What would you like to share about your background / history / motivation that brought you to mission in Africa?

The example of very religious parents who instilled the good habit of church-going and practice of the faith. This enabled a return to these practices after a lapse during military service during World War II. A genuine religious experience during a retreat brought the conviction that I wanted to serve God. I chose the missionary Brotherhood and after some years was assigned to Tanganyika which later became Tanzania.

In your own mind, what are some of the highlights of your missionary career in Africa, your successes, your adventures, your greatest joys?

Successes:

• Overcoming fear of alienation while living alone in a small mud during the building of a primary school in a remote village. 

• Successfully completing a language course at 52 years of age.

• Helping students through schooling and seeing them successfully continuing in life.

• Taking the challenge of finance director of the Diocese of Shinyanga.

• The sense of accomplishment in being able to survive on this mission field and liking it.

Greatest joys:

• Being together with companions engaged in competitive sports.

• Involving African children in sporting sessions.

• Camping in remote areas of the bush with fellow community members.

• The sheer joy of being outdoors, experiencing nature, the change of the seasons, seeing the results of one's tree planting and gardening.

What are some of the insights gained through your life / perspective as an American Catholic missioner in Africa that you'd like to share with the world?

Some missionaries come from America with culturally instilled racial prejudices against African Americans. Our faith and vocation enables us to rise above these weaknesses, but it is still a struggle and an abiding challenge to accept the local culture. As Americans, we thought we had all the answers. It takes time to see that this is not so.

I see the same problem of prejudice in America. Somehow, can our victories in this problem not help those in America facing the same? I think of the flight to the suburbs and the gradual vacating of these to locations still further out. What can we do? I recall the hectic turmoil of the 1960's and 70's when conscience-stricken young college students listening to a talk by a Black Panther anxiously ask, "What can we do?" The reply was, "Nothing, baby, nothing." Well, I don't believe that. There is a lot to do, in America and in Africa. So I say in Swahili, "Karibu!" - Welcome!

Cyril's Ministry             Cyril's Biography             More of Cyril's Reflections

Visit the Maryknollers Currently in Shinyanga, Tanzania