By Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.

I thought I would get into the African mood by wearing this colorful Kitenge shirt from East Africa. If I summarized Maryknoll’s missionary ministry in Africa today it would be: "Preaching the Good News in Bad News Situations." There are a lot of needs and challenges here in America. But the problems on the continent of Africa are enormous. The statistics on AIDS/HIV are staggering. By the end of the year 2000 17 million people died of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa – over three times the number of AIDS deaths in the rest of the world. 25.3 million Africans are living with HIV. In the eight African countries with HIV prevalence of at least 15% one third of the population of 15-year-olds can expect to die from AIDS. 19 of the 53 independent countries in Africa are presently in some kind of civil war, internal unrest or violent tribalism situation. Since there has been civil war in Sudan since 1961, a 40-year-old Sudanese today thinks that a war situation is the normal way of life. He or she doesn’t know what living in a peaceful country is.

If you want the classic "'underdog" it's Tanzania where I live. According to recent economic statistics Tanzania is the third poorest country in the world after Mozambique and Ethiopia. AIDS, famine, refugees, malaria, poverty, bad economy, inadequate education, corruption, poor roads, erratic electricity. You name it. Tanzania has got it.

But we Maryknoll missionaries in Africa feel called to accompany the local people in all these difficulties, and where we can, try to make a small difference. We feel that our missionary vocation is to preach and witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ especially in these bad news situations. In some small way we try to live out those words of Chapter Four of Luke’s Gospel: "to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Along with the Gospel the African people themselves energize us and give us the reason and hope for being there.  Deep African values of personal relationships, family, community, hospitality, sharing, patient endurance in adversity and service to others teach us missionaries a lot. This is indeed part of the "good news" from Africa.

On the continent of Africa, 52 Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers serve the people of six African nations: Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya (where Dick Smith worked), Mozambique, Namibia (where Dick Albertine teaches in the Major Seminary in Windhoek) and Tanzania (where our classmates Charlie Barkie and Joe Hart started in 1966 and where Tom Hinnebusch taught Swahili). There are Maryknollers from other branches of the Maryknoll family: the Maryknoll Sisters who also work in Sudan and Zimbabwe, members of MMAF (the Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful) who also work in Sudan and, most recently, the Maryknoll Affiliates. We remember with fondness two of the Class of 1966’s rectors who worked in Tanzania -- George Buckley and George Weber (who still works in Mwanza) – as well as many of our teachers who came to Africa.

From Maryknoll’s beginnings in 1946 evangelization has been central to our work in its various forms – including integral human development. Through our own ministries of word and deed, Maryknoll in Africa shares the Gospel message of God's Love for all people. For those of you who like to navigate the Internet the Maryknoll Africa Region of the Maryknoll Society of Fathers and Brothers has its own website at: www.maryknollafrica.org. It describes our present ministries as:

• Communications (including Print, Radio, Video, Internet)

• Development (including Buildings, Trees, Water)

• Education (including Schools, Seminaries, Special Programs)
• Health (including AIDS, Hospitals, Clinics)
• Pastoral (including Evangelization, Sacraments, Youth) and
• Specialized (including Street Children, Refugees)

Please don't get the idea that all of Africa is grim and desperate. The former president of Tanzania Julius Nyerere once said: "We have many problems but we remain cheerful." In fact Africans are some of the happiest, most joyful people that I have ever met – even in the midst of their material poverty. These days we talk a lot about "inculturation" which means rooting the Good News of Jesus Christ in African soil. There's a wonderful video on various liturgical celebrations throughout the continent of Africa called The Dancing Church. That's a great title to describe the spirit and enthusiasm of the church and people in Africa. In fact, one of the most positive contributions of Africa to the world is music, singing, dance and art.

I end with two African Proverbs that describe Maryknoll’s missionary work in Africa: A Ganda (Uganda) proverb says: One who sees something good must narrate it. A Sukuma (Tanzania) proverb says: That which is good is never finished.

NOTE: These are "Notes" for a talk at the 35^th Anniversary Reunion of the Maryknoll Ordination Class of 1966 at Maryknoll, NY on Sunday, 5 August, 2001.