Mass in Soweto and Cape Town: Day 1

Yesterday, by far, was one of the most energetic and eye opening experiences on this trip. We attended a traditional mass in Soweto at St. Martin parish and it was like nothing we have ever been a part of before. When we met with the parish priest Fr. Bruce Botha, a Jesuit, he let us know that mass would be 2 hours or longer, so we were not sure what to expect. Imagine our surprise when mass finally ended and we wanted more. We were captiavted from the very beginning with the music and participation of the entire church. We have never witnessed such a lively celebration. When I asked the students why this was such a powerful day, many commented on the sense of community and dedicated faith life of these parishioners. Edson commented on their unity and dedication, something he connected with personally. Danny was surprised at how fast the 2 hours passed and he was up dancing in the pews with fellow Bells and fellow parishioners--he felt they truly welcomed him in their world. Nick and Kevin couldn't help but notice how much every person enjoyed the celebration, old and young alike and John bonded with the woman sitting next to him as she invited him to dance in the pews with her during the music. After mass, we spent time with the youth of this parish, talking about challenges faced in our every day lives. We all were surprised about how open they were with their numerous struggles, including death, hunger, umemployment, financial limitations, lack of schooling and much more. We were so impressed with their ability to open up and engage with us as we had only met them a few hours before. Nick also commented on how positive their attitudes were despite all these set backs--it takes a strong spirit and these youth embodied that. We shared a simple lunch with our new friends and then headed to the airport. We arrived safey in Cape Town a few hours later, had dinner and then off to bed to get ready for another early morning. We were greeted by our guide Jamie this morning to take us over to the waterfront to board our boat for the journey to Robben Island, where both Kathrada and Mandela were imprisoned for most of their sentences, along with other political prisoners. We were able to connect more fully to Kathrada's experiences by stepping in his former reality for a few hours. On our tour, we met the warden who was in charge of Mandela and walked through the main prison with a political prisoner who was in prison on the island during Apartheid. They both truly helped us better understand this harsh world. After the tour, we came back for lunch and then took the tram up to Table Mountain, the dominant natural landmark of the city. From the top, we were able to look down at parts of Cape Town and truly have a moment to reflect and clear our minds and digest our experiences thus far. All of us were drawn to the beauty of this mountain. They have never seen something some breathtaking as the views from this place. We then took the tram back down and headed to a rugby game: the junior semi-finals, South Africa versus Ireland. Sadly, South Africa did not win, but we still were able to partake and witness, as Nick identified, the sprit and pride the people in this country possess. It was a very exciting game to watch and gave us a chance to talk to the locals. Tomorrow, we will be visiting with former President F.W. De Klerk to engage in a conversation about the end of Apartheid and hope for the future. Goodnight from Cape Town and, as always, GO BELLS!!