Three Maryknoll missioners spoke about their experiences of mission while serving international displaced people and refugees from South Sudan. The following article was published in the January-February 2024 issue of NewsNotes.
The “Hope Away from Home in South Sudan” webinar served as a poignant reminder that, even in the face of adversity, hope can thrive.
The webinar in November featured the voices of three Maryknoll priests who worked with internally displaced and refugees. An inevitable take away was the sense of the collective determination of the South Sudanese people. As the virtual gathering concluded, the resonance of hope lingered, inspiring a renewed commitment to building a brighter future for South Sudan, whether from afar or on its hallowed soil.
Hosted by Friends in Solidarity with Solidarity with South Sudan, the live webinar featured Sister Mumbi Kigutha interviewing Father Michael Bassano. Bassano is serving a community of faithful in the United Nations Protection of Civilians camp in Malakal, in northeastern South Sudan. For the last 10 years he has been living on this site, which hosts over 35,000 of the 2.3 million internally displaced people (IDP) in South Sudan. Most of them have fled the ethnic conflicts that have devastated South Sudan for years. Fr. Bassano shared moving stories and his own attempts at building unity among the South Sudanese by insisting that parish activities within the camp be open to all three ethnic groups represented there.
Another moving story from the webinar was of a young boy who lost his lower leg due to a snake bite. From that personal connection, Fr. Bassano gained an insight into the nature of “mission.” Mission is accompanying people, he shared, being with people in all moments, in sickness, in good times and bad times and searching together and finding together healing and a way of moving forward together.
Fr. Dave Schwinghamer built on this point in his recorded message, relating how, after celebrating Mass in a refugee camp in Uganda filled with South Sudanese, several parishioners invited him to accompany them on a visit to a woman dying from AIDS. After crawling into a narrow little tent and seeing the face of that woman brighten over his visit, Fr. Schwinghamer described mission as “witnessing to the love of God for the most vulnerable and seeing refugees and displaced people not just as brothers and sisters but as Christ himself.”
Fr. Tom Tiscornia, also in a recorded message, described the chapel in a refugee camp that he was visiting. On the back wall of the chapel, the refugees themselves had painted a picture of Jesus, Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt as refugees. He also reminded us that often in areas of conflict, church compounds are seen as places of refuge and safety. Often, though, they can become targets.
The narratives shared by these three Maryknoll priests were both heart-wrenching and inspiring. They shed light on the challenges faced by South Sudanese individuals living away from home, including the trauma of displacement, the struggle for integration, and the yearning for a peaceful homeland. Woven into these stories were tales of triumph, resilience, and an unwavering spirit.
Faith in action
Watch the full recording of the webinar https://mogc.info/HOPESSudan
Image of the Hope Away from Home Webinar Flier, with Fr. Tom Tiscornia, MM, courtesy of the Friends in Solidarity Network.