Over the years the Maryknollers who have lived among the
Sukuma people of Shinyanga, Tanzania have been touched by their gentle ways. In
seeking to make them more Christian like us, we find ourselves becoming more
Christian like them. Without even realizing it, we have become more patient and
less hurried than typical Americans. Hospitality and greetings have become
second nature to us. Respect for the sanctity of human life and the ultimate
importance of human relationships has drawn us closer to the path of our Lord.
In a very real sense, we have become "natives" of Shinyanga having been born
into our missionary vocations here and having been fulfilled in our priestly and
brotherly lives here. We are grateful to God for having been sent among the
Sukuma Ethnic Group. In sum, Father Charlie Callahan who is the first
Maryknoller to be buried in the soil of Shinyanga and the first priest to be
interred in the grounds of the new Mater Misericordiae Cathedral, once told me,
"The Sukuma are the most beautiful people in all of Africa, maybe the most
beautiful people that God has ever made. We have been blessed to have been sent
to live among them, to share the joy of our faith with them, and to die knowing
that we and the Sukuma people have learned to love one another."