WINTER BREAK (part five)

HANGA ABBEY

Sunset in Songea

Hanga Abbey guest house

The final week of my three week holiday in June was spent in Songea...the home of Hanga Abbey. The photo of the beautiful sunset above was taken just a few miles from the abbey, after an afternoon of shopping in town. The photo below was taken in town. I couldn't resist taking a photo of such an interesting display. The salesman was happy to oblige. He was probably thinking he'd make a sale but I wasn't in the market for a new pair of shoes. 

 

shoe mobile

Hanga is the home of many of my closest Tanzanian friends, and my closest (and only) Austrian friend, Christa. Christa has been volunteering at Hanga for the past 10 years. She helps out in the seminary library and office, and assists the monks and students in many other ways. She even teaches German to those who want to learn the language! Fr. Chrysostom is the rector of the seminary where Christa volunteers. He surprised Christa and I, the first night I was in Hanga, with a bottle of wine and some very tasty fried pork!

Christa, Fr. Chrysostom & Jean

Christa is also an artist. She really enjoys painting egg shells. We went to Br. Arno's farm in Hanga Abbey and Christa bought a tray of eggs to blow. She tapped holes in the ends and taught me how to blow out the insides. It was kind of fun. The next morning we had scrambled eggs for breakfast, which was a nice treat! Unfortunately, Christa wasn't able to decorate any of the egg shells before I left Hanga so I wasn't able to get any photos of the colored eggs. She takes the painted eggs to Austria when she returns home for a visit and sells them. With the proceeds she pays school fees in Hanga for disadvantaged children. A rather nice ministry, I think.

Egg keeper at Br. Arno's farm

Br. Arno works with the young candidates who are discerning a religious vocation with the Benedictine community. He teaches the young men how to run a chicken and pig farm. Below are a few photos of the farm.

Over 150 chickens!

Laying boxes made from burnt bricks

An interesting papaya tree

Pens for the pigs

Just peeked out to say "Hi"!

 

 

One afternoon I attended a birthday mass and party for a Benedictine priest, Bishop Plasidus Nkalanka, who turned 95. He has a very interesting life story. He was first ordained, as a young man, as a diocesan priest. When he was in his early 50’s, he was ordained a bishop for Bukoba, Tanzania. At 60 years of age his doctor told him he had better retire because his heart wasn’t good. Instead, the bishop decided to join the Benedictine’s and went through the entire process… postulant, novitiate, and so forth! He took his final vows when he was 65, so he has already celebrated 30 years with the Benedictine’s!! What an amazing story! The priest, Fr. John Lupio, who celebrated the birthday mass, is 90, and he is just as sharp as Bishop Plasidus! I could hardly believe it! 

Bishop Nkalanka is in charge of the Nakagugu formation house at Hanga Monastery. St. John Bosco is the patron saint of the formation house. Below you can see St. John Bosco chapel at Nakagugu, where the birthday mass was celebrated. 

St. John Bosco chapel

After the birthday mass

 Fr. Lupio, the 90 year old priest, went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2012! He saw an advertisement on television for the pilgrimage, went to inquire about it and found out all the details. He didn't have the $2500 he needed to go on the pilgrimage so he visited a friend and asked for a loan. He was given the money and went on the pilgrimage. Some time later, he returned to repay his friend but the friend told him he couldn't accept the payment. The friend said that shortly after he had loaned Fr. Lupio the money, he was given an unexpected bonus of $5000. He felt he was already repaid. Another interesting story! 

Bishop Plasidus

Fr. John Lupio

June 22 was the feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ). It's customary, all over the world, to have a procession of the Blessed Sacrament on this feast day. As always, the church in Tanzania goes all out! The procession began at the parish church in Hanga Village. The monks from the monastery, many local choirs, the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, children's groups and all the Catholics in Hanga joined in the procession. Christa and I joined the procession, along with the villagers. Some of the local homes had decorated outside their homes for this special occassion. 

Hanga Village parish church

Corpus Christi procession begins!

St. Laurent's Primary students

Benedictine monks

Society of Sacred Heart of Jesus

One of a number of choirs performing

home in Hanga Village

The procession stopped at the Hanga Abbey guest house, where I was staying. I went to the second level of the guest house to take pictures. It was a pretty awesome scene! The procession ended in the Hanga monastery church. I was very happy to have been part of this beautiful day!

photo taken from 2nd level of guest house

The Blessed Sacrament

Hundreds in attendance!

Visited with Br. Augustine (one of the original members of Hanga & founder of St. Laurent's Primary School

Heading to the Abbey church

Before leaving Hanga, I was able to visit with two of my good friends who studied in Wisconsin in 2008-2009. Br. Cletus Kayombo, who just celebrated his 25 year jubilee as a Benedictine, is currently working in Njombe, Tanzania, with a forestry and agricultural project. He happened to be in Hanga for retreat. The timing was perfect! Br. Patrick Mwinuka is the headmaster of the Vocational Training Center at Hanga Abbey. Br. Patrick sent me back to Mwanza with a nice bottle of wine he picked up in Ndanda (15% proof!). The wine was rather special because of its name, Rosella, my oldest daughters middle name.

Br. Cletus Kayombo (Jubilee celebration 7/11/14)

Br. Patrick Mwinuka

Rosella Sweet Red Wine

I left Hanga by bus at 6am with Br. Cassian. We arrived at 2pm in Mbeya, where I stayed for one more night. I walked near the guest house in Mbeya and found a brand new hotel that had just opened that week. The owner is apparently from the US, so there was a Tanzanian flag and a USA flag flying in front of the hotel. I couldn't just walk past without taking a photo of such a beautiful sight! June 25th I left on a plane from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam, with a connecting flight to Mwanza. It was good to get back to Mwanza after so much traveling, even though it was great to be able to see so many good friends!

Br. Cassian couldn't get a good internet connection indoors. In Tanzania, you learn to adapt.

Padz Hotel in Mbeya