10 August 2007
The 2007 Summer International Experience in Ghana has come to end for the Holy Cross College students and they have now returned to the states. As I watched them walk into the airport after saying our goodbyes I knew that my experience was just beginning. It will not be a 2 1/2 week immersion into the culture of Ghana, but rather a year of my life devoted to the mission of the Holy Cross Brothers in Ghana. I can no longer find shelter from a large group of my countrymen. I recognize that I am a foreigner here. Ghana is not my home, but as a lay member of the Congregation of Holy Cross I am a part of a community to be found here.
Each day that I pray, eat, converse, work, and relax with the Brothers I am pulled closer to the vision of the Venerable Fr. Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross. A vision of life where professed religious and lay persons form intimate relationships and strive together to fulfill their mission of educating hearts and minds as well as the greater mission of preparing this world for the kingdom of God.
Of course to keep this in mind all day every day is quite a difficult task. I am an individual who struggles to stay consistent with my prayers and to always keep God in my thoughts. However, this is one of the greatest aspects of being close to the Brothers. Their commitment to prayer and service inspires me to work harder each day and to consistently keep God at the center of my life.
This is just the beginning of this experience and I have much more time to reflect and prepare before I begin teaching at the Home of Hope in late September. I shall do my very best to update this blog twice a week to keep all who are interested informed as to what the experience of a Moreau Fellow, or HCSC member, is like. So until next time Nyame Inshirawu! God Bless you!
- JD
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District of West Africa
Jay Dunne and his students
This is a typical room, very nice!
This is our dining room
scene from Cape Coast
with Cardinal Turkson
The Retreat Center where we stay
Mary Miller with her pupils
Republic of Ghana
Brothers of Holy Cross - Midwest Province
District of West Africa
Holy Cross Service Corps
The Holy Cross Service Corps is one of the newest endeavors of Holy Cross College. HCSC is a post-graduate service program housed in the Center for International Programs. The concept for the year of voluntary service was born out of the enthusiasm exhibited by our students returning from their International Experience. So many of our students return saying the same thing, “I want to go back!” HCSC gives our graduates the incredible opportunity to return to the sites of their International Experience to help advance the mission of the Brothers of Holy Cross.
In July of 2007 the inaugural volunteer for the Holy Cross Service Corps left the United States for a year of service alongside the Brothers in Ghana, West Africa. The undertaking was a complete success and will spur the growth of this exciting new program to include our other International Experience sites. A great deal of work will be done throughout this year to continue to structure this program so that our graduates may continue the mission of Holy Cross which “sends us across borders of every sort.”
HCSC Mission Statement
The mission of the Holy Cross Service Corps is to provide volunteers, or Moreau Fellows, named after the founder of the Holy Cross Congregation Fr. Basil Moreau, with an opportunity to improve their personal relationships with Jesus Christ through service, simple-living, and prayer. The goal of HCSC is to establish a more intimate relationship between the professed brethren and the laity all the while advancing the mission of the Holy Cross brothers as educators in the faith.
In July of 2007 the inaugural volunteer for the Holy Cross Service Corps left the United States for a year of service alongside the Brothers in Ghana, West Africa. The undertaking was a complete success and will spur the growth of this exciting new program to include our other International Experience sites. A great deal of work will be done throughout this year to continue to structure this program so that our graduates may continue the mission of Holy Cross which “sends us across borders of every sort.”
HCSC Mission Statement
The mission of the Holy Cross Service Corps is to provide volunteers, or Moreau Fellows, named after the founder of the Holy Cross Congregation Fr. Basil Moreau, with an opportunity to improve their personal relationships with Jesus Christ through service, simple-living, and prayer. The goal of HCSC is to establish a more intimate relationship between the professed brethren and the laity all the while advancing the mission of the Holy Cross brothers as educators in the faith.
Jay Dunne and his students
The Ghana Global Immersion Experience
This is a 17 day experience in Ghana, a culture ancient yet ever-changing, poor yet developing. In that land are some of the most significant sites in the history of the world. For example, we visit the slave prisons that held millions of Africans when the coast of Ghana was the center of the slave trade, beginning in the 1500's. We spend time with church officials, like Ghana's only Cardinal, Peter Kodwo Turkson. And we spend much time at the retreat center where the Holy Cross Brothers share their life with us. Below are some pictures. Also, fyi, the emergency contact with us in Ghana:
Brother Paul Mensah, CSC
Telephone: 011-233-910-1624 or
011-233-42-91482
Mobile: 011-233-20-834-4631
His email is: pkmensahcsc@yahoo.com
Brother Paul Mensah, CSC
Telephone: 011-233-910-1624 or
011-233-42-91482
Mobile: 011-233-20-834-4631
His email is: pkmensahcsc@yahoo.com
This is a typical room, very nice!
This is our dining room
scene from Cape Coast
with Cardinal Turkson
The Retreat Center where we stay
Mary Miller with her pupils
Of course, the trip is about more than history, and so we will encounter more than anything else the beautiful people of Ghana and the indomitable Ghanaian spirit. A phrase that will be heard often coming from the local children is "Bruni, Bruni!" meaning, "hey white people!" It is quite an experience to be in the minority, but they make us feel quite welcome.
Another important aspect of the program is to experience the amazing Holy Cross Brothers. They show us a hospitality and friendship beyond what we could hope for. We begin each day by joining them for morning Mass in the beautiful Brother Andre Chapel, and they brighten each day by accompanying us on our journeys.
We will also visit the world famous Kakum Rain Forest, home to a unique canopy walk--rope bridges that allow us to walk the treetops. Are you ready?!
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2 comments:
Jay,
Griff here. Back from Peru. An amazing trip. I want to be the first to comment on this blog as you continue to share your joys and hopes there. God bless you. We are with you! We at HCC are so PROUD that you are beginning this new era of lay collaboration fo us. May peace and joy be with you, Nyame adom.
Jay,
You have been a great example to all of us and I will anxiously await your posts from Ghana throughout the coming year. You have my prayers and best wishes. Take good care of all the Brothers for us! ;)
Kira
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