Initial Formation Phase 4
Small Formation Group
St Anne's, Jerusalem
Basilica on the left, the house in the middle
Janvier 2008 January
This academic year 2007-2008, two new students were appointed to Jerusalem Small Formation Group SFG: Kanto Hembram and Jean de Dieu Bukuru. Kanto is from India. He did his philosophy in Bangalore-India after which he went to Kasama for the noviciate . For stage, he was first appointed to Nigeria where he stayed for one year. Due to problems of visa, he got a second appointment to Burkina Faso to end his period of Stage, doing the remaining year there. Learning French gave him part of the visa to come to Jerusalem as the community is essentially bilingual. Jean de Dieu Bukuru is from Burundi. After his philosophical studies in Ejisu-Ghana, he was appointed to Kasama for the noviciate where he met Kanto for the first time. From there, he was appointed to Mozambique for stage where he successfully completed the 2 years. Both arrived here in Jerusalem toward the end of August and began with a retreat directed by Joe, the one in charge of the SFG.
Kanto Hembram and Jean de Dieu Bukuru
They came to join a group of 7 other students who opened the Jerusalem SFG last academic year with Joe Buholzer who is the main formator. There is Pol Vonck and Tomas Maier who are partly attached to the SFG as formators in addition to their own activities. Pol leaves us at the end of January 2008 and is replaced by Thomas Bahmer.
The SFG is inserted in the already existing community of St Anne's. In all, the bigger community has 22 members from 15 different nationalities. Thus we speak of senior confreres and junior confreres. St Anne's community is one the biggest stable community in the society. In addition to the 10 in the formation group, there are other 11 senior
confreres and a stagiaire involved in the different activities: receiving pilgrims at the Basilica and Bethesda Pool, Inter-Religious dialogue and Ecumenism and the redaction of the 'Proche Orient Chrétien', Encounter with Islam, organization of sessions and retreats attended twice a year by missionaries.
To better our community life in this rather larger community, we started the small teams of sharing. The junior confreres are more familiar with this set-up from the lower stages of formation. For the senior confreres it is a new thing and requires adaptation. However, this strategy of improving our community-being -together is being implemented well.
Jean de Dieu, Jonathan, Léonce, Evans, Pol Vonck, Kanto, Gaétan, Moses, Joe B., Bernard, Victor
The academic year commenced on the 24th September 2007 at the Salesian Theologicum where we attend our lectures. The academic year was officially opened on the 29th October by a lecture delivered by Archbishop Angelo Amat, Salesian, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith .
- We are 8 students in the first year (2 WF, 1 Franciscan and 5 Salesians). The rest, 40, populate the 'Triennium classes' which include the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years together. Part of the academic program is a fortnightly archeological visit to the different biblical places. This helps more to get to know the country and the biblical set-up.
In the course of this first semester, there were also some inter-seminary activities. The Franciscans invited the other formation houses for a cultural evening on the occasion of the feast of St Francis. On the 7th of December, the diocesan major seminary of Bet Jala/Bethlehem organized another inter-seminary cultural evening . Our turn to invite the other religious communities came on the 8th of December in conjunction with the celebration of the (our) feast of Immaculate Conception of Mary: we had a solemn Eucharist, with a reception afterwards, which was attended by the French Consul and bishops and representatives of other Churches in Jerusalem. Another day, we had here a meeting of the African priests and students living in Jerusalem. After a wonderful liturgical celebration, we were joined by the whole community of St Anne's together with the 18 'sessionists', most of them working in Africa or for Africa.
The first semester exams end on the 18th of January. They will be followed by a short break. The second semester resumes on the 4th February.
In all, it is a wonderful experience to study here in Jerusalem. Every morning we walk for about 35 minutes to the Institute. Passing through the Via Dolorosa, we often meet groups of Christians from different countries carrying the cross, participating in the Way of the Cross up to the Holy Sepulchre. We meet as well a number of catholic, orthodox and Armenian priests and nuns going from or coming to, the Holy Sepulchre for a liturgy. Coming back from the institute we have to squeeze ourselves into large crowds of Muslim faithful coming from prayer in the Alaqsa Moque. On Fridays, the day of prayer for Muslims, the already narrow streets become almost impassable.
And on Saturdays while going to the institute we meet the Jewish faithful going to the Eastern Wall for Shabbat prayers. On this Sabbath day, the new town of Jerusalem, mainly populated by Jews, is very calm and silent. Thus, everyday morning we do our 'walk of encounter and inter-religious dialogue'; it is a theological walk and a walk of faith. We move from the Arab quarters where we live to spend our days of studies to the new town which is almost exclusively Jewish. On Sundays we have the opportunity to go out for mass and even to attend the liturgies in the other rites of the Catholic Church.
By Jean de Dieu Bukuru
Formation Initiale Phase 4è Etape
Petit Groupe de Formation
Ste Anne, Jerusalem
Basilica à gauche, la maison au milieu
Janvier 2008 January
Pour cette année académique 2007-2008, 2 nouveaux étudiants ont été nommés au Petit Groupe de Formation "PGF" à Jerusalem : Kanto Hembram et Jean de Dieu Bukuru. Kanto vient de l'Inde. Il a étudié la philosophie à Bangalore-Inde- et ensuite il a fait son noviciat à Kasama en Zambie. Pour le stage apostolique, il avait été nommé au Nigeria où il est resté un an. Etant donné les problèmes de visa, il avait reçu une nouvelle nomination pour le Burkina Faso afin de continuer sa seconde année de stage. Le fait d'apprendre le français lui permit de se joindre à la communauté de Jérusalem qui parle anglais et français. Jean de Dieu Bukuru vient du Burundi. Après ses études philosophiques à Ejisu-Ghana, il est parti pour le noviciat à Kasama en Zambie où il rencontra Kanto pour la première fois. De là, il a été nommé au Mozambique pour son stage apostolique de 2 ans . Tous les deux sont arrivés à Jerusalem vers la fin du mois d'août 2007 et ont commencé par suivre une retraite dirigée par Joe, recteur du PGF.
Kanto Hembram et Jean de Dieu Bukuru
Dans cette grande communauté, la vie commune se structure autour de petites équipes de partage, une façon de faire plus familière aux plus jeunes. Une certaine adaptation est nécessaire aux confrères plus âgés. Dans l'ensemble, pourtant, tout fonctionne bien.
Jean de Dieu, Jonathan, Léonce, Evans, Pol Vonck, Kanto, Gaétan, Moses, Joe B., Bernard, Victor
En première année, nous sommes huit étudiants : deux Missionnaires d'Afrique, un Franciscain et cinq Salésiens. Pour les autres trois ans d'études, les étudiants sont au nombre de quarante. Une part du programme académique inclut des visites archéologiques aux divers sites bibliques. Une façon de mieux connaître le pays et le contexte de la bible.
Au cours du premier semestre, nous avons participé à diverses rencontres : chez les Franciscains pour une soirée culturelle à l'occasion de la fête de saint François, au grand séminaire diocésain de Bet Jala/Bethléhem et chez-nous pour le 8 décembre. A cette occasion, il y avait célébration eucharistique et goûter, en compagnie du consul français, des évêques et représentants de diverses églises de Jérusalem. A un autre moment, nous avons participé à une rencontre de prêtres et étudiants africains vivant à Jérusalem. Toute la communauté de Ste-Anne était impliquée, de même que les dix-huit participants à la session, pour la plupart, toujours en Afrique.
Les examens du premier semestre se sont terminés le 18 janvier. Nous reprendrons le 4 février pour le second semestre.
Le samedi, en route pour l'Institut, nous croissons les fidèles juifs qui vont célébrer le sabbat au Mur des lamentations. Ce jour-là, la nouvelle ville de Jérusalem demeure très calme et silencieuse. C'est ainsi que chaque matin, nous vivons, pour ainsi dire, la rencontre et le dialogue interreligieux. Une promenade théologique, un périple de foi. Nous passons du quartier arabe où nous vivons à la nouvelle ville qui est presque exclusivement juive. Les dimanches, nous avons l'occasion de participer à des célébrations dans les divers rites de l'Eglise catholique.
Par Jean de Dieu Bukuru
Traduit en français par Yvon Lavoie M.Afr.
