HOLY THURSDAY CELEBRATION 2018, By Robert MARWEIŇ

The Holy Thrusday is one of the most important days in he Easter Triduum (Latin: Triduum Paschale), and it is also identified as Maundy Thursday, Paschal Thursday, Passion Thursday, or Sheer Thursday.  In communion with the Mother  Church, the Mater Salvatoris International Formation House at Morogoro celebrates the Holy Thursday with great joy and hope. Rev. Fr. Josephat, CP presides over the Holy Eucharistic celebration. After the Holy Eucharistic  celebration the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins and it continues until midnight.

 So, what happen on Holy Thursday? What are the key components of these event?
The Holy Thursday is the day that the Church commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as describes in the canonical Gospels.
The Church has the custom that involves priests washing the feet of twelve people to symbolize Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. The washing of the disciples’ feet is the sign and example of humility and love (cf Jn 13:14-15). Moreover, the washing of the feet signifies the institution of the Holy Order. Another important components of the Holy Thursday is the emptying of the tabernacle and the Eucharist is put in a place of repose. This act signifies Jesus whom we love is taken away from us by those who hate and revile Him. And we are left alone, with our uncertainties, fears, discouragements and despairs.  At this moment we can only wait in silent and prayer. And God who has been good to us will act on our behalf.  And the final component is the stripping of the altar. The altar represents Christ, and the stripping of the altar reminds us how he was stripped when he fell into the hands of the Jews and and was exposed naked to their insult. This is the beauty of Holy Thursday; it carries symbols that embody meaning beyond words.

“Through the Eucharist we enter Christ’s Paschal mystery, allowing us to pass from death to life with him.” 

Pope Francis

 

LENTEN ACTION AT AMANI CENTRE, By Cl. Ignace MUKEMBE, SDS

AMANI CENTRE is the place for caring persons with disabilities founded by one Tanzanian woman named Josephine BAKITA. She started it in the year 1992, with only five children. She had a child who was physical handicap and this pushed her to open a Centre dealing with mental and physical handicap children.

 In the year 2006 the benefactors who were offering their run to this centre stopped and this made her to hand it over to the bishop of Morogoro Diocese, who was Adrian MUKOBA at that time. So, Amani Centre is under the bishop but the sisters of Bikira Maria Malkia wa Amani are the ones running the Centre. Actually it has two branches. The first is Mvomero, which dealing with the deaf and dumb children, and the second is Mikese for those deaf and dumb adults capable for farming and animals rearing. As challenges, many children are abandoned; there is also lack of benefactors, lack of rooms due to large number of children.

Knowing that the purpose of lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, penance, mortification, repentance of sins, alms giving, and self-denial. As said in the apostolic age, Christians were taught that giving alms was an expression of love which was first expressed by God to them, in that Jesus sacrificed himself as an act of love for the salvation of believers. The Mater Salvatoris Scholasticate International Formation House at Morogoro  in this Lenten Season 2018, chosed Centre Amani for the Lenten action and assisted it Centre with the rice. 

N.B: for any assistance to those persons, contact +255 754 313 412 (Father Beatus Mihando). P.O. Box. 579 Morogoro.

PERPETUAL VOWS OF CL. BONIFACE MWASHINGA, By Cl. Robert Marwein, SDS

     Religious life is one of the vocations in which a person is called to follow Christ radically through the profession of the three Evangelical counsels namely chastity, poverty and obedient. The Evangelical counsels of chastity dedicated to God, poverty and obedience are based upon the words and example of the Lord. They are the divine gift, which the Church received from its Lord and which it always safeguards with the help of His Grace (cf. LG 43).

    

On January 1st 2018, The Mater Salvatoris Scholasticate International Formation House at Morogoro witnessed yet another milestone in its history. On this day Cl. Boniface Mawshinga SDS made his Perpetual Vows and twelve other confreres renewed their Religious Vows. The occasion was a giant step for these young men who intended to follow in the footsteps of  the Apostles. It displayed the love and dedication that they have for Christ and His Church. The occasion was bright and beautiful. A good number of priests and religious came to render their supports and prayers for these young men. The presence of the parents and family members of Cl. Boniface Mwashinga added more joy to the event. Many guests, friends and well wishers turnout to the occasion as well. The presence of Rev. Fr. Ponder Paulinus Ngilangwa, SDS the Provincial Superior of the Salvatorian Mission Pro-Province of Tanzania escalated the occasion even more.

     The ceremony commenced at 10:30 AM. Rev. Fr. Ponder, SDS presided over the Holy Mass and received the perpetual vows of Cl. Boniface Mwanshinga and the renewal of vows of the other twelve confreres.  In his sermon Rev. Fr. Ponder, SDS exhorted these young men to continue living up their holy vocation which they have received from the good Lord. The ceremony was lively. The choir with its melodies accompanied the ceremony wonderfully. The Holy Mass ended at 12:30 PM, and it was followed by the get-together to congratulate Cl. Boniface and others who renewed their vows.

“Into your arms, Oh my Savior and Redeemer,

I throw myself,

With you, for you, through you and in you

I wish to live and die”

(Spiritual Diary I/9)

THE 136th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE SOCIETY OF DIVINE SAVIOR, By Deacon Delphin MUTOMBO

Today 25^th  December 2017,  we Salvatorians, have a grateful joy to celebrate the Foundation of the Society of the Divine Savior. The title “Divine Savior” refers actually to Jesus Christ Himself who is our Savior. The Society is dedicated to the Divine Savior. And our patrons are Mary, Mother of the Savior, all the Apostles, Saint Michael the Archangel, and Saint Joseph.

1. How is it composed? (The Structure of the Society)

The Salvatorian Family is like a tree, which has three main parts. The first branch is composed with Fathers and brothers. Then the second includes the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Saviour and finally the third branch includes the Lay Salvatorians. Generally speaking Salvatorians use the post-nominal letters “S.D.S”. We are really an international religious congregation. The universal character of the Society was always present from the foundation right up to our time. That is why we are in many countries. (The case of our community Mater Salvatoris we have brothers from Kenya, Uganda, Congo, India, Tanzania.) This shows the universality. The Generalate of the community is in Rome. Then the current Superior General of the Salvatorians is Reverend Father Milton Zonta, SDS.

2. Our Spirituality and Mission

In keeping with the spiritual vision of Father Francis Jordan, the Salvatorians are prepared to serve in any place, proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Son of God to all people by all ways and means which the love of Christ inspires, especially through the witness of our lives, our kindness, and our apostolic zeal. We are ready to serve all people without distinction of race, color and tongue.

The primary biblical texts which are very fundamental for understanding both our Charism and spiritual vision of Father Francis Jordan are actually found in: John 17:3 “Now eternal life is this, to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” This is the very crucial biblical revelation of our Charism.

        Also we have Matthew 28:19-20 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And, behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.” Therefore the aim of the Society is Teaching and Evangelizing all nations without distinction.

3. The Official Foundation Day

The Society of the Divine Savior was founded by Venerable Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan in Rome on December 8^th, 1881.

How was it done? After his journey to the Middle East with some priest, Jordan returned to Rome in 1880, and he was ready to act. Father Jordan’s original plan was to found an association for priests and for laity with varied levels of involvement. But the Church authorities rejected that idea and led him to adopt the more typical format of a religious order, known first as the “Catholic Teaching Society and starting in 1894, as the Society of the Divine Savior.

So, Jordan received Pope Leo XIII’s blessing to begin his new “Apostolic Teaching Society.” Two diocesan priests: Father Bernard Luethen and Father Frederick von Leonhardi (Collaborators), joined him. And on December 8, 1881, the three celebrated a simple foundation ceremony. Father Jordan led the Society until 1915, experiencing both success and suffering along the way. Then the situation of the First World War forced him to leave Rome for Switzerland, where he lived until his death on September 8, 1918. Then he was succeeded by Father Pankratius Pfeiffer as the second superior general of the Society.

Conclusion

My dear Reverend Fathers and brothers!!! To sum up this short history of the Society, we can say that it was on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1881, after a period of examination following spiritual exercises B. Luthen took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for three years in Rome. And Friedrich von Leonhardi for life in the Chapel of Saint Bridget of Sweden. It was actually on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1881 our Society came into being. This is accurate because the founder himself had a great devotion to Mary Mother of the Savior, and that is why he took even the name of Father Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan.

Through the intercession of Father Francis Jordan, may the Lord bless all Salvatorians present in the world so that they may fulfill good work for the salvation of the souls, in spreading the love of the Divine Savior to all people.

Mary Mother of the Savior!!! Ora pro Nobis.