Jambo and Karibu to Africa!

Friday 13^th April

Jambo and Karibu to Africa!   (Hello and Welcome…)

The proposed time in Kenya was rescheduled prior to the pilgrimage beginning and upon arrival at the Fulcimino Airport in Rome the flight was further delayed. A significant time was spent at the airport eating sandwiches and viewing various shops to see in the early morning of the delayed flight on Kenyan Airways to Nairobi.

Despite fears of a Kenyan Airways flight on Friday 13^th seemed daunting for many of the pilgrims due to safety the service was well received. The views during the flight over northern Africa were spectacular of the plains, lakes and mountain ranges for those that were awake. The flight into Nairobi revealed that there had been recent rain. Tired and weary the pilgrims disembarked and were met by a friendly Br Kiko at Nairobi airport.

Travelling from the airport to the Dimesse Sisters complex in Karen revealed African life in a variety of ways. Commercialism with new structures lining the road and huge billboards advertising products in English were easily visible. People observed from their vantage points beside the road of locals driving, riding and walking, not to mention the mzungas (white people) in two buses looking back at them with interest.

A short cut due to a traffic jam provided insight into the poverty of people in Nairobi. People living in galvanized roofed houses, walking with bare feet, climbing “unsafe” wooden scaffolding on building sites, and scavenging through rubbish were just some of the images that will stay at the forefront of the pilgrims mind in time to come. The view of Kibera, Nairobi’s largest ‘slum’, was confronting both in enormity and the poverty experienced by those living in these compacted galvanized dwellings.

Upon arriving at the Dimesse sisters complex and then banking and eating in the nukkmart galleria one could be excused for being in Australia and not in Africa on pilgrimage due to the niceties that was experienced. The difference was the security measures taken upon entering the shopping centre.

Br Kiko took the pilgrims to the Nairobi City Market to experience Nairobi life. People observed, talked and mingled with the local Nairobi shop owners as they sought a bargain of wooden sculptures, paintings, clothing and jewelry. “Jambo Australian, kangaroo” rang around the aisles of the market. Papa, meaning father, was also mentioned much to Peter and Paul’s lack of amusement. The excitement afterwards in the bus to dinner confirmed that most were happy with their ‘bargains’. The view of the meat section of the market was met with reservation. The markets were challenging, confronting and intimidating for many in the group, whilst others relished the opportunity to be with the African people.

An extravagant dinner at ‘Carnivore’, the beast of a feast, was a gastronomical affair of soups, potato, spinach…in extreme moderation. The main menu consisted of MEAT, MEAT and more MEAT! Chicken, Beef, Pork, Turkey and the interesting meat of Ostrich and Crocodile were delicious as the waiters cut the meat from stakes using large butcher knives until one could eat no more. One pilgrim mentioned, “How dangerous this knife is over my shoulder whilst it is cutting the meat”. Some pilgrims even ate ox balls and ostrich meat balls, African delicacies. Tusker beer washed down the meat as stories and laughter about the day echoed across the table. Happy Birthday to Carole, who due to some quick thinking by Magdy, organized a cake and the African waiters to sing in Swahili, all to the delight of pilgrims and restaurant guests alike.  The birthday wishes were much to her surprise!

It was a challenging and exhausting day as seen by the very weary pilgrims having ‘micro sleeps’ at dinner and on the bus. Despite the exhaustion it was a wonderful and enriching experience in beautiful ‘slow paced’ Africa.

Habari za usiku (Good night)

Mark and Jenny Ashmore

Marcellin College, Bulleen

'WHEN IN ROME'

Yesterday morning we woke up to a beautiful European sunny day. Once again in groups of 4-6 we set off to discover and learn more about the history and culture of Rome. We aimed to cram as much into the morning as possible with the aim of meeting back at our accommodation at 1:45pm for a meeting.

At 3pm yesterday we had the privilege of meeting the Marist Brothers Superior General, Brother Emili Turu. Brother Emili, along with Vicar General, Brother Joe McKee and Brother Michael De Waas from the General Council, spoke to us about the missions of the Marist Brothers, the work that they do today, their vision for the future and the importance of building ‘Inclusive’ cultures throughout the world. The Brothers also stressed the importance of the role of Lay Marists in continuing the Marist charism. It was a very informative meeting and one in which we did get time to ask many questions. Having that opportunity to speak openly with the Brothers was a tremendous privilege.

Brother Michael then took us on a tour of the General House before Monsignor Peter Jeffery presided at Mass in the General Council Chapel. Monsignor Peter spoke about the interactions that occurred during Pentecost, being able to communicate with people from all walks of life and how we can relate the Pentecost messages to the work of Marists today.

This morning, were up and about early to brave the cold and overcast weather conditions as we set off to the St Peter's Basilica where we were members of the Papal audience in St Peter's square. The whole group was excited and eager to hear what Pope Benedict XVI had to say. The gospel reading was the Emmaus story and it was read in many different languages including Italian, French, English, Spanish, German, Portugese and Polish among others.

It was amazing to see the huge number of young people who flocked to the square to receive a Papal blessing. We were lucky to get great 'viewing' seats after an advanced party of 13 left our accommodation at 6:45am to line up at the gates of St Peter's Square and save the rest of the group some seats. The latter party arrived just in the nick of time as there was growing pressure from members of the public to obtain the seats. All ended well and when the group 'Marist Pilgrims from Australia' was welcomed to the Vatican, there was large and enthusiastic cheer from our group. All in all, it was an experience that none of us could forget.

Brother John and other members of the Marist family back home, you are all still very much in our thoughts and prayers.

God bless,

Tim Kelly

‘La Valla, saying goodbye to L’Hermitage and our journey to Rome’

On Easter Sunday at 9:30am, we renewed our baptismal vows in the light of the Pascal candle at a beautiful mass said by Father John Craddock and Monsignor Peter Jeffrey at L’Hermitage chapel. The mass was also attended by many of the local people which created a great sense of universal community (Catholic).There was a great sense of Easter joy as we all wished each other signs of peace.

L’Hermitage then put on a magnificent 4 course meal for lunch which included crab meat and salad as the entrée, beef steak and French fries as the main course, and of course some locally made cheese and bread for dessert with some locally grown fruit to finish the meal (if anybody got this far).

After lunch we visited La Valla, which is situated approximately 8 kilometres north of L’Hermitage and high up in the mountains. It is the place where Marcellin was first appointed as a priest and where he set up his first school. He then built the L’Hermitage because his work was gathering such momentum that he needed to build a bigger formation house. It was an amazing experience to visit the birthplace of the Marist Brothers, the place where Marcellin and the first group of Brothers first began motivating young people with their enthusiasm for teaching and spreading the good news!

The next morning we said our goodbyes to Brother Neville, Brother George, Father John and other ‘family’ members at L’Hermitage. We were welcomed with great warmth and generosity and it was quite hard to say goodbye. Living at L’Hermitage for 5 nights was an inspiring experience and one which we will never forget, having the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Father Marcellin Champagnat.

We then set off on the next chapter of our journey to Rome. We travelled by bus to Lyon and then caught a flight to Rome. We checked into our accommodation around 2:30pm and then quickly set off in groups of 4-6 to discover what Rome had to offer, and cram as much into our afternoon as possible. The Colosseum was a major hotspot, with the Trivia Fountain and the monument of Victoria Emmanuel also being popular places to visit.

Today we again are in Rome, seeking the various sights before gathering together at 2pm to share an audience with Brother Emili and other General House members.

The group is all going well. Some members have caught the cold and are taking it easy today to try and beat the ‘sniffles’ but all in all, we are all having a wonderful time. We are beginning to get to know each other quite well and have shared many great experiences which we are all extremely grateful for. Our thoughts and prayers are once again with Brother John McMahon and also our family members back home.

God bless,

Tim Kelly

Notre Dame College, Shepparton

L'Hermitage

Paris to Lyon...let's go back a few days

4th -5th of April (the days before Le Puy)

The morning we left Paris, it was clear blue skies and brisk air (the weather has and continues to be very kind to us). From what was three jam-packed days of sight seeing and initiation of our spiritual quest, we knew we were now heading to the rock...Marcellin country!! The confusion of the metro (mastered by some) was to be completely juxtaposed against the TGV (the very, very, very fast train to Lyon...300 kph). What took us two hours ...(all in relative silence mind you)...would probably have taken Marcellin Champagnat, weeks. How technology has changed the world we live in...in the past 200 years.

We were greeted by an awaiting bus and what transpired, was a one hour trip from Lyons to L'Hermitage. In France, there has always been a constant surprise around the corner, whether that had been the Eiffel Tower, the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral...and what was magnificent in regards to the Hermitage... it was the fact that it is a peaceful majestic building that lies in the middle of a valley at the end of a secluded, quiet, still road where a creek meanders through the middle of the property. Please look at the photos attached...words are only one way of expressing the majestic beauty which is the Hermitage...and for many of us, it was like coming home.

Our tour of the Hermitage started with Brother Neville who took us to the statue of Marcellin which in itself is not deemed with many features...very non-descript...but he asked us to stare at the statue...and we were asked to be centred in the moment...and from there we walked through to the chapel and we were introduced to Marcellin's house of prayer: the chapel built in his name. We were then lead through his story depicted in the lead light windows and we were again called to be centred in standing around the reliquee (the remains of Marcellin Champagnat).  For us as a pilgrimage group, it was the beginning of our immersion into his life, his passion and his mission. From this experience it was striking to understand that what had started 200 years ago, has grown and it remains...and it is still so relevant...and it is the heartbeat for both religious and lay Marists today.

Before dinner (which by the way is a four course meal every night: soup, entree size meal, cheese...everyone needs cholesterol checks when we get back...and fruit) we were then taken on a tour through the display which details glimpses of Marcellin's life, the Marist order, as well as the development of the building of the Hermitage. It was simple...but meaningful and informative and very much prepared us for the next part of the tour: the Chapter room and Marcellin's bedroom. The Chapter room is now adorned with alfresco paintings, symbolic in their design and message but was originally the room in which the founding Marist Brothers would meet and deliberate and plan...and this room was significant to us as a pilgrimage group but it was walking into Marcellin's bedroom (the place of his life with the Marist Brothers and death) that was especially significant and meaningful. Here was a man that had created a vision...the physical creation of this was the building of the Hermitage itself, but more importantly was that he had formed a group of young men to educate the young. We came to understand that even on his death bed, he still engendered the intellectual power and respect of the Brothers and from this they were inspired to be a driving force and to live and bear witness to his story.

The end of the day had us remembering that we had sat in silence as a group in his bedroom, in silence...through the open window we had listened to the water flow over the rocks...we had been present with Marcellin Champagnat.

Brian Fenaughty and Tracey Dorian

L’Hermitage:  April 6^th

Le Puys: It’s amazing to think that today we were at the same Cathedral that Marcellin Champagnat would have prayed at...and more specifically he would have prayed to the Black Madonna (situated in the Cathedral) for guidance and help.  The Black Madonna is a petite statue but one that holds immense importance for the Catholic faithful worldwide and also our Marist Brothers. To sit in quiet meditation, where we all had the chance to pray for our own intentions and then sing the Salve Regina, was both moving and humbling. Today, the fact that it is Good Friday, there was an inherent stillness and serenity...it fell upon the complete gathering and we were transported to another time and place...and in this Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Puys, with its majestic interior but more importantly spiritual history (miracles have been performed here), there was no wonder why.

The much revered healing stone within this Cathedral (a slate slab)...lay adjacent to the Black Madonna and here pilgrims from across the world can touch or lie on the stone and absorb its healing properties...and that is exactly what we did. Individually we lay on the healing, asking God for his healing, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual...it was a moment of immense power.

Moving to the next part of our pilgrimage, we traced the steps of many others (over 300 up a steep cliff) to the chapel of St Michael d’Aighuille. Our heart goes out to the Parish Priest who must climb these stairs daily for mass in the chapel. This chapel was like a cave perched upon a rock...sparsely lit by small  stained glass windows...primitive but still inspiring in its prayerful atmosphere.

Lunch...well, we pretty much found a little cafe/restaurant in the main square of Le Puys...salmon salads, crepes or baguettes with a glass of red, cafe au lait or beer were the choice of the epicurists’  day. On the return to the bus, some pilgrims fell prey to the numerous delights of leather handbags, jackets...and considering it is Easter...the chocolatier (as if anyone needed an excuse).

Our Good Friday ceremony this evening was one of Christianity at its simple best. With 45 of us present within the Hermitage Chapel, we venerated the cross and reflected on our own brokenness (a beautiful song reflecting this was playing during this part of the ceremony). This ceremony was jointly celebrated by our two priests, Monsignor Peter Jefferies and Father John Craddock...their masses with us have been meani ngful, simplistic and fitting for our spiritual exploration and today was no exception.

We finished our night with time of personal reflection and sharing within the revered rooms of the Marist Brothers meeting room, which adjoins Marcellin’s bedroom (the room in which he also passed away). There could not have been a better way to complete  Good Friday at the Hermitage.

There is still so much to share...stay tuned for an entry on what it was like entering the Hermitage and our day at Fouviere!! Brother John...you are still very much in our prayers!

Brian Fenaughty and Tracey Dorian