Shaloom Mission

S.M.A. REGIONAL HOUSE OF MWANZA

Fr. Robert, Jean, Fr. Tony & Fr. Janusz

Fr. Robert, Jean, Fr. Tony & Fr. Alan

Marga, Krystina & Ita

The Society of African Missions' worldwide organization is made up of many provinces, districts and regions. Every region throughout the S.M.A. world has a Regional House. Fortunately for me, the Mwanza Regional House is only a 15 minute walk from where I stay. Some of the S.M.A. priests and lay missionaries from our region meet each Sunday afternoon for dinner. Unfortunately, some live too far away to come very often. Many people pass through the Regional House throughout the year. Since my arrival on April 15th, I've met a number of S.M.A. members, some of whom I don't have photos of yet. Shown in the photos above are Fr. Robert from France, who is the guest master of the house, but will be leaving at the end of May for a well deserved holiday back home; Fr. Tony from Ireland, who stays next door to me; Fr. Janusz from Poland, who is the Regional Superior and stays at the regional house; and Fr. Alan, who was en route back to his home in the Philippines after spending 8 years in Ghana, West Africa. For many years Marga, who is from Holland, has been running a program to provide assistance for street boys in Mwanza. Ita is also from Holland, and volunteered to assist Marga with the street children for the past year. She just returned to Holland at the end of April. Krystina, of course, was the Shaloom preschool teacher for the past two years. She returned to the US at the beginning of May. Just before Krystina left, she received a visit from three S.M.A. missionaries who work in Bugisi, Tanzania, which is located about 3 hours from Mwanza; they are Jolanta, from Poland, Monika, from Poland, and Fr. Julieto, from the Philippines. Fr. Jean' Baptiste, from Benin, West Africa, who was pictured in a previous posting playing checkers, and stays next door to me, usually joins us for dinner but had a previous engagement the day these photos were taken. I've also met Fr. Mick, from Ireland, who was passing through the regional house on his way home to Ireland for a one year sabbatical, after serving for over 20 years in Ngudu, Tanzania. Fr. PJ Kelly, who serves in the remote village of Kilulu, also spent a few days at the Regional House after his return from the General Assembly in Rome. It's been a privilege to meet so many dedicated missionaries. I look forward to meeting many more.

As you can see by the photos below, the staff at the Regional House is also dedicated to gardening. The gardens at the house are just gorgeous!