"A good harvest does not grow with ease; the more diligent the farmer, the more bountiful the crop."
- Ugandan Proverb My time in Uganda revolved around the patience, love, and care that inherently are a part of the culture because these characteristics are pieces of the history emanate throughout every facet of Ugandan life from the smallest tasks to the largest institutions. The following pages will attempt to share how I have processed the experiences that I had while living in spiritual community at St. Jude Thaddeus Parish and teaching at St. Joseph's Secondary School. Through my reflection on the issues of poverty and development that I witnessed and my attempts to incorporate the five integral pillars of the Holy Cross into not only my summer, but my everyday life, I was able to take the journey of a lifetime that is impossible to condense into one website, but here goes nothing...
|
Spirit"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery." - Anais Nin
|
Sports"In life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are." - Arnold H. Glasow
|
Music"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we're all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music" - Billy Joel
|
When the Congregation of the Holy Cross took on the task of education in East Africa, their goal was to build up the local church in Uganda through pastoral work and education. But they could not do this without molding their missions around Ugandan culture. In both the pastoral work and education services, the Congregation of the Holy Cross ties itself to the community through spirituality in practice, music as an expression of praise, and sports (particularly football, or soccer as Americans know it) as a way to gather community around one passion. Similarly, they bring these facets of culture into their educational work in the two secondary schools administered by the Brothers that cater to students who could not otherwise afford an education. Through all of this, the Congregation embodies the charge given to them by Blessed Basil Moreau...
"to make God known, loved, and served and thus save souls"
- Blessed Basil Moreau
- Blessed Basil Moreau