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DAN ONLEY, Global2000 List Administrator
One small but important program we're involved with is Small Christian Community twinning. The purpose of this is to match up SCCs who would like to twin with an SCC in another culture, another country, much like sister cities, etc. The purpose is not so much financial exchange (although that does happen) but to gain cultural understanding, knowledge of how SCCs work in another country, mutual prayer, etc. One thing that happens is a better understanding and appreciation of our connections to the worldwide church. As you might expect, Joe Healey, a long time member and supporter of Buena Vista, had the original vision for this program.
We have twinning connections between the U.S., Canada, Tanzania, Australia and Hong Kong. If any of you who work with SCCs would like to get a connection going, let me know! We can try to match up some folks.
Buena Vista also sponsors a 6-times-per-year newsletter, a resource clearinghouse, local, regional and national convocations and other fun opportunities for SCCs.
As for myself, I'm happily married these last 31 years, having raised 5 children. We are members of a large, thriving 25 yr old suburban parish which, to our consternation, is making plans to build a bigger church building. Wish we could convince them to put that money to use to support a new vision - people instead of buildings! Oh well, guess that's a lot to expect! I enjoy the many conversations that are making the rounds of this email list.
Dan has mentioned some of my past a couple times--and indeed I know many members of this list personally--but, to give everyone equal advantage or disadvantage, here's the official line:
I'm Charlie Dittmeier, a priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville (where I was born and grew up), now working for the Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faith. I work with deaf people here in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia.
I have worked with deaf people since before ordination in 1970 and was invited to work at a technical training center for the deaf in Bangalore, India where I fell in love with Asia. I asked if I could return on a longer term basis, hooked up with Maryknoll as an associate priest, and have been here for the past eleven years.
Most of my work is with deaf people but I also do some Maryknoll jobs such as maintaining a couple of mailing lists for some of the members.
That's about it!
I come from Baltimore, Maryland and am an avid Oriole fan. I came out to East Africa as a Maryknoll missionary priest in 1968 and have worked in a variety of ministries: social communications apostolate, animating Small Christian Communities (SCCs), rural parish ministry, promoting mission awareness. Writing on mission and African culture has been a common thread running through all these mission ministries. Most recently Father Don Sybertz, M.M. a Maryknoll priest based in Shinyanga, Tanzania and I have written a book Towards An African Narrative Theology (Orbis Books, 1997 and Pauline Publications Africa, 1996) which uses African proverbs,sayings, stories and songs to take a first step in fashioning an African narrative theology of inculturation.
I have high hopes for our G2000 Web Site and Discussion List. I feel it is a real opportunity to connect parishes and apostolic groups in the USA and the World Church. I am particularly interested in the SCC Twinning Plan where SCCs in the USA become partners with SCCs in East Africa and other parts of the world. Another connection is sharing our experiences of the RCIA (Adult Catechumenate) in different parishes through the world. I will try to make a small contribution by being the moderator of the "Africa Page" of our Web Site.
On a personal note I feel that I am very privileged to be a missionary here in East Africa and to learn from the African people and their cultural riches. Concerning my own interests, a Maryknoll priest friend in Kenya says : "The three most important things in Joe Healey's life are Notre Dame Football, Small Christian Communities and God -- in that order." Let us
continue to journey together.
(Father) Joe Healey, M.M.
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
I have an MA in Third World development from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, and I'm just now completing my PhD in Christian Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA.
We also get Action Alerts from the Global Concerns office.We turn them into letters for our members to send. Or we send the letters for them through another list: Action NOW!/Progressive Secretary.
Action NOW!/PS sends out letters to Congress, Heads of State,the U.N. and anyone else that needs to hear from us on global concerns. We recently passed the million letter mark!
Of course, my connection is in my family: my brother, Ken, was ordained a Maryknoll priest in 1969 and worked in Tanzania for 12 years before being confined to Headquarters in N.Y. for another 12, six as Superior General. Now he is back to East Africa in the northern Mozambique bush, without electricity. He misses the e-mail dearly and would be on this list, I am sure, if he had the chance . He gave me Dan's address to start getting the CNS bulletins while he was studying Portuguese in Maputo.
I am six years older than Ken, but was ordained six years after him, here in Nigeria in 1975. He was fortunate enough to be in Ibadan for that happy day, on his way home for his first leave. God has strange ways of leading us. I came to Nigeria 30 years ago as a Dominican Laybrother. I had been a Dominican student in philosophy, but decided to be a brother because classes were in Latin and I failed logic! But I had joined the Central Province of Dominicans so as to be a missionary in Africa. So, two years after my final vows, I was here in Sokoto Diocese. Working with Bishop Michael Dempsey, O.P. in 1970 brought back the thought of priesthood. He encouraged me and I went to the seminary in Ibadan. Our first two Nigerian Dominican priests were ordained with me on Easter Monday, 1975.
After ordination I hoped to get back to the northern part of the country and primary evangelization, but my brothers had other ideas. Our Vicariate Chapter named me Student Master and two years later the Formation Community elected me Prior, their Superior. After my three-year term, I, together with a young native Dominican priest, volunteered to serve as Chaplain at Ife University for a couple of years. I was there for 8-1/2 years, when I was elected Provincial of our Nigerian Vice-Province. After the 4-yr term, I took a sabbatical, which included a short course in the States at Santa Barbara. I was again sent to Ibadan as syndic, but elected Prior of the Community again a year later. So now, three years later, I have finally gotten back to Sokoto Diocese. I am the only American Dominican left in the diocese; a diocese established out of the work of the American Dominicans. The first two bishops were two of the first three Dominicans to come to Nigeria in 1951. The Nigerian and Ghanaian Dominican Fathers & Brothers are now a Province in the Order, the first in Africa.
Being Pastor of the only Catholic parish here in Gusau is a new challenge to me. Any help I can get to animate the people will be much appreciated. Our Catholics are very committed, being in the midst of a predominant Muslim culture. The Central Mosque is just 200 yards away! Be assured of our solidarity with all of you. Let us continue to pray for one another.
Shalom, Gilbert Thesing, op
On my return to my diocese this summer I was appointed (at my request) as the Director of our Diocesan Mission Office. I also serve as pastor of two parishes. Exciting opportunity to both keep my hand directly in mission and to "try out" with grass roots folks ideas on engaging the broader church in this vital enterprise.
Thus the global stuff is most appealing to me...presently I'm up to my ears, just grabbing at what's jumping up in front of me with these 3 new positions, and have not been able to contribute much to our discussions. But keep the dialogue going, please. I can use all the light you can generate!
