Dec 20 '09 Nairobi - Steve Wagner Consults with Sharon de Souza, Diocesan Financial Administrator, and Roberto Bronzino, Projects Coordinator
Dec 20 '09 Nairobi - Admin Offices of the Diocese of El Obeid
Dec 20 '09 Nairobi Kenya - The Diocesan Compound (Bishop's Residence at Rear)
Dec 20 '09 Nairobi - Bishop Macram Max Gassis and Chris Wagner
Dec 20 '09 Nairobi Kenya - Bishop Gassis Sees Steve Wagner Off to Airport Enroute to Loki; Bishop will Travel to Loki Tomorrow with Cargo
Dec 20 '09 Lokichoggio Kenya - Mountains to the West and Lack of Nav Aids Make this Airport a Bit of a Challenge for Pilots
Dec 20 '09 Loki Kenya - My Hotel Room. After Loki, We Saw no Paved Runways, Paved Roads, or Flush Toilets
Dec 21 '09 Loki Kenya - The Photographer Demonstrates his Unfamiliarity with Lighting. Dr. David Coffey, Father Basilio, Chris Wagner, Joseph (Diocesan Logistician based in Loki)
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - The Bishop Arrives in his Diocese
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - Bishop Gassis Supervises Offloading of Cargo
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - Bishop Gassis Consults with Provincial Superior of Precious Blood Sisters, who Teach at the Primary School in Kauda. She Commits to Staff Teachers' Training Facility. She is Returning to Kenya on this Aircraft
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - Supplies Intended for Numerous Diocesan Facilities in the Nuda Mountains. The Hawker 748 Carries 5 Tons
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - Sister Amal (Comboni Missionary Sister, White Habit) Inventories Educational Materials Intended for Gidel
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - Sister Agnes (Precious Blood Sister, White Habit, Center) Inventories Educational Materials Destined for Holy Cross School in Kauda
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - Father Tom, a Maryknoll, Bishop Gassis, and Father Caesar, pastor of the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul in Gidel (center)
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - Father Caesar Watches our Aircraft Takeoff for Return Flight to Loki
Dec 21 '09 Kauda Sudan - An Abandoned Mosque and Baobab Tree at the North End of the Airport
Dec 21 '09 On the Road from Kauda to Gidel - A Native Nuban Village
Dec 21 '09 On the Road from Kauda to Gidel - The Havested Sorghum Stalks are Stored on a Raised Platforms to Keep them Out of Reach of Goats
Dec 21 '09 On the Road from Kauda to Gidel - Another Settlement along the Way
Dec 21 '09 On the Road from Kauda to Gidel - We Found Great Beauty in the Nuba Mountains, and Imagined Christmas Here Reminiscent of the First Christmas
Dec 21 '09 On the Road from Kauda to Gidel - A Magestic Baobab Tree
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Approaching the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul. What Appear to be Bushes are Actually Fences Around Saplings to Protect them from Goats. "Whereever Missionairies Go, They Plant Green Things"
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - During the Rainy Season (March - June), these Dry River Beds are Said to be Torrents, and the Nuba Mountains a Lush Green
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Entrance to the Priests' Compound
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - We Were Impressed by the Quality of Recently Constructed Buildings
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Security is a Concern in the Nuba. The Compounds are Guarded; We Travelled with Guards
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Altar of the Chapel in the Priests' Compound. Saint Bakhita of Sudan is Partially Obscured by Pillar; her Picture was Found in Every Diocesan Facility
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Front of St. Joseph Secondary School
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Part of the St. Joseph Secondary School Campus. Girls have a Residence Facility; one is Planned for the Boys, since Many Students Come from Villages too far away to Return Home Every Day
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Newly Arrived Teaching Materials are Put into Storage at the St. Joseph Secondary School, by Bishop Gassis and Father Basilio
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Father Basilio at the Front of a Classroom in the St. Joseph Secondary School. Students Departing for Christmas Break, having Finished their Exams, Left behind Messages
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis is Passionate about Reforestation. Students at the St. Joseph Secondary School are Tasked with Planting and Nurturing Trees, such as these Neen Saplings
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Volley Ball and Football (soccer) are Played at the St. Joseph Secondary School
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Bishop Allows the Local Community Access to the Well within the St. Joseph Campus. The Well Water is Very Fresh -- We Drank it for Two Weeks with no Ill Effects
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis, Inveterate Educator, Instructs Local Youth on the Proper Technique of Pumping Water
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Or Perhaps the Children of the Nuba Mountains have gotten Bishop Gassis to do their Chores for Them
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis and Chris Wagner Admire the Fruits of their Labors
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Villagers Carry Water Back to their Homes in the Traditional Manner
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Beauty of the Nuba Mountains
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis and Dr. David Coffey in Front of the Main Classroom Building of the St. Joseph Secondary School. The Construction is both Solid and Attractive
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The St. Joseph Secondary School Classroom Building
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Entrance to the Finest Hospital in All of Sudan
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Part of the Gidel Hospital Complex
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - East Side of the Hospital
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - West Side of the Hospital. Patients' Relatives Store Belonging on the Wall
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Courtyard of the Hospital is a Place of Peace and Beauty. The Hospital is Built in a Square
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Additional Residence Facilities for Nurses Under Construction
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Relatives of Patients Prepare the Patients' Meals at a Cooking Shed Provided by the Hospital. At Background is the TB Isolation Ward
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Financial Support for the Hospital Came from Many Sources, which are Acknowledged on this Plaque
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Hospital has been Operational for 21 Months
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis in a Patient Examination Room
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - A Physician's Assistant with Patient
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Hospital's Lab is Capable of Performing a Surprisingly Wide Variety of Tests
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Hospital Matron Sister Angelina Answers the Bishop's Questions Concerning Lab Capabilities
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis Examines Some of the Apparati
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Every Ward and Room has a Crucifix
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - A Mother Cares for an Infant Patient
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Pediatric Ward
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - It is Nearly Standing Room Only at the Gidel Hospital. Hallways are Used to Accommodate Overflow Patients
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - An Infant More than a Month Premature. The Range of Care Provided by the Hospital is Extraordinary, Including Sophisticated Surgeries
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis Greets a Young Patient
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Hospital's Outpatient Pharmacy
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Pharmacists at Work in the Outpatient Center
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Grounds of the Hospital are Landscaped with Many Trees
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Sanitation at the Hospital is Carefully Designed. Running Water is Provided by Pumps Operating on Solar Power and Batteries. Autoclave for the Sterilization of Surgical Instruments Operates on Generators
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Dr. David Coffey Chats with a Lab Technician
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - On the Grounds of the Hospital, a Well Dedicated to a Friend of Sudan in the US Senate
Dec 21 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis, Dr. Coffey and Father Basilio Confer with the Matron of the Hospital, Sister Angelina Nyakuru, a Comboni Missionary Sister from Uganda
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Most Life-Altering Piece of Machinery in Sudan, one of the Diocese's Water Drilling Rigs. The Crew to Operate it is Flown in from Kenya
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - One of the 300 Wells Drilled by the Diocese, this One has an Electric Pump (as opposed to a hand pump), Powered by Solar Cells
Dec 22 '09 Gidel - The Priests' Compound has Electricity from Solar Cells and Running Water Provided by this Water Tank and Electric Well Pump
Dec 22 '09 Gidel - Residence of Father Tom on the Priests' Compound. Bishops Gassis Plans a New Residence Building for Priests which will Complete the Compound
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Chapel on the Grounds of the Priests' Compound
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Very Comfortable Guest House on the Grounds of the Priests' Compound
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Father Basilio, a Native of Juba, Sudan, Heading to the Dining Room of the Priests' Compound
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The "Rectory," Residence of Pastor Caesar.
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Foundation for the New Schools Administrative Facility, Just Outside the Priests' Compound, and a Short Walk from the Sisters' Compound. The Concrete Footings were Poured during our Visit
Dec 22 '09 Gidel - The Bishop Blessed the Chapel in the Sisters' Compound This Day
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - In the Dining Room of the Sisters' Compound, Father Basilio (left), Bishop Gassis (4th from left) consult with Sister Amal (center), Administrator of Schools in Gidel
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Entering the Grounds of the Primary School
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Primary School Campus
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - These Classrooms at the Primary School are Completed
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - While these Classrooms are Nearly Completed
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Administrative Offices at the Primary School are not yet Finished
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Campus of the Saints Peter and Paul Primary School at Gidel is Picturesque
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Students Come to the Primary School from Villages Such as These
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Foodstuffs Provided by the World Food Program are Stored at the Saints Peter and Paul Primary School; Students here are Fed Lunch, but WFP Food is not Available for Secondary School Students
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - A New Classroom at the Saints Peter and Paul Primary School. Students were on Christmas Break During our Visit, Desks and Benches Stored for Safe-keeping
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Radio Station FM 107.9, The Voice of Peace in the Nuba Mountains (Antenna Obscured by Tree at Left). A New Antenna is to be Placed on a Nearby Mountain, to Provide Better Reception Throughout the Nubas
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Landscape of Gidel
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - Another View of the Landscape of Gidel
Dec 22 '09 Gidel Sudan - A Beautiful but Poisonous Flowering Shrub
Dec 23 '09 Karga Sudan - The Bishop's Welcoming Party, Parishioners of St. John's
Dec 23 '09 Karga Sudan - Before Mass; the Parish Church has a Roof of Branches and Sorghum Stalks
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - Bishop Gassis Visits the Shrine to the Victims (18 students and their teacher) of the Aerial Bombing by the Khartoum Government on the Feast Day of Saint Josephine Bakhita of Sudan, February 8, 2000.
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - Bishop Gassis Praying at the Shrine to the Innocent Victims. Church of the Holy Cross (center), Teachers and Catechists Training Compound (right) are in the Background
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - The Teachers and Catechists Training Center
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - The Parish Priests' Residence
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - Dr. David Coffey Views the Priests' Compound
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - Another View of the Priests' Compound
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - The Priests' Dining Room
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - Construction is Underway on a New Priests' Residence in Kauda
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - These Old Classrooms will be Demolished to Make Room for the New School, the Foundation Excavation for which is visible on the Left. After the Bombing, the School was Moved to Huts on a Nearby Hillside for Camoflage. It Will be Returned to this Site
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - A View from the Foundation of the New Holy Cross Primary School. The Hillside is Terraced for Growing Sorghum; Stockpiled Blocks at Right for School Construction Were Made On-site
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - A View from the New Vocational Training Center back toward the Parish and Primary School (photos of the VoTech Center are on another camera)
Dec 24 '09 Kauda Sudan - Christmas Eve Mass at the Church of the Holy Cross
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis Processing to Christmas Mass
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - Christmas Mass at the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul was Held Outdoors in a Beautiful Grove of Trees. More than 500 Were in Attendance. A Church Building is Planned Near this Site.
Dec 25 '09 Gidal Sudan - Offerings at Mass Included Livestock
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - Following Christmas Mass, a Dance Competition was Held. Each of 18 Chapels (subparishes led by a Catechist) Participated
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - Spectators of the Christmas Day Dance Competition Filled the Trees
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - A Portion of Those Enjoying the Competition
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis Judges the Dance Competition, Flanked by Comboni Missionary Sisters Carmen (left, who manages the radio station) and Amal (right, Schools Administrator)
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - The Bishop Gets into the Act
Dec 26 '09 Gidel Sudan - Bishop Gassis Uses Every Occasion to Deliver his Message of Respect for Human Dignity (Particularly for Young Women and the Unborn); Monogamy; and Individual Moral Responsibility
Dec 25 '09 Gidel Sudan - Doctor Tom Catena (center) is Physician of the Gidel Hospital; Doctor David Coffey Spent his Time in Gidel Assisting with Patients. These are Two Extraordinary Men
Dec 26 '09 Kauda Sudan - Chris Wagner, Awaiting the Flight from Kauda (Nuba Mountains) to Turalei (Twic County)
Dec 26 '09 Turalei Sudan - Sudan Presidential Advisor Bona Malwal, a Devout Catholic, Exits Chapel & Sacristy After Greeting Bishop Gassis. Malwal's Birthplace is Turalei; He is Home for Christmas
Dec 30 '09 Turalei Sudan - Turalei's Other Famous Son was Manute Bol. Rumor is He Left because He Tired of Being Called "Shorty" -- the Dinka People are Extremely Tall
Dec 26 '09 Turalei Sudan - A Kuel Tree (aka Banyan) Dominates the Grounds of the Sprawling Diocese Property in Turalei. To Right is Open-air Church, Behind is the Primary School
Dec 26 '09 Turalei Sudan - Entrance to the Priests' Compound
Dec 26 '09 Turalei Sudan - The Bishop Processes to Mass
Dec 26 '09 Turalei Sudan - Mass is Celebrated beneath another Kuel Tree
Dec 26 '09 Turalei Sudan - Masses in the Diocese of El Obeid Feature Dancers and Drums
Dec 26 '09 Turalei Sudan - Bishop Gassis Delivers a Homily. Presidential Advisor Bona Malwal is Visibile Under Shed to the Right
Dec 27 '09 Turalei Sudan - African Vultures, of the Non-Human Kind, on the Grounds of the Priests' Compound. The Priests also Have a Variety of Fruit Trees: Banana, Papaya, Mango
Dec 27 '09 Turalei Sudan - Some of the Residents of the Priests' Compound are Turkeys. The Bishop was Pleased to Learn this Tom was Down to One Mate, Putting him in Concert with Catholic Teachings. Monogamy is Actually a Major Theme of the Bishop's Evangelization
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - On the Road with the Missionaries of Charity, Father Janusz of the Diocese of Krakow, Poland, and the Bishop at the Wheel
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - A Large Crowd Greeted the Bishop on the Outskirts of Town. The Bishop Entered Mulbang on Foot
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - Bishop Gassis Leads a Crowd into Town
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - The Crowd Gathered to Witness Bishop Gassis' Blessing (but not yet Consecration) of the new Church in Mulbang, to be Named Our Lady, Queen of Africa
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - The New Primary School, which will be Named Our Lady, Queen of Africa School
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - Missionaries of Charity Sisters Larisa and Bakhita Inspect the New Primary School at Mulbang
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - Your Intrepid Heroes
Dec 27 '09 Mulbang Sudan - The Bishop and Local Luminaries Prepare to Address a Crowd at the New Parish
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - Center of Town
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - The Main Commercial Street in Town
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - A Panorama of the Parish of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception. Church is on the Right, Decimated School on Left. The Local Government has Returned this Land to the Diocese, and Pledges to Help with Reconstruction
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - Bishop Gassis will Celebrate the Mass of the Feast of the Innocent Children at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - The Front of the Church of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Constructed by the Comboni Missionary Fathers
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - Reconstruction of the Church will Shortly be Undertaken
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - A Building Seized by the Government, Allowed to Deteriorate, and Recently Returned to the Diocese of El Obeid
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - A Salvagable Building, to become a Teachers and Catechists Training Facility
Dec 28 '09 Mayen Abun Sudan - Another Building Seized by the Government of Sudan, now in Need of Reconstruction
Dec 28 '09 Between Mayen Abun and Wunrok Sudan - A Sudanese Highway. It is of Packed Clay, and Will not be Paved. This is the only Public Works Project I Saw
Dec 28 '09 Turalei Sudan - The School Operated by the Missionaries of Charity, who Reside Nearby at a Beautiful Compound on the Grounds of the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul
Dec 29 '09 Turalei Sudan - The Diocesan Hospital for Twic County
Dec 29 '09 Turalei Sudan - Main Wing of the Diocesan Hospital of Saint Ubaldo and Blessed Mother Teresa
Dec 29 '09 Turalei Sudan - Bishop Gassis Inspecting the Hospital
Dec 29 '09 Turalei Sudan - Bishop Gassis Instructs Guards to Keep the Hospital Grounds Litter-Free
Dec 29 '09 Turalei Sudan - Doctors and Nurses are Provided by the Italian NGO Comitato Colloborazione Medico, but Mostly Come from Kenya
Dec 29 '09 Turalei Sudan - The Grounds of the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul are Sprawling, with Land Enough to Accommodate a new Compound for the Daughters of St. Ann Community, and a Permanent Church
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok Sudan - The Community of Wunrok Welcomes the Bishop in the Shade of a Grand Kuel Tree
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok Sudan - Chris Wagner is Elected to the Wunrok Council of Elders
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok Sudan - Father Lual of the Franciscans Minor Order Currently Studying Canon Law in Rome, is of the Dinka Tribe and was Born Near Wunrok
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok Sudan - Chris Wagner is Part of the Bishop's Entourage, along with Father Janusz (left of Chris), Catechist Salvatore (right) and Father William (2nd right). Military Security (rear) Accompanies High-ranking Government Officials Participating in the Ceremony. The Bishop Draws a Crowd Whereever He Goes -- Local Political Figures are Eager to be Seen with Him
Dec 29 '09 Wunrock Sudan - Father William, Pastor of Turalei's Parish of Saints Peter and Paul, with Dinka Youth. In Background is Site of Future Wunrok Parish and School
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok Sudan - Chris Wagner (aka the Pied Piper) Leads Dinka Youth Astray (fortunately Father Basilio, left, is on-hand to lead them back)
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok Sudan - A Legacy of War, Drivers Warned of Landmines
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok Sudan - Future Site of the Parish and School on the Banks of the Lol River
Dec 29 '09 Wunrok - The Dinka People are Herders, and Their Cattle are Imposing
Dec 29 '09 - Turalei-Wunrok Road (such as it is). Dinkas of all Social Strata Live in Tukuls, Huts with Mud Walls and Grass Roofs. The Biggest Tukul is for the Cattle
Dec 30 '09 Turalei Sudan - Taking Leave of Salvatore (Catechist, far left), and Fathers William (4th from left), Manuel (5th from left), Lual (7th from left), Anthony (9th from left). The Diocese has Very Impressive Personnel in Twic County (as it does in the Nuba Mountains)
Dec 30 '09 Turalei Sudan - Our Donnier 228 Prepares for Takeoff, After Goats, Cattle, and Dogs were Chased from Airstrip
Dec 30 '09 Southern Sudan, Enroute to Loki Kenya - Crossing the White Nile (and Demonstrating Limited Photographic Prowess). The Nile is not a Proper River, with Defined Banks, but a Flowing Band of Marsh with One or More Navigable Channels
