A
New White Father Priest - London 20-06-1999
At St. Edward's, we are students
from Burkina Faso, Congo, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Rwanda, Spain,
Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, The Philippines and Uganda.
The 1998-1999 academic and
formation year was quite hectic both at the Missionary Institute and here
at St. Edward's College. For some of us, it was also trying to get acclimatised
to England. We met new people in the house, at school and in pastoral places.
We had all kinds of courses, essays to write and the unavoidable exams besides
the usual chores which when done, make life a lot easier and interesting.
The end of the year saw many activities. There were deadlines for the BA
and STB degrees, the usual exams, sports competitions and team outings.
Each year has a climax, ours was the ordination of Leonard Hategekimana
to the priesthood on 20th June at Barnet Parish, North London by our area
bishop, Vincent Nichols.
The days preceding
the big day were busy. There were invitations to send, meetings to attend,
retreats to make, telephones to answer and details to check to make sure that
things went alright. Lawrence Musoke the choir master at St. Edward's spent
hours co-ordinating and preparing the hymns and the hymn books.
Leonard's friends
gathered from all over the world - Ireland, Canada, Belgium, Italy, France,
Rwanda, The Czech Republic, Poland, The Netherlands and of course from Britain.
More than 300 guests were present. At least thirty White Fathers of all ages,
some in the Province, some visiting, some on home leave and others on transit
attended.
Bishop Vincent
Nichols was there for the liturgy which started at 2.30 p.m. Barnet Parish
Church was filled to capacity. The choir tried it's best. We sang in many
languages, in English, (thanks to John Ainslie of Barnet Parish) French and
Kinyarwanda (thanks to Augustine and Justine), in Luganda (thanks to Regina
and the Uganda Martyrs group).
Luigi Morell, rector
of St. Edward's asked the Bishop to ordain Leonard. The Bishop spoke with
a particular feeling of what was happening. He had never ordained anybody
without any of his family being present, he said. He however drew to our attention
that the ordination was also an event for the Church in which we are all members.
So even if Leonard did not have his own family he was in a greater family.
The prelate also invited him not to draw attention once he goes home but to
offer the sacrifice of the Mass.
The offertory dance
was catching for many. The children surprised many of us as they gracefully
led the procession in a Kiganda dance. Then we had the thanksgiving hymn in
Kinyarwanda which was danced. The joy it raised made the new priest Leonard
jump in and dance with a few of his country people (One great advantage of
Kinyarwanda being that nearly all Rwandese unlike most of their neighbours
communicate in the same language, a real great asset). It was a profound moment
which must have been lived in ways unknown by even those who in usual circumstances
should have been there but could not.
As we celebrated joyfully we were also
very much aware of the situation of the local church. Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop
of Westminster had died three days before the ordination of Leonard. May this
new priest in his missionary life grow to follow Christ in a profound way like
that of the humble and contemplative Cardinal Hume who is now deeply missed by
people of all walks of life in his country and beyond.
One feels grateful to all
who made this day a success; the community of St. Edward's staff and students,
the choir, the Parish community of Barnet, the people who prepared the food
and drink, the many guests who gave us their time, the family of Leonard who
even though far away must have lived this experience at the same time, our friends
and benefactors both living and dead, to one and all.
Leonard celebrated his first Mass at St. Paul's Wood Green a week later. He will be a missionary in Zambia, a country in which he made the Spiritual Year (Novitiate) and the pastoral training from 1993 to 1996.
This article first appeared in "White Fathers
- White Sisters" (UK), issue 348, of October-November, 1999.
The article may be published freely with due acknowledgements
to the "White Fathers - White Sisters" magazine.
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