I arrived in Senegal nearly a year ago, as part of my CICM internship within the province of Central Africa and the West. The context of my first contact with Senegalese society was unique. It was early 2012, and the country was in the midst of a crisis leading up to the 2012 presidential elections. Indeed, there had been a period of such impassioned political protest—primarily surrounding the unprecedented efforts of its president of ten years to subvert the constitution and manipulate a third term for himself—that the country was in turmoil. There were daily demonstrations, random fires and vandalization in the streets, and even clashes between the police and citizens. This was quite an intense moment in which to first encounter Senegalese society. The Church, though outside of the politics of a particular place, is of course engaged with the needs of its faithful. As such, programs focused on education in Justice and Peace were certainly considered useful and supportive of Senegal’s democratic impulse.
The missionary internship process of integration provides time for learning the local language and culture. So one of my first tasks was to begin a course in basic Wolof, which is the native language of about 40% of the country, and spoken as a second language by nearly the entire remaining Senegalese population. Beyond my language course, the internship program also featured visits to various communities where I would work with CICM colleagues.
My first insertion was in the parish of Saint Abraham Guédiawaye, in the Archdiocese of Dakar. Located in the suburbs of Dakar, it is an area where political gatherings and public protests are common—we would call it an atmosphere of “a medium boil.” In this parish, I was invited to accompany fellow priests as an acolyte during Eucharistic celebrations. Over time and through my visiting different areas of the parish, I got to know some other aspects of Senegalese society—beyond the political demonstrations. First, there were other major problems facing Senegal; the people were dealing with rising unemployment and inflation, the regular interruption of services (power, sewer, etc), poverty, and broken family structures. But despite all those realities, I still also easily observed joy on the faces of people living in and belonging to a society marked by the value of hospitality.
After three months of language training the pastor, Fr. Charles Ilunga, cicm, asked me to accompany the group of altar servers of the parish. My primary role was educational: making sure the training was sufficient and the duties were managed and carried out correctly. This group is relatively straightforward to manage because its purpose is well defined and limited. However, the political climate that is such a factor in the daily lives of these parishioners could not be ignored. We saw it as the backdrop for expanding their program beyond liturgical and biblical training. Infusing the dimension of justice and peace into our encounters serves to acknowledge the reality and concerns of the people, while working together and forming solutions and bonds within a faith context. We began holding more discussion forums for the group—commonly referred to as “tea talks”—and these attracted a lot of young people.
The issues affecting the practical realities of a population are certainly reflected in its church. It is our unique ability to facilitate fellowship and the application of the Gospel values toward a community’s concerns that is vital.
This vitality was demonstrated for me during the parish’s annual “Day of Mass Servants.” Each year, the altar servers organize a day of prayer and reflection to fortify their relationships, renew their commitments, and also to reflect on the community’s current concerns. This past year’s event theme translates as: “Lord Jesus, let the love I have for you be not only words, but service rendered.”
The day began with a Eucharistic celebration followed by a discussion led by an altar boy. During this meeting, we could read the level of anxiety these young people had for their country’s situation. They expressed concern over intolerance and the lack of peace. Particularly for those who had reached the legal voting age, the imperative was to go to the polls in an effort to thwart the advance of those seeking to violate the country’s democratic institutions. It was altogether a beautiful day, crowned by a beautiful theatrical presentation assembled to further illustrate the peaceful and democratic recommendations made by these young people.
With so many African countries having not yet reached a high level of democratic culture, the desire of this group to see their country achieve positive change and growth was so touching. This retreat was an opportunity for me to experience a new vision of my ministry. My insertion here allowed me to align myself with these young people, and share the essential dimension of justice and peace with them. It has been an incredibly meaningful and enriching experience. As my commitment to follow Christ carries me forward, I will recall the importance of solidarity with the concerns of the people I serve. “Open your mouth on behalf of the mute, and for the rights of the destitute; Open your mouth, decree what is just, defend the needy and poor.” (Prov. 31:8-9)
Eric Tonduangu Nzuzi, cicm
Guédiawaye, Senegal
Brother Eric Tonduangu Nzuzi, cicm, is a native of the Democratic Rep. of Congo who joined Missionhurst-CICM in 2008. He was sent to mission in Senegal in 2011, and writes regarding this first insertion of his internship.
