OCER Update

By Tony Wach, S.J. '60 - January 2013

DEAR FRIENDS FROM 1960 Campion,

First, Congratulations on another year --nearly 53 since our graduation! After my surprise bypasses last June, I no longer take life quite so much for granted! Thank the Lord I had just gotten back to the USA where I could get good treatment. Thank you for your notes & prayers!

I'm now back in N. Uganda, in time late November to see our students as they celebrated the end of their school year, our third. Life continued just fine the five months I was absent! It was also the feast of St. Edmund Campion and the Mass included a number of baptisms and first Holy Communions. Late January we begin Secondary 3 and will increase another 120 students up to about 360! I'm especially happy that so many are not only from poor families and isolated areas but are also bright. Thanks to all of you who are helping to sponsor them; please continue! While I was gone, two more Jesuits joined us (one a priest) and next month we'll add another scholastic, bringing us to six African Jesuits here, along with Jim Strzok and myself.

By February we hope to have begun two more needed buildings: 1) a bigger kitchen/dining complex, along with a cooking classroom (to be funded by USAID) and 2) 10 more classrooms, as Dave Zamierowski recently wrote, to be named Campion Hall and crediting our '60 class as well other classes who join in. Jim Strzok joined his '57 reunion in September and many of them are with us, as well as a number from other classes. Please spread the word and, if possible, renew or continue your commitment!! WE STILL NEED YOU! We've come a long way in six years but the motto of the Jesuits here, on their 25th anniversary, is "Going further still!" The Catholic dioceses here have just celebrated their hundredth year of first evangelization and, now post 23 years of war, are trying to rebuild lives and deepen the faith. Our new Campion is a big part of their hope!

Dave Zam wrote that he and Mary are coming to visit again in late September. Jim Murtaugh will also be coming, along with his dental tools, for the third time! Any of you/your wives are also welcome, then or some other time. Uganda is known as the "Pearl of Africa," but its greatest beauty is the people. You will be thrilled to meet our students & to see the wonderful new Campion you are helping build here. Enjoy the short looks below and God Bless you in 2013!

Tony,sj
Contact information is in InPrivatum Campianum.