Br. Vincent is seen here with Br. Godwin Bin, FSC, Coordinator for the Sector of Nigeria (left), and Br. Moses Abuya, FSC, PhD, Auxiliary Visitor of Lwanga District (right). Br. Moses is dressed in traditional Nigerian attire.

by Br. Vincent Pelletier, FSC

I am sure that many Brothers ponder the question of Apostolic life after retiring from active ministry. For me, the novitiate for the Lwanga District, located in Nairobi Kenya, has convinced me that there can be extremely fulfilling Apostolic involvement after retirement. For the past few years I have been able to come to the novitiate and assist with teaching. I have been joining them each year for two and a half months in the spring and in the fall.

In the Lwanga novitiate we currently have eleven second-year novices and thirteen first-year novices. They come from Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The novices range in age from twenty-three to thirty-five. I have been teaching the second-year novices in the area of Lasallian studies: 17th Century French Spirituality, as a preparation for Lasallian Spirituality. In addition, I teach Lasallian Mission, as part of Church’s Mission, Jesus’ Mission, and God’s Mission. This year I have also begun teaching the first-year novices. So far, I have been teaching Methods of Interior Prayer, and Lasallian Mission and Association.

At the moment I work with two full-time staff members: the Director, who among other responsibilities, teaches, and the Sub-Director who handles all the practical matters involved in running the novitiate. In addition, two Brothers from the nearby scholasticate come and teach one or two days
per week.

Even though there is the challenge of living in another country and culture, my involvement with the novices has been energizing and a breath of fresh air. As I have been officially “retired” for quite a few years now, I consider this opportunity a tremendous gift to me at this time in my life.