Timothy Patrick Dore (Fray Teo): 1992

Thursday, April 2, 1992

Ghana Paper, Chapter One: Formulation/Preparation of Internship

AN EXPERIENCE OF MINISTRY IN THE THIRD WORLD: THE FRANCISCAN COMMUNITY SERVICES AND THE INBREAKING OF GOD'S KINGDOM. A PASTORAL REFLECTION PAPER SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE WASHINGTON THEOLOGICAL UNION IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF DIVINITY, BY TIMOTHY PATRICK DORE, OFM CONV., APRIL 1992

CHAPTER ONE

Formulation of, and Preparation for, the Pastoral Internship

The possibility of doing a pastoral internship with the Franciscan Community Services (FCS) of Ghana, West Africa, was first presented to me in January of 1991. The FCS, a ministry which primarily serves victims of leprosy, has been an acclaimed mission effort of the Province of St. Anthony of Padua, Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv.). The Province, which has had a mission in Ghana since 1977, continues to support and encourage the endeavors of its foreign missionaries. As a member of the Province, I had heard many stories about its mission in Ghana and about the lifestyles of its missionaries there. The story of Brother Vincent Vivian, OFM Conv., founder of the FCS, had been particularly inspiring.

I was told that the minister provincial and others hoped that an interest in the Ghana mission might be stimulated by sending a student there for an internship experience. Although always interested in "the missions," when asked to consider this possibility I was initially surprised and genuinely afraid to say yes. After a period of discernment (including consultation with those familiar with the Province's mission in Ghana and the disease of leprosy), I made the decision in late February to apply for the pastoral internship with the FCS. It was left to me to do all of the necessary groundwork, including to have the site approved by the Washington Theological Union (W.T.U.). Because no internship program for students had previously been in place with the FCS, key people on site had to be contacted and their cooperation sought.

The then minister provincial of the Province of St. Anthony of Padua, Father Daniel Pietrzak, OFM Conv., suggested that Brother Vincent, and Sister Patricia Pearson, Daughter of Mary and Joseph (DMJ), might be available to act as supervisors for the internship. Father Daniel suggested that Sister Pat might be interested in acting as the "primary supervisor" as Brother Vincent, he said, would be too busy to take on another job at the time. It was my responsibility to contact these people by mail and request their support. I had briefly met Brother Vincent a number of years earlier during one of his "home visits" to the United States. We were not well acquainted. I had never met Sister Pat, but had heard about her through the stories of others. Based on my knowledge of Brother Vincent and Sister Pat, and the work that they had done among victims of leprosy, I was enthusiastic about the possibility of working with them.

Before writing to Ghana, the advice and assistance of Father Placid Kaczorek, OFM Conv., former director of the Province of St. Anthony of Padua's Mission Association, was sought. Father Placid was able to provide practical help and direction in putting together a proposal for the pastoral internship. Together, Father Placid and I drew up a placement profile and a tentative work-learning contract. This was no easy task--as I was not at all familiar with the site and Father Placid was not well-versed in the demands of the W.T.U. program. In addition to this, we were formulating a program without the immediate input of those who would later serve as its directors; the very nature of the task was presumptuous. The placement profile and tentative work-learning contract were sent to Brother Vincent and Sister Pat along with letters requesting their supervision. After a preliminary meeting with Father John Wagenhofer O.F.M., (chairman of pastoral studies at W.T.U.) and an affirmative response from Brother Vincent and Sister Pat, the placement site was given final approval in late April.

Having no experience traveling to a tropical climate or the Third World, I soon discovered that there were many things to do to prepare (physical exam, various vaccinations, visa and passport and purchase of travel items). On 2 June, 1991, I departed the United States for the long air journey to Ghana. Including flight time and airport layover time, the trip took approximately twenty-four hours.

It was my desire to use the pastoral internship to learn as much as possible about the Third World, "the missionary life," the province's efforts within Ghana, Brother Vincent's ministry among victims of leprosy, the work of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph, the Franciscan Community Services, and the cultural situation into which I was going. I wanted to have a realistic missionary experience that might serve to stimulate further interest in a missionary vocation. My attitude and approach, right from the moment that I decided to go to Ghana, was one of openness to "whatever happens." Outside of my own Western biases, I had no specific expectations or agendas. In fact, it was not until after my arrival that I realized how very easy it is to compare everything to Western standards.

The program that was formulated for the internship, with the help of Father Placid, and including my own input, was generally flexible. When the actual internship began, under the supervision of Sister Pat, it became apparent that flexibility was crucial to the success of the program. The experience that the internship offered was multi-faceted. Because of my desire to experience all of the various aspects of the Franciscan Community Services, it was decided early that a "rigid" work-learning contract would not work. Although a tentative work-learning contract had been drawn up with the assistance of Father Placid, it was revised shortly after the internship began. The work-learning contract, as it evolved, provided general guidelines for activities in which I was to be involved.

As it unfolded, the internship was primarily concerned with ministry to various peoples who have suffered in some way because of leprosy (this included a number of different services directed toward children, adults, the elderly and the disabled). In addition to leprosy related ministries, the internship provided the opportunity of service to a cross-section of the local population (this included outreach efforts, the offering of retreats, scripture services and spiritual conferences and "youth ministry" in the village of Ankaful). Another important dimension of the program was simply that of a general ministry of "presence" to the missioners on site.

Methods of Record Keeping

I believed that it was important to keep an ongoing record of my experience during the internship. The internship itself was a process upon which I desired to engage in ongoing reflection. It was also my desire to have a record which could later be used to reflect upon the experience. Several means of record keeping were employed during the internship. These were: an ongoing (although not daily) journal which was kept in a spiral notebook, a daily calendar on which were recorded the significant events of each day, weekly reports which were turned in to Sister Pat, ongoing use of a photo and video camera and the collection of notes, leaflets, clippings from newspapers and other "souvenir" items.

The journal helped as a means to process the experiences that I had; it also served as a thorough record of my feelings and reactions during the internship. The daily calendar was most helpful as an aid to review the week in preparation for the weekly reports written each Sunday evening. The weekly reports often served to focus the discussions during supervisory sessions (as well as at other times). The photos and the videos later served as a means by which I could look back and recall specific events and the persons involved. Later examination of the other selected items that were collected has enabled me to have vivid recollections of various events (those items have a practical anamnestic value).

Theoretical Assumptions

It was my desire at every phase of the internship to keep an open mind (personally, academically, spiritually and emotionally). I had been advised that if I went to Ghana with a judgmental attitude, or with an unwillingness to accept the differences of a non-Western culture, then I would learn nothing (and perhaps become disillusioned in the process). As stated earlier, when the commitment was made to the internship, I made a conscious decision to accept "whatever happens." Although this was not always easy, in the end, I believe that I was very successful with this resolution. Retrospectively, it is clear that transcending my Western biases and assumptions was never really accomplished. I had a number of negative, as well as positive, theoretical assumptions.

From a negative perspective, I had the following assumptions: I believed that the relationship between problems of developing nations and the consumeristic ethic of the so-called "First World" were generally exaggerated; I had simplistic notions about the disease of leprosy and about ministry to the poorest of the world's poor; I was idealistic (even arrogant) in my understanding of mission theology and I assumed that the "African Roman Catholic Church" must be "in-line with Rome."

From a positive perspective, I had the following assumptions: I believed that individuals (especially Christians) from wealthier nations have an obligation to provide aid to those who live in poorer nations; I assumed that the work done by missioners among victims of leprosy in Ghana has been a credible witness of Christian faith in action; I enthusiastically believed that the primary call of the missionary is that of evangelization and I believed that, as part of a "universal" faith community, I could actively participate in the faith experience of those whom I would meet.

Another significant assumption had to do with my understanding of "poverty." Poverty, from a Western perspective, is defined according to material possessions. A Ghanaian understanding of poverty probably will not be defined from this Western point of view. I assumed a Western mentality which would judge a situation that lacks standard first world conveniences as "extremely poor." This became an important focus of much of my reflection during and after the pastoral internship. The questions that surfaced because of this assumption also became a focus of this paper.

I now realize that most of my assumptions were framed within my limited world-view (i.e., they were, and probably continue to be, seen through a "First World" optic). From a positive perspective, I believe that all of my assumptions were filtered by my decision in the internship to accept "whatever happens." It was primarily because of my commitment to this principle, and the support that others gave to me in living up to it, that the internship was successful.

Ghana Paper, Chapter Two: Description of Placement

CHAPTER TWO

Description of Pastoral Internship Placement

A Brief History

Early unsuccessful Mission Efforts in the Gold Coast

The first Roman Catholic presence came to the West African country known as the Gold Coast (modern day Ghana) with Portuguese traders in 1471. (1) The Portuguese soon established a trade center at Elmina, a coastal city located approximately 150 kilometres to the west of Accra (the present day capital of Ghana). These traders, more interested in expanding their own wealth than in bringing Christianity to the indigenous populations, did little to stimulate the limited Christian missionary efforts in the area. Between the late fifteenth and early nineteenth centuries, missionary efforts in the region were further frustrated by the competition among the Portuguese, Dutch, Danes and English over the West Africa trade (including the slave trade).

The history of Christianity in the Gold Coast between 1471 and 1880 shows that there were numerous briefly successful, but ultimately fruitless, Roman Catholic missionary endeavors. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there were spirited, although highly limited, missionary efforts in the Gold Coast. (2) Evangelically minded religious Orders that sent missionaries to the Gold Coast during that time included the Augustinians (circa 1572-76) and the Capuchins (circa 1637-84). At least three of the Augustinians were eventually martyred and the Capuchins ultimately abandoned their efforts demoralized and without success. In addition to the problems created because of rivalries among European powers in West Africa, there were many reasons for the lack of missionary success during that time. The efforts of the early missionaries had been thwarted by local suspicion as well as by religious, political and economic turmoil generated in West Africa by European powers. The slave trade, a moral problem in itself, served to inhibit evangelization as well.

Two other significant reasons for the failure of European missionaries was their lack of sensitivity to African culture and to their haughty assumption that European culture was the most refined on earth. Thus, the limited work of missionaries during that time was ultimately ineffective. Commenting on the Church's historical approach to missionary activity, Peter Kwasi Sarpong, the current Roman Catholic bishop of Kumasi (Ghana), notes that early missionary activity in the Gold Coast was adversely affected by the then common European sense of superiority over different cultures. Sarpong notes that such a stance "makes nonsense of evangelization." (3)

The First Successful Mission Efforts in the Gold Coast

Although Protestants had made successful missionary efforts in the Gold Coast after 1828, (4) it was not until 1880 that serious and sustained Roman Catholic missionary efforts took root. In 1856 the Society of African Missions (SMA) (5) was founded in Lyons, France with the specific purpose of bringing the Gospel to the people of Africa. Because West Africa became a specific focus of the SMA effort, the Gold Coast consequently was entrusted to its apostolic efforts in 1880. On 18 May, 1880 August Moreau and Eugene Murat, both SMA priests, arrived at historic Elmina to begin what would be the first successful Roman Catholic mission to Ghana. (6)

Throughout the history of missionary activity in the Gold Coast, many missioners have fallen ill and/or died. In spite of these grim facts, the efforts of Protestants after 1828 and Roman Catholics after 1880 have been highly successful. The threat of illness and death has not kept away those desiring to bring the Gospel to the Gold Coast. About the courage of the first successful missionaries to the Gold Coast, F.M. Bourret notes that "hundreds of men volunteered for work in a land best known in England as the 'white man's grave'." (7) About their efforts and achievements, Bourret adds that they "left behind them a record of what was often heroic devotion and zeal in their work of evangelization." (8) These efforts, especially after 1880, bore fruit in the eventual establishment of a permanent Roman Catholic presence in the Gold Coast.

The Establishment of the Roman Catholic Church in the Gold Coast

By the turn of the century, it was necessary to establish an official Roman Catholic administrative church body in the Gold Coast. In 1901, the Gold Coast Vicariate was established at Cape Coast. (9) The first bishop given the responsibility of overseeing the vicariate was Maximilian Albert. Albert, a German SMA priest, was installed at Cape Coast on 12 May, 1901. (10) The Gold Coast Vicariate was forerunner of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast established in 1950. In present day Ghana there are two archdioceses and seven dioceses all of which have native bishops. The Roman Catholic population of modern day Ghana is over one and a half million. (11) As in other parts of Africa, the Ghanaian Catholic and Protestant churches continue to grow. In 1990 there were almost 50,000 Ghanaians baptized into the Roman Catholic faith. (12)

The Conventual Franciscan Mission to Ghana

At the present time, the Archdiocese of Cape Coast is an important center of the Roman Catholic Church in the country. It was to this Archdiocese that American members of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (13) came as missionaries in early March of 1977. (14) These Conventual Franciscan friars came to the Archdiocese of Cape Coast on the official invitation of Archbishop John Kodwo Amissah (d. September 1991). Describing the key motive for this mission endeavor, Roger Haas, an American Conventual historian notes that "the primary task of the Conventuals. . .was the establishment of the presence of the Order in Ghana." (15) While this motive may have been the initial reason for the beginning of the Conventual mission it was not long before the friars became involved in ministries of direct service to the poor.

Brother Vincent's Ministry to Victims of Leprosy

One of the original Conventual Franciscan missionaries, Brother Vincent Vivian (b. 22 March, 1948), soon began a ministry as a chaplain among victims of leprosy (16) at the Ankaful Leprosarium (17) --a state run leprosy hospital located near the village of Ankaful (for a map of the area, see Appendix A). What began as a ministry to leprosy patients at the Ankaful Leprosarium soon included an outreach to the unfortunate residents of the nearby Ankaful leprosy camp (a settlement located away from the leprosarium and just outside of the village of Ankaful). It was because of Brother Vincent's initial work with these people, the unfortunate victims of a misunderstood disease, that an energetic ministry to people with leprosy was founded within the Archdiocese of Cape Coast. Eventually, this ministry included the efforts of additional friars, including Ghanaians who had been received into the Order.

Brother Vincent's Early Accomplishments

The work that Brother Vincent did with victims of leprosy between 1977 and 1982 was aggressive and highly productive. During those years he established an infirmary, a children's home, a day nursery, a sewing school, a farming unit and various outreach programs. In 1980, Brother Vincent founded Ahotokurom, a small service oriented "village" located in a rural area and about nine kilometres away from Ankaful (see map, Appendix A). Many of the endeavors that Brother Vincent had begun at the Ankaful leprosy camp, were gradually moved to the Ahotokurom location.

Key Locations of Ministerial Activity

Ankaful

Ankaful, a small village with a population of about one thousand is located a few kilometres from historic Elmina (see map, Appendix A). In the immediate vicinity of Ankaful there is a contagious disease prison, a minimum security prison, a psychiatric hospital, a leprosarium and a leprosy camp. In the village, a typical family dwelling is a one-room, mud brick (18) and tin roof house with no electricity or plumbing. There are three public standpipes (i.e., spigots) where for a small fee, villagers can draw "city water" (which is piped from Cape Coast). By materialistic Western standards, the poverty of Ankaful is tremendous, however the standard of living there is typical for Ghana (and for West Africa in general).

Located in the midst of the Muslim community of Ankaful is a small compound centered around a friary (19) known as "Kolbe House." (20) The friary, which houses Conventual Franciscan Friars, has four bedrooms, a community room, a dining room, a kitchen, a washroom and a small inner courtyard; adjacent to the friary is a chapel, a guesthouse and two small storage buildings. The buildings situated within this compound were constructed with sturdy concrete blocks and have electricity and indoor plumbing.

The Ankaful Leprosy Camp

The Ankaful leprosy camp, home to approximately two hundred people, is located a short distance outside of Ankaful Village. The leprosy camp is on government property near the leprosarium but is not actually sponsored by the government. Those who reside in the leprosy camp are former patients (and their families) of the leprosarium. Many of these former leprosy patients have suffered the advanced stages of the disease and are now disabled and/or disfigured. For various reasons these people are not able to return to their own villages. These reasons include the following: the great amount of time that these people have been away from their home-villages, the prohibitive expense of travelling and the age-old superstitions about the disease of leprosy. The leprosy camp, which likely resembles isolation settlements typical in ancient times, is a highly impoverished place. Although there is a standpipe providing water for the residents, there are no permanent structures in the leprosy camp. Most of the houses in the leprosy camp have been constructed according to the most primitive methods. The leprosy camp is a pitiful place, not unlike a refugee camp, where human beings have been reduced to living in the most despicable squalor.

Ahotokurom

In 1980, Brother Vincent desired to remove some of his programs from the Ankaful leprosy camp to a different location. The leprosy camp is congested and affords limited space for the construction of new buildings. It was also feared that, because the camp is on government property, any housing facilities built with plumbing and electricity might later be seized by the government (and consequently, the people forced out). Brother Vincent also hoped to move to a site that would not be seen by the former leprosy patients as an extension of the leprosarium.

After some searching, land was acquired and a service oriented "village" was established. The name given to this village was Ahotokurom which means "serenity village". Ahotokurom, located between the villages of Koful and Attrankwa (see map, Appendix A), is situated on two neighboring tracts of land which together equal thirty acres. The village was established on "stool land" (21) which technically belongs to the chief of the village of Attrankwa. Ahotokurom is the site of a children's home, a day nursery, a nursing home, a farming project, a corn mill, various workshops, and a number of houses--including a spacious convent which houses the Daughters of Mary and Joseph. All of the buildings constructed at Ahotokurom were built with concrete block and have electricity and indoor plumbing. Ahotokurom is an important center of the leprosy rehabilitation efforts of the friars, sisters and their co-workers.

The Daughters of Mary and Joseph

Early in his ministry to victims of leprosy, Brother Vincent desired the assistance of women religious. Brother Vincent believed that women religious could serve as additional spiritual role models for the people within the programs he had founded. The children, he believed, would especially benefit from the "mother image" that such women could provide. In 1980, Brother Vincent officially petitioned the General Chapter of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph (DMJ) to allow interested sisters to come to Ghana. Because of Brother Vincent's request, the first of the DMJ's (22) came from England to work with him in 1982.

The Franciscan Community Services

Brother Vincent founded a ministry which today is called the "Franciscan Community Services" (hereafter, "the FCS"). The FCS is the umbrella organization of various ministerial activities of the Conventual Franciscn Friars, the Daughters of Mary and Joseph and their co-workers. The FCS reaches out to countless peoples in many villages of southern Ghana and its objectives are varied. However, it is fundamentally concerned with ministry to victims of leprosy, to their families, and to the people of the villages surrounding Ankaful. In its service to the community, the FCS does not discriminate against those who are not Roman Catholic. Like other missionary endeavors throughout the world, this ministry, founded by Brother Vincent, has been aided by charitable organizations. This ministry is acutely dependent on foreign aid for its continued success. (23)

The ministries of the FCS includes the following: (A) spiritual guidance for the village of Ankaful, the Ankaful leprosy camp, the village of Ahotokurom, the leprosarium and two prisons; (B) the endeavors of the Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centre (also know as "the project") which include St. Clare's Home for elderly leprosy patients, St. Joseph's Children's Home, St. Elizabeth's Day Care Centre, Pio Clothiers, the Leprosy Camp Welfare Program (including an infirmary and various social services), the Ongoing Education Program, the Corn Mills in Ankaful and Ahotokurom and the St. Francis Animal Husbandry and Crop Farms, and (C) outreach and development efforts based at the community centre in Ankaful.

Spiritual Guidance

In offering spiritual guidance for the village of Ankaful, the Ankaful leprosy camp, the village of Ahotokurom, the leprosy hospital and the two prisons, the friars and sisters give a visible witness of their faith to those to whom they minister. It is hoped that the people will see Christian faith as the center and driving force of all of their activities. These efforts include the celebration of Masses (when possible), communion services, scripture studies, pastoral counseling, prayer groups, general spiritual leadership and "presence" to these communities.

The Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centre

As one component of the FCS, the many ventures of the Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centre (i.e., the project) are far-reaching. The project is fundamentally geared toward service to people who have suffered the effects of the terrible disease of leprosy. In a report written for the 1988 Provincial Chapter of St. Anthony of Padua Province, Brother Vincent described the objectives of the project as follows:

"The primary purpose of the project is to prepare former leprosy patients and their dependents to feel accepted by their families and to be absorbed into the normal society without being regarded as marginalized." (24)

The endeavors of the project are described below.

St. Clare's Home

The St. Clare's Home for the disabled elderly was established at Ahotokurom in 1987. St. Clare's was founded as a service to those victims of leprosy who are disabled and destitute. A person will not be accepted into the program at St. Clare's if care can be provided by the person's family. Many of the patients at St. Clare's have come directly from the leprosy camp or from the leprosarium. While not all of the patients suffer from leprosy, the home is operated primarily for such victims. Between June and August of 1991 there were twenty residents of St. Clare's home.

St. Joseph's Children's Home

St. Joseph's Children's Home (also known as "the child care centre"), began as a venture within the leprosy camp in 1980. The present children's home was constructed at Ahotokurom in 1982. The children's home can house as many as twenty residents (ages birth-15) and cares for young people who are physically or emotionally handicapped, children of disabled leprosy patients or children who are victims of leprosy themselves. Often, the young people who are placed in the children's home have no where else to go--they have been abandoned by their families or have no one who is able to properly care for them. Under some circumstances, children are accepted into the program at St. Joseph's on a short-term basis. Between June and August of 1991 there were eighteen residents of the St. Joseph's home.

St. Elizabeth's Day Nursery

St. Elizabeth's Day Care Centre (also known as "the day nursery"), began as a venture within the leprosy camp in 1980. Since 1982 it has been located at Ahotokurom. The present day nursery building, built in 1984, is the largest building at Ahotokurom. The day nursery serves as a pre-school for children, ages three to five, from at least five neighboring villages. The day nursery is in recess during most of the time between June and August but annually serves nearly two hundred children.

Pio Clothiers

Pio Clothiers (also known as "the Dress Making Centre" or "the DMC") was founded in 1981 as a sewing school for young women from Ankaful and the leprosy camp. (25) Today the school continues to operate in Ankaful and has an enrollment of seventy-eight. The highly successful school, which serves students from at least twenty villages, offers training in sewing and other basic skills (such as English, basic business math and religious education). Those who enroll in the program at the Dress Making Centre are expected to pay a fee of two thousand cedis per term. (26) An important goal of the Dress Making Centre is that of offering its students expertise in this practical trade. The Dress Making Centre is an accredited school which awards certification to graduates of its three year program. Upon graduation, each graduate is given his or her own sewing machine. It is hoped that the graduates of the Dress Making Centre will become productive members of society as well as share their sewing knowledge with people in their own villages.

The Leprosy Camp Welfare Program

The Leprosy Camp Welfare Program is an effort of direct service to the residents of the leprosy camp. In 1980 an infirmary (27) was established in the leprosy camp to serve those who could not care for themselves. The infirmary (which includes "the dressing station," a kitchen, and a number of small houses), was initially begun to care for the sick. The infirmary also provides a means by which the residents are taught proper hygiene and sanitation methods.

The dressing station, a small pavilion-like structure, is the infirmary's first aid station. The dressing station serves all the residents of the leprosy camp without distinction. Each morning, those leprosy patients who have suffered some kind of "breakdown" (28) come to have their wounds dressed and their bandages changed.

The residents of the leprosy camp are also served by various social welfare ministries of the friars and sisters. This includes efforts to pay rents and school fees, construct homes, provide food and material supplies, encourage social and religious activities, provide activities for the youth and countless other services.

The Ongoing Education Program

The Ongoing Education Program is the successor of a housing program for young men (ages 14-21) that had been operated at Kolbe House between 1984 and 1987. Although the young men are no longer housed at Kolbe House, school fees and material needs continue to be provided for those who had lived there. (29) Housing has been found for these former residents in Ankaful Village and a kitchen has been constructed for their use. Many of these young men have been hired as employees of the leprosy project, but the long range goal is to help them to become self-sufficient individuals and productive members of the community.

The Corn Mills

The project sponsors the Eburow Mills at Ankaful and the St. Mark's Corn Mills at Ahotokurom. For a small fee, these mills grind corn and cassava and crush palm nuts for people of the nearby villages and the Ankaful Leprosarium. Because corn, cassava and palm nuts are staple food items in every Ghanaian home, the mills provide a great service to the local populations.

The St. Francis Animal Husbandry and Crop Farms

The St. Francis Animal Husbandry and Crop Farms in Ahotokurom aims to provide food for the various kitchens of the project. (30) When it was founded in 1980 it was hoped that it would provide practical training in modern farming techniques, however this venture has not been as successful as other endeavors of the project. The St. Francis Animal Husbandry and Crop Farms continues to experiment with various farming strategies with the goal of becoming a more successful and productive aspect of the project.

Outreach and Development Efforts of the Community Centre at Ankaful

The community centre at Ankaful and all of its related programs aims to serve the people of Ankaful and the leprosy camp. The community centre includes shops for tailoring, shoemaking, carpentry and weaving, a library, a first-aid station, a chapel, a stage and pavilion for community events and an open park-like area for the enjoyment of the people of the village.

The community centre was created in 1986 at a time when there were great tensions between the residents of Ankaful and the residents of the leprosy camp. When Nana Obora Asankumah III, became the chief of Ankaful in September of 1986, he proclaimed that all leprosy patients had to leave the village and the leprosy camp (which was considered to be part of Ankaful). Nana Asankumah and others believed that the presence of leprosy patients posed a health threat to the village.

Brother Vincent, recognizing that this situation represented a conflict between age-old superstitions about leprosy and modern scientific wisdom about the disease, found himself in the middle of the controversy. He believed that, as followers of St. Francis, the friars were obligated to take a stand; as a result, a decision was made to establish in Ankaful the community centre as well as a friary. (31)

It has always been a basic goal of the community centre to bring together the people of the village with the people of the leprosy camp in a peaceful and Christian environment. Eventually, because of the work of the friars, and because the attitude of Nana Asankumah changed, the tensions between the villagers and the leprosy patients ceased. The endeavors of the community centre have been very successful.

FOOTNOTES:

(1) "The first incontrovertible evidence of European presence in Ghana dates from January 1471. In that year two captains working for the Lisbon merchant Fernao Gomes landed at Shama on the coast. . ." Lamin Sanneh, West African Christianity: The Religious Impact (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1983) 21.

(2) For an overview of these early unsuccessful missionary ventures see Sanneh, West African Christianity 20-34.

(3) Peter K. Sarpong, Evangelization in the Year 2000: First Marshall-Moreau-Murat Memorial Lectures (Accra: The Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, 2-5 May, 1989) 7.

(4) The earliest Protestant mission ventures in the Gold Coast were made by the Swiss based Evangelical Missionary Society of Basel (1828) and by the British based Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society (1835). For an overview of these Protestant missionary efforts see Peter B. Clarke, West Africa and Christianity (London: Edward Arnold, 1986) 41-43, 57-60.

(5) The Societas Missionum ad Afros (SMA) was founded by Bishop Melchior de Marion-Bresillac (1813-1859) at Lyons, France on 8 December, 1856.

(6) Ralph M. Wiltgen, Gold Coast Mission History 1471-1880 (Techny, Illinois: Divine Word Publications, 1956) 142.

(7) F.M. Bourret, Ghana, the Road to Independence: 1919-1957 (Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1960) 19.

(8) Ibid, 19.

(9) Cape Coast, a coastal town located approximately ten kilometres to the east of historic Elmina, was the colonial headquarters of the British from 1664 until 1877. Today, Cape Coast is the government seat of Ghana's Central Region (a "Region" is a juridical area similar to a "State" in the U.S.).

(10) Helen Pfann, A Short History of the Catholic Church in Ghana (Cape Coast, Ghana: Catholic Mission Press, 1965) 45-46.

(11) In 1990 there were 1,795,000 Roman Catholics in a population of 14,700,000 (i.e., 12.2% of the total population). See Felician A. Foy, ed. 1990 Catholic Almanac (Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1990) 344.

(12) Ibid, 344.

(13) The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv.), also known as "Conventual Franciscans," was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209 and established as a distinct branch of the Franciscan First Order in 1517. Today there are over four thousand Conventual Franciscans throughout the world.

(14) At the same time, Italian members of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual established a mission presence in the neighboring Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi.

(15) Roger Haas, A History of the American Province of Saint Anthony of Padua of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, 1906-1982 (Baltimore, Maryland: St. Anthony of Padua Province, 1984) 179.

(16) "Victims of leprosy" are those who have suffered from the disease. Although the disease is curable, many people do not get treatment and consequently suffer the terrible effects of the disease--such as loss of feeling, disfigurement, recurring topical ulcers, loss of bodily appendages, blindness and a host of other maladies. Although those suffering the visible effects of advanced leprosy may later receive treatment and be cured of the bacteria, they are typically still presumed by most people to have leprosy. Most of the people associated with Brother Vincent's ministry no longer have the disease, but because of cultural prejudices continue to be classified as "lepers," "leprosy patients," or "former leprosy patients."

(17) The Ankaful Leprosarium was built in the early 1950s with funds provided by the Italian government. When it first opened, the leprosarium was known throughout West Africa as an important center for leprosy treatment. When Brother Vincent arrived in 1977, the leprosarium was overcrowded and had fallen into disrepair. Although the leprosarium continued to treat people with the disease, many leprosy patients who were no longer receiving critical care, and who for various reasons did not return to their home villages, continued to occupy its wards. Today, particularly through the efforts of the International Anti-leprosy Organization, the leprosarium is once again a exemplary center for leprosy treatment.

(18) These sun-dried bricks are a common building material used throughout much of West Africa. Typically, a mud brick house is thinly coated with a cement-like substance to protect it from adverse weather conditions.

(19) A friary is a residence for members of a mendicant order (i.e., Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite or Augustinian). The friary in Ankaful is the home of Brother Vincent and has housed as many as three other Conventual Franciscan Friars. This friary, which has been placed under the patronage of St. Maximilian Kolbe, is actually a "filial house" juridically attached to Our Lady of the Angels Portiuncula Friary located at "The Fourth Ridge" near Cape Coast (see map, Appendix A). The friary in Ankaful was officially blessed on 1 July, 1987.

(20) Kolbe House, was originally built in 1984 as a shelter for young men (age 14-21) from the Ankaful leprosy camp. This particular housing program ceased operating in 1987.

(21) "Stool land" belongs to the family of a particular chief (i.e., it is under the authority of the stool or seat of that chief). Stool land cannot actually be sold. A ninety-nine-year renewable lease for thirty acres of land at Ahotokurom was contracted 1980. The lease, registered under the name of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast, was arranged at a cost of two-thousand U.S. dollars.

(22) The Daughters of Mary and Joseph (also known as the "Ladies of Mary") are an international Roman Catholic congregation of sisters founded in Belgium in 1817 (by Constant G. Van Crombrugghe). Their 1980 General Chapter met in Rome. Since 1982 five sisters have, at various times, been involved in the FCS. They are: Srs. Kate Creeden, Inez Baryankanka, Pat Pearson, Monica Smyth and Susan Cugan.

(23) The Franciscan Community Services has been the beneficiary of aid from the following foreign organizations: American--Catholic Medical Mission Bureau, CODEL, Catholic Relief Services, Franciscan Mission Association (Granby, Massachusetts), Friends of Leprosy Patients, Hackett Foundation, Heifer Project International, J. Homer Butler Foundation, U.S.A.I.D., The United Presbyterian Church, and World Mercy Fund; British--Little Way; Canadian--Institut Fame Pereo; Dutch--Bisschoppelijke Vastenaktie Nederland, Holland Veghel, Stichting Help Ghana, Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland, Stichting Lilliane Funds and Tilapia International Foundation; Irish--Marie Raleigh Leper Fund and Tullamore Leper Appeal Fund and Italian--Amici di Lebbrosi. Countless individuals have also donated funds. This information provided by

Fr. Placid Kaczorek, OFM Conv., director of the Franciscan Mission Association, Granby, Massachusetts, 01033 (on 6 January, 1992).

(24) Brother Vincent Vivian, "Report to the 1988 Provincial Chapter of the St. Anthony of Padua Province, USA," 8 March 1988, St. Anthony of Padua Provincial Archives, Ellicott City, Maryland. In the United States, we might call the goal that Brother Vincent expresses "mainstreaming" of people who are handicapped.

(25) In 1988 the Dress Making Centre became a coeducational school. However, the male population has remained relatively low--in 1991 there were only two male students.

(26) The cedi is the official monetary unit of Ghana. In June of 1991 two thousand cedis was roughly equivalent to five U.S. dollars. The Dress Making Centre has three terms during one calendar year.

(27) This "infirmary" is not an in-care facility located on a specific site. The "infirmary" is roughly equivalent to an American style "hospice" or "home health care" program.

(28) "Breakdown" occurs on these people when they get some sort of wound on their body but do not, or are unable to, get suitable treatment. Breakdown is common among people who have suffered the effects of leprosy for many years and who are without constant and proper medical attention. It is important to note that breakdown is not evidence of self neglect--the lack of proper medical attention is not always the fault of the leprosy patient.

(29) About the program, Brother Vincent noted that "I think [the present program] gives the students a better preparation for their future independence to be living in separate rooms instead of one larger house, which could be more institutional" (in a letter to the author, dated 14 January, 1992).

(30) The project sponsors kitchens at St. Clare's home, the Children's home, the camp infirmary and one located in Ankaful Village associated with the Ongoing Education Program.

(31) Concerning the establishment of the friary in Ankaful, Brother Vincent wrote: "If we as Franciscans were to do something about this (i.e., the tensions between the villagers and the leprosy patients), then we had to go and live there" (in a letter to the author, dated 14 January, 1992).

-- Today, the friary (i.e., Kolbe House) serves as a beacon within the community centre and provides the heartbeat for many of its activities. Although located within the vicinity of the Muslim community (the friary is situated next to a mosque), there are friendly relations between the Christians, Muslims and those who follow traditional African religions.

Ghana Paper, Chapter Three: Description of Program

CHAPTER THREE

Description of Pastoral Internship Program

The pastoral internship program offered by the FCS was multi-faceted. In addition to offering an experience of "missionary life," it provided a "hands on" experience of service to the poorest of the poor (i.e., victims of leprosy within a Third World setting). A specific value of the program was that it took place within a ministry responding to the notion of the Church's "preferential option for the poor." (32)

Specific Activities

Because it was impossible, given the limits of time, to get thoroughly involved with every aspect of the FCS, the internship program focused on several specific activities. These were: catechetical instruction to the children of St. Joseph's Home, visitation of the patients at St. Clare's Home, visitation of the sick at the Ankaful leprosy camp, planning and participation in a vacation bible school program (viz., "Holidays at Home") for the children of the Ankaful leprosy camp, planning and offering of retreats, scripture services and spiritual conferences, youth ministry work with the young people of the village of Ankaful, participation in various projects of the FCS social welfare outreach program and a general ministry of "presence" to the men and women missioners affiliated with the FCS.

Goals

The work-learning contract formulated at the beginning of the internship provided specific goals to be achieved during the ten week period. The four goals dealt primarily with the many challenges presented by the "Third World" to a minister accustomed to comforts of the "First World."

An Experience of the Church within a Third World Setting

The first goal was "to have an experience of the Church within a Third World setting." Although this goal appears to be relatively simple, "the Church" as it is found within the Archdiocese of Cape Coast is peculiar.

To an outside observer, the Archbishop and many of the diocesan priests appear to have adopted a rigid "institutional" model of Church. (33) In contrast to this, the Ghanaian people seem to have a dynamic understanding of the human community and its related spirituality. (34) Within the broader Church community, there seems to be an unspoken clash between religiosity as imposed by the Roman Church and natural and traditional African spirituality. Fortunately, those who minister within the FCS seem to be aware of and responsive to this conflict.

To "experience the Church" in that particular Archdiocese is a challenge to anyone coming from a more "progressive" experience. This goal, and the encounters that I had, forced me to reflect upon the meaning of "Church" and prompted numerous ecclesiological questions. It was a learning experience to be "caught in the middle."

To Learn the Skills of Ministry

The second goal was "to learn the skills of ministry within the context of an African Franciscan mission." Opportunities to respond to the object of this goal (i.e., to learn skills) were experienced daily. Because of the great differences between Ghanaian and Western cultures (e.g., language, religion, politics, education, etc.), the demands of each situation provided new learning experiences. The challenges presented by the many experiences offered during the intership, stimulated creative responses--this in turn enabled me to develop skills which, because of the dynamic nature of the environment, were constantly in revision. Because of the abstract nature of this goal, it is difficult to measure success based on isolated incidents.

To Test the Reality of My Vision of the Gospel

The third goal was "to test the reality of my vision of the Gospel in the Church as it relates to the poor and marginalized of a Third World country." It was this goal, more than any other, that prompted a great deal of thought and reflection during and after the ten weeks of the internship.

My vision of the Gospel is one which eagerly anticipates the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God. As such, I profess a faith in a God who "casts down the mighty from their thrones, fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty" (Cf. Luke 1:52-53). Although I accept Harvey Cox's precept that "God alone brings in the Kingdom," (35) my vision is inspired by a strong desire to actively participate in its inbreaking. Because I believe, like Gustavo Gutierrez, that "the Kingdom and social injustice are incompatible," (36) I am inspired by those who commit their lives to serve the just demands of the poor. I agree with the author of James, who says that "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." (37) I am fundamentally motivated by my faith to serve those causes which, motivated by the principles of authentic human development, uphold the dignity and true worth of every human person.

Because the ministry in which I was involved during the internship was primarily leprosy related, I had very real and profound face-to-face experiences with "the poor and marginalized of a Third World country." Encountering these people, the poorest of the world's poor, provided tremendous opportunities to "test the reality of my vision of the Gospel." My faith has challenged me to reject what I believe are stagnant "visions" of the Gospel (i.e., visions that are completely "other-worldly" oriented) and to embrace a vision which promotes active participation in the inbreaking of God's Kingdom now. My experience in Ghana, as it related to my vision of the Gospel, has nourished my desire to give my life in service to the poor. This goal, more than any other, has formed the foundation of much of the material within this paper.

Self-reliance and Creativity within a Mission Environment

The fourth goal, "to develop personal skills of self-reliance and creativity within a mission environment lacking standard First World conveniences," is similar to the second, and related to the third, of the stated goals. It became apparent during the first weeks of the internship that this goal emphasizes a reality that faces every person ministering within a Third World setting. The FCS, like many mission organizations serving the poor, simply does not have at its disposal all of the ordinary resources and conveniences of the United States and Europe.

When I met with various groups for catechetical discussions, retreats and spiritual conferences there were no large amounts of paper and a photocopier to run-off handouts. When I visited the people in the Ankaful leprosy camp, at St. Clare's Home and elsewhere, I did not have their language and was often forced to speak through an interpreter. When I sat and talked with various people, I was aware of my complete inability to assure them that a higher standard of living was on the way. When the infirmarian at the leprosy camp (Mr. Amankwandoh) told me of his lack of bandages and hydrogen peroxide, I was not able to promise that these things would be there when needed. There were many moments when I profoundly realized that what is taken for granted at home is often considered to be a luxury by the people under the care of the FCS.

I found that "self-reliance and creativity," including the ability to peacefully accept limitations, is crucial to the success of any ministry where "standard First World conveniences" are either scarcely or nowhere found.

FOOTNOTES:

(32) "A Preferential Option for the Poor: From Medellin to Puebla," in Evangelization in Latin America's Present and Future: Final Document of the Third General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate, pt. 4, chap. 1, no. 1.1, (27 January, 1979), in The Puebla Conclusions (Washington: N.C.C.B., 1979) 178.

(33) According to Avery Dulles, in a rigid institutional system "the institutional element is treated as primary" (i.e., the institution, not its members, is the focus of attention). Avery Dulles, Models of the Church (New York: Doubleday, 1974) 32.

It is my observation that the Archbishop of Cape Coast promotes an institution which can be "seen as self serving and repressive and as needing to be kept under strong vigilance." Ibid, 41.

(34) Although it is impossible to summarize African spirituality in one sentence, Joseph Donders notes that a key aspect has to do with the African understanding of human dependance on God (who is the life giver). Donders highlights the African sense of God as the source of all life. It is from this "source" that life "continuously flows. . .through the channel of our human genealogical history to us and through us on into the future." In such a view, ancestry and the continuation of life through children are of paramount importance. In this system, Western Church structures are alien. See Joseph Donders, Non-Bourgeois Theology (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 1985) 11-12.

(35) Harvey Cox, The Secular City: Secularization and Urbanization in Theological Perspective (New York: Macmillan, 1965) 96.

(36) Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics and Salvation (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 1973): 168.

(37) James 2:17 (Revised Standard Version).

Ghana Paper, Chapter Four: Analysis and Evaluation of the Internship

CHAPTER FOUR

Analysis and Evaluation of the Pastoral Internship Experience

The Nature and Function of the Ministry

Guiding Principles

The Franciscan character of the FCS is firmly grounded in the Gospel. Those who minister within the FCS strive to respond to the Gospel mandates "to preach good news to the poor, to release captives, to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind, to comfort those who mourn and to free the oppressed" (Cf. Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:18-19, 9:11). It is reasonable to believe that these Gospel principles inspired Brother Vincent at the very start of his ministry to the poor and marginalized of Ghana. It is obvious that they inspire those who have dedicated themselves to the activities of the FCS.

The principles which guide the FCS are unquestionably inspired by St. Francis of Assisi's (c. 1182-1226) Gospel way of life. St. Francis, who was especially known for tending to the needs of victims of leprosy, (38) has been venerated because of his life of service to the poor and the outcasts. In his Rule of 1221 St. Francis wrote: "And they must rejoice when they live among people [who are considered to be] of little worth and who are looked down upon, among the poor and the powerless, the sick and the lepers, and the beggars by the wayside." (39) These words of St. Francis, originally written to guide the early friars, are definitely followed by those who minister within the FCS.

The FCS also responds well to the constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. As such, the ministry has been heartily embraced as a mission effort of the Order. In words which authenticate the activities of the FCS, the constitutions state that "friars should cooperate with all persons of good will in charitable initiatives, social welfare, and international solidarity to lead all people out of misery and ignorance into truly human conditions of life and to foster justice and peace among all." (40)

The words noted above from the constitutions reflect a theme found in Ad Gentes Divinitus, the Second Vatican Council's decree on missionary activity. The decree notes that "as Christ went about all the towns and villages healing every sickness and infirmity, as a sign that the kingdom of God had come, so the Church, through its children, joins itself with men [and women] of every condition, but especially with the poor and afflicted, and willingly spends herself for them." (41) Similarly, John Paul II in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio notes that ". . .Jesus drew especially near to those on the margins of society and showed them special favor in announcing the good news." (42) The words of the Second Vatican Council and of John Paul II can certainly be used to describe the ministerial works of the FCS.

The FCS is rooted in the Gospel, inspired by St. Francis, affirmed by the constitutions (OFM Conv.) and the Second Vatican Council and encouraged by the words of John Paul II. Because it is a ministry of solidarity with the poor, and one that promotes the integral development of the people it serves, the FCS exemplifies a way in which the Good News of the Kingdom can be proclaimed to the contemporary world.

Ministerial Experiences During the Internship

I was especially attracted to the work of the FCS precisely because of its work among "those on the margins of society." As I began the internship, I hoped to have a real experience of a ministry which, in solidarity with the poor, actively announces the inbreaking of God's Kingdom. Below I will describe a limited number of specific experiences that I had during the course of the ten weeks. Through these examples, I hope to illustrate my role as an intern within the ministry of the FCS. My function as an intern was primarily that of "student missioner."

Revulsion at the Dressing Station

One of my regular activities during the internship was what can be called "pastoral visitation of the sick." I did this at St. Clare's Home and at the leprosy camp dressing station. On many mornings I went to the dressing station to sit with the infirmarian (Mr. Amankwando) as he would dress the wounds and change the bandages of the leprosy patients who came to him for care. These patients, often suffering from some sort of breakdown on their body, came to the dressing station day after day for the attention that they needed. My role was simply to be present to those people--to converse with them about their lives and the meaning of their days. I was told that my presence among them would be affirmative and meaningful. It was difficult for me to believe the extent to which those people appreciated my visits among them--but truly they were grateful that I took the time to be there.

On one of the first days that I sat in the dressing station I watched as Mr. Amankwando removed the filthy bandages from the foot stump of an older woman. As he carefully removed the bandages I noticed that the wound was deep and festering. I could not believe my eyes as I looked at that wound--on the stump of which used to be a foot. It was difficult to imagine how that woman could even walk. As Mr. Amankwando took scissors to the wound and cut away dead skin and blood scabs I began to feel nauseated at the sight. My nausea, mixed with a disgust about the general filth of the dressing station, made me want to get up from my seat and run away from that place. I managed to keep my composure but really I did not think I would ever be able to come back to that place and see those people.

When Mr. Amankwando was finished with the woman and fresh bandages covered her foot she looked satisfied. She thanked me profusely for sitting with her and talking to her during that time--then she simply added "I am surprised you were able to stay and watch me have my bandages changed--many white people (i.e., foreigners) who come in here want to run away when they see our wounds. I was struck by her honesty and by the fact that whether she realized it or not, she voiced exactly what I really had wanted to do. As time went on, I managed to see beyond the wounds of those people--I was not going to the dressing station to see "lepers" but rather was there to spend time with people.

Rummy, Spa and Other Card Games

Shortly after I arrived in the village of Ankaful, I began to feel somewhat frustrated because I could not easily communicate with many of the young people and children. The children in Ankaful were extremely friendly and affectionate from the first moment of my arrival. During the first week or so I spent many hours in a small gazebo which was next to the friary. In the gazebo I attempted to communicate with the many children who would gather there. During those moments in the gazebo there were many outbursts of laughter as the children and I attempted to communicate--sometimes with humorous hand gestures or body language. Although, I will always fondly remember those moments, it did not take me long to become genuinely frustrated with surface level communicating.

Most of the educated people in the village spoke English, however most of the children did not. In addition to that, I did not know or understand Fante or Twi (the local languages). I began to lament that I could not get beyond surface level conversations with those who could not speak English well (they were either ignorant of English or were afraid to use the limited amount they had).

One day, one of the children came to visit me at the friary. While there, he began to admire a very small deck of cards that I had brought with me. I suddenly realized that the cards could be used as a means through which to interact with the kid. For the next hour or so I patiently taught him how to play Rummy--this was quite a challenge as I had to explain in simple language and by demonstration. Once he caught on, we played the game until I was sure that he fully understood it.

This simple activity became for me a genuine doorway into the lives of many of the young people in Ankaful. Soon, I was teaching Rummy, Fish and other card games to many of the children who came to visit me. They in turn taught me how to play Spa--a local card game. Although this activity may seem trite, I truly believe that it was a significant point of departure for me as I attempted to be "present" to the young people of the village. There were times when I would sit in the pavilion of the Community Centre and play cards with various groups--all the while there would be large crowds of onlookers standing around. Through the card games I became a real person to those children, and I was able to get to know them--even those who did not speak a word of English. In the playing of the games, the personalities of the children came through. In a sense, this was my way of carrying bread in one hand and the Gospel in the other.

A Young Man from Mfuom

During the first week of my internship I met a young man named Kofi Mesere. Kofi, a resident of the village of Mfuom, had one leg and severe scars on much of his body. Because of his deformities, I first thought that Kofi had been a victim of leprosy. I later learned that Kofi, an epileptic, had rolled himself into a fire during a seizure and had been severely burned--as a result, he lost a leg and had become deformed because of his severe burns. He is one of the non-leprosy patients who has been helped by the FCS.

Kofi had come to Brother Vincent seeking help. Over the course of my internship I had the pleasure of meeting with Kofi on a number of occasions. With the help of some outside aid, we were able to get Kofi a prosthetic leg and to set up a small shop for him. It was hoped that the profits from the shop would enable him to become more self sufficient. Kofi's story was tragic, yet the quality of his life has improved because of the help of the Franciscan Community Services. I felt privileged to have been able to take (even a very small) part in that.

Sts. Stephen & Joseph Clinic at Ampenyi

On 23 July, I was asked to accompany the project driver and deliver a shipment of medical supplies to a clinic in the small village of Ampenyi. The clinic in that village is run by Roman Catholic Sisters (Hospitalers of the Sacred Heart). The clinic is open one or two days a week and the day that I was to deliver these supplies was on a day that they were going to be there. I had never been to the village or the clinic prior to that day. The village was located about an hour's drive from Ankaful. As our vehicle arrived in the village I immediately recognized the clinic because of the large crowd of women and children gathered outside. Inside, there were even more women and children. It was overwhelming to see so many waiting in line. Knowing that the staff of the clinic was very small, I wondered how they would have time to see all of those people.

In the clinic there was a small examining room where I was received by the sister in charge. She was grateful that we had come to deliver the medical supplies as they had been promised to her earlier and were badly needed. As she took a minute to explain to me the program that was being run at the clinic, I noticed a small girl laying on an examining table. The small girl was crying and her mother was standing at her side. The sister explained to me that the young girl had been struck by polio. She said: "See this young girl, just a month ago she was running around with the other children. Now she has been struck with polio. She will never walk again--at least in any normal sense of the word. I do not think that the mother fully understands this. If only she had been vaccinated, she would not have been struck with the disease." As I looked into the eyes of the child I saw a look of terror on her face. The same terror was evident in the eyes of the mother. In that moment, I was struck with pity. It seemed like such a waste--if the girl had been vaccinated, she would have still been healthy.

As I drove out of the village I spoke to the driver about my feelings. I said, "you know, in my country, polio is rare because all infants are vaccinated." He could not believe that polio vaccinations are common in the United States. He asked with disbelief, "Everyone is vaccinated?" I told him that it seemed tragic to me that because that girl was not vaccinated, she would have to suffer the effects of Polio for the rest of her life. The driver explained that even if vaccinations were available, suspicion about them would limit their use anyway. That made me feel very sad--when I thought about the people in Ghana who suffer from diseases that are virtually unheard of in the United States. Something about the fact that that girl would never walk--so meaningless a suffering--I couldn't help but to think that there was something grossly wrong with this situation. It bothered me for a long time and continues to do so.

The Eucharist and God's Lowly Ones

On 11 June, I went to the St. Clare's Home for a special mass. The mass was being celebrated in honor of two Dutch medical professionals who were leaving the country after a three year stay. The residents of St. Clare's as well as the children from St. Joseph's home were all together for this special celebration. We had gathered in the open area outside of the home and the patients were brought out and lined up so that together we all formed a circle around the altar (a small table brought out for the occasion).

As the mass progressed, I found myself reflecting on the situation as it presented itself to me. For a moment, as I looked around at the collection of people gathered there, I found myself overcome with emotion. I was struck by the fact that those people, perhaps the most poor and the most "undesirable" of people, were so devoted to what was going on in the celebration of that mass. In the eyes of "the world," these people are at the lowest level of the social spectrum (nobody really wants to be like those people). By those same standards, those people have no reason to live in hope. By Western, materialistic standards, those people have absolutely nothing. Yet, in spite of their very real situation, they had come together to celebrate the Eucharist. The Eucharist, truly a focal point of the Roman Catholic community, abounds in hope. In the Eucharist we as Christians finds the true meaning of our existence. This mass was perhaps the most profound experience of my entire internship.

Electric Lights and Candles

On many evenings during my time in Ghana I would spend time talking to the young people in the village of Ankaful. On many evenings these people would come to the friary and sit with me and we would discuss a plethora of topics. The room in which I stayed had two small incandescent lamps which were situated on the wall at one end of the room and one large fluorescent lamp which was on the ceiling above a small sitting area. Usually when I sat in my room after dark (dusk came around 6:30 P.M.) I would turn on only the incandescent lamps. I believed that the fluorescent light would attract mosquitoes and so I preferred to sit in the slightly dim light of the wall lamps.

One evening, as a sat there entertaining two young men, I apologized profusely for the dull light in which we were sitting. I asked them if they minded that I had turned off the fluorescent light. They did not seem to be bothered by the way the lighting was, but I felt somewhat embarrassed (it seemed strange to sit in the near dark when entertaining people--but keeping the mosquitoes out was very important to me).

The very next evening I went to the house of one of those young men for a friendly visit. When I arrived at his house his father told me that he could be found inside and that I should feel free to enter. When I went into the house, I was immediately struck by how dark it was. My friend was sitting at a small table reading from a book. What really struck me was the lack of light. He was reading the book by the light of a very small candle (the type of candle that I would call a small "votive light"). Immediately I thought of the night before and how silly I must have sounded apologizing for the dimness of my own room--the lighting in my room was extremely bright in comparison to the candle light which this young man lives by every day of his life. That young man lives in a primitive mud house with no electricity. By comparison, I lived in a palace--and I had the foolishness to be embarrassed by its "austerity." That experience taught me that I should never presume too much about others when comparing myself with them.

Communications, "Poverty" and the Long Road to Abor

I had the benefit of joining Brother Vincent, Sister Pat and/or other staff members on a number of occasions when they were engaged in various social welfare outreach projects. One particular experience involved taking a leprosy patient to a hospital that was located about four hours away from Ankaful. The patient needed some sort of corrective surgery on his feet. The trip, which seemed endless, ultimately proved fruitless. When we arrived at the hospital we discovered that it would be closed for at least three months. This was very disappointing

During the ten weeks that I was in Ghana I was struck by the tremendous lack of communications equipment. Outside of the larger cities, there is no phone system. The friary in Ankaful had a small radio which enabled the friars to communicate with other the other friaries and Ahotokurom--however during the entire length of my stay the radio at Ahotokurom was not operating. Communications were often late or non-existent.

On 29 July when we traveled to Abor, we were doing so blindly. It was not know for certain that the hospital would be open or that there would be doctors to perform the needed surgery. This would simply not have happened in the United States--we would have picked up the telephone and called for confirmation. This is yet another example of the lack of material wealth in a developing nation. My Western perspective classified this as a situation of tremendous poverty. This situation prompted me to reflect on my definition of wealth--is wealth measured by material possessions which facilitate conveniences in life or does wealth have to do with the integral development of the human person within his or her own cultural and sociological milieu? Can I judge "poverty" from the perspective of a Western materialistic perspective?

Ordinations, Blessings and "The Church"

As a member of the Franciscan community, I participated in a number of Archdiocesan church functions. One of those events was ordinations of deacons and priests. The ordinations took place in the cathedral church in Cape Coast and they were presided over by the Archbishop. The Archbishop was known for his very conservative stand on most issues. The ordinations, richly spiced with all the glory of a Latin Rite ceremony, might as well have taken place in the middle of the Vatican. My experience of religious ceremonies at the Cathedral was not positive. On the one hand, I had experienced the vibrant life of the faithful in the village churches. In those village churches the people sang with jubilation and used their drums within the ceremony. At the cathedral, the singing seemed restrained and drums were not allowed--the choir sang beautiful latin hymns!

I felt that it was not my place to judge the liturgical life of the Archdiocese, but something very definitely seemed out of place in those ceremonies (I had a similar experience at the blessing of a sisters convent). More than anything I was forced to reflect on my own uncritical acceptance of the Latin Rite in my own American church experience. Suddenly, liturgical rituals seemed contrived and overly Roman. I had to ask myself if I would be able to live in a Church where such was imposed on me from above? This question seemed even more critical when viewed from an African Mission context.

Panic During the Holidays

An important ministerial experience during my internship was my participation in a program called "Holidays at Home." This program, similar to a vacation Bible school in the United States, was offered for the children of the leprosy camp. Because the program took place very early in the internship, I did not really have the chance to get to know the children before we began. In our planning, I had volunteered to take charge of the older group of children (ages 11-16).

On the first day of the program I found myself in a large room with twenty or so kids looking at me for some type of direction. I did not realize until that moment that virtually none of the kids had a good grasp of the English language. Inside, I panicked (what the hell could I do with a bunch of kids with whom I could not communicate?). This experience forced me to question my competence as a minister in a completely different cultural and language situation. It did not take me long to figure out creative ways of interacting with them. By the end of the program I was very comfortable with the kids and felt as though I had done a good job in my role as minister to them. It was not easy.

God and the Young Women of the DMC

On 26 July, I offered a retreat for the young women of the Dress Making Centre. We traveled to grounds of the Franciscan novitiate at Saltpond where we would spend the day. We arrived at Saltpond and found a spot under some trees where we sat in a large circle. It was a really wonderful experience.

As I prepared for the retreat, I asked myself what I could possibly share with those young women. As an American religious, it did not seem like I had a great deal to offer to those Ghanaian young women. It seemed that we were worlds apart culturally, spiritually, economically and academically. I knew that they could probably teach me far more than I could ever teach them. In spite of my frustration, they ultimately seemed to enjoy the retreat experience. I was left to ponder the genuine effectiveness, or lack thereof, of a foreign missioner in a culture that is not his own.

Assessment of the Role of Supervision

Sister Pat was a good role-model and supervisor for the pastoral internship; she is a dedicated religious sister who leads an exemplary life of service to the poor and marginalized. She displayed a tremendous amount of professionalism in her role as supervisor. It was obvious, right from the start, that Sister Pat desired to treat me with respect and as a peer in ministry. She was always willing to offer guidance and support in response to the various situations that arose during the internship. Sister Pat was well prepared for the weekly supervisory meetings. She approached the sessions prayerfully and with a seriousness appropriate to her role. It was Sister Pat's goal, at every stage of the internship, to facilitate a thorough experience of the ministerial activities of the FCS. Because of the good rapport that existed between the two of us, this was not difficult.

As co-supervisor, Brother Vincent provided a particular Franciscan direction to the pastoral internship. Because of his role as founder of the FCS, Brother Vincent's insights were deeply valued and always pertinent to the moment. He also enabled an experience of "the Ghana mission" that had an unquestionable sense of connection to the Conventual Franciscan province to which both he and I belong.

Critique of the Placement as a Work-learning Experience

The pastoral internship offered by the FCS between June and August of 1991 afforded me with an excellent experience of ministry within a Third World context. Because the program was flexible, and had the goal of exposing me to the various ministerial activities of the FCS, it was a practical learning experience within a Franciscan mission in an underdeveloped country.

The staff of the FCS, and those responsible for its various endeavors, were determined to include and educate me about their specific activities. Because of their tremendous good will, and their desire to include others (particularly prospective missionaries) in their way of life, it was not difficult to become a part of the ministerial activities of those on the staff of the FCS.

The pastoral internship afforded a privileged opportunity to enter into the lives of many people. Among them were: leprosy patients and their families, adults and children served by the project at Ahotokurom, residents of the village of Ankaful and the men and women missioners associated with the FCS.

The pastoral internship provided an education about the poor and marginalized within the Third World. In general, the people served by the FCS welcome the presence of foreign missioners among them--even those missioners who stay for only a short period of time. Because of this, it was possible to learn a great deal from those people about their lives and the needs that they have.

As a placement, the pastoral internship offered by the FCS was a superb work-learning experience. Because of the many factors that contributed to the value of the program, the FCS offered a successful pastoral internship. As a first-hand encounter of missionary life (and one within the context of a Franciscan mission), the pastoral internship offered a valuable experience for one who aspires to minister among the poor and marginalized.

FOOTNOTES:

(38) About St. Francis' service to victims of leprosy, St. Bonaventure writes: ". . .he served them devotedly with all humility and kindness. . .he visited their houses frequently and distributed alms among them generously, kissing their hands and lips with deep compassion." St. Bonaventure, Major Life of St. Francis, I, n.6, in St. Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies, English Omnibus of the Sources, ed. Marion A. Habig (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1973) 639.

(39) The Rule of 1221, IX, n.2. in Francis and Clare: The Complete Works, The Classics of Western Spirituality, trans. Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius Brady (New York: Paulist, 1982) 117.

(40) Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, chap. V, n. 136, par. 2., (Rome: Santi Apostoli, 1984).

(41) Ad Gentes Divinitus, chap. II, no. 12. in Austin Flannery, ed. Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents (Northpoint, New York: Costello, 1975) 826.

(42) John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, chap. 2, no. 14. (22 January, 1991) in Origins 20, 546.