|
 NEW BEGINNINGS
IN AFRICA
By Bro. Daniel Thomas, O.P.
Nairobi, Kenya
It was 1959. I was just 18, recently graduated from high
school and had just entered the Dominicans as a brother not
really knowing what was going to be asked of me. I never
thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever leave the
comforts of home and surroundings and head off to AFRICA!
But here I am: a bona fide resident of Nairobi, Kenya,
Africa and ready to become a real missionary. It’s almost
2006 and I’ve returned to the place where I had a brief
encounter in 2001 when I was on sabbatical. I had been
invited to spend two months doing liturgy training workshops
throughout Kenya and into Tanzania. While I was there, the
local Dominicans said to me, “Brother Daniel you must come
back. There’s much work that you could do.”
At first I nodded – thinking that they were just being
polite – but then they kept keeping in contact, and I
realized that they were really interested in having me come
back on a more extended basis. Arrangements were made
between the two provinces and here I am.
 Kenya is the missionary territory of Dominicans from the
Eastern Province of the United States. Our Western Province
has Mexico as its missionary territory and, since I didn’t
have Spanish language skills, I never thought I would be in
the category of “missionary.” As luck would have it, Kenya,
originally founded as an English colony, still has English
as a primary – almost understood by everyone – language.
Most of the local liturgies are conducted in some of the
various languages and dialects but almost all of the classes
or talks can be given in English. I have just arrived and am
still getting settled and trying to figure out how I fit
into the picture of Dominican missionary activity that is
already well established in this area of East Africa.
Our Western Dominican Province has had an ongoing
relationship with the Dominicans in East Africa. In 1991 our
Fr. Kieran Healy began the connection between the Dominicans
in East Africa and those in the Western United States. Fr.
Kieran was primarily involved in the formation of local
Dominicans and served in various posts for 11 years. Now I
will take up the torch and continue ministry in an
other-than-Spanish-speaking country.
Five years ago I was taken to the outskirts of Nairobi
and shown a plot of ground – a coffee plantation – that was
to be the site of a newly established parish to be staffed
by the Dominicans. Little did I know that I would be coming
back to Africa and would be living in the parish that I
originally saw as fields of coffee trees. Time does indeed
move on. Well before I arrived, a temporary church was
constructed and living quarters for the Dominicans were
procured. This is where I will live – at least for the time
being.
Since I am only just getting settled there is much to be
determined as to the kind of work I will be asked to do. The
initial thought is that I will help with the continuing
establishment of this new parish in the areas of liturgy and
worship. Also, Nairobi University has seven campuses in the
immediate area and the Dominicans are responsible for
ministry in two of these campuses. I will need to pull out
all my resources to get back into the swing of college
ministry – a work that I was involved in back in the ‘70’s
and ‘80’s in Arizona and Oregon. I have also been asked to
help in the areas of public speaking and preaching.
 From my experience working in East Africa five years ago,
I want to be sure that I work on building on the wonderful,
exciting, and committed experience of joyful, very involved
liturgies that I experienced then. The church in Africa is a
young church. When I gave one of my first talks back in
2001, I was attempting to place myself in a time of history
and asked the assembly of about 85 persons, “Who’s my age,
61 or older?” Two hands went up: mine and my confrere, Fr.
Kieran. I rephrased the question, “How many are 50 or
older?” That time I got about eight people to raise their
hands. It’s a young church. But the exciting thing is that
it is a vibrant and alive “young” church and I hope that I
can help these people to work on the solid base of their
enthusiasm and to grow into a stronger and more alive
church.
Music is one of my favorite aspects of liturgy and the
Africans have me beat all the way around on this level. I
have never been in so many churches that regularly have
exuberant music at EVERY liturgy along with a variety of
rhythm instruments, drums, and dancers! To come to a Sunday
Mass at 8 o’clock in the morning and find musicians, a choir
(in robes) and procession dancers, and a congregation
singing and clapping – obviously happy to be celebrating
like this, is a new experience for me. I am happy to be a
part of this church’s life and work.
It is certainly a new experience for me to know that I am
a somewhat permanent resident of Kenya joining a population
of 34 million people with about 3 million living in Nairobi.
As is the case in so many parts of our world there is a wide
range of living situations from the very poor to the very
rich. Kenya is about the size of the state of Texas and is
situated almost right on the equator and is 11 hours ahead
of the time on the west coast of the United States.
At 64 years of age God has blessed me with good health,
enthusiasm and an ease to move into new surroundings and
situations. I pray that I will be able to do some good for
these people who so want to make church a part of their
lives. |
