For the missionary in Africa Holy Week is the busiest time
of the year and the peak of the church’s liturgical season. When Father Joe
Reinhart scheduled weddings and baptisms on Easter Monday in Musoma, Tanzania he
didn’t bargain for the many celebrations and feasts to follow. After a long
liturgy of over three hours on a hot day he started making the rounds of parties
and meals. Rice is served on special feasts and everyone waits for the first
cold soft drinks. Joe wanted to stop in at every celebration, but always was a
little bit late. Try as he could he always ended up at homes when the nicely
cooked rice had cooled down and without refrigerators the cold soda had gotten
warm. But he had been waiting for years for some of these people to be married
in church so this particular day he didn’t mind cold rice and hot soda.