VIRIDITAS 2 | SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Taking a break is an important part of ongoing spiritual formation. One should not wait until something severe happens. For example, after serving many years as the regional superior of the Sulpicians, I am finally taking a break. Through the kindness of FatherE Peter Miti, pastor at Resurrection of the Lord Church (Waipio), I have been able to stay in touch with my priesthood and relax.
Some priests on sabbatical take up courses. I however, chose something different. As a teacher in the formation program of future diocesan clergy, it is important to be in a parish, to celebrate Mass and to meet with and talk with people. As a Sulpician, to give quality presence to those ministered to is one of the main points of our mission. Thus, I am grateful for my time in Hawaii.
The Sulpicians were founded in Paris in 1641 by Jean-Jacques Olier de Verneuil. Previously, diocesan priest formation was done by religious communities such as the Vincentians, Jesuits and the like. However, each religious community has its own spirituality. To form the diocesan clergy in its own spirituality, a society of diocesan priests was formed and became known as the Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice, abbreviated P.S.S.
Before becoming a Sulpician, one needs to be a diocesan priest. So, I am a diocesan priest and a Sulpician. In my work in the seminary, stability is important. Diocesan priests can be moved around by their bishop at any time. A Sulpician priest, on the other hand, takes his obedience from the superior.
Our patron saint is Mary, our Mother. Our spirituality is built around our Mother — to be present always to the people, as she was and is always present to us. We take root in the French school of spirituality. Prayer life, our faithfulness to our call to ministry, giving quality presence to those we minister to are all important. In our way of life, the pillars of our formation include human formation, spiritual formation and pastoral formation. Intellectual formation is also important.
Ministering with quality presence — even to our students — entails not only teaching them how to pray but praying with them. When people think of prayer, they usually think of the Divine Office or the common general prayers that we have like the rosary, benediction and the like. But apart from these we have Sulpician meditation.
Sulpician meditation begins with taking time to predispose ourselves to prayer, sometimes with the reading of Scripture. The first step is adoration, in which we pray by adoring Jesus before our eyes contemplating the attributes of Jesus. The second step that follows is communion. Here we go deeper and ask that we might be conformed to Jesus as he was to his Father by looking at Jesus in my heart. The third step is cooperation, in which we spend time thanking Jesus for the graces received in our reflection, and abandoning ourselves as we say, “Jesus in my hands.”
Of my name, people ask what it means. Shoba means “king” in Lozi in my country in the western province of Zambia. Out of 14 in my family, I am number nine. I am also one of the three sets of twins my mother had.
