. The majority of
Nairobi dwellers were Christians, and the Muslim population was less than
10%. There were also many African instituted churches, which also had
their ethnic bias such as the Akorino of the Kikuyus, the Legio Maria
among the Luos, and the African Israel Church Nineveh which attracted
largely Luo and Luhya communities. Religious institutions of the mainline
churches played an important role in shaping the city's social and cultural
landscape, especially in providing quality education.
Politically, in the 1980s, Kenya was under the leadership of President
Daniel arap Moi, who had assumed power after the death of Mzee Jomo
Kenyatta in 1978. Following the coup attempt in 1982, President Moi
would rule Kenya as a de facto dictator. The country was under a one-
party system, which restricted political pluralism, leading to some
limitations on freedom of expression and political dissent. The
government's policies and actions had significant implications for Nairobi,
as the capital city and the seat of political power. Nairobi faced challenges
in infrastructure development during the 1980s. While there were efforts
to improve roads, public transportation, and basic services, the rapid
population growth often outpaced these developments. Access to clean
water, sanitation, and electricity was uneven and irregular across different
areas of the city.
The Archdiocese of Nairobi was erected in 1953. In the early 1980s, the
Archdiocese had a Catholic population of 250,000 faithful. It was
organised into three Deaneries. Following the directives of Association of
Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA, established in
1961), youth groups were coming up in the parishes of the Archdiocese,
and the parishes were getting organised into Small Christian
Communities. Nairobi would host the 43rd Eucharistic Congress in 1985,
and Pope John Paul II visited the country for the closing of the Congress.
In such a significant city, it was important for the Salesians to establish
their presence not only providing logistical services for Salesian Kenya,
but for Project Africa. Most of all, the economic and demographic situation
of Nairobi, especially of the youth therein, provided an opportunity and a
challenge for the Salesian charism.
Mary Help of Christians Arrives at Upperhill, Nairobi
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When the Salesians arrived in Eastern Africa in 1980, they had no place of
their own in Nairobi. They were using the Flora Hostel, run by the
Consolata Sisters, and the Apostles of Jesus House, or the residence of
the Jesuits as their transit points. It was with the help of Fr. Toselli, a
Consolata Missionary and Fr Toppo,68 a Jesuit, the Salesians found a plot
of land in Upperhill area in 1981. On the 17th of October 1981, a small
group celebrated the Holy Eucharist in a small out-house that was
existing on the recently bought property. There was a small school still
being run in one of the other buildings by the original tenants. By
November of the same year, the Salesians were introduced for the first
time by Fr Toselli, to His Eminence, the late Maurice Cardinal Otunga,
Archbishop of Nairobi. Ever since that visit, the Cardinal remained a good
friend and benefactor of the Salesians (see Box 4 below).
The Salesians who formed the first small community at Upperhill, set
themselves to develop the place and make it fit to be the headquarters
for the East African Delegation.69 Those who pioneered the community
were Fr Thomas Punchekunnel and Brother Cherian Joseph Palathumkal,
who got involved in the refurbishment of the house, commuting all the
way from Marsabit,.70 Father Jacob Puthenveetil would join the
community later in 1981. The Feast of Mary Help of Christians was
celebrated for the first time in Nairobi on 24th May 1982 in a tent with
over 500 people. Since the event was advertised in Don Bosco’s Madonna,
a large number of members of the Goan community that lived in Nairobi
turned up for the celebration.71 The place began to develop in leaps and
bounds. Fr Tony D’Souza joined the community as the Delegate of the
Salesian Presences in Eastern Africa in May 1982, and Brother Robert
68 Fr Tony D’Souza writes to him on 18th June 1981 requesting for
accommodation for two days on his way to Sudan, and requesting him to look
for a plot for the Salesians. The assistance of Fr Toselli and Fr Toppo is
acknowledged by Fr Punchekunnel in his letter to Fr Tony, dated 28th October
1981 after they moved to the new plot.
69 Fr Tony D’Souza, who, as the Provincial of Bombay (1976-1982) was
coordinating the Salesian communities established by the Indian Provinces,
finished his term as the Provincial of Bombay on 31st January 1982. From
August 1982 until 8th December 1985, he acted as the full-time coordinator of
the Salesian works in Eastern Africa.
70 It is interesting to note that even amidst a lot of work in looking after the
house, Fr Punchekunnel took up teaching Moral Science, 20 hours weekly, at
Msongari Loreto School, for a salary of Ksh.3000/- Meanwhile, Fr Jacob took up
teaching in a school in Thika for a larger salary. Brother Cherian would
eventually move to Boys Town.
71 The Goans had a special devotion to Don Bosco and Dominic Savio because of
their connection to Bombay. Several of them were subscribers of Don Bosco’s
Madonna (a magazine from Matunga, Bombay) and were benefactors of Fr
Aurelio Maschio in Bombay. The Goans had also introduced the Don Bosco’
Madonna among some Kenyan middle-class settlers of Nairobi.
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Dias also was assigned here in August 1982 as the Secretary of the
Delegation. A newly built Marian Chapel was blessed by Cardinal Otunga
on 24th May 1985. The Rector Major, Rev. Fr. Vigano who visited the
Salesians in Eastern Africa in 1985 was very keen to have a Marian Shrine
in Nairobi. In March 1989, Maurice Cardinal Otunga granted the future
Marian Shrine recognition and permission, in accordance with Can 611#3.
It was on 24th January 1993 that the ground-breaking and the laying of
the foundation stone would take place. On 24th July 1994, the
monumental Shrine to Mary Help of Christians was completed with her
emblazing statue crowning its edifice. Rev. Fr. Vigano, himself was
present for the solemn blessing and consecration of the Shrine. This will
be described in details in a future volume covering the second decade of
Salesian presence in Eastern Africa.
Don Bosco Boys Town, an Innovative Start
Fr. Sean McFerran, an Irish Salesian had ministered in India for several
years (1936-1972).72 He was known for his innovative and courageous
approach in ministering with and for the youth. Since 1972, he was back
in Ireland serving in various Salesian works there. In January 1983, he
had just turned sixty-five and was on his way to South Africa to take up
some new work there, since the Salesian works in South Africa were
largely managed by the English and Irish Salesians. On the way, he
decided to make a stopover for a few days in Nairobi to greet the Indian
Salesians.73 By then, after the establishment of the Salesian house in
Upperhill, Cardinal Maurice Otunga had invited the Salesians to start a
technical training institute in the city. The presence of Fr. Sean prompted
Fr. Tony D’Souza to invite him to start the technical school project in
Nairobi. It was too good an invitation to refuse. Fr McFerran decided to
stay.
Once the decision was made, he did not waste time. He started to read
about Kenya and its young people, started making a study on the needs
of the place and its people. He wanted to know which will be the best way
he could help the needy young people of Nairobi. While doing the
feasibility study of the area, he not only consulted social workers and
priests engaged in similar work in Nairobi, but also visited existing
projects such as the Undugu Society, SOS Children’s Village, Edelvale
72 Fr Sean McFerran was born in Ireland on 13th January 1918. He was sent to
India as a missionary in 1936 as a novice, and got ordained in 1946. He
worked in India until 1972, in various projects always exhibiting a high level of
passion and ingenuity in responding to the precise needs of the locality.
73 Most of the details about Fr McFerran have been adapted from Joseph Jeyaraj,
The Sporting Padre: Life and Ministry of the Irish Missionary Rev. Fr Sean
McFerran, SDB. Chennai: Don Bosco Wisdom Town, 2011.
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Trust, and Starehe Boys. He also paid visits to the slums at Mathare,
Kariobangi, Dandora and Ruaraka and saw the situation of poverty and
that of the youth. It was Fr. Thomas Punchekunnel, who was in Upperhill
then, who drove him to many of these places. Their findings and the
models of different SOS centres in the United States helped them to come
up with the idea of a “Boys Town”74 in Nairobi. At the end of the study, he
made this remark. “It is a truly sad reflection that not only Don Bosco
Boys’ Town, but many more projects would be necessary to solve
Nairobi’s problems.”
Under the inspiration of Fr Sean, the Salesians devised the idea of a
‘Town’ because it would be made of homes for those boys who are
abandoned or displaced by the society. The first priority was to offer a
safe and secure roof over their heads. This roof, according to Fr. Sean
would be the ‘homes’ inside a boys’ town, where joy, freedom and love,
the natural qualities of youth would be envisaged everywhere. Adult care
and supervision were to be offered but without being ostentatious. They
spelt out the objectives of the Boys Town as follows:
1. To give to and instil in the poor youth of the slums a sense of self-
awareness and a better sense of self-respect as also a better self-
image of themselves.
2. To create and build in them a better vision of life, a greater social
awareness and a better sense of citizenship and responsibility
through ‘Town’ training.
3. To give them an appropriate informal and, when possible, also a
formal education, which will progressively guide them into more
purposeful living.
4. To provide them with various vocational opportunities which will
eventually build in them a better self-image. This will help them to
realize that they too can and must be of service to others, if they
are to develop properly and fulfil a useful role in life.
Fr. Sean McFerran was eager to start this Boys’ Town in one of the slum
areas of the city. A large plot of land which he envisioned was not easy to
find in the city slums. In June 1983, Cardinal Michael Otunga
magnanimously handed over to the Salesians a 10-acre plot of land at
Karen area, that was “donated by the late Mrs. Dorothy Muriel Hale75 to
74 The original Boys Town was started by Fr Edward J. Flanagan, another Irish
Catholic Priest, in Nebraska in United Sates of America in 1921, though he had
started an orphanage in 1917.
75 Born in 1896, she was married to Hillman-Hale in her second marriage. She
apparently ran a farm in Karen since 1936 in partnership with one James
Laidlaw-Richardson. The partnership was broken in 1941. She gifted the land to
the diocese and continued to live in Karen. See,
https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a
=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=18199.
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the Archdiocese” together with the “necessary permission to establish a
Trade School on this plot.”76 Since Karen was an affluent area, Fr. Sean
and Fr Tony D’Souza, the superior, were not very enthusiastic. They were
concerned about the cost of the land, cost of living, and the witness
value. The Cardinal, who had taken them to the plot, cleared their
conscience as he said, “The land will cost you nothing, because it belongs
to the Archdiocese, and I am going to donate it to you at no cost.
Besides, to have the poor youth live next to rich people, and being
educated and well-formed by the missionaries, can be a witness in itself.
Who knows, the rich will be moved by your compassion and will assist you
for the upkeep of the youth.”77 Salesians felt encouraged and began to
plan for a residential school where boys from far away slums and deprived
rural areas could stay and be trained without having to commute daily.
Bro. Joseph Cherian, who moved from Marsabit, was the first person who
was appointed to assist in this new project. Brother Cherian could very
well be acclaimed as a co-founder of Boys Town.78 Three volunteers from
Ireland, Gerard Fitzpatrick, Paddy Parkes and Thomas Fox also joined
them. A master plan was developed for the infrastructure and the
building-blocks were realised in phases. The chapel would be the last to
be completed in 1994. Fr Sean McFerran did fundraising for the building
work. In a letter to his friends in September 1984, he writes with his
characteristic humour, “I have been offered £25,500 by our own
congregation for our house. So, I only need £87,500 more for the first
phase – it is not much when you say it quickly (ha ha ha). But the Lord
will send it in good time.”
Fr. Sean’s innovations knew no bounds. He was a wellspring of ideas in
those days while creating the structure of Boys’ Town. To supplement the
Boys’ Town, he thought of a sub-project that would go hand in hand with
the main one. And he called it the Don Bosco Satellite Project. By the
early 1990’s these Satellites numbered six: Kibera, Dagoretti Corner,
Kiserian, Mukuru, Ongata-Rongai, and Ting’ang’a-Kiambu.79 While Fr Sean
envisioned the project, it was Brother Cherian who implemented it in
detail. Brother Cherian focused on quality training of the boys, while
76 Letter dated 14th June 1983 by the Cardinal to Fr Tony D’Souza.
77 From the testimony (dated 1st January 2010) provided by Fr Tony D’Souza to
Fr Bellegamba, during the canonisation enquiries of Servant of God Maurice
Cardinal Otunga.
78 Brother Cherian worked tirelessly as a pioneer of Boys Town until 1992, when
he fell very ill due to his diabetic and hypertension conditions. He retired to
India for treatment. Sadly, one of his legs had to be amputated. After much
suffering, Brother Cherian went to his heavenly reward. Brother Cherian will be
remembered for his professionalism and high quality production that he passed
on to many of his pupils and production workers. ( please add date of his
death)
79 They were all handed over to local Catholic parishes to run in 2006.
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strategically developing the production units towards self-sufficiency. His
products were of high quality.
Fr Sean wooed other Indians, whom he had known in India. to come to
work in Africa. Among them were Brother Sigamony, who landed in
Nairobi in September 1984, it was Fr. Sean who welcomed him at the
airport. But he was disappointed that Br Siga was assigned quite
immediately to Tanzania. By April 1987, major sections in Boys Town
were fully established and the Satellite Centres were functioning well.
However, some misunderstanding among the community members and Fr
Sean, that resulted from a brochure that he had produced, and the breach
of loyalty of his lay collaborators saddened Fr Sean, and disheartened he
returned to Ireland in 1987. He was nearly 70 years of age. Once in
Ireland, he continued to raise funds for the project. For the rest of the
1980s, the leadership in Boys Town was taken over by Fr Tony D’Souza
himself, having been relieved of his responsibility as the Delegate of
Eastern Africa in 1985.80
DON BOSCO UTUME: Theology Students’ Community
Very soon in the history of Salesian Eastern Africa, young clerics or
scholastics – those who are preparing for priesthood – started joining the
Salesian missions for what is called, the practical training, which consists
of at least two years of Salesian pastoral ministry. The first ones to arrive
for this purpose in Tanzania were Cl. Neville Luis and Cl. Michael
Karikunnel. They arrived in Mafinga parish in August 1982. Again in 1983,
two more arrived for practical training in Tanzania: Cl. Charles
Savariappan and Cl. Jose Moonjely; in the same year in Kenya there
landed Cl. Loyola Castellino and Cl V.J Matthew. The numbers began to
increase in the subsequent years. On the Italian side, Cl. Gianni Rolandi
and Br Giorgio Conte were the first to arrive in Embu for practical training
in 1985. After two years of practical training, if they were candidates for
priesthood, these scholastics had to go for theology in their final lap of
preparation towards priestly ordination. There were also others who were
opting for Project Africa after having completed their practical training in
India, and by then they would have made their final profession.
Therefore, Salesians in East Africa had to device some arrangements for
the theological formation these young men.
Initially, in 1984, Cls. Neville and Michael were sent to Kristu Jyoti
College, Bangalore, India, for theology, given that no conducive formative
community was found to care for them in the English-speaking Africa. In
80 Fr Tony left Boys Town to rejoin his Province of origin, Bombay in 1991, when
Fr I. Raj took up as the Rector of Boys Town. I. Raj left the Salesians in 1996,
to start his own TVET projects in several cities of Southern Africa. See
https://youngafrica.org/en/
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August 1985, however, the two students of theology (Cl. Jose Moonjely
and Cl. Charles Savariappan), began attending classes at Hekima College
of the Jesuits in Nairobi. They were residing at the Delegation House in
Upper Hill, Nairobi, with Fr Thomas Thayil as the one in charge of them.
He had just joined Eastern Africa after having completed his term as the
Provincial superior of Bangalore province in India,
Around this time, on 7th December 1984, the Religious Superiors’
Association of Kenya (RSAK; now the Religious Superiors’ Conference of
Kenya – RSCK) established a committee to explore the feasibility of
collaborating in a single project for the academic formation of their
theology students. In April 1985, as a result of the committee’s findings,
a group of Major Superiors decided to establish a combined institution, to
be known as Tangaza College - Theological Centre for Religious (TCR).
The founding congregations were: Benedictine Fathers, Camilians,
Consolata Missionaries, Congregation of the Holy Cross, Passionist
Fathers, and Holy Ghost Fathers. In May 1986, before the first academic
year began, the Salesians of Don Bosco also decided to join this
cooperative venture.
In August 1986, Tangaza College opened with the first batch ever.
Meanwhile, Fr Thayil had been appointed as the Delegate for Eastern
Africa (AFE), and Fr Luciano Odorico became the first Rector of the
Salesian community81 that would then take the name of Don Bosco
Utume.82 The students of theology then were Cls Jose and Charles, who
continued to study with the Jesuits at Hekima College, and Cls George
Kocholickal, Santey Kizhakkinedath, Edwin Baracho, and John Vigilius
Fernando of AFE and Brs Peter Gozdalski and Joseph Skovron from the
Salesian Circumscription of Zambia, who studied at Tangaza College. The
first administrator was Fr Jacob Puthenveetil. The community lived in the
small houses which were within the compound of Upper Hill. The students
and Fr Luciano, by then a lecturer at Tangaza College, commuted daily to
and fro Tangaza College.
In August 1987, eleven more students joined the community. For the first
time among them were two from the ICE Province of Turin (Brs Luca
Maschio and Gianni Rolandi). During the Academic Year 1987-1988 the
community chose for itself the name “Utume”. The community had now
become large with 19 students and 2 Staff. This posed a very serious
problem for space and accommodation. In this light, the superiors started
looking for the possibility of shifting to a new place, nearer to the College.
Therefore, the property along Dagoretti Road was bought from the
Daughters of St Paul, who were moving from there to their centre at the
River-Side Drive closer to the Cathedral where they had their bookshop.
The property had some existing buildings including rooms, dining hall,
and two halls that were their printing press and book-store. The sisters
81 Fr Luciano Appointed as Rector of Nairobi House on 12th December 1986.
82 This section draws largely from a report written by Fr Gianni Rolandi.
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hurriedly left the house, making way for the Salesians to move in, while
the sisters themselves stayed in the little houses at Upper Hill while
waiting for their new house to be completed.
In August 1988, together with the novelty brought in by the new batch of
students and Fr Wilfred D’Souza as the new administrator, the community
moved to Karen, Dagoretti Road. The community members now were 26.
Meanwhile, a new block of 20 rooms was being constructed. The following
year, more members joined in, including some more staff: Fr George
Kottiri (as Liturgical Animator and professor) and Fr Richard Sajdak
(waiting for his Entry Permit to Sudan) joined the Staff, with a total of 30
members in the community.
In March 1990, Fr Luciano Odorico, who was the delegate of the Eastern
Africa Vice Province to the General Chapter (GC23), was elected as the
General Councillor for the Missions. In August 1990, the Utume
community opened the year with a new Rector, Fr Edward Liptak. He was
also made the Vice Provincial of AFE. Fr George Chalissery joined the
community as Vice Rector and Dean; he would soon become its
Administrator. Community members were now 35, all crammed into the
small dining. But there was a lot of fun and vibrancy, marked by
initiatives in ministry which would become part of the mission of the
province. This part of the story will be explored in the second part of the
history.
Box 4
Servant of God Cardinal Maurice Michael Otunga:
A Gracious Benefactor of the Salesians
Maurice Otunga was born in Western Kenya in
January 1923 to a chief who followed the
African Traditional Religion, and whose
household had 70 people that included his
children and their mothers. While in school,
Maurice Michael Otunga converted to the
Catholic faith and was baptised. Later he
joined the seminary and was ordained a priest
in 1950 after his theological studies in Rome.
In 1956, at the age of 33, he was ordained the
Auxiliary Bishop of Kisumu. Later he was
appointed as the Bishop of Kisii in 1960, then
to the Kenya Military in 1964, and as the
Coadjutor Bishop of Nairobi in 1969. In 1971, he became the Archbishop
of Nairobi and was elevated to be a Cardinal in 1973. He had attended the
four sessions of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and participated
in the two conclaves of 1978.
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The Salesians officially met the Cardinal in his office in November 1981.
Since then, from the perception of the Salesians, the Cardinal was not
only generous to the Salesians but appreciated their presence in the
Archdiocese immensely. This was very explicit not only in the free
donation of the 10-acre land in Karen in 1983, and later in 1995, the
donation of the 13-acre land in Kuwinda for the project of the youth at
risk, but also his caring and cordial relationship with the Salesians. Early
1982, Fr Thomas Punchekunnel writes to Fr Tony D’Souza, then back in
Bombay, about how one day the Cardinal drove into the Salesian
residence at Upperhill and very casually joined the confrere at tea time
and with characteristic fatherliness wished to ascertain how they were
getting on their new place.
Further, in his testimony (dated 1st January 2010) to Fr Bellegamba,
during the canonisation enquiries of Servant of God Maurice Cardinal
Otunga, Fr Tony D’Souza, the former Salesian Delegate of Eastern Africa
narrates a very touching incident,
Don Bosco Boys Town opened its doors to adolescent youth, mostly drop-
outs. A two-year course in eight different trades prepared the students for
Government certified exams. This success story was suddenly interrupted
when two disgruntled instructors, not satisfied with their salaries, sent a
letter of complaints to the Government Ministry of Labour. The ministry
issued a summons to us. Being still new in Kenya, and unfamiliar with the
rules of the country, I was uneasy and sought the advice of Cardinal
Otunga. He listened attentively, and then said to me: “Do not be afraid,
Father, go to the office of the Labour Department, explain your
employment policy, match your salary scale with that of the other similar
institutions, and all will be fine. Should you need my help, please stop by
after the meeting at my office”. On the scheduled day, another Salesian
and I went to the Ministry of Labour. As we entered the main door, we
were surprised to see the Cardinal in the atrium. We greeted him, and I
asked him in jest, if he too had a case with the Ministry. “No”, he said,
“you have a case and I am here to help you”. I said to him: “But people
may think that you have a case with the Labour Minister, and tomorrow
you may be in the newspapers, and the headlines may read, “The
Cardinal in Labour”. “That will be interesting”, he said with a soft smile.
When the Cardinal accompanied us into the relevant office, the Chief
Labour Officer looked a bit abashed. He stood up and greeted the Cardinal
saying: “Your eminence, we did not summon you”. “But you have
summoned my sons,” said the Cardinal pointing to us. Assured that our
problems would be solved, the Cardinal left the office. The case was
presented, salaries were compared, and conditions of work as well. At the
end, the gentleman said: “Do not worry father, I will write to the
instructors and invite them to keep the deal they have signed, because it
is the best”. Later, when I thanked the Cardinal for his presence which
was the best help in the resolution of the case, the Cardinal said with
utter simplicity: “A little red on top of the head, at times goes a long
way.”
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Moreover, he always obliged willingly whenever he was invited to the
Salesian functions. In 1985, when the Rector Major, Rev. Fr Egidio Vigano
came to visit the Salesian presences in Eastern Africa, the Cardinal
himself came to Boys Town to greet him at the blessing of Boys Town.
This was repeated in July 1994, at the blessing of the Shrine. The
Cardinal was a true shepherd, and the at the same time very prudent and
strategic. The Salesians of Don Bosco will always remember him with
warmth and gratitude for his benevolence towards us even up to a point
of it being considered a fault by many. After his retirement in 1997, he
lived at the Home for the Elderly in Kasarani, Nairobi, where he went to
his eternal reward on 6th September 2003. His mortal remains rest in the
grounds of the Resurrection Garden in suburban Nairobi to this day. We
pray that soon he may be elevated to the honour of sanctity, as the
process for his canonization has been introduced.
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Chapter 5
Further Opportunities and Challenges in the Sudan in the 1980s
Sudan in 1980s
Sudan gained its independence on January 1, 1956. Before independence,
Sudan was under joint British-Egyptian administration known as the
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, which lasted from 1899 until 1956. Ismail al-
Azhari became the country's first Prime Minister. However, political
instability characterized the early years of independence, with frequent
changes in leadership and multiple coups. In 1958, General Ibrahim
Abboud seized power in a military coup and ruled until 1964 when he was
ousted following mass protests. In 1972, after a long period of civil war
between the north and south, the Addis Ababa Agreement was signed,
granting Southern Sudan regional autonomy and ending the first
Sudanese civil war. General Jaafar Nimeiry abolished the Addis Ababa
Agreement in 1983, leading to the eruption of the second Sudanese civil
war, which lasted until 2005.
In the 1980s, Sudan had a population of approximately 18 to 20 million
people. The population was relatively young, with a large percentage of
the population being below the age of 30. Sudan was a highly diverse
country with more than 500 ethnic groups. The major ethnic groups
included the Arab population in the northern region and various
indigenous African ethnic groups in the south, such as the Dinka, Nuer,
Fur, Beja, and others. Arabic was the dominant language spoken in the
Sudan, and it served as the official language. There were also numerous
regional languages used by different ethnic groups across the country.
Islam was the predominant religion in Sudan during the 1980s. The
majority of the population identified as Muslim, with Islam shaping
various aspects of daily life, culture, and societal norms. However, there
were also Christian and indigenous religious communities, particularly in
the southern regions. These groups were not comfortable with the
imposition of Arabic and Islam on the whole country. The level of
urbanization in Sudan was relatively low compared to today. A significant
portion of the population lived in rural areas and engaged in agriculture
and pastoralism as their primary livelihoods. Urban areas were less
developed and less densely populated compared to later years.
Missions in Tonj and Juba
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As narrated earlier, the Salesians left Maridi in a dramatic fashion, in
March 1982, after their initial attempt to establish a Salesian presence
came to naught. Archbishop Augusto Barone of the Archdiocese of Juba
who had intervened and arranged for Fr Lawrence and Fr Ernesto to be
flown to Nairobi and to receive the much-needed emergency treatment
for the injuries that they suffered on the way to Juba, later invited the
Salesians to his own diocese. So, the Salesians who were assigned to
Sudan returned after a short break in their home countries. In March
1983, there were two groups of Salesians working in Juba and Tonj, the
latter in the Apostolic Vicariate of Rumbek.
Two brothers, Gabriel Fernandes and Francis Chinnappa were sent to
Juba. The Archbishop entrusted the Salesians with the well-equipped
printing press which was established by the Comboni missionaries,
especially through the hard work and sacrifice of Bro. Agustos Bazzanella.
Besides the press, they soon started a weekend oratory and an apostolate
at the juvenile prison.83
Fr. Ernesto de Gaspari and Fr. James Pulickal reached Tonj. Tonj was
part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Rumbek. The Salesians could return to
Rumbek Vicariate, since by July 1982, Bishop Gabriel Dwatuka Wagi had
resigned, and Archbishop Agostino Baroni MCCJ was appointed as the
Apostolic Vicar of Rumbek, after he retired as the Archbishop of Khartoum
in October 1981, at the canonical age of 75 and was instrumental in
inviting them back.84
Tonj was a small village by then at the heart of the Dinka land, about 3-
hours journey from Rumbek (120kms). Comboni Missionaries ran a
mission in Tonj prior to 1964, when they were expelled by the
government. They had left three brick buildings, which, when the
Salesians arrived, almost twenty years later, had no doors and windows.
There was a small, dilapidated church, not far from river Jur, dedicated to
The Sacred Heart of Jesus. For 20 years, the mission had been managed
by a catechist by name of Edward Jalab, who was revered by the people.
He had kept the record of baptisms that he had administered. But people
had had no access to other sacraments.
The two Salesians began their ministry in earnest and full of zeal. Besides
getting the building ready for habitation, they had to learn the new
language to be able to preside at the Eucharist and to preach. Fr. James,
a wizard at spoken languages had conquered Zande and Dinka! The
83 Information is meagre on their presence, since there was not proper
established community in Juba, and since their stay was short-lived (1983-
1986). (Check the font for consistency)
84 He ceased to be the Apostolic Vicar of Rumbek in Feb 1983 when the Second
South Sudanese Liberation war led by the SPLA broke out. Archbishop Baroni
was succeeded by Fr. Giuseppe Pellerino MCCJ (1983-1990) but could not
operate from within the Diocese until Fr. Mazzolari became Apostolic
Administrator in 1991 and was consecrated Bishop in January 1999.
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parish had ten substations. Besides the normal parish activities, the two
Salesians carried out the catechism programme in the primary, the
technical and secondary schools. Afternoons were dedicated to oratory
activities.
The Salesian Sisters arrived in Tonj on 23 September 1983. They landed
in Wau and Father Ernesto went to receive them. They were six sisters:
Mary George, Teresa Manakayallat, Miriam Kallathipullat, Josphine
Pereira, Celestina Phawa and Barbra Porter. They joined the Salesians in
as much as they could in the oratory, and followed up the preparation of
the Catechists, under the charge of Sr Celestina. Sr. Miriam, a trained
nurse was soon in her “clinic”, which was nothing but a medicine box
under a large tree. She also visited the sick and cared for them in their
homes. Sr. Barbara taught English in the local schools. Sr Josephine was
the home-maker following up the kitchen. However, the mornings were
dedicated by the sisters to learning Arabic and Dinka. There was much
cordiality between the SDBs and the FMAs. Archbishop Agostino Baroni,
Vicar Apostolic of Rumbek often came to Tonj to enjoy the Salesian
hospitality.
The Hostage Situation
All was well until 1983, when the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)
was formed under the leadership of John Garang grouping together
different units of soldiers who had organised a series of mutinies in the
Sudanese army. They began to fight a guerrilla type of war against the
Arab-Muslim domination of the Sudan government, with an aim of
establishing a secular Sudanese state. Their military activities began to
gain momentum. By 28th October 1984, an emergency plan was issued by
the church authorities in Juba, which stated that the Salesian sisters from
Tonj should move to Wau or Juba before the end of 1984. And the
Salesians should do the same by February 1985.
While some sisters left. The Salesians and some sisters stayed on. In the
middle of 1985, the SPLA wanted to take control of the Tonj air strip. Tonj
mission was on the way to the airstrip. The conflict was now moving
closer home. Following the recommendation of Mons. Joseph Pellerino,
Apostolic Vicar of Rumbek, the FMA sisters had to be evacuated
immediately. Fr. Ernesto took the sisters who had stayed back in Tonj to
Wau where they were accommodated in a few rooms in the local sisters’
compound. Eventually, Fr Ernesto himself was persuaded by Fr Tony
D’Souza in Nairobi to stay on in Wau from the first quarter of 1986.
However, Fr Ernest went up and down between Wau and Tonj whenever it
was secure to do so. There was an occasion when Fr Godfrey D’Souza
who had just arrived in the Sudan went to persuade Fr James also to quit.
But James stuck on in Tonj. Several letters and messages were sent by Fr
Tony D’Souza and eventually by Fr Thomas Thayil who had by then taken
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over as the new Delegate Superior of Eastern Africa in December 1985. Fr
James wrote frequent letters to his superiors and sent them through
people who walked to Wau.85 In the letters he kept repeating one major
idea:86
Father, do not worry about James. We have gone through this and
worse situations. And nothing unpleasant has happened to us. Nay,
everything that happened only goes to prove that God wants us to
be here, and we must stay.
It is so difficult to get a mission started and I feel we made a
mistake in pulling out from Maridi that has retarded our work in
Sudan somewhat. … probably we failed in a crucial testing by the
Lord. He has given us another centre, Tonj – neither of our choice
nor of our making. He gave it to us; we must keep it.
Finally, Fr James would become of the target of the SPLA. Again, in the
words of Fr James, this is how the hostage situation took place:87
On November 7th, 1986, the SPLA came to take me hostage. The
boys said nobody would touch me, but John Garang, the
commander, said I was the only foreigner in that war zone, and that
they should get me. The SPLA surrounded our house and said that
they wanted to talk to me, but I refused to come out because it was
a war zone and it was not safe to go out at night. They insisted that
I come out, but I refused. They said, “If you don’t come we shoot.”
I said, “For a man of God, to live or die it is the same. If you shoot,
I am not going to come out.” The official in charge came and asked
me: “Father, please come out.” I said, “No, you can come in.” I
opened the door, and they caught my hand and pulled me out;
about ten of them surrounded me. I held on to the door until I
couldn’t hold on anymore. They kicked me and slapped me, and my
specs fell off. They dragged me out of the compound. It was eleven
o’clock at night.88 They wanted me to run with them because the
army was behind them. We ran into the bush and reached the camp
by 3 am. I only had the clothes that I slept in, and I had to run
barefoot. In the morning my feet were swollen. Then they said to
me they had to continue, but my feet were swollen and I couldn’t.
85 The archives in Nairobi have a good collection of these letters. See Maridi 405
days file.
86 Letter written by Fr James Pullickal on 23rd March 1986 to Fr Thomas Thayil.
87 Fr James’ Interview with Fr Sebastian Koladyil, published in the Salesian
Bulletin, Nairobi, 2nd Quarter, 2023.
88 Together with Fr James, they also took Michael Amos Obol who was staying
with him. Obol later professed as a Salesian but discontinued before his
perpetual vows.
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“Give me some old shoes, a pair of pants, and a shirt at least,” I
asked. They had taken everything from the house, and nobody
knew where everything had disappeared to.89
On the third day of captivity, we were lying under the tree, my feet
still swollen, and I couldn’t walk. They said we had to walk before
the army caught up with us. Then they brought an old pair of shoes,
an old pair of pants and a shirt and we began to walk. On the first
day, we must have walked 10 km, and then we kept on going for 27
days until we reached the river Nile, which is around 500 km away.
We crossed the Nile and continued walking again, trekking around
1500 km. Of course, the first days were tough, and I badly needed
a wash, a shave, food, and a change of clothes. In the first month,
my mind was full of thoughts about the food, I was always hungry.
When you are hungry, you can’t even pray. I was hungry and upset.
I said, “God is crazy; people are crazy.” I couldn’t take it anymore.
I spoke to Jesus, “I left everything for you Jesus; why do you treat
me like this?” I was angry with God, angry with SPLA, angry with
the situation, and unwilling to accept this misery of lack of food,
clothes, or a place to rest. And so, this deprivation of having
nothing made me feel ashamed of myself.
I was depressed but kept holding on to Jesus, as a last resort for
the first 50 days; the 50th day was the Eve of Christmas. There
were around 2000 SPLA men, who were trying to choke the army
barracks. We were rather close to them. There was little food for
the 2000 men. We remained for a month there. There was no place
to wash our clothes; it was very depressing to stay with those
soldiers. It was the Eve of Christmas; I felt the Lord questioning
me. “Why are you so rebellious?” And he gave me his example.
“See, I did nothing. They crucified me. They did everything they
wanted to me. I accepted. Why do you not accept it?” I was still
rebellious and couldn’t take it. I turned to the opposite side and
slept. The next day, another thought on the same issue came to
me. It was as if Mother Mary was telling her son that every girl
when she is nearing delivery, would like to have her relatives near.
I had to go to a strange land where I was without a home. “Why do
you not accept it?” That was the first day I finally accepted the
reality. I said, “Ok, I take it. So, if you are a missionary, why don’t
you accept it all? Why do you put limits?”
89 After a few days, Fr Ernesto went to collect some of the sacred articles from
the church and also the parish documents such as the registry of baptism and
other sacraments, and took them to Wau. There were other articles that were
brought by the people to Wau and the Bishop apparently ‘bought’ them back
from the people at a small cost.
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Father James accepted the situation, and after an ordeal of 18 months,
God brought him back to the Salesian community safe and sound. Read
the last section of the chapter for the rest of the story.
Salesians in Khartoum, the heart of the Muslim Sudan
Since the beginning of the SPLA activities in the south of Sudan in 1983,
more and more people from the south sought refuge in the capital,
Khartoum. Prior to this, Khartoum had but a sprinkling of Catholics. The
surge of refugees to Khartoum augmented the number of the Catholics in
that city. So, in 1986, at the request of Gabriel Zubeir Wako, Archbishop
of the Archdiocese of Khartoum, it was decided that the Salesians open a
new presence in Khartoum. Fr Dominic Padinjareparambil pioneered the
move to Khartoum and he was joined by Fr Jacob Thelekkaden.
The Archbishop requested the Salesians to run the St. Joseph Technical
School situated in the city of Khartoum. This school had been run by the
Comboni Missionaries and had been partially closed due to lack of
Comboni personnel. Initially, Fr. Dominic helped Fr. Igino Benini MCCJ as
the assistant parish priest while Fr. Jacob started exploring the
possibilities of starting the welding and general mechanic sections of the
technical school. In June 1988, due to the insecurity, the confreres from
Juba, Brothers Gabriel Fernandez and Francis Chinnappan were also
asked to move to Khartoum and strengthen the St. Joseph Technical
School. The printing press was also soon given to the care of the Salesian
Community. The two Brothers put all their might and ability to make the
printing press more viable. A large amount of capital had to be invested
to upgrade the teaching facilities of the workshops and to improve
production. The result was a utilitarian set-up, new workshops with useful
courses in welding, general mechanics, masonry, carpentry and printing
technology. In no time student-registration went up from merely 50 in
1988 to 1000 by 1990, working in two shifts: morning and noon.
Moreover, free transport and tuition were provided, besides a good
breakfast and a colourful overall for each student. One can imagine how
the Divine Providence provided for the running of St. Joseph Technical
School.
Even as the Salesians marvellously transformed the technical school, their
attention was directed to the pastoral care of the Catholics in the area,
and the parish of St Joseph began to take shape. In March 1989, the St.
Joseph Parish too was entrusted entirely to the Salesians, and Fr. Dominic
was appointed the first Parish Priest. Fr. Jacob was appointed the Superior
of the Salesian community.
The Salesian Mission in Wau
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In 1986, when the religious were asked to leave the rebel controlled
areas, Fr Ernesto De Gaspari went to Wau. The bishop of the Diocese of
Wau, Mgr. Joseph Bilal Nyekindi (1944-1996)90 had advised Fr. Ernest De
Gaspari to remain in the town of Wau. After agreeing with Fr Thomas
Thayil back in Nairobi, the Bishop entrusted to the Salesians the John Paul
II Intermediate School. Soon Fr. Risyard Sadjak (a priest from Poland)
joined Fr. Ernesto in Wau. To him was entrusted the old printing press
belonging to the diocese which had by now become practically non-
functional. After a few months, Fr. Risyard was also entrusted with the
responsibility of being the director of the minor seminary in Wau.
The Salesian sisters began a kindergarten and a primary school, and
eventually also a dispensary. Fr. Ernesto, with the help of the Bishop and
some local people transformed three dilapidated workshop into
classrooms and an office. Thus began a technical school.
Wau was always under the control of Khartoum government, and never
taken over by the SPLA. However, communication with the outside world
was difficult, and after 1987, traveling out of Wau had to be through
Khartoum. Sometimes, if one went out of the country, travelling back to
Wau was not easy. Often it took at least two to three months of waiting in
Khartoum to be able to travel to Wau. Therefore, the Salesian pioneers
there lived in near isolation, and had to make their own decisions.
The Rescue of Fr James from the SPLA91
By the beginning of 1988, Fr Tony Fernandes was in Upperhill. He was
entrusted with the task of driving across the Sudanese border from Kenya
to pick up Fr James Pulickal as news had reached the Salesian
headquarters in Nairobi that he was finally released by the SPLA. Here is
the first-hand account from Fr Tony about the rescue operation:
After the community at the Provincial House was informed through a radio
call from Wau, South Sudan, that Fr. James Pulickal and Michael Obol
(who was a junior seminarian) were taken by the SPLA, the task of
seeking details of his capture and subsequent release, began. Diplomacy
was the key factor as to why the process to rescue them took close to 18
months so as not to compromise key persons who were assisting to trace
his whereabouts.
I began by trying to first contact the JRS (Jesuit Relief Services) as there
was news that one of their priests had also been taken by the rebels. I
also sought the services of the International Red Cross who advised that I
proceed with caution. I made several visits to the Nunciature in Nairobi,
90 Bishop of Wau from 1980 to 1995.
91 A narrative written by Fr Tony Fernandes for Salesian Bulletin of Nairobi,
August 2023.
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and they were also instrumental in getting assistance from the Nunciature
in Ethiopia. I managed, through personal contacts, to visit an office
(location withheld) whose backrooms were in constant touch with the
SPLA. I was assured each time that he was ‘safe.’
The key factor to expedite the rescue process was a letter written by
James’s mother that contained a personal plea for his release. So, one
afternoon, around the 25th February 1988, unexpectedly, I received a
message informing the Salesians that Fr. James was free to go, but we
would have to fetch him from a location we would be led to. I quickly got
the ball rolling by getting an official clearance from the Kenyan authorities
to cross the Kenyan border in the North leading to Narus, which was in
South Sudan, near Lokichogio.
That same afternoon, Red Cross International, who had a camp in Loki,
assured us they would host us while we waited for clearance to enter
Sudan. This rescue operation had so many elements of risks and
unknowns that I had to inform my mother that I was not coerced into
taking this responsibility. Later that afternoon, Tony Carvalho, whom
many knew to be a handyman at Upper Hill, had the Land Rover all
loaded up with two sponge mattresses and our personal bags. There was
no time to lose, as the captors could easily change their minds if they did
not perceive a sense of urgency on our part.
The first stage of this hazardous journey saw us stop for the night in
Kitale, and, after an early morning Mass and breakfast, provided by the
sisters, we proceeded to Loki via Lodwar. On arrival at the Red Cross
camp, the officials offered us hospitality and briefed us about the plan to
cross the border. It was a waiting game and there was no fixed time or
date when we would have a definite word as to when we could start.
Eventually, after three days, we were told that we could proceed. The
officials at the Red Cross camp loaded the back of the Land Rover with a
two-hundred-litre drum of fuel. We were made to understand that the
rebels would meet us after we had travelled into Sudan at Narus. The
young, fully armed soldiers whom we met, got into the back seat of the
Land Rover and advised us that we should follow their instructions and
that we would be interrogated by their men at the check posts. At every
check post, another batch of young soldiers exchanged places with the
ones we came with and directed us to the next one. In this way, we
reached a town called Kapoeta, where we waited for quite a while, to get
a clearance to move.
From here, we were told to proceed in the direction of the Ethiopian
border. All along this route, a senior member of the soldiers would now
and then caution us to get off the road as the way ahead was mined and,
after having driven off the road for several kilometres, to get back onto
the road. We were only hoping the guy would remember all the places
where the land mines were laid, as we witnessed several vehicles
destroyed after being blown up. We could not travel fast, and that took its
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toll on us because of the extreme heat. We were forced to request an
hour’s halt when we saw a tree with some shade. The sponge mattresses
were helpful in taking a short nap, although the flies kept buzzing around
our faces.
How far we still had to travel was anyone’s guess. The soldiers were
strictly ordered not to speak to us about arrival times. The silence of
uncertainty and hope finally brought us to the banks of a river, and we
were guided to a spot where we were assured that it was safe to cross.
After engaging the vehicle into four-wheel drive, we crossed the river,
with the driver’s foot firmly on the accelerator. The sturdy and firm Land
Rover ploughed its way through the fast-moving water that had reached a
level, in the middle of the river, just above the wheels. This was most
frightening, as we could easily have been grounded without help.
From this point onwards, it got dark, and due to the nature of the narrow
road, we brushed against the bushes several times. We arrived at the
‘secret camp’ perfectly camouflaged beneath the trees. Some women
were ordered to serve us tea, which was poured into tall beer glasses
soaked in one inch of sugar, which we gratefully accepted together with
two beds that were strung with coir ropes that at least helped to support
our mattresses. These were placed under the open sky that was lit by the
moon. Sheer tiredness would not even allow us to get a peaceful sleep, as
we were hounded by mosquitoes looking for the sustenance of a different
blood group, and our ears kept alert to the eerie sounds of lions roaring in
the far distance.
At the first sight of dawn, we both rushed down to the nearby river and
freshened ourselves for the day’s proceedings, only to be met by the
same women who approached us with basins filled with warm water.
When we informed them that we had done the necessary, they were not
amused, and in broken English, they told us that the river was infested
with crocodiles and we were lucky to return safely. I knew the prayers of
the faithful in Upper Hill who were keeping vigil, were being answered.
After waiting anxiously while sitting on the beds, a semblance of a formal
meeting was taking shape. [This was 10 full days after we set out from
Nairobi]. A large table and two sets of sofas were placed under the full
force of the scorching sun, and we were invited to sit on one while some
officials sat on the other. We were duly informed that the leader, John
Garang, had other engagements and had delegated another senior officer
who immediately proceeded to read out from a file, all they had done to
keep James ‘safe and healthy.’ After a nod from this officer, Fr. James
was brought to the place where we were sitting. After recognising that it
was he, I ran to the vehicle and got him my spare shirt. I cannot describe
the scene at this moment. My concern at this time was that the SPLA,
hand over to us Michael Obol as well. In no way would I leave without him
despite their informing me that he would be of no use to us. When he was
finally brought, I realised he was suffering from acute jaundice as his
eyes and fingernails were yellow, but he had a great smile.
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After signing a document indicating that we received both Fr. James and
Michael in “good health,” and demanding that we be given the passport of
Fr James, which was returned to us as if it lay buried in the damp soil, we
got into our vehicle together with the soldier-escorts. Not for one moment
did we look back from that point onwards, until we got to Lokichogio [on
10th March 1988]. Just before reaching the Kenyan border, the exhaust
pipe gave way, and it started to emit sounds like gunshots. This forced a
group of young soldiers, before reaching a check post, to fire in the air to
stop us from going any further. Peering through the window of the Land
Rover, they recognised Fr. James, and after greetings in Dinka, we moved
on safely.
Mary Help of Christians was there!92
92 On 17th March 1988, Fr James was on his way to see his mum in India for a
well-deserved home-leave.
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Chapter 6
Salesians in Tanzania – Part 1
The Three Salesian Communities in Mafinga
The Situation of Tanzania in the 1980s
The British allowed Tanganyika to have an internal self-government on 1
May 1961, and this was followed by independence on 9 December 1961.
On 26 April 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar to form the United
Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The country was renamed the
United Republic of Tanzania on 29 October of that year. Since Zanzibar is
largely a Muslim territory, the Salesians showed no interest in this group
of islands. They focused solely on mainland Tanzania. Already in 1967, in
his Arusha Declaration, Mwalimu Nyerere, the first President and the
Father of the Nation of Tanzania had declared an African version of
socialism in what was termed as ‘Ujamaa’. By the time the Salesians
arrived in Tanzania, Ujamaa was held as the policy of government. Only
in 1985, would Mwalimu Nyerere resign and pave the way for a different
style of governance. The country's economy was staggering. Nyerere
recognized the need for economic reform and embraced elements of
market-oriented policies, but the process was slow and faced resistance
from some party members and traditional socialists.
Tanzania's population in the 1980s was growing steadily, with estimates
putting it at around 20-25 million people. The country's population was
predominantly young, rural, with agriculture being the primary occupation
for a large portion of the population. Life expectancy was relatively low,
and access to healthcare and education was limited, particularly in rural
areas. The government emphasized Swahili as the national language to
foster a sense of unity among the diverse ethnic groups in the country.
The national schools and the Military Service (Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa –
JKT) worked as platforms for mixing up youth from ethnic communities
that contributed to national cohesion.
With regard to the religious situation of Tanzania in the 1980s, the
demography of religious affiliation could be summarised as follows: 30%
of the population was Catholic, 30% belonged to other Christian
denominations, 30% were Muslims, and about 10% following traditional
African religions.93
The history of the Catholic church in Tanzania was marked by the arrival
of the Portuguese Augustinian missionaries, who arrived in Zanzibar in
1499 with Vasco Da Gama. They, however, did not last long because of
93 The population following the traditional African religions has been reducing
since the 1980s, in favour of all the other three major religious groups.
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the Arab Muslim opposition and their mission came to an end in 1698
because of the Oman-Arab Conquest of Zanzibar. The successful
evangelization of the Catholic Church in Tanzania was launched in the
19th century carried out by three religious congregations namely the Holy
Ghost Fathers (Spiritans), Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), and the
Benedictine Monks.
The Holy Ghost Fathers arrived in Zanzibar and crossed over to
Bagamoyo in 1863 led by Fr Antoine Horner. They also helped in the
rural settlements of the freed slaves bought off or rescued from Arab
slave traders by the British marines at sea. From among these freed
slaves catechists were also trained, who accompanied the missionaries
northwards up to the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The Missionaries of
Africa, led by Fr. Livinhac, arrived in 1878, focusing on two major areas of
Tanganyika, one started around the shores of Lake Victoria having
reached Uganda from the Kenyan side who worked in Kagera region, and
the other focused on the regions around Lake Tanganyika. In 1887, the
Benedictine monks of Saint Ottilien arrived in Dar es Salaam, and they
moved southward towards the Ruvuma River bordering Mozambique.
They established two monasteries in Peramiho and Ndanda which became
hubs for modern civilization and development in the South of Tanzania.
They also established Catholic communities along the way from
Bagamoyo to Ruvuma, some of these especially in Iringa and Mbeya were
taken over by the Consolata misisonaries after World War I. Other
congregations followed: the missionary endevours of Capuchins in Dar es
Salaam, and that of Passionists in Dodoma region are noteworthy. More
missionaries arrived after World War II which were the Salvatorians,
Rosminians and Maryknollers.
Meanwhile, the number of local clergy began to increase leading towards
a demand for more seminaries. The Jesuits also arrived, who basically
became teachers in diocesan seminaries. Diocesan congregations came to
be founded increasingly. By 1980, the Catholic hierarchy was well-
established. Cardinal Laureen Rugambwa (1912-1997)94, the first African
Cardinal, was the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam.
In the first decade of Salesian presence in Tanzania, seven communities
were initiated. For the sake of easy reading, the Salesian history of the
1980s in Tanzania has been divided into two chapters in this book. The
chapter focuses on the three communities in Mafinga area of Iringa
diocese. The next chapter narrates the history around four other
communities in Tanzania: Iringa, Dodoma Technical School, Dar es
Salaam, and Dodoma Seminary.
The Parish of Our Lady of Assumption in Mafinga
94 He was a bishop from 1952 to 1992, of which he was the Archbishop of Dar es
Salaam from 1968 to 1992.
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The first mission entrusted to the Salesians in Tanzania was the parish of
Mafinga. As narrated in an earlier chapter, on Palm Sunday, 11th April
1981, the parish was entrusted to the Salesians and our pioneers – Frs.
Peter Fernando, Tony Fernandes and Joseph Pulikkal – launched out
courageously without being awed by the challenges posed by the novelty
of language and culture. For a second time, we were entrusted with a
Parish in Eastern Africa that had earlier been taken care of by the
Consolata Missionaries, the other being Siakago in Kenya.
The Consolata missionaries planted the church around the Southern
Highlands of Tanzania after the first Missionaries viz. the Benedictines . A
parish was created in 1953, with its mission centre at Makalala about 10
kms from present day Mafinga Town. Mafinga had been previously called
John’s Corner. Situated along the Dar es Salaam-Zambia trunk road,
about 600kms from Dar es Salaam, the newly formed township was
marked by the sudden increase of population due to the Ujamaa policy of
consolidating sporadic hamlets into Ujamaa villages or settlements.
Mafinga soon became the centre of administration of Mufindi District in
Iringa Region. By 1969, a chapel was built by the Consolata missionaries
at John’s Corner, as an outstation of the Makalala Parish. In 1980, the
parish itself was shifted to Mafinga, with Mary Assumed into Heaven as
the patroness of the parish. The first buildings of the mission, which
included the priests’ residence and sisters’ convent were blessed on 20th
June 1980.
The Consolata Missionaries, who have a common origin as the Salesians
from Castelnuovo Don Bosco, graciously welcomed the Salesians in
Mafinga. The handing over of the parish from the Consolata missionaries
to the Salesians had been extraordinarily smooth. Credit goes to the then
Regional Superior of the Consolata Missionaries, Fr Lumeti, to the parish
priest Fr Aldo, and the assistant parish priest, Fr Alesandra Nava. Bishop
Mario A. Mgulunde presided over the farewell to the Consolatas and the
welcoming of the Salesians on 12th April 1981. One of the Consolatas, Fr
Sandro Nava, spent a whole month living with the Salesians in the
community and introducing the pioneers into the parish ministry. (I had
added some info regarding the handing over of the Parish and the inner
dynamics w.r.t the feelings of the Consolata priests in an earlier chapter,
it would better fit here than there).
The Salesians took charge of the parish with Fr Peter Mathew Fernando95
as Parish Priest; Fr Tony Fernandes as Assistant Parish Priest, Director of
95 Fr Peter Mathew Fernando, originally from the Madras Province in India, was
among the first group of Salesians who reached East Africa. His brother, Fr Paul
Bosco Fernando was also a Salesian back in Chennai. Fr Peter Mathew was the
first Salesian parish priest of Mafinga and served from 12th April 1981 to 13th
May 1985, when he rather abruptly decided to leave for India on “health
grounds” –the Salesians in Mafinga present then regretted that they could not
have given him a worthy farewell.
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the Youth Centre and as teacher at Mafinga Diocesan Seminary; and Fr
Joseph Pulikkal as Assistant Parish Priest, entrusted also with the
animation and teaching at the Catechetical Training Centre, Makalala,
which was still at its beginning stages.
In April 1981 also, Fr Dominic Padinjareparambil and the Co-operator,
John Williams,96 joined the Salesians working in Tanzania. Fr Dominic
joined the community of Mafinga Parish, while Mr John was posted to
Iringa. Fr Dominic was a hard-worker and a great carer of land and its
produce.97 The House Chronicles of Mafinga Parish has several entries
related to Fr Dominic and his trees.98 By then the Superiors had thought
of sending Fr Joseph Pulikkal for higher studies in Catechetics to the UPS
in Rome, Italy to better equip him for his role as the future full-time
Director of the Catechetical Training Centre, Makalala. A year later, Fr
Tony Fernandes was transferred to take up the pioneering role of the
Salesian presence at the Diocesan Youth Centre situated at Upanga, Dar
es salaam.
Cl. Michael Karikunnel99 and Cl. Neville Luis arrived in Mafinga on 14th
August 1982; they were the first set of Practical Trainees to arrive from
India to East Africa and both were assigned to Mafinga. Cl. Micheal took
care of the small number of boys as aspirants who began to stay at the
parish, while learning English (Pre-form) preparing them to be admitted
as students at the Diocesan Minor Seminary situated at Makalala B,
present day Changarawe, Mafinga. He also taught English at the Diocesan
96 At the end of three years' stay with the Salesians, John Williams opted to join
the Salesian Congregation and entered the novitiate in May 1984 in Siliguri,
West Bengal, India. Read more about him in a later chapter.
97 He is younger brother of Fr George Padinjaraparambil who was part of the
pioneering missionaries. He arrived in Kenya in 1980 and was assigned to the
community of Korr. Their brother Johnny is also Salesian in the Province of New
Delhi in India. Their brother’s son, Jose Padinjaraparambil, also a Salesian,
arrived in Tanzania as a Practical Trainee in 1985. The Padinjaraparambil
brothers in East Africa (Fr PD George and PD Dominic) were hard workers,
excelling in setting up needed infrastructure for the mission; they had a special
affection for fruit trees. The fruit trees in Mafinga were planted by Fr PD
Dominic; the trees in Moshi (1992-1993), Didia-Shinyanga (1993-1994), and
Morogoro (2008-2009) by his elder brother, Fr PD George.
98 On 3rd April 1983: “Fr Dominic rushes to Njombe – apple saplings are in
danger of drying up (which were apparently already drying up in Mafinga)… he
hopes to bring back an expert! And on 4th April: Fr Dominic returns in the late
evening. Tatizo! with the car of course & the expert. Will he resurrect the
plants?
99 Michael Karikunnel arrived in Mafinga in 1982; he did his 2nd year of practical
training at Dodoma, then went back to India for theology (1984-1988). After
ordination in 1988, he ministered at CTC Makalala (1988-1992), after which he
went to Ghana. Since then he has been in West Africa until 2022, when a new
assignment brought him to Nairobi.
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Seminary. Bro Neville taught Science subjects at the Diocesan Seminary
and accompanied the youth frequenting the fledgling daily and festive
oratory at the Parish Centre. Also in August 1982, Fr Edward Liptak, the
only Salesian to join the East Africa jurisdiction from the Eastern United
States Province (SUE), arrived in Tanzania. He was to pioneer the setting
up of our apostolic school at Mafinga. He too lent a hand in teaching
English at the Diocesan Minor Seminary while taking time off to attend
Kiswahili language courses conducted at Kipalapala, Tabora.
By the end of 1983, as it emerges from a report written for the Assembly
of Confreres in East Africa, Mafinga parish had 11 outstations, with a
Catholic population of 10,000 souls, among a general population of about
50,000. The area of the parish had a secondary school, a trade school,
and 21 primary schools. There were 12 Small Christian Communities100
(each unit having an executive committee of 5 members). The Salesian
community consisted of Fr Peter Mathew Fernando (as Parish Priest), Fr
Edward Liptak (Assistant Parish Priest, in-charge of Salesian aspirants
housed at the parish, and teaching at Mafinga Diocesan Seminary), Fr
Dominic Padinjaraparambil (Assistant Parish Priest, Administrator, and on
the staff of Makalala Catechetical Centre), Cl. Michael Karikunnel (Brother
Assistant of the aspirants), and Cl. Neville Luis (Assistant and teaching at
Mafinga Diocesan Seminary). They were taking care of 12 aspirants. A
daily oratory attracted about 20 youth and children, and the numbers
went up to 100 on Sundays. There were several cultural events such as
singing and dance competitions. Besides an annual Don Bosco
Tournament of Football and Netball was held around the feast of Don
Bosco. The dispensary catered to about 30 to 50 out-patients daily. A
mobile unit served the villages as well. There was a farm, with 8 acres of
land under cultivation, and cattle (35 in number), goats (15), chickens
(200) and pigs (7). Some Salesians assisted in teaching at the
Catechetical Training Centre. The Salesians in the Parish were assisted by
the Teresina Sisters, 11 catechists and 12 religion teachers, and the
Baraza la Walei (the Parish Lay council with its aim of lay apostolate and
spear heading self-reliance policies. At the parish level. the leadership
was drawn from the Small Christian Communities).
The early years of the Salesian presences in the 1980s in Tanzania were
marked by very challenging times, due to the inopportune economy of the
country itself. Most provisions had to be used carefully with utmost
caution. For fuel, one had to “rush” from Mafinga to Iringa (a distance of
80 kilometres).101 One particular event provides a telling example of the
harsh situation of those days, as captured in the chronicles of Mafinga
Parish:
On 15th August 1983: “President Nyerere arrives at Mafinga. We too have
a welcome guest. The Regional Commissioner stays with us during his
100 It appears that by 1983, they were not referred to as such.
101 These expressions frequently appear in the chronicles.
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stay at Mafinga, [by] name: Mr Kabonge. The Fathers received the
President at the Area Commissioner’s residence… shook hands with
President Nyerere. What a privilege! (These days the mini-generators are
giving us light at night. What luck!)
On 16th August 1983: “President Nyerere leaves our humble town… We
heard that he remarked that too much cement was used for our buildings
at the mission,102 especially in these hard times for the country. Now that
can be explained… can’t it?”
To contrast this harsh situation, there was great enthusiasm in the
Salesian congregation at large, and the Indian provinces in particular,
pertaining to the new Salesian presences in Eastern Africa. In December
1983, the five Indian Provincials visited Tanzania on their way to Italy for
the General Chapter (GC22): Fathers Chrys Saldhana (INB), John Peter
Sathyaraj (INM), Thomas Thayil (INK), Mathew Pulingathil (ING), and
Joseph Kizhekekara (INC). The Rector Major himself, Fr Egidio Vigano
would visit Eastern Africa in 1985, and Mafinga on 3rd May 1985,
accompanied by Fr Chrys Saldhana, the Provincial of Bombay (INB), and
the Delegate of Salesian East Africa, Fr Tony D’Souza. Father Luke van
Looy, the superior for missions, visited Mafinga on 8th September 1985.
Don Bosco Seminary in Mafinga
The pioneers were quick to start seeking for local vocations and
proceeded to set up a Junior Seminary at the Mafinga parish. Already in
1982, the idea of taking some boys as aspirants was being steadily
realized. Two boys were identified and invited to a come-and-see course
by mid-1982 while living in an out-house and attending English tuitions as
well as conferences on vocational topics. A new building structure at the
parish itself was put up in the parish compound under the supervision of
Fr Dominic PD. On 28th May 1983, during the external celebration of the
Feast of Mary Help of Christians, the Salesians in Tanzania opened the
‘aspirantate’ premises officially, though the first group of boys had arrived
on 15th January that year. The first year was a to be a pre-form, during
which time the boys would be coached in English and other relevant
subjects. By the middle of 1983, Fr Edward Liptak was made the
coordinator for the three major sectors (Parish, Aspirantate, and
Catechetical Training Centre) in Mafinga, each of these sectors had
someone else responsible. Cl. Michael Karikunnel was transferred to
Dodoma, and two other clerics, Charles Savariappan and Jose Moonjely
were the new arrivals for Practical Training.
102 The reference is to the Don Bosco Seminary buildings that were coming up by
then.
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At the end of 1983, five boys were chosen to be admitted to Form I
studies in Mafinga Diocesan Seminary. Meanwhile, it was decided that
from 1984, the Salesians would also have a handful of post-Form IV
students as aspirants pursuing their A-Level studies at the diocesan
seminary. Eventually, some boys from Kenya also joined this group. The
number of boys began to increase, vocation camps began to be held
annually, even at different locations. These camps were usually well-
prepared and executed by many Salesians. They included typical Salesian
activities such as treasure hunts, camp-fires, and quiz competitions.
A new property for the Don Bosco Seminary was given by the Office of
Land, adjacent to the parish land, on 12th March 1984. The grounds were
cleared in the subsequent months with the help of workers and of the
aspirants and “pre-seminarians” staying at the parish compound. The
building plans for the new Don Bosco Seminary arrived on 6th July 1984,
but “the inaccurate and mistakenly drawn plan makes the [Salesians] go
nuts. We have decided to correct it ourselves rather than redoing it.”103
Eventually the building works in the new plot started, supervised by Fr
Edward Liptak. He was also the first Rector of the Seminary. In the Don
Bosco Seminary, within the next few years, the school set up
playgrounds, vegetable gardens, fields for maize plantation. From its
humble beginnings, the junior seminary grew steadily and developed into
a full-fledged Apostolic School, the Don Bosco Seminary of Mafinga. The
first group of students who had begun their studies in the Parish
completed their Form IV in 1985. By the beginning of 1987, the following
were part of the community of Mafinga Seminary: Fr Edward Liptak
(Rector), Fr Joseph Maliekkal, Fr Sebastian Mattapally, Bro. Mathew
Aayila, and Cl. Jose Padinjaraparambil (2nd year), Thomas Kunnumchira
(KC) and George Tharanyil (TJ), and the classes were fully being offered
at the new premises.
Mafinga Seminary had had a history of being led by a very gifted team of
Salesians were assigned to the Seminary. From its inception, the
Seminary has been known for quality education and Christian formation.
The results of Form IV students have been making waves. Don Bosco
Seminary-Mafinga is now well-known all over the country. By the early
1990s, in the National Examination, the Don Bosco Seminary stood as the
third best school in the country (in 1994 and 1995 consecutively).
Catechetical Training Centre in Makalala
As said earlier, Mafinga Mission had been first established in 1953, in a
location in Makalala. In the year 1952, the vast property was donated by
the Tanzanian government to the church for pastoral and humanitarian
103 Chronicles of Mafinga Parish, dated 6th July 1984.
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services to the people of that area and its surroundings. Fr. Negro, a
Consolata Missionary was entrusted with the work of developing the
mission. Eventually, this Mission complex had a large, very well-built
church completed in 1964, with residential buildings which included the
presbytery of the priests and the convent of the Consolata sisters, a
dispensary, a primary school with a small boarding, and a carpentry. All
of these departments were situated on a large stretch of land, measuring
about 1600 acres. On account of the movement of the people,
necessitated by the Ujamaa policy of the government of Tanzania, in
1980, the parish itself had to move to the current location near John’s
Corner adjacent to the international highway. In the location of the old
mission in Makalala was born early forms of a Catechetical Training
Centre.
By initiating this centre, to be run by the Teresina Sisters and the SCIM
Brothers, two local congregations of the Diocese of Iringa, Bishop Mario
Mgulunde desired to put into practice, ‘Catechisi Tradendae’ (published in
1979), in which Pope John Paul II said:
I am anxious to give thanks in the church’s name to all of you, lay
teachers of catechesis in the parishes, the men and still more the
numerous women throughout the world, who are devoting yourselves to
the religious education of many generations. Your work is often lowly and
hidden but it is carried out with ardent and generous zeal, and it is an
ancient form of the lay apostolate, a form that is particularly important
where for various reasons children and young people do not receive
suitable religious training in the home. How many of us have received
from people like you our preparation for the Sacraments of Penance, or
for first Communion and Confirmation (Catechesis Tradendae, 66).
In 1981, the Salesians of Don Bosco were invited to run the centre, on
behalf of the Diocese, in collaboration with the local congregations of
SCIM Brothers104 and that of the Teresina Sisters, who were already there
as teachers and a Sister as in-charge of the candidates. Initially, there
was no Salesian presence as such at Makalala. The Salesians staying in
the Parish coordinated the ministry. Father Joseph Pulikkal (Fr PL) was
put in-charge of the programme. After a year of commuting from the
parish to the Catechists Training Centre, Fr Joseph left for Rome on 7th
August 1982 for studies in Catechetics at the Salesian Pontifical University
(UPS), the first one to be sent for studies abroad from Eastern Africa.
Meanwhile, Fr Dominic Padinjaraparambil followed up the CTC. In 1984,
some renovation work was carried out creating a dormitory for men. After
his return from Rome, in 1985, Fr Joseph set up the Centre more
systematically.
When the training programme started in 1980, the Centre was offering a
three-months course, then it went on to offer a six-months course, later
104 The SCIM Brothers withdrew from Makalala in 2002.
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this developed into a one-year programme. Eventually it evolved into a
two year course of training. In the 1980s, Catechetical Training Centre
(CTC) was the only centre of this kind in the Diocese of Iringa for the
training of lay catechists with the catholic population of 450,000. In this
vast Diocese, there are 33 parishes with around 350 outstations and a
population of around 1,987,678. There are also catechists from few of the
other dioceses of Tanzania, as well as candidates of few religious
congregations.
In the visitation book of the community of Makalala, in its very first entry,
Father Juan Vecchi at the end of the Extraordinary Visitation on 9th April
1992 remarks, “Questo centro catechistico si presenta gia ricco di
intereressanti reaalizzationi: il corso Binennale per catechisti, il loro
posteriori requimento, l’assistenza alle parrochie, i contributti alla diocesi
per una migline evangelizzatione. E’ un opera che qualifica la nostra
presenza in Tanzania…” (This Catechetical Centre is already full of
interesting achievements: the two-year course for catechetics, their
subsequent placement, assistance given by them to parishes, has its
contributions to the diocese for a better evangelization. It is a work that
qualifies for our presence in Tanzania…)
Father Vecchi goes on to add something that gets repeated by visitators
to the community of CTC Makalala in the subsequent years: that the
Salesians should not shy from giving “to our collaborators and to the
students, our Salesian approach of the Oratorian Spirit as a good
suggestion. Let us make every effort to transmit the Salesian approach
especially in dealing with the youth so that our students who graduate
from this institute and return to their respective parishes as catechists
become bearers of Don Bosco’s love for the youth.”105 (Fr Vecchi in 1992,
and Fr Thayil in 1993)
Early years in Tanzania – Iringa region – were marked by close
collaboration with the Diocessan Clergy, Consolota Missionaries, and other
congregations. In Mafinga, the Teresina sisters were close collaborators at
the Parish as well as in Makalala. They were part of the community. One
Bro Timothy Mponzi, of the SCIM Brothers, gets mentioned in the
Chronicles of the Mafinga Parish as if he was part of the Salesian
community. He also oversaw the constructions of the buildings of the Don
Bosco Seminary in Mafinga, and the Chapels of many an out-station, and
other needed renovations.
Box 5
Karibuni Course: Preparation for Missionaries from India
105 Quote from Visitation Report to Makalala by Father Thayil on 13th November
1993. He also draws attention to the Report by Fr Juan Vecchi on 9th April
1992. Also a Report by Fr Valentine de Pablo on 23rd August 2003 and others.
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The first Karibuni Course was held in then Bombay (now Mumbai) in
1981, when the Salesians from different provinces who expressed interest
in Project Africa, gathered in Mumbai for a course of introduction to the
African culture and missions. Fr Tony D’Souza, the Provincial of Bombay
province took the initiative to organise this course. The team of
facilitators included some African seminarians who were in Pune for their
studies, a SVD priest who was an expert on missiology, and a
representative from the Mission Sector at the Generalate.
The second such course was held from 21st March to 3rd April 1982 in
Pune. Its aim was very comprehensive and well-thought-out as it
emerges from the invitation sent to the Salesian Provincials of India, in a
letter by Fr Tony D’Souza dated 6th January 1982. He says,
“Karibuni Tena” is our second Orientation Programme for SALESIANS
(Fathers, Brothers, Cooperators) intending to volunteer for the African
Missions.
Here’s an opportunity:
To try your tongue – at Swahili
To feed your mind – on African cult and culture
To test your attitude – with native myths and beliefs
To encounter – the growing Church in Africa
To discern – your missionary call.
Every year, the Karibuni course was held until 1984, for four years, with
an aim of creating missionary enthusiasm among confreres in India. It
was open to anyone who showed some desire for the missions, and not
everyone who participated in the course actually opted to minister in East
Africa.
In his report to the Salesian Provincial Conference of India (SPCI), dated
30th March to 1st April, 1984, Fr Tony D’Souza, the then Delegate for
Eastern Africa, reports that “Karibuni Courses have been held in the last
four years with a view to recruit and prepare missionaries for Africa. In
future, this course may not be necessary as the Provincials themselves
will regularly recruit and make available a missionary each year. Besides,
in Africa there are preparation courses for missionaries destined to Kenya
and Tanzania which our missionaries may attend before they begin their
apostolate.”
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Chapter 7
Salesians in Tanzania – Part 2
Four More Communities in Tanzania
Salesians in Iringa Town
Iringa is one of the 31 regions of Tanzania today; in 1980, when the
Salesians arrived in Tanzania, it had 25 regions. Iringa is situated in the
Central Highland of Tanzania along the main road from Dar-es-Salaam to
Mbeya. Iringa town is the headquarters of the region, situated at 506
kms from Dar es Salaam. Mafinga – the subject of the previous chapter –
is part of Iringa region. In the first section of this chapter, we focus on
the Salesian Youth Centre and Technical Training Institute, which also will
include a pastoral ministry in an outstation not far from Iringa Town.
In the 1980s,106 Iringa town which was located up the hills had a
population of 114,000 people. The population growth was estimated to be
at 9.2%, due to a high level of migration of rural population to the fast-
developing town area. As of 1985, the region of Iringa had 667 primary
schools (class I to VII), with a total enrolment of 213,453 students. The
completion rate at class VII was at 87.8%. The region had 17 post-
secondary technical training centres, and 20 secondary schools. The
secondary institutions were not sufficient to intake all the class VII leavers
numbering around 25,000 to 27,000 boys and girls; these schools could
take only about 10,000 students. Definitely, Salesian intervention was
much needed.
As previously narrated, Fr John Vellayil, Bro. Baron Tyrone and Fr
Stephen Chemmalakuzhy were assigned to start the Salesian presence in
Iringa. They arrived in Iringa in October 1980, but in the first part of year
1981, they went for language courses. On their return, for almost for a
year, they were hosted at the bishop's residence. During this time, Fr
Stephen began to work among the youth in the town by carrying out a
survey about the number and the needs of the youth in the locality
visiting all the schools. Fr John was following up on the requisition of the
land and the building work that was to commence to establish a youth
centre and technical school at the location called ‘Frelimo’, a little out of
the Iringa town. The land, about 10 acres in area, was offered by the
government to the Salesians. Brother Baron went to stay with the Servi
Cordi Immaculati Marial-SCIM Brothers at Tosamaganga, with the aim of
assisting the Teresina Sisters to run the printing press. The building work
for the Don Bosco Technical School and youth centre began on 24th
106 As found in a project proposal written by Fr Stephen Chemmakuzhy for
submission to Comide-Belgian Salesian NGO for funding, dated 17 June 1988.
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September 1981 with the blessing of Mary Help of Christians. The
residence for the Salesians was built by the Diocese, and on 24th May
1982, the Salesians moved into their new home and commenced youth
centre activities. Almost a year later, the buildings of the workshops were
blessed on 24th April 1983. The printing press that was running at Tosa
Maganga was shifted to the Don Bosco premises also in 1983.
The local government was appreciative of the initiatives of the Salesians
of Don Bosco. In January 1986, when the Salesians requested the
Regional Education Officer of Iringa, permission to start a Pre-School
Course, the Officer advised that they should “accelerate the registration of
the [whole] school so that you don’t have to ask for permission for
courses you intend to conduct at the centre.” In addition, the Officer
refered to a previous communication that envisaged that the printing and
tailoring courses would commence in July 1986. The Officer further
encouraged the Salesians to start a teachers’ training institute since there
is a shortage of teachers in the region.107
Of course, Salesians could not solve all the problems. As promised, the
training programme in the technical school officially opened in 1986, with
tailoring, carpentry, with the press.108 The Salesian community was
canonically erected as a on 24th June 1986, with a daily oratory, parish
activity and Technical School. Fr Stephen Chemmalakuzhy became its first
Rector. Meanwhile, Fr John Vellayil had been moved to Dodoma. By July
1985, Bro John William joined the community as a professed member,
having completed his novitiate in Siliguri, West Bengal, India. Brother
Baron, one of the pioneers, showed very fragile health right from 1981.
He was often admitted in the hospital. He had issues with food even when
he was staying with the SCIM brothers at Tosamaganga in the first half of
1981. He apparently suffered from peptic ulcers.
Right from the start of the Salesian presence in Iringa, in 1981, the
Salesians began to minister at the outstation of Mkwawa. In the early
days, even though sacraments were administered at the outstation, the
records were kept at the Consolata Parish of Mshindo. From 1985, with
the oral understanding of the Bishop Mario Mgulunde and the parish
priest, the Salesians were permitted to maintain their own records, and
even to issue civil certificates for marriage. Eventually, the outstation had
its own Pastoral Council, while its leaders attended the meeting also at
the parish. Such was the extent of pastoral freedom that was offered to
the Salesians in Iringa. The Salesians, who felt well accepted in the
diocese, took advantage of this situation and showed deep commitment in
exercising pastoral charity.
107 Letter dated 31/01/1986.
108 Later, other trades were added: Masonary (1991), Electricals (1993), and
Welding (2003).
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Box 6
Bishop Mario Mgulunde
Mario Epifanio Abdallah Mgulunde was
born in 1931, in Kalenga, not far from
Tosamaganga in Iringa. He was
ordained a priest on April 8, 1962. Pope
Paul VI appointed him as the Bishop of
Iringa, and he was consecrated on
February 15, 1970. From 1976 to 1982,
Bishop Mario Mgulunde was the
chairman of the Tanzanian Episcopal
Conference. On March 9, 1985, Pope
John Paul II appointed him Archbishop
of Tabora. He passed away on 14 March
2006 in Tabora.
Bishop Mario was a great benefactor and admirer of the Salesian charism.
He was the first Bishop to invite the Salesians to his diocese in Tanzania,
and no wonder six Salesians were sent to his diocese in 1980 to start two
communities. He spoke highly of the Salesian work in his diocese to other
bishops of Tanzania, which attracted many invitations to the Salesians
across Tanzania. Sadly, the Salesians were not able to honour all of them.
Already before he moved to Tabora (between 1980 and 1985), he
facilitated the founding of four Salesian presences in Iringa Diocese. The
enormous amount of communication that went on between the Salesian
superiors, especially with Fr Tony D’Souza and later with Fr Thomas
Thayil, and the Bishop shows the “intimate” relationship that existed that
often went beyond the formal letters.
The Salesians also facilitated the formation and studies of some of the
diocesan clergy (such as Frs Masika and Jeremiah Mhume) and the SCIM
brothers (such as Bro Raphael and Bro Christopher) back in India. The
Salesians also facilitated the arrival of some of the other religious from
India such as the Montfort Brothers to the Diocese of Iringa.
Salesians in Dodoma
Dodoma was the designated national capital of Tanzania since 1974. The
relocation of the national capital from Dar es-Salaam to Dodoma was
scheduled to be completed by 1990. The process of shifting was slow to
come by because of lack of infrastructure, which was not easy to develop
since the foreign missions in Dar es Salaam blocked possible funding to
develop the infrastructure because they were not very enthused by the
decision to shift the capital. Dodoma is about 480 km west of Dar es
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Salaam, situated at an elevation of 3,720 feet (1,135 m) in a sparsely
populated agricultural region. By the end of 1970s, the population within
Dodoma urban and suburban areas was estimated to be 70,000.
The land was semi-arid, and agriculture which was being carried out was
not in large scale. More and more vineyards began to crop-up around
Dodoma town area thanks to the initiatives of European missionaries. The
town was also a market centre for products from near-by areas such as
Kondoa and Singida; the products included peanuts (groundnuts), castor
beans, sunflower seeds, gum, corn (maize), rice, wheat, coffee, tea,
tobacco, and sorghum. Most of Dodoma's inhabitants were of the Gogo,
Sanawe, Rangi, and Burungi peoples. The few industries that were being
developed processed wood and furniture, beverages, food products,
milled rice and flour, soap, and oil.
As of 31st December 1979, the Catholic Diocese of Dodoma consisted of
four political districts (Dodoma Urban, Dodoma Rural, Kondoa, and
Mpwapwa) extending an area of 41,311 sq. kms, and comprising a
population of 973,335 people, out of which Catholic were 142,625
(14.6%). The diocesan clergy numbered 22, who together with religious
priests served in 24 parishes. The diocese had a sizable number of
missionaries, who totalled almost 100 including 49 priests. The Diocesan
Sisters of St Gemma had 205 members. Health condition of the people
was very poor, with high prevalence of acquired blindness and leprosy;
the diocese ran 17 medical facilities.
As said in an earlier chapter, three Salesians, Fr Crispin D'Souza
(Superior), Bro. Trophy D'Souza and Bro. Celestine Nathan arrived in
Dodoma in October 1980. For months, they used the Bishop’s House as
their base. Fr Crispin had six months of Swahili course, and the Brothers
had a shorter course in Swahili. Even on their return after the language
courses, nothing specific had emerged about the location that would
become the Salesian community. They went on to stay at the Bishop’s
House, and later they shifted to a house which was owned by the Jesuits.
The Provincial of the Jesuits, Fr Hector Almeida was very helpful to the
Salesians.109
By the time of the Provincial Visitation of 4th to 6th August 1981, Fr Tony
D’Souza was able to report that the Salesians had been offered by the
Capital Development Authority (CDA), through the Diocese, a land of
about 13 acres in size, which was located 7 kms from the town.110 The
land had some people living in it, and the CDA was in the process of
109 The Salesians and the Jesuits signed an agreement on 31st May 1981, for the
use of the Jesuit house by the Salesians at Miuji (4th Mile, Arusha Road,
Dodoma) for a period of one-year, from 17th July 1981 to 16th July 1982.
Jesuits were very generous to the Salesians who had to pay only for the water
and electricity, they could use all the furniture etc..
110 The land was allocated by the CDF on 12 March 1981.
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relocating them. Brother Trophy had already developed a project plan.
Which was used for fund-raising from abroad The survey of the land took
longer than expected. Meanwhile, Brother Celestine went to Tabora for a
two-month course in motor vehicle mechanics. Work on the building at
Miuji could begin only by 7th November 1981, and as the work progressed
in small strides the SDB began some youth activities.
After nearly a year of building work, marked by many challenges, and
exactly two years after their arrival in Dodoma, on 30 October 1982, the
Salesian community was able to move to the new location, having made
their first intake in September. In due course, the construction work
began on the workshops. The flooding problem continued in the property.
In February 1983, the Tanzanian Catholic Magazine Kiongozi reported that
the school had to be temporarily closed due to floods. As for the Salesian
community, since Bro Trophy moved to Dar es Salaam in the middle of
1982, and eventually Fr Crispin himself moved out, Fr John Vellayil was
brought to Dodoma in 1983. Meanwhile, young Salesians also started
arriving for practical training. Cls. Hubert Pinto and Albert Saminedi were
the first group to arrive in 1984. The community was canonically erected
on 4th April 1986, with Fr John Vellayil as its first Rector (1986 to 1990).
As for the students at the institute, at the end of 1983, eight students
completed the training in metal fitting. In 1984, the school launched the
carpentry training, the following year welding trade was also started. In
1991, four new trades were introduced: fitter-welder, motor vehicle
mechanics, carpentry and fitter-turner. By the end of the decade, Don
Bosco Technical Institute at Dodoma-Miuji was a full-fledged institution.
Salesian Seminary (Pre-novitiate) in Dodoma
As it was narrated in the context of the Don Bosco Seminary in Mafinga,
in the previous chapter, by 1984, the Salesians began to recruit some
post-Form IV students in Tanzania, as aspirants. They were pursuing their
A-Level studies at the diocesan seminary in Mafinga. And from 1988, the
secondary school O-level students who had joined the Mafinga Don Bosco
Seminary were also expected to finish their studies and would be ready to
begin their A-level studies (Form V and VI). There were also some
students who were desiring to join the Salesians after their Form VI. Then
they were the young men from Kenya who had finished the Kenya
Secondary School Certificate (KCSE) who needed more Salesian
background before they could be considered for the Salesian formation.
There was definitely a need for another seminary at a higher level to cater
to these groups.
For this purpose, the Salesians themselves acquired a property just
adjacent to the Don Bosco Technical School in Dodoma. On this property,
fully owned by the Salesians, Dodoma Salesian Seminary was built in
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1987 for A-level and possibly a diploma level college education. When it
did open, besides the young men who were interested in a Salesian
vocation, student-seminarians from other congregations also began to
join, among them were the Passionists, Precious Blood, and Diocesan
Seminarians.
The first batch of students for Form V was admitted in July 1989. The
seminary had 28 students, of whom 19 were for the Salesians and 9 were
for non-Salesian candidates. The public celebration of the official
inauguration of the A-Level Seminary was held on 2nd December 1989.
The function was graced by Bishop Matthias Isuja of the diocese of
Dodoma, and the Honourable A.H. Mayagilla, Minister of Education. Right
from the beginning, the Salesians applied for permission to offer a
Diploma in Education and thus to run the ‘Seminary’ as a Teacher
Training College.111 The permission to run a Salesian Seminary-Teacher
Training College was granted on 12th February 1990. Fr Edward Liptak
was at the forefront of all these developments.
In due course, the Seminary doors were opened to other students: among
them were also candidates of women religious congregations as also other
boys and girls who came to the seminary only for studies. Both the higher
secondary and Teachers Training College have had excellent results over
the years, thus becoming a premier and prestigious institution in
Tanzania.
The Salesian community of Dodoma Seminary was canonically erected by
the Rector Major as a Pre-novitiate house under the patronage of Dominic
Savio on 6th December 1989, and Fr Edward Liptak was its first Rector. He
would be moved to Don Bosco Utume in 1990, and following this Fr
Godfrey D’Souza became the Rector. Fr Neville Luis continued to function
as the Dean of Studies, and Bro Robert Dias was the administrator of the
house.
The Don Bosco Youth Centre – Upanga, Dar Es Salaam
Dar-es-salaam is a seaport facing the Indian Ocean. The name of this
town signifies “gate way to peace”, it is the commercial capital of
Tanzania buzzing with activities, with youth from all over the country
seeking admission in schools and university colleges, and above all on the
lookout for employment. In 1980, the population was about a million,
with a growth rate of 6%. By the end of the decade, the population hit
1.5 million, with a slight slower growth rate. Even though Dodoma was
declared the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam was by far the largest city
in Tanzania acting as a slow-growing centre for commercial activities, with
most international corporates and the embassies finding a base here. Dar
111 The official application was made on 19th October 1989.
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es Salaam had a rural cultural life with a friendly, and rather laid-back,
atmosphere, and not comparable to other vibrant cities of the African
continent such as Nairobi or Lagos. The informal economy played a crucial
role in Dar es Salaam, with many residents, especially the ‘Asians’
engaged in small-scale trades and services. Infrastructure development
was a challenge, particularly in transportation and energy sectors. Limited
infrastructure hindered economic growth.
The people of different ethnic backgrounds socialised together. The
percentage of Muslim population in Dar es Salaam was higher than the
rest of the mainland, however, there was a great sense of religious
cohesion. The Catholic population was young and fast growing due to
migration of the rural population into the city.
In 1981, when His Eminence Cardinal Lawrean Rugambwa112 came to
know of the arrival of the Salesians in Tanzania, he was eager to have the
Salesians of Don Bosco in his Archdiocese. Towards the end of April 1981,
when Fr John Vellayil went down from Iringa to Dar es Salaam to collect
their unaccompanied luggage from India, in an unarranged encounter
with the Cardinal, His Eminence expressed his desire to invite the
Salesians to place their “Youth Charism” at the service of the Archdiocese
of Dar es Salaam. At the suggestion of Fr Vellayil, the Cardinal followed
this conversation almost immediately with the letter to the Provincial in
Bombay, offering a formal invitation to the Salesians.113 The Salesians
found this a god-sent and responded very quickly to the request, since
there was a need to have a procure house in the commercial capital of the
country in order to coordinate the Salesian works in Tanzania.
In February 1982, Fr Tony D’Souza, the then Provincial of Bombay
Province and Superior of the Indian Salesians in Eastern Africa, requested
Bro. Trophy D’Souza to study further possibilities of making the Don
Bosco Youth Centre from an idea to a visible reality. On 6th June 1982,
Bro. Trophy arrived in Dar es Salaam from Dodoma. After a brief
feasibility study and consultations with other priests and religious involved
in similar service programmes, the Catholic Youth Centre at Upanga was
handed over to the Salesians in August 1982. Fr. Tony Fernandes, was
the one in charge, Br. Gabriel Fernandez, a newcomer, and Bro. Trophy
112 Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa was the first African cardinal. He was born on
August 9, 1912, in Bukongo, Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania), ordained a
priest in 1943, and was appointed the Bishop of Rutabo (later Bukoba),
Tanzania, in 1953. Cardinal Rugambwa was appointed as a cardinal by Pope
John XXIII in January 1960. In 1968, he was appointed the Archbishop Dar es
Salaam, where he ministered until his retirement in 1992. And he passed away
on December 8, 1997. He played a significant role in promoting the Church in
Africa and participated in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), where he
contributed to discussions on issues related to the African Church and its role
within the global Catholic community.
113 See, Chronicles of Don Bosco Iringa, dt. 27/04/1981.
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himself formed the first Salesian community at Upanga. An official
inauguration was held on 30th October 1982. The Salesians at the Youth
Centre were entrusted with the youth and catechetical ministry in the
Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam. And the contract between the Archdiocese
and Society of the Salesians of Don Bosco reads that “The Catholic Youth
Centre is entrusted to the Salesians for as long as they wish or are able
to. In the event of their pulling out, the land and building will revert to the
Archdiocese.”
With their characteristic vitality, the Salesians started to build up facilities
for youth ministry. The space was limited and sporting facilities were
lacking. And the times were hard too. In those days, Tanzania was facing
an economic crisis; as Mwalimu Julius Nyerere himself had remarked after
his visit to Mafinga, building materials were hard to come by; but the
early Salesian pioneers did not lose heart. A large multi-purpose hall was
built. It would serve as a theatre, hall for marriage functions, and other
social gatherings. As an indoor stadium, the hall had facilities for
basketball, volleyball, netball and badminton. Soon, the Salesians were
asked to coordinate the Catholic Religious Education (CRE)114 programme
for secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Dar-es-salaam; this was done
by bringing together lay-catechists and other religious who were offered a
small stipend by the Archdiocese. The team was to be coordinated and
animated by the Salesians. Eventually, the Salesians began to coordinate
also the Young Christian Students (YCS) Movement in all the schools.
In addition to these regular formalised ministries, the Centre was a place
of meeting for the young people to develop their talents and skills and to
grow intellectually, morally and spiritually. In the early years of 1980s,
the youth from the Goan community of Dar es Salaam began to make use
of the facilities. In the later part of 1980s, ethnic background of the youth
using the facilities began to change. An annual youth fest that was held
with a lot of fanfare began to attract youth from every background.
Eventually, the basketball team(s) at the centre attracted a lot of media
coverage.
To the Salesians themselves, Don Bosco Upanga also served as a Procure
House till the year 2000. It was a guest house for Salesians coming from
up-country for purposes of meeting, shopping, to process government
permits, and as a transit hub for travelling abroad. As the former Youth
Centre building did not have sufficient space to accommodate the
114 Unlike Kenya, where CRE was part of the national curriculum and examinable
at the end of grade 8 in the 8-4-4 system. In Tanzania, the school was required
to allot some time weekly for religious instruction, and it was the responsibility
of the respective religious leaders of the location to coordinate the delivery of
the instructions. In most dioceses in Tanzania, it was the duty of the Parish
Priest to arrange for the Catholic religious instruction in the schools of his
parish. However, in the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam it was very efficiently
coordinated at the diocesan level.
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increasing number of guests, a two-storied block was built with better
facilities for accommodation, a dining hall and a small chapel for daily
Eucharist and liturgical prayer. More importantly, the Novena to Mary
Help of Christians began to be held every Saturday; this was very well
attended especially by the members of the Goan community. All in all,
Don Bosco Upanga proved to be a flourishing Youth Centre with the
charism of St. John Bosco.115
The assistance offered by lay people, especially the members of the Goan
community at Dar es Salaam to the Salesians in the first decade need to
be noted. Mr Xavier and his family gets mentioned very frequently in the
chronicles of almost all communities of Tanzania in the 1980s. They
relayed messages; they hosted Salesians at their home; they purchased
provisions and spare parts for them.
These years in Tanzania were also marked by many adventures on the
road. With bad roads across Tanzania in the 1980s, accidents and
breakdowns were very common even among the Salesian drivers. The
Railway Bus, the means of public transport those days in Tanzania, was
notorious for its lack of schedule and breakdowns. There were occasions
when it overturned with some Salesians inside! But God was good to us!
The indefatigable commitment of the Salesians themselves coupled by the
financial support of generous donations from Salesian Mission procures
across the globe, made the first decade of the Salesian work in Tanzania
nothing short of a miracle. Mary did it all!
Box 7
Don Bosco was waiting for Salesians in Tanzania!
When the Salesians arrived in Iringa, Tanzania. They were happily
surprised to see a statue of Don Bosco in one of the way-side chapels on
the dusty road to the church in Tosa Maganga, off the main road from
Iringa to Mafinga. How did Don Bosco arrive there before the Salesians
did?
Francesco Alessandro Cagliero was born at Castelnuovo D’Asti in 1875.
Castelnuovo Don Bosco, as it is referred to now, was the native parish of
St Joseph Cafasso, St John Bosco, Blessed Joseph Allamano – a nephew
of Cafasso and the founder of the Consolata Missionaries, and John
Cagliero who was one of the first Salesians, and later a Cardinal in
Argentina, of whom Francesco might have been a relative. The family of
Dominic Savio has also lived for some years at Murialdo, which was a
chapel of the parish of Castelnuovo.
115 Peter Paul Lalmalsamwa became the Rector of Don Bosco Upanga community
in December 1989, and remained there until 1994.
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Francesco Cagliero was ordained a
priest for the Diocese of Turin in 1899.
Later, in 1903, he joined the Consolata
Missionaries. Eventually, he was
assigned to Tanzania. He served as the
Apostolic Prefect for Iringa with the seat
in Tosa Maganga from 1922 until his
death in 1935. It is he who brought the
statue to Iringa.
In 1999, the Salesians at the
community of Iringa requested the
Bishop for the statue and placed it at a
more prominent place. Now ‘Don Bosco’
who had preceded the stands at the
entrance of the Don Bosco Technical
and Vocational Training Institute in
Iringa interceding for all those who
enter the institution.
We owe much to the Consolata
Missionaries who provided a safe
landing for the early missionaries in
Kenya and Tanzania!
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Chapter 8
Sowing the Salesian Charism in Uganda116
Uganda in the 1980s
Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962, and a year
later became a Republic. Milton Obote was elected as the first executive
Prime Minister, with the Buganda Kabaka (King) Edward Muteesa II as the
ceremonial president. In 1966, following a power struggle between the
Obote-led government and King Muteesa, Obote suspended the
constitution and removed the ceremonial president and vice-president. In
1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a Republic and abolished the
traditional kingdoms. Obote was declared the president. On 25 January
1971, following a military coup, Obote was deposed from power and
General Idi Amin seized control of the country. For the next eight years,
Amin ruled Uganda as a ruthless dictator with the support of the military,
exercising irrational cruelty. In 1979, following the war between Uganda
and Tanzania, Idi Amin was ousted.
Between 1979 and 1986 were the years of the so-called Ugandan Bush-
War, which was in effect a civil war. The civil war lasted more than five
years and the battle ground was the area around Luwero (then called the
Luwero Triangle), a territory still virgin and covered by forests and
affording rebels much hiding places. The area was over-run by
Government troops and rebels, one looking for the other and hiding from
each other: the local population was heavily victimized by both troops,
with looting, violence, rape and abduction. Schools, parishes and public
institutions were abandoned due to the insecurity.
In 1986, Yoweri K. Museveni took power after defeating the Government
of Milton Obote. After the victory, the country gradually returned to
normalcy. So also the Church, which was headed by Cardinal Emmanuel
Nsubuga, Archbishop of Kampala, began to think of expansion given the
favourable tranquillity that reigned. The Cardinal made a request to Fr.
Vigano to send Salesians to Uganda. His rationale was clear: the Parishes
needed to be re-energised after the disruption caused by the civil war.
The Catholic Church in Uganda boasted a long and glorious history. In
1886, the 22 Uganda Martyrs watered with their own blood the seed of
Christianity which had just been sown a few years earlier (in 1879) with
the arrival of the Missionaries of Africa from Tanzania. In 1986, the
Catholic were 40% of the population of Uganda, with even a higher
percentage in Buganda region (Kampala, Masaka, Mityana, Luwero,
116 This chapter is largely an adoption of an unpublished manuscript by Fr
Gianbattista Uboldi.
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Lugazi Districts). The dioceses already had a number of local priests. And
local congregations too accounted for many a vocation.
The Salesians in Uganda
The prospect of sending the Salesians to Uganda attracted the attention
of the Rector Major of the Salesians who saw in Uganda a fertile ground
for the Salesian charism at this opportune time and a possibility to benefit
from flourishing vocations in Uganda. In line with the method of Project
Africa, the task of sending Salesians to Uganda was given to the Polish
Provinces, who had already started sending Missionaries to Zambia.
Poland was still behind the Berlin Wall and under the Communist Regime,
but vocations were flourishing and they could easily respond to the appeal
of Fr Vigano. Fr Dziedziel, special Visitator for Eastern Europe, came to
Uganda to meet Cardinal Nsubuga and assess his proposals. In 1987, Fr
Dziedziel landed at Entebbe airport and after a meeting with the Cardinal
at Rubaga (Cardinal's Residence and Cathedral), he was taken to three
Parishes by the Chancellor, Fr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.117
They visited Ggaba Parish in Kampala, Ndeba Parish on Kampala-Masaka
road and Namaliga-Bombo, about 35 kms from Kampala. The choice of Fr
Dziedziel fell on Ggaba Parish, which was close to the Capital, in a
favourable position near the Lake and close to St Mary National Seminary,
offering opportunities for a possible formation house and attending
theological studies. After sharing his views with the Cardinal, Fr. Dziedziel
received the message that the final choice of the Cardinal was for
Namaliga.
By then Namaliga was a sub-parish of Nandeere Parish and it was serving
the catholic community in Bombo. Namaliga, in fact, is a part of Bombo
Town. Namaliga was in the Luwero Triangle, the epicentre of civil war
and so the people and structures were greatly affected. Poverty and
desolation were widespread. Luwero was an area of the Archdiocese of
Kampala which had not yet received much attention and was rather
abandoned, both spiritually and materially. Bombo had - and still has -
the largest Barracks of the Country. It was built by Idi Amin and had a
contingent of 20,000 soldiers with their wives and children. These soldiers
were mostly from Northern Uganda, since both Milton Obote and Idi Amin
were from the North and filled the army with people "faithful" to them.
Many of them settled in Bombo, bought land and constructed houses.
Majority of them were Muslim - as Amin was a Muslim. Cardinal Nsububa
117 Who, in 1996, became the first Bishop of Kasana-Luwero Diocese, where
Bombo community was located.
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saw this as a mission territory, and hence wanted the Salesians to settle
there.
The old church in Bombo was built with contributions of the Indian Goan
community living in Bombo Town. They were businesspeople running
retail and tailoring shops. Years prior to the civil war, people who wanted
a nice suit in Uganda had to come to Bombo for it! The Goans kept their
Catholic faith religiously being proud of their heritage attributed to St
Francis Xavier. This original community was also enriched by the native
population, who were together being served by the Missionaries of Africa
coming regularly from Nandeere. In 1975, the small old church was
replaced by a larger one and a house with offices was built near the
church, to allow the priests to spend time with the local community. But
during the war the entire town lay in ruins and people fled the town, and
many Goans migrated elsewhere out of Uganda. When Fr Dziedziel
visited Bombo-Namaliga, he found a church with the tiled roof caving in
dangerously and the rectory had no doors and windows, infested with rats
and bats and a good shelter for goats. Definitely, not an inviting site for
the first Salesian community. However, the Cardinal did not budge
and wanted the Salesians to take up this challenge. By September 1987,
the four Salesians destined for Uganda were enlisted in Poland from
different Provinces. They were: Fr. Bernard Popowski, Fr. Henry Juszczyk,
Fr. Thomaz Grzegorzewski and Fr. Richard Joswiak. Fr. Henry was the
senior most and was put in charge of the group. They had to learn English
and so went to Nairobi for several months in 1988, residing in Upper Hill
and attending a regular course in English. That was the year of the
centenary celebrations of the death of our father Don Bosco. In early
1989, the four pioneers stepped on Ugandan soil and arrived at
Namaliga.118
Following an established practice of the Archdiocese of Kampala,
Missionaries had to go to live in a parish with other local priests to learn
the local language, Luganda. Yet there was need to prepare the house for
the community at Namaliga. So, Fr. Henry and Fr Thomas remained at
Bombo to work at the Salesian house, while Fr Bernard and Fr Richard
went to Nyenga and Naggalama Parishes respectively to learn
Luganda. On the 8th December 1989, the community came together to
take over the newly established parish at Namaliga. Fr. Bernard, who
learned Luganda well, took over as Parish Priest and Fr. Henry as the
Rector. Fr. Thomas was administrator and Fr Richard, the youngest, in
charge of youth work. The renovation of the church sapped the first
energies of the group: they changed the whole roof, repainted the walls,
and shifted the entrance from the side to the centre. For this work
Propaganda Fide and the Salesian Congregation came to their rescue.
118 When arriving at Entebbe airport nobody was there waiting for them. Soldiers
harassed them, checking all their luggage. Stranded and not knowing what to
do, they were finally rescued by a Polish Jesuit who took them to his residence
in Kampala.
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They also placed a beautiful statue of Mary Help of Christians in a
prominent place. They wanted the new Parish to be named after Mary
Help of Christians, but the church was previously dedicated to the
Ugandan Martyrs, a devotion dear to all Ugandans. This issue led to noisy
arguments between Fr Bernard and some of the church leaders and it was
taken to the Cardinal for a resolution: Mary Help of Christians or the
Ugandan Martyrs? The Cardinal, with fine African Diplomacy, declared
that the Church should be dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Martyrs. And
this is the title even to this day! Pastoral work was a full time activity for
our four pioneers, since the parish had 12 sub-stations. They were
beginning practically from scratch and new infrastructures were required
to replace the ones built with mud. The youth at Bombo started flocking
to the Salesian campus. They found a friendly atmosphere: friendship and
active young Salesians who could speak Luganda! The Youth movement
flourished and football teams sprouted to the delight of the locals who
were mercifully emerging from a land ravaged by war.
After the renovation of the church, the Salesians decided to develop the
youth work by adding a technical vocational training centre: the first
carpentry shop came up in 1990. Fr Richard with the help of Fr Tadeuz
Rozmus (later provincial of Krakow) welcomed the first group of students
attending the school. The construction of the full Centre took off the
following year and was sponsored by the Procure of Bonn. The complex
was completed in 1993: it had four sections – carpentry, masonry,
welding/plumbing and tailoring. By now the Salesians working in Uganda
were reinforced with the arrival of Fr. Waldemar Janatowski and Fr. Jan
Marciniak. Thus, the Salesian charism was planted in Uganda; a simple
presence marked by the challenges of a post-war situation.
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Chapter 9
The First Salesians for and from Eastern Africa
Following the example of Don Bosco himself, and putting into practice his
advice to the missionaries, the Salesian pioneers in Eastern Africa began
to promote Salesian vocations almost immediately after their arrival.
Embu in Kenya and Mafinga in Tanzania became secondary schools with
the scope of forming young boys who could be inspired and accompanied
to join the Salesian life. In providing an account of the first decade of
Salesian ministry in Eastern Africa, it is only apt to dedicate some
attention to the first men who formally professed for the Salesian
circumscription of Eastern Africa.
The first to profess for the Salesians in East Africa was Brother John
Williams. John was born in 1941 in Kotagiri, not far from the Salesian
House on that hill-station. In 1969, he completed his training in printing
in the Salesian Institute of Graphic Arts (SIGA), which was then located at
Basin Bridge, Madras. In the same year he moved to Calcutta to work in
the Catholic Press (COP) that was run by the Salesians. In Calcutta, he
became a Salesian Co-operator. When, in 1980, Project Africa was
launched, John showed interest in going to work in Africa as a lay
volunteer. In 1983, John arrived in Iringa to help out in the press as a
missionary Salesian co-operator. Very soon he expressed his desire to
become a Salesian so as to participate fully in the life and mission of the
Salesian community. He began his novitiate in May 1984 in Siliguri
(Salesian Province of Calcutta), and made his First Profession as a
Salesian Brother on May 24, 1985 at the age of 44. He thus became the
first Salesian to profess specifically for the Salesian Eastern Africa, which
was then a delegation of the Salesian province of Bombay-India.119
A few years later, a similar story would unfold, of someone even older
than John Williams becoming a Salesian. Tony Lucrasio Pinto was born in
Nairobi in 1936, to parents of Goan descent. Tony began his primary
119 Soon after his profession he returned to Iringa, and after some years of
service he returned to Kalyani, Calcutta for the Brothers’ Formation
Programme. On his return to East Africa, he served as administrator in Moshi
(1993-1994), also as administrator in Mafinga (1994-1995), and returned to
Iringa where he looked after the printing press. In June 1997, a few days
before his birthday, Johnny suffered a stroke on account of a blockage of the
artery. Following this, despite prolonged treatment, he lost his speech for the
rest of his life and had limited movement. He lived in this condition at the
Provincial House, Upperhill (1997-2004), at the Procure House, Dar es Salaam
(2004-2008), and at Utume, Nairobi (2008-2010). Johnny went to his eternal
reward on the afternoon of 1 September 2010, in Nairobi, Kenya. At his death,
he had been a Salesian for 25 years, half of it spent in silent ministry of
presence and prayer. His mortal remains are interred at the Salesian cemetery
at Don Bosco Utume, Nairobi.
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education in 1942 in the Catholic Parochial Primary School (Holy Family
Basilica), Nairobi and went on to complete his secondary education in
1955 at St. Teresa’s School, Eastleigh. Two years later even as he studied
at the Survey of Kenya Technical School, he was offered a job with
Nairobi City Council, as a Junior Survey Assistant in the planning
department. As he worked with the City Council, Tony Pinto’s contribution
to the development of Football in Kenya is commendable. In 1963, he was
instrumental in founding the Kenya National Football League, and became
its first Vice-Chairman. In 1971, he was privileged to accompany the
Kenya National Football Team, the Harambee Stars, as the Team Manager
on its tour of Europe.
His first vocation as a young adult was to married life; in 1970, he got
married to Eulalia Victoria Da Costa. After 13 years of married life, in
1983, Eulalia died of cancer leaving no child. When the Salesians arrived
at Upperhill, Nairobi in 1982, they found Tony Pinto, to be a faithful
devotee of Mary Help of Christians. He was regular at the Saturday
novena services. He was also instrumental in assisting the Salesians in
the building work at Upper Hill, facilitating the necessary permissions
from the City Council. As Tony Pinto nurtured a close bond with the
Salesians during the time following the death of his wife, soon he
expressed his desire for consecrated life. Resigning his job at the Nairobi
City Council in 1986, he began his novitiate in Nashik, India, and
professed on 24th May 1987.120
The Salesians in Embu and Siakago were even more enthusiastic about
promoting vocations. In the beginning some of the boys recruited by the
Salesians in Embu were sent to Mafinga, however, this did not work out
best as desired.121 In 1986, there were four ‘pre-novices’ who were
expected to go to India for their novitiate. But it was not possible to
120 Soon after his profession, he went for his post-novitiate formation in Kalyani,
Kolkota. On his return to Nairobi, he served as the Administrator of the
Upperhill community. After a short stint of service in Don Bosco Boys Town, he
was reappointed to the Provincial House. He made his final profession in 1991.
Having further discerned his vocation to serve as a Salesian priest, he was
admitted. So in 1995, he was sent to Beda College, Rome for his studies in
philosophy and theology, at the age of 66. He was ordained on 14th August
1999 at the Shrine of Mary of Help of Christians, Upperhill. After ordination, he
served in Nzaikoni Parish until 2002, when he died of a massive heart attack.
His mortal remains are interred at the Salesian cemetery at Don Bosco Utume,
Nairobi.
121 In January 1983, three aspirants recruited by the Salesians in Siakago were
sent to Marsabit: Nicholas Nyaga Kiringa, Joseph K. Nyagah, and Simon Njeru
Kathuri. They left for Mafinga seminary in August 1984 to join the Tanzanian
aspirants.
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obtain visas to go to India for religious reasons. In the confusion and
delay, the four discontinued.
The first autochthonous Kenyan Salesian was Simon Asira Lipuku. Born in
Eshisiru, Kakamega on 27th January 1966. He reached Embu in March
1986 soon after his KCSE (Kenya Certificate of School Education),
showing interest in a Salesian vocation, being guided by a Mill-Hill
Brother. He began his ‘special’ novitiate in 1987, in Embu, under the
guidance of the veteran novice master, Fr Benjamin Listello, who had
been the Director of Novices in Italy, for 28 years. This novitiate was
‘special’ for at least two reasons: one, this was the first Salesian novitiate
in Eastern Africa, and two, Simon was the only novice. He professed on
24th May 1988, and began his philosophical studies in a specially
constituted ‘philosophicum’ also in Embu (1988-1989). To make up a
quorum, four other aspirants also joined the newly professed Cleric
Simon, among whom was Samuel Mwangi. After his practical training in
Makuyu and Embu (1990-1992), he began his theology studies at
Tangaza College being part of the Utume Community. Together with
Benoit Nzie, from Cameroun, Simon became one of the first African
Salesians to be at Don Bosco Utume.
Father Simon Asira Lipuku was ordained a priest on 30th March 1996.
Following his ordination, he served as Assistant Parish Priest at Nzaikoni
(1996-1998), at the Novitiate (1999-2000) and at the Post-novitiate
(2000-2001) in Moshi, as YCS in-charge in Upanga, Dar es Salaam (2001-
2003); as Administrator at Boys Town, Nairobi (2003-2006). In July
2006, he became the Rector of Don Bosco Embu and at the same time
became a member of the Provincial Council. From 2011, he was appointed
the Vice Provincial of Eastern Africa, while also filling in as the Rector of
Don Bosco Utume for sometime (2015-2017). On 5th August 2017, Father
Simon Asira was installed as the Provincial of Eastern Africa (AFE). Thus,
he also became the first autochthonous Salesian Provincial of AFE.
On the Tanzanian side, the first Salesian to profess was Adolf Mihanjo. He
joined the Salesian aspirantate in Mafinga after his A-level studies (Form
VI) in 1987. He went to the novitiate in Manila in Philippines in 1989,
where he made his first profession on 22nd April 1990. After finishing his
post-novitiate and philosophy studies at the baccalaureate level, he
continued to do his licentiate in philosophy at Aquinas Pontifical University
in Manila. He returned to Tanzania in 1994 to carry out his practical
training. During this time, he left the congregation.122
Placido Labila is the first Tanzanian who has persevered in the Salesian
life up to this day. Labila was born on 26th April 1964. After spending five
years with the Salesians in Mafinga, during which he also studied at the
diocesan Mafinga Seminary, he began his novitiate in Makuyu, Kenya, in
122 Later he went back to complete his doctorate in the Philippines and taught at
the Jordan University in Morogoro, and at the Unit of Philosophy at the
University of Dar es Salaam.
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1990. Having completed his novitiate under Fr Benjamin Listello, he made
his first profession on 31st January 1991, together with five others of
whom Samuel Mwangi and Isaac Maina from Kenya are the only surviving
Salesians. The group of six who professed in 1991 did their philosophy at
the Consolata Seminary, Langata, Nairobi, staying at Upper Hill; between
1993 and 1994, the philosophy students lived together with the theology
students at Don Bosco Utume, when the work on the Shrine was in
progress at Upper Hill. Placido Labila was ordained a priest on 2nd June
2000 in the under-construction Parish Church of Mafinga.
At the novitiate in Moshi, the two who were the first to make their
profession for the Salesian Province of Eastern Africa were Njagi
Erastus123 from Kenya and Mkwawe Ladislaus from Tanzania. They
professed on 15th August 1993.
Michael Obol who was taken a hostage with Fr James Pulickal in South
Sudan, was released together with him in 1988. He spent the next years
in Embu completing some technical training. He entered the novitiate in
Moshi in 1993. He was the first Sudanese to make his profession in the
Salesian Congregation on 18th August 1994. However, he discontinued
during his practical training. Again, in the subsequent years, several
young men of South Sudanese origin recruited from the Sudan, even
amidst the civil war, joined the novitiate in Moshi, Tanzania. James Lual is
the first surviving Salesian of Sudanese origin, who made his first
profession in 1999, and was ordained in 2008.
The first Salesian to make profession for Eastern Africa from Uganda was
Thomas Oloya, who made his first profession on 15th August 1999, after
his novitiate in Moshi, Fr Brian Jerstice from the British province being his
Director of Novices. Brother Thomas Oloya went to do his post-novitiate
at Moshi (1999-2002), and practical training at Bombo-Namaliga (2002-
2004). He studied theology residing at Don Bosco Utume (2004-2008). In
2008, he was ordained a priest. By then, Uganda had become part of the
Great Lakes Province (AGL), and no more part of Eastern Africa (AFE). He
still serves as a priest in Uganda.
123 A very enthusiastic young Salesian. He was sent to India to pursue a degree
in Geography in Pune, came back to do his practical training in Embu, went on
to do his theology and was ordained in 2003. He, however, applied for
laicization in 2009 as a young priest.
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Epilogue
Canonical Status of the Salesian Presences in Eastern Africa
Initially, at the start of Salesian works in Kenya, Sudan, and Tanzania,
from 1980, the works that were started by the provinces of India were
juridically seen as the extension of the works of Bombay Province. Fr
Tony D’Souza was the provincial superior of Bombay Province and he
coordinated the communities in East Africa, and frequently visited them.
He was a great leader with a vision for the future, with excellent
negotiation skills in his dialogue with the local ordinaries; he always had a
the future of the congregation in his heart and mind. He kept in touch
with the confreres through his frequent correspondences, and presented
meticulously reports to the Salesian Provincials Conference of India
(SPCI) at their annual meeting.
In 1982, the Delegation of Eastern Africa was created subject to the
Province of Bombay, with Fr. Tony D’Souza as the Delegate, and Fr Chris
Saldanha as the Provincial Superior. On 8th December 1985, Fr Thomas
Thayil was announced to be new Delegate by Fr Chris Saldanha, after his
33-day visit to the Delegation.
As recorded in the minutes of the General Assembly of Confreres of East
Africa Delegation held on 3rd August 1988, at Don Bosco Upper Hill,
Nairobi, chaired by Fr Luc Van Looy, the Councillor General for Missions, it
was envisaged that "Salesian communities in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania,
Uganda, Zambia to form the future Province of East Africa. This would
come into being after the next General Chapter scheduled to take place in
1990." However, this would not be realised for unrecorded reasons.
Meanwhile, the Italian Salesians in Kenya continued to be under the
jurisdiction of the Italian Central Province (Italy Piedmont e Valle d'Aosta)
with the seat in Turin (ICP), and the Salesians from Poland who had
started the works in Uganda in 1989, were under the jurisdiction of
Krawkow Province.
On 24 June 1988, on the Feast of John the Baptist, the official Decree of
the erection of the Vice Province of St John Bosco (Eastern Africa) was
issued. The Vice Province consisted of the presences initiated in Kenya,
Sudan, and Tanzania by the Salesian provinces of India. And Rev. Fr
Thomas Thayil was appointed as the new Superior for this Juridical Entity
established by the Rector Major and his Council. Father Thayil continued
as the Superior until 1994. It was in 1994, the three group of Salesians,
those from Italy, India and Poland were brought together into a single
Salesian circumscription made up of the communities in Kenya, the
Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The next volume of the history will delve
into this process in some detail.
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A Tribute to the Tireless Energy of the Pioneers
As evidenced by the narrative of the above pages, the Salesian pioneers
in Eastern Africa worked tirelessly to implant the Salesian Charism on this
soil. Thanks to their unswerving commitment, within a span of 10 years,
there were already 19 centres, spread across four countries:124
Siakago Mission
Don Bosco Mission, Korr
Don Bosco Secondary Technical School, Embu
Don Bosco TVET Centre and Parish, Makuyu
Don Bosco, Upper Hill, Nairobi
Don Bosco Boys Town TVET, Karen, Nairobi
Don Bosco Utume, Nairobi
Mafinga Parish, Mafinga
Catechists Training Centre, Makalala, Mafinga
Don Bosco Seminary, Mafinga
Don Bosco TVET and Youth Centre, Iringa
Don Bosco TVET, Dodoma
Don Bosco Seminary, Dodoma
Don Bosco Youth Centre, Upanga, Dar es Salaam
Tonj Mission
Wau Don Bosco Mission
St Joseph TVET Centre, Khartoum
Kalakala Church, Khartoum
Bombo-Namaliga Parish and TVET Centre, Uganda
This great achievement was a result of their life of faith, lived out in daily
commitment to hard work, keeping alive the pastoral charity of Don Bosco
in reaching out to poor and abandoned youth. They trusted in the Divine
Providence and the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. “Mary did it
all,” they kept repeating.
Many individuals and organisations supported them in their endeavors.
Their home provinces had a vision and motivated a stream of Salesian
confreres to respond generously to the missionary call. There were
benefactors who offered the Salesians generous financial support. We
have already mentioned the Goan Community in Kenya and Tanzania.
Then there were large organisations that funded the dreams of the
Salesians: Missio Aachen, Misereor, Don Bosco Mission in Bonn, Don
Bosco Mission in Turin, Manos Unidas, Comide-Belgium, Don Bosco
Mission-New Rochelle, Fr Aurelio Maschio in Bombay, just to name a few.
All these efforts made it possible for Fr Luc van Looy, the then General
Councillor of Missions to present a six-year evaluation report, in the
124 Not counting three that had to be closed due to various reasons.
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presence of Fr Thomas Panakezham, Regional for Australiasia, to the
Salesian Provincial Superiors of India at their annual meeting of 1986: 125
By the time Project Africa was launched, Salesians were present in
10 countries. By the end of 1985, "In Africa we are in 29 countries
of which 19 saw Salesians for the first time in the last 6 years. We
have now 500 Salesians working in Africa. Communities are being
formed; buildings are coming up. How to make our Salesians more
Salesians? Here is where the dynamics of the Congregation is seen.
The first stage - implanting ourselves in Africa - was done well. We
enter now the second stage, a more difficult one: How to run our
works the salesian way, still counting with the active support the
provinces are offering in the early days, even if provincials have
been changed. How to make these new places, truly Salesian. We
have gathered experience we are learning from our mistakes."… By
1986, there were four novitiates, of which three were opened in
1985.
Fr Luc van Looy concluded his report with optimism, that form our own
conclusion to this volume:
"Africa is opening the eyes of the Congregation. With its typical
oratorian style of humility, cordiality and dialogue, its readiness to
take the first step, Africa teaches us how to be Salesians. Africa is
helping us to rediscover Don Bosco. Africa gives us the tremendous
gift of Salesianity."
P.S.
Please feel free to contribute to or correct details in the above narrative
by writing to selvamsdb@gmail.com. All submissions will be considered
for inclusion in the subsequent editions based on reasonable evidence.
125 SPCI minutes of 13-15 January 1986.
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