When I returned to my parish in Tanzania after a
journey to the United States to be with my mother Virginia during her serious
sickness and death, the local Christians gave me plenty of “pole” (the Swahili
equivalent of “sympathy” or “condolence”). My good friends, Thomas and Sophia,
at whose marriage I had officiated, came to express sympathy and show me their
new baby, born when I was away. “Padri,” Thomas said, “in our African tradition
when a person dies, he or she does not just disappear but becomes part of the
living-dead and remains part of our community. We often name the next child
after the deceased to preserve an ongoing memory. We want to baptize our newborn
girl with the name Virginia to continue your mother’s presence. At that moment
Sophia put little Virginia into my arms and said, “Your mother wants to greet
you.” Tears came to my eyes, but I was very happy.