”Do you still have the longing?”

“Do you still have the longing?” This question ran through the homilies of Provincial Fr Markus Hau, which he gave on the occasion of the profession celebrations in Vallendar. A first and five temporal professions were made by five African confreres and one from Germany at the University in Vallendar. The six brothers are part of the new intercultural community led by Regens Father Norbert Possmann SAC.

It was a question that is helpful and that helps on the spiritual path: Do you still have the longing? Father Markus Hau SAC meant to put an emphasis on this question as it leads to the core of a vocation. “In our times, many people tend to ask themselves: Do we need that at all? A promise?”, the Provincial knows. But in a time of crisis that everyone is experiencing at the moment, such a profession also provides a space of freedom, Father Hau is convinced. When all previous securities are destroyed, it is an experience of freedom to take one’s life elsewhere. This is what the six brothers have now done in renewing their professions and having first-time profession respectively.

With his first profession, brother Athanasius Onyegesi Chidiebere (centre) completed his novitiate at Sunday Mass on October 16th. The 35-year-old Nigerian completed his postulancy in Cameroon and then studied philosophy there as well as theology in Nigeria.

On the same weekend, several confreres made their temporary profession at Vespers on the previous Saturday evening: 31-year-old brother Patrick Okechukqwu Okeke from southern Nigeria (front right), 27-year-old brother Celestine Chukwubuikem Nwafocha from Nigeria (front 2nd from right), 30-year-old brother Gabriel Michael Yotamu from Malawi (back left), 25-year-old brother Blessings Patrick Chagunda from Malawi (back 3rd from left) and 30-year-old brother Patrick Stortz from the Black Forest in Germany.

The celebrations at the university community in Vallendar, presided over by Provincial Fr Markus Hau SAC, were also attended by former Provincial Fr Helmut Scharler SAC (front left), the co-ordinator of the intercultural community Fr John Ndidi SAC (front 3rd from left) and (back from right) Regens Fr Norbert Possmann SAC, Vice-Provincial Fr Björn Schacknies SAC and Novice Master Fr Jak Wasensteiner SAC. In addition, the confreres were accompanied by brother Vinzent Obi SAC (back 2nd from left) and brother Ramesh Bilwal SAC, who have already made their temporary professions.

Report: Alexander Schweda
Translation: Steffi Wolf