Silver Jubilee celebrated at the coast

The Silver Jubilee (25 years of the religious life) celebration of Roman Catholic priest Father Kapena OMI (Oblates of Mary Immaculate) was held at the Stella Maris Catholic Parish in Walvis Bay.

More than 2000 parishioners from different parishes in Namibia celebrated 25 years of religious life with the jubilarians and witnesses as they renewed their vows.
The practice of calling 25 years “silver” dates to the medieval Germany. Silver is thought to be one of the most stable metals and resembles that there must be some stable unity and harmony for any relationship to last for 25 years.
The word jubilee comes from the Aramaic word which means “trumpet blast”, therefor the Silver Jubilee celebration of Fr Kapena OMI, Bishop Chinyembe OMI, Fr Patrick OMI, Fr Mbheki OMI, Brother Max OMI and Fr Freeborn OMI was an opportunity to sound that trumpet, to celebrate the gift of priesthood and brotherhood.
Last Sunday the trumpet sounded at the assembly to signal that Jesus is present with the Eucharist until the end of time, inside the Priest who consecrated the bread an inside the people of God who forms the Eucharist body we call Church.
Bishop Chinyembe told the congregation that when the jubilarians accepted God in their lives, it was not only 25 years ago but also when they accepted the calling to become a priest. In 1994 they became part of the OMI congregation.
The Missionary OMI was approved as a new congregation 193 years ago. Since then all OMI priests honor the constitution. Fr. Kapena OMI and the other jubilarians were celebrating the rules and constitution of the OMI in the 25 years of their religious life.
Bishop Chinyembe OMI had the following to say on behalf of all the jubilarians: “Celebrations like this does not happen in isolation, they need to be celebrated with family and friends as we are all family and the desire to become a priest comes from our families.
The feeling that we felt the day of the calling is the same that we feel know. God has given us the gift to be His follower. This great gift has led us to stability. The calling that we are celebrating today has been shipped by the sense of perseverance and it is not a onetime experience, but it is day to day and a life time experience”.