A great celebration for a final profession
The final profession of Brother Washington Tekay took place on the 11th December. It was the first time that a Marist Brother had made his final commitment in this country; we organised everything in the best way that we could. The simple and meaningful ceremony was presided over by Father Mauro, the parish priest of the Holy Martyrs, a parish in the same compound of the school that the brothers are running. The parish choir enhanced the ceremony with its beautiful songs. Many priests and religious of the archdiocese joined us for this important event. There were also pupils, teachers, relatives and friends. A total of 400 people were present at this event.
After the Mass there was a joyful reception; everybody had his or her share of food and drink. The participants showed their joy in seeing Brother Washington as a finally professed brother. The collaboration and hard work of all the brothers made this celebration a great success.
At 6.00 pm we went back home willing to have a rest after a full day of activities. But this was not easy; friends and relatives of Brother Tekay were singing and dancing the whole night. This is an African tradition that takes place when there are ordinations, professions, marriages or any other special celebrations. The dancing and the sound of the drums stopped only at 7.00am Sunday morning
During this important event and for a full week, we have enjoyed the presence of Brother Manuel Jorques, Provincial of the Province of Mediterránea, Brother José Antonio Ruiz, District Superior, and two other brothers of the Province who accompanied the Provincial: Jesús Valeriano and Juan Ignacio. It was wonderful to have them in our community. They were able to see the mission we are doing here in Monrovia and they offered us their support and encouragement to continue our work in this country, which has suffered so much as a consequence of fourteen years of civil war.