Seminary of Philisophy or "Orione Agro-pastoral Trainning Centre", OATC

Seminarian reviving the new calf

Undoubtedly, there is life in the Don Orione Nairobi’s Community, and the animals themselves can attest it. The months of August-September have given to experiment an active dimension of the ordinary life of our Community. In January-February 2014 we were talking about "Green Providence", referring to the agronomical dimension of our reality. At this Agronomic dimension is grafted one that although existing previously, seemed vegetating, the Agro-pastoral, the breeding of dairy cows. Two of our dairy cows have, in the course of four weeks, August 30th for the first and September 26th for the second, given birth to two calves, one bull and one heifer.

Observing these events, one of our young seminarians who do not lack humor, did not fail to say that it would be interesting to reorient the objectives of the house and the vocation of our Community into an "Agricultural Centre" where people would come to form on breeding technique and in garden.

Thanks to the Divine Providence for the strength of spirit and creativity he continues to give to each of us. The most important is to know the dimension of manual work well rooted in all of us and shared with joy by our young people in formation. Ave Maria e avanti!

Vocation: Come and see (1) 2014

There is an urgent need to form our religious, in this technological, materialistic and globalizing world, to be missionaries, to be evangelizers. The task of selection and formation of the candidates for religious life is rather complex one. The future of any religious institutes depends on how we for our young men of today. Religious formation is not merely implementing certain programs through qualitative techniques, teaching some doctrinal elements, acquisition of divine and human knowledge and bringing the formee under discipline.  The true formation is much more than that. It is a whole process which start by accompanying, a young boy from the stage of aspirant up to the last step of formation. This include such a times and moments of vocational session. Where the young men are invited first of all to discover quite closely a religious family, but much be assisted in their discernment of religious vocation.

Birthdays and 10 years of Religious Life

On this day September 9^th of 2014, the Orionine Community of Nairobi was en feasting. The occasion was the one of the celebration of the anniversary of the birth of the Father Director, Father Paul Mboche, born on September 9^th in the year 1974. We also associate to this event that of the birthday of two of our young students, Wilcliff Mumia, born on September 14 and Peter Karanja, September 16. An encouraging thought and strong words were spoken among which, this beautiful philosophical thought inviting to always move forward. Life is a perpetual forward motion. If you are given the opportunity to run, run with all your strength. If it becomes impossible for you to run walk. If it becomes impossible to walk ramp. In all cases do never give up or stop going forward. As well say with Don Orione Ave Maria e sempre avanti (Ave Maria and always forwards).

We have also taken the opportunity of this birth anniversary festival to wish "bonne fête" to Father Mboche who on last September 5th celebrated 10 Years of religious profession of the evangelical counsels of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. May God who deign to associate him to his work of love gives him constantly and with courage to remain faithful to his commitments.

Kaburugi family day celebration.

Today August 24th, 2014, was held in the Parish of Kaburugi the family day with celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for more than 100 youths. The Mass was celebrated by His Lordship James Maria Wainaina, Bishop of the Diocese of Murang’a. He was surrounded and assisted by Father Raphael Kailemiah, Parish Priest at the end of his mandate, the new Parish Father James Njoroje, the Assistant Priest and vicar of the Community Father Morris Mawira, and Father Paul Mwangi Mboche coordinator of the Sons of Divine Providence here in Kenya.

In his homily, Bishop Wainaina stressed on the importance of knowing Christ and following him closely. He invited the Candidate to the Confirmation and all Christians to be like the apostle Peter, confessing that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God”.

At the end of the Mass, the following event was the washing of the feet for the people infected by jiggers and the gift of wrappers (shoes) and blankets and some foodstuffs.

The last event was the handing over between Father Raphael and Father James Njoroje as the new Parish Priest of St Peter’s Catholic Parish of Kaburugi. Symbolically, he received from the hands of the Bishop the keys of the Tabernacle as a sign of Church authority. The Bishop blessed and prayed for him to be courageous as he shepherds God’s flock.

Father Raphael is now on the way to Kandisi parish where he will serve as new parish priest in replacement of Father Peter Wambulwa appointed in Nairobi Community as Vicar and member of the formation team.

The party ends with family meal that was shared by all the people present at this celebration.

“Pope Pius X, our supreme benefactor, our Pope”

As today, June 21st, the Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of St. Pius X, a short ride of history inspires us about this Pope and our Founder. PIUS X (1903 - 1914).

"The Holy Father Pius X will always be our supreme benefactor, our Pope."

It 's the thought of Don Orione, revealing his affection, the interest and the protection given by the Pope very valuable to the Little Work of the Divine Providence.

Pius X had news of Don Orione when he was still Cardinal in Venice.

The year after his election, he entrusted to our Founder the Church of St. Anne of the Palafrenieri. 

In 1908, when the devastating earthquake struck the Calabria, South of the Italy and the Sicily, the Pope appointed Don Orione as vicar-general of Messina. 

The two holy souls (Luigi Orione and Pius X) were very close to each other, the contacts were frequent, and audiences friendly.

Memorable an audience of 1906, in which Pius X revised and annotated the first Constitutions of the Little Work of the Divine Providence. During a private audience of the 19 April 1912, he offered to Don Orione the joy of making perpetual vows in his own hand: "For witnesses will be yours and my guardian angel" he to Don Orione.

The agricultural colony Santa Mary at Monte Mario in Rome and the Parish of All Saints (Ognissanti), outside the gate of San Giovanni, the famous "Roman Patagonia"(Patagonia Romana), are the most notorious labor camps to which the affection and esteem of Pius X called Don Orione and his children.

"Oh! That the memory of our Holy Father, Pope Pius X may be blessed by all the small Sons of Divine Providence, from generation to generation!"

From house to house, Visit of the Delegate in the Orionine Missionary Year

Visit to USA

On 16th April I arrived at our house at Jasper Indiana, for the Easter Triduum which I celebrated with Fr Angelo Quadrini and all the people who attend our chapel in Providence Home, Jasper.  We had discussions with the Advisory Board for the improvement and future of the Providence Home which has its origins in 1933 and its founder Fr Aleksander Chwilowicz FDP from Poland.  After that I visited Phoenix, Arizona, to meet the Board of the Hickey Family Foundation which gives us so much help in the Philippines and Kenya to our work for sick and disabled children and young people.  I also showed the Board some PowerPoint presentations of our work in the Philippines, Kenya and India which encouraged them to continue their great help to us.

Fr Mirek Kowalczyk and daily Mass-goers 

at St Joseph-St Lazarus Parish, East Boston

Discouragement is the work of the Devil

Introduction of the Newsletter no. 16, (2014 April-July) 

Dear Confreres, Sisters and Friends,

In this Orionine Missionary Year, 100 years after the first Orionine Missionaries left Italy for Brazil, we recognise that making a start in a different nation, continent, with different food, language, climate and customs is a very big effort.  We thank all those missionaries who have made that decisive step to go out of the “comfort zone” of their familiar surroundings to bring the Gospel of God’s love to peoples and places which are new to the missionaries.  But we also recognise that after that first step of the Sons of Divine Providence, led by St. Luigi Orione, those who follow also have a hard task, that of persevering faithfully.  As the world seems to become more complicated and somehow more resistant to the Good News of Christ, we who are trying to maintain and develop what St Luigi and his early confreres started in the Church, need a lot of guidance, grace and strength to persevere and not allow discouragement to enter our hearts. Discouragement is the work of the Devil; and so, let us recognises its destructive force and pray to the Lord for the grace to overcome it, if it tempts us. “‘Charity commands us not stand aloof  in a comfortable self-sufficiency, but to feel and have an efficacious compassion for the suffering and needs of others, from whom we must not regard ourselves as separated while they are one with us in Christ’ (cf. Don Orione, Writings Scr. 80, 283).  So too, the Orionines of today must be taught how to respond quickly and creatively, with the spirit of ‘first aid’, to the emergencies around us and to the problems of our world (cf. Constitutions art. 121)”(In the footsteps of Don Orione p. 177). I know that you are all trying to do just that.  But sometimes find that things do not go as planned for many reasons. In my recent visits in the Delegation I was overcome by physical and mental tiredness which tempted me to discouragement and inactivity.  That experience, which I am gradually overcoming, has helped me to understand how discouraged and depressed people can feel at times.  I hope it will help me to be more understanding and compassionate and also helpful in overcoming such a state in my brothers and sisters.  Thankfully, after some rest I feel a lot better now. 

Fr. Malcolm Dyer FDP

Delegate

Delegation "Mother of the Church"