Visiting the Sudanese Community and Meeting with Bishop Trautman in Erie, PA

This past weekend my parents and I had the pleasure of travelling to Erie, PA, - the seat of my home diocese - to visit the Sudanese Community, which numbers about 500, there. We were invited by Steve Paterno, a young Sudanese man from the Torit area who’s lived in the US for over 10 years. We met several months ago through the CFR Sudan Mission blog and have corresponded since. Steve is very knowledgeable about what is happening in South Sudan and has done advocacy work on behalf of his homeland. He wrote a book about Fr. Saturnino (about whom I wrote in a previous posting) entitled Fr. Saturnino Lohure: A Roman Catholic Priest Turned Rebel, the South Sudan Experience. I read the book and learned a lot about the events of the past half century in South Sudan and Fr. Saturnino’s role in leading and encouraging the Southern resistance to northern Arabic and Islamicist oppression. Steve is pictured below on the left, with his cousin Albert, his aunt Rose and me.


Our visit happened to coincide with the wedding of a Sudanese couple of the Dinka tribe from the Rumbek area on Saturday. Americans may be familiar with Manute Bol and Luol Deng, professional basketball players of Dinka descent. Many members of the bridal party shared the tall stature characteristic of the Dinkas. The groom is working three jobs to support not only himself and his new wife, but also family members who are still in Sudan. The celebration turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for us since many Sudanese from elsewhere in the US, Canada, England and Australia came for the celebration, making of the event a kind of large family reunion.


On Sunday I had the blessing of celebrating and preaching at Mass for the Erie Sudanese community at Holy Rosary Church in Erie. I was accompanied by Fr. John Santor, coordinator of the diocesan pastoral outreach to refugees. I was very happy to hear some of the same songs that are sung in Torit, and to see the custom of dancing for the offertory procession take place. The combination of the fact that it was the weekend on which the Assumption was celebrated, and that the Scripture readings for Sunday Mass spoke of the Eucharist, allowed me to reflect on the theme of the incredible dignity and value that our human life and bodily existence has in God’s eyes: God Himself embraced a human life and body in the Incarnation, made of it our food in the Eucharist, and destines it to share in His own glory like Mary’s. I was inspired to preach in this way in part because of something I read a number of years ago pointing out that Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption – an emphatic affirmation of the dignity and value of human bodily life – in the wake of the unspeakable degradation of human life that took place in World War II in concentration camps and the atomic bombings. I felt that both the Assumption and the Eucharist could offer hope and healing to the Sudanese in the wake of their own terrible suffering during the civil war. Several of those present had scars on their bodies from wounds received during air raids in the war before leaving Sudan.


After Mass we gathered at Steve’s family home for refreshments and fellowship. With Steve’s help we presented a slide show of photos from Sudan, including shots of the home villages of several of the people who were present. Most have not been able to return home since fleeing the country as refugees. One woman said she wished I could take her back in my luggage when I return. I also had a very stimulating and well informed discussion on the current situation in South Sudan with a group of young Sudanese men of various tribal backgrounds. I was impressed by the number of young Sudanese immigrants who are pursuing college studies in various fields.







Finally, on Monday, Steve, Felix Lothario (president of the Erie Sudanese Community) and I had the great privilege of meeting with Bishop Donald Trautman and Fr. Edward Lohse, Chancellor of the Diocese and an old friend of mine. Felix and Steve were able to share the hopes and struggles of the Sudanese immigrants in Erie, many of whom have been displaced as many as ten times before settling in the area. Bishop Trautman listened with attentive concern, and we brainstormed together as to how the Church might be able to support and serve this special segment of her people. I expressed to the bishop how proud I felt of my home diocese for opening its arms and hearts to the immigrants from South Sudan. Pictured below are (from left to right): Fr. Edward Lohse, Felix Lothario, Bishop Trautman, Steve Paterno and I.