SPEECH BY THE ARCHBISHOP OFARUSHA ON THE BLESSING OF CANAAN CHILDREN’S CENTRE

Distinguished Guests, Reverend Fathers, Reverend Sisters, Esteemed Members of the lay faithful of the entire Catholic Archdiocese of Arusha; All of you brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I greet all of you in the love and peace of our savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sake and who bestows upon each of us his love and peace through his very sufferings!

The occasion of blessing of Go Life Jubilee Canaan Children Centre, which is dedicated to the care of the deprived members of our community; vulnerable orphans and other vulnerable children, is very significantly placed at the beginning of the Lenten season of the Jubilee Year of the Archdiocese of Arusha. This is because this facility first of all expresses the love of Christ poured out to reach all humankind and giving each of us life through his suffering. Christ reaches out to all people in their states of need; and through his suffering, we are lifted up to the dignity befitting sons and daughters of God.

We have chosen to make Canaan a pilgrimage site for the people of God in Arusha. This is the place where all of us who want to encounter God in a very special way will come as pilgrims in search of the lasting homeland that our loving Father has promised us to be our heritage. But we have also chosen to make the centre that we are blessing today as the gateway, or entry point for this pilgrimage! All those who would want to encounter God, will encounter him first and foremost by meeting the most deprived and vulnerable people represented here by the children of this place. Pilgrims will find in these children a foretaste of joy, love and peace that can only be fulfilled by an encounter with the living God.

Indeed, in the second place the blessing and inauguration of this facility on the Year of Jubilee of the Archdiocese of Arusha is highly significant. A key feature of Jubilee is the jubilation that comes from experiencing freedom coming from the grace of God. The Year of Jubilee is the year that the Lord himself sets his people free from all bondages and subjugation. As we celebrate our Jubilee, we the Family of God of Arusha, want to share this moment by bringing the joy of freedom to children who suffer innocently, finding themselves in situations that they had and have no control at all. We want to share in the ministry of Christ to lift up the down trodden to a dignity befitting the children of God.

The Golden Jubilee being the fiftieth anniversary is a sign of maturity. Thus the Church of Christ in Arusha has come to a full mature age of fifty years. The Family of God in Arusha want to make this facility as an expression of a matured love, outpoured from Christ himself, and through his Church reaching out to the most needy and most vulnerable members of our community. The blessing of this centre is therefore, a practical expression of deep evangelization.

Right from the onset, we would like to point out that this project of love is also a partnership of love. As the people of God in Arusha commit ourselves to manifest the love of Christ through this project, we must acknowledge very sincerely the pivotal role played by “Partnership for Africa” ably represented on this day by its most committed Director, Madam Friederike and her most supportive husband, Mr. Gunther. We are also aware that the efforts of this couple would not have borne the fruit we see today, except because of the great support that they received from many friends that we feel honored to recognize today.    

We would like to remember Jan Richter and his tragic death one year ago. Despite the huge shock about the much too early loss of their beloved son his parents decided to collect funds in order to support our new facility for the care of most vulnerable children. We believe very much that Jan had his heart in the well-being of Africa´s people. We are convinced that he would like the idea to help children in need and to give them a chance for a life in dignity. The family members and friends contributed in the name of Jan a substantial part to this new home for children. They helped complete the initiative and work of the other main donors. We are very thankful for that – God may bless Jan and his parents Petra and Bernd Richter.

We also want to recognize John Heinrichs, initiated the idea to help children who have fallen victims to the HIV-AIDS scourge, an idea which matched perfectly with the plans of the Archdiocese of Arusha. He was the driving force to set up this project and he contributed a major part of the funds. He is never tired to motivate friends and business partners for contributions and also initiates own charity events.

Another is Henning Lehrmann, who gave us a great back-up in a critical phase of the project and also contributed a major amount to the buildings. He and John Heinrichs are reliable and committed contributors, without people like them this project could not have been completed in this manner. Flora Keller, a friend of Jan Richter, also contributed a major amount for the start equipment of this children’s centre. This enabled us to start up the centre in time without any worries.

Other donors organizations, like the German initiative of the Bavarian TV “Sternstunden” also played a crucial role: Their contribution for the buildings was an important factor for the success of the project. Also “action medeor” in cooperation with the company “Energiebau” and the “Lions Club Germany” supported us in a generous way for the construction of the water and the solar system. Thanks to “CED – Christlicher Entwicklungsdienst” we could complete all buildings and start with the construction of a playground and a school garden.

We are also aware that behind all the big amounts of donations, especially through the donor organizations, we find many people who contributed small but important amounts. For them, 20 or 50 Euro means a lot. And we always consider every small contribution as a big one. To all these friends we want to say thank you very much, again and again; and we want to encourage you to continue this great project with us in order to make it even greater!

However, as we pointed out earlier, this project is a partnership of love. Our friends have express and will continue to express their love through their practical support. It is our sincere hope that this expression of love will propel the Family of God of Arusha to respond in like manner. Therefore, even as we bless this facility, we want to issue a call of love to the Family of God in Arusha to come out in full support of this work of grace and love.

Today we will be officially launching ‘The Friends of the Children of Canaan Club’. This will be a virtual club that will express itself through the support of its members to the Children of Canaan. All people of good will are welcome to become friends of Canaan Children by simply completing a form which will be available at different sites within this compound after this mass.

The forms will be completed in duplicates; one to be taken by the friend, and one to remain with the management so that we can be able to give you regular updates of the children you love. In the same light, the offertory from this mass will also be committed to supporting the running costs of this centre. It is our most sincere hope that these simple gestures will set into flame the love and generosity which is natural for us as African as we come together to support the needy in our community and express our Christian as well as human love.

In conclusion, we would like to thank our Archdiocesan collaborators beginning with Rev. Fr. Fredrick Karori, Dr. Joseph Mardai, and Mr. Gerald Ngaiza. Together with these, we acknowledge with thanks the hitherto and subsequent input of the members of the Governing Board, Kavuta Constructors, Arusha Regional Social Welfare Officer and other relevant government officers.

Last but not least, we thank very sincerely all the members of staff of this centre for their willingness to serve these children with care and love. And to you members of the Family of God of Arusha – priests, religious and the laity – who are the owners of this centre, may you be blessed for this noble commitment.