Mvimwa Diary Notes: August to October 2017

Dear confreres,

Greetings and peace from Mvimwa.

The rainy season starts now; we are busy with various agricultural activities. New grasses are germinating, the greenish colour is decorating the earth; the weather is becoming cool and comforting. In the late evening, swarms of migrating birds fly over our sky, and make their stop on trees behind our old monastery buildings. On a cool night, a beautiful sound of different insects is heard. Our dearest and permanent neighbours—the monkeys—are numerously jumping around our abbey, the safest place for them. It seems they have a sense of music. Every evening when we start singing Vespers, they come close to the church and stay calm. After our singing is finished, off they go! So funny! Formerly we were frequently visited by snakes around our settlement. But now, no snakes around! Thanks to our dear monkeys, they kill snakes. No snake survives around the monkeys. There is enough in Mvimwa to make you wonder and to make you keep smiling. Dear reader, it is in this most beautiful part of the world, we live, we pray, we work hard and learn. Such is the beauty of Mvimwa. Please come and enjoy with us!

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Elections in Tanzania

Fr Prior Sylvanus Kessy OSB

Fr Prior Sylvanus Kessy OSB

In 2006 Fr Anastasius Reiser of Münsterschwarzark embarked on a long journey in order to become abbot of Peramiho Abbey in Tanzania.  The confrères there knew him from a former mission commitment, and so once again a German became superior in an African abbey – and not only in anyone: Peramiho is the primordial monastery of our Congregation in East Africa.  A whole church province with six dioceses emerged out of this abbey, and numerous monasteries in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia descend directly or indirectly from there. Abbot Anastasius gave up his office in 2017 knowing that time has come for an African superior. From June 1 to 3, 2017 the monks of the monastery gathered and elected a successor.  They have scarcely monks with leading experience in their own ranks, and so the community agreed to choose a monk from the neighboring monastery of Ndanda, Fr Sylvanus Kessy (51).  He was for many years prior under two abbots and priest of the big parish of the abbey as well: a man with experience and  discretion. He accepted the huge task in Peramiho only after some hesitation – proof for his careful prudence. Now he will lead Peramiho for three years as “Prior Administrator”. Then it will mean for the monks again to line up for election.

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