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Father Michael G. Harter SJ served as novice director for nine years and then had a one-year sabbatical before becoming the executive assistant to the provincial of the Missouri Province. Harter is an experienced photographer who just made the jump from conventional film to digital photography and was eager to turn his new camera on on sights that would invigorate his eye as much as the sabbatical was renewing his spirits. The job of novice director is one of the most difficult in the Society of Jesus because it demands a great knowledge of the Society's mission and identity and the ability to communicate it to the young men who are deciding whether to devote their lives as Jesuits or not. The novice director spends a great deal of time working with men individually on subtle points of the interior life. Small wonder, then, that Harter gravitated towards a bounteously active parish for a change of pace.
In one of his first emails to friends, he wrote: "In January 2004 I will begin four months of travel in Africa. Over the years I have accompanied many Africans in retreats and spiritual direction and have often wanted to learn more about their world. This is the best chance I will ever have, so in mid-January I will fly to Nigeria and then in early March to East Africa. I will visit the Jesuits in those areas-mostly observing and absorbing the culture and doing what work I could in their parishes, novitiates and retreat houses."
His first stop was Nigeria, where he settled in at St. Joseph's Parish in Benin City. The photographs in this essay all come from his experience there. Some elements of his letters home give a sense of what he thought about his experience: "I am living and working at St Joseph's Parish-a large bustling parish right in the middle of Benin City, a city I would guess with a population of a half million or so. The church seats about 1800 people with more benches on verandas on either side of the church; the benches are usually filled for Sunday Masses. The parish is responsible for five Masses in the church on Sunday as well as two more at other churches in the city. The scholastics conduct Communion Services at several prisons and at other sites as well as doing a Holy Hour. Catechists manage a full schedule of marriage preparations and catechism classes while the Masses go on. It is a very busy place.
The pastor, (Jerry Aman, a Jesuit about my age from the New York province) was not bashful about putting me to work. Francisco Arizi, a 70-year-old Mexican Jesuit, is also on the staff; he's an energetic artist who rides a motorcycle. He's known as the "Okada Fada" since the local word for motorcycle is "okada." A Jesuit scholastic is doing his regency here. In addition there is a brother who spent a few months here between completing his studies in the Philippines and his assignment to a refugee camp in Liberia. At the moment two African novices from the novitiate, which is about 20 minutes away from the parish, are doing their long experiment here. Yesterday another scholastic joined us for an indefinite period. So there is always something to talk about over meals.
I usually celebrate one or two Masses each day in the parish or at one of the outstations. I baptized 19 infants and young children last Saturday, have done some Scripture study classes for a youth group and gave a talk to 20 or more couples as part of their marriage preparation class. I have done a wedding (and am scheduled for two more this coming Saturday); I have also done two Masses at wakes. Wakes are interesting events here. They are done at the home of the deceased with an altar set up in front of the house. Several tents are set up in the street to accommodate the guests, choir and/or band and a sound system. The neighbors get to participate whether they want to or not. Usually a group of men with video-cameras rove around documenting the event, and they aren't the least bit inhibited about wandering wherever they want during the service , and they tend to specialize in extreme close-ups during the homily. Hardly a morning or afternoon goes by when I am not called on to hear a few confessions, bless various religious articles or do some form or other of counseling.
At times I find myself a bit overwhelmed , particularly after the wonderfully slow pace of the first three months of this sabbatical. But for the most part I have found the liturgical work I have done exhilarating. I have enjoyed preaching and celebrating; once the choir begins a song it is easy to get carried along by it. A Sunday liturgy takes at least two hours from start to finish, and things are just warming up by the time we get to the prayer after communion. A second collection, a public reading of every announcement in the bulletin, and several "thanksgiving" processions--where the congregation brings up gifts (ranging from money to yams or goats) during which they are generously doused with holy water--round things out.
People here are friendly, warm and hospitable. The common greeting seems to be: "You are welcome." Sometimes it is said many times in the course of a short conversation. While I still miss much of what goes on culturally, I do feel very welcome."