Theme:      

Sub Theme:

Culture, Eucharist, Gifts, Humor, Mission

Author/City/Country:

Father Joseph Healey, M.M. / Nairobi / Kenya

Genre/Type:

True Story

Locale:

Kenya

Publication Information:

Story Text:

            The Maryknoll Society celebrated its 100^th Anniversary as part of the mass on World Mission Sunday at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi, Kenya on October 23, 2011. During the Offertory Procession the Main Celebrant Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin, the Apostolic Nuncio (representative of the pope) received the gifts: First, some specific gifts representing different aspects of mission: a globe, a bible, a candle, a plant in a pot. Then following our local African tradition members of St. Joseph Small Christian Community (who were responsible for the ushering, readings and taking the collection for this mass) brought up their gifts for the self-reliance of the parish:  a bunch of bananas, packets of corn meal, cooking oil and finally six rolls of white toilet paper in a clear plastic packet. The archbishop respectively received the rolls of toilet paper and handed them to the altar server who carried them to the corner of the sanctuary and placed them on the floor with the other gifts. We priests concelebrants were standing together on the side. Father John Conway, M.M. turned to me and whispered, “An incarnational moment.”