Spiritual nourishment: Vibrant Mass energizes African delegation headed to congress

By Margaret Nelson
Special to The Criterion

More than 200 people were caught up in the spirited prayer, music, drums and dancing of the African Mass. They gathered on Aug. 20 at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Indianapolis to bless delegates who will represent the archdiocese at the African National Eucharistic Congress in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 2-3.

The presider at the African Gaba Mass was Father Uzoma Uwakwe from Nigeria, who has been serving at Holy Spirit Parish in Indianapolis. Concelebrants were Father Gerald Okeke from Nigeria, visiting priest at St. Lawrence Parish in Indianapolis; Father Steven Schwab,

pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Indianapolis; and Father Kenneth Taylor, director of the Office of Multicultural Ministry and pastor of Holy Angels Parish in Indianapolis. Robert Decker, parish life coordinator at St. Andrew, assisted.

In his homily, Father Uwakwe said, “The Eucharist gives us the strength to continue our journey to the Promised Land.

“Christ is trying to use us to transform the world to a place of love, a place of unity, a place of peace,” he said.

While the worship aid offered English translations, African natives read and sang in their languages used in Africa—Acholi, Ateso, French, Igbo, Mina, Luganda, Swahili and Zulu. The assembly was encouraged to participate in the offertory chorus, “Let’s go to offer our gifts to the Lord” (“Twende tumutolee sadaka Mungu wetu”), and a thanksgiving song, “We are saying thank you” (“Twaseme Asante”), in Swahili; responses to the Our Father in Ateso, and the recessional, “Farewell” (“Mweraba”), in Luganda.

During the entrance procession, narrator Connie Morris explained that the Word of God was carried in an African food basket to remind those assembled that the Scriptures are the source of their spiritual nourishment.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Taylor led the assembly in a “blessing and sending off” for the delegates to follow the African tradition of having the elders offer special blessings to travelers. He explained that this first U.S. congress for African Catholics will make history.

“I wouldn’t let anything like that happen without Indianapolis being there,” he said. The assembly responded with hearty applause.

Ten delegates from Indianapolis-area parishes will join Father Taylor to represent the archdiocese at the African congress: Alexander Ogbuh of St. Michael

the Archangel Parish and Sally Stovall, from Holy Angels, both from Nigeria; Christine Kateregga of Holy Spirit, Tarsis Kyewalabye of St. Andrew, Immaculate Heart of Mary Reparatrix Sister Christine Nantaba of Holy Angels and Claudio Ssekabira of Holy Angels, all from Uganda; Loyce Moore and Connie Morris of Holy Angels, Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa Demetria Smith of SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral Parish, and Linda Hirsch of St. Pius X Parish, all with American origins.

One of the delegates, Sally Stovall from Nigeria, serves on the pastoral council and is chair of the finance committee at Holy Angels. She also is a member of the archdiocesan African Catholic Ministry.

“This is the first time a national convention has been held so that we can meet other African Catholics living in the U.S.,” said Stovall. “We can attend workshops and socialize to see what we can do to help improve our parish ministries.”

Another delegate, Sister Christine, came from Uganda in 1991 and is now a computer teacher at Holy Angels School. The chair of the African Catholic Ministry, she feels honored that the U.S. bishops have reached out to offer this first African convention.

“Many of us have been here a long time,” said Sister Christine. “We have been members of the Church, but this congress recognizes us as valued members.”

“We will look for the message they are going to give us,” she said.

Sister Christine will watch for presentations on the Eucharist, the Bible and youth ministry at the congress.

“I get really concerned about raising children here,” she said, hoping she can “help people raise their children to retain their African culture with close ties to their Catholic faith.”

Alexander Ogbuh, a member of St. Michael Parish who is from Nigeria, is also one of the delegates. He sang with the choir, explaining, “It was just formed for the liturgy because we believe in the African system of worship that goes with the Mass.”

He hopes the congress will bring him “spiritual upliftment” and help with his effort to spread the faith.

Evangelization has been important to him since his great-grandfather passed the faith to him, making him “Catholic from my core.” His father became Catholic in Nigeria in 1933.

After the Mass, a meal was served that included foods from their homeland. The Global Children danced barefoot, later pulling their parents and other onlookers to join them, according to African custom. A fashion show featured more than 40 outfits for women, men and children as the narrator told of the occasions for which the native attire is appropriate.

The audience laughed when they learned that Father Taylor’s two-piece “ebube agu” outfit with matching “opu aze” hat were the attire of a “rich man.”

(Margaret Nelson is a member of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Indianapolis.) †