Image from Matola

On your right you see Brother Paul Nkhoma holding a booklet during the open mass liturgy of the Word and the Table of the Lord. Behind Brother Paul is a young Brother Fabiano Chawinga and just after him is Brother Patrick Bwana, the first Malawian Marist Brother and the oldest in the Province. Brother Andrew Fournier is also fascinated as the posture visibly reveals. Just in front of them, girls, boys, men and women are dressed in white and are in procession. It is a traditional dance with a Malawian flavour Their dancing caught the attention of everybody including our brothers as you can read from their faces. Brother Paul had for a while stop following the hymn from the booklet and join the rest watching the entertaining dancing team. There were ululations and whistling, typical to Malawian people especially during solemn feasts.

Brother Paul Nkhoma will this year celebrate his Golden Jubilee. As you can tell from his physical outlook, he has kept his body in spite of old age catching up with him. Occasionally these days he uses a stick to support himself. He is at Balaka Community, Southern Malawi. When chatting with him, you smell and feel that he has enjoyed all his life as a Marist and feels proud that he could have been nothing but Marist. At the age of 82, he still enjoys teaching Catechism at St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School and shares his wisdom with the young Brothers. One opportunity allows he enjoys eating Utaka fumbi, that is mice a common dish among the Chewa people in Malawi. Bravo Brother Paul, we look forward to your Golden Jubilee and from now on our Prayers will always follow you.

Simeon Banda, fms.