By Amanda Murthy
Life for the Catholic South-Sudanese in Western Australia has its fair share of struggles, but it is certainly a far cry from what their families back home are experiencing – living in a newly emancipated nation, all too familiar with political instability, extreme poverty, lacking access to basic healthcare and education, just to name a few.
Having witnessed first-hand the hardships faced by the African communities of which he served in Egypt (two years), Kenya (four years), Tanzania (three years) and South-Sudan (11 years), Girrawheen Parish Priest Father Albert Saminedi – who speaks six languages fluently: Tamil, Telegu, English, Arabic, Swahili, and Italian – was naturally drawn to connect and minister to the African communities since arriving in Perth.
In 2004, Fr Sam, as he is widely known, with the blessing from then Archbishop Barry Hickey, was asked to set up the Saint Bakhita Catholic Community in Westminster, attracting parishioners from Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Iraqi, Iranian, Kenyan, and Sudanese backgrounds, who were mostly living in the neighbourhood at the time of its inception.
However, Fr Sam’s somewhat one-man show effort, with help from several volunteers, would prove to be insufficient to bring the diverse community attending the Church, because of several factors including language-barriers, transport issues in addition to vast cultural differences.
“Africa, being a continent with 54 countries, saw thousands of people from different parts who spoke different languages, settling in Perth, longing for a connection with the local community, however when they arrived, most did not speak a word of English,” the St Bakhita Chaplain said.
“St Bakhita community, was a great stepping stone for many of these groups who eventually branched out to other locations, as they moved to further suburbs [to obtain cheaper property], leaving the South-Sudanese and an Ethiopian Orthodox groups, which now dominate the congregations that attend our Sunday 8am and 11.30am Masses.
“Today, there are an average of 80 people attending Mass weekly. We have been blessed with about 50 baptisms yearly, that occur during Easter and Christmas, and there is a strong Legion of Mary group that anchor in many ways, assisting the community especially during funerals or special events.
“They have been through so much hardships and continue to be providers for their families back home, but I feel like they have found a home here, and often express how happy they are to be able to pray and lean on each other as a community of faith,” he added.
Although several social issues remain prevalent within the younger community, Fr Sam, using his vast language skills, managed to slowly but surely break down barriers and build better communication among parent, teachers and students from the parish who attend schools in the area.
“Many of the children struggle with their studies, because they could not understand the language, culture, and had never really had the opportunity at receiving a good education, their parents could not speak English too,” Fr Sam explained.
“Being able to speak the language, provided me with an opportunity to be the middle person during parent-teacher meetings, provide spiritual support, to be a mentor to the students and their parents, and also do it in an approach that will make them feel welcomed and at home.
“I’ve volunteered in these areas with Mercy College for the past 16 years and Aranmore Catholic College as well, and I continue to see so much positive outcome as a result, which is the best feeling, knowing that the children have opportunities to be a vital part of this society,” he stated.
Fr Sam expressed how proud he of the congregation for overcoming many of their challenges and for choosing to lean on their faith through the good and bad times.
“My ministry here is challenging, nevertheless joyful and rewarding,” Fr Sam stated.
“In many ways, this experience is full circle I have witnessed some of the worst conditions in Africa, and it gives me peace to see some of them that I knew from Africa, especially the young ones, make it to Perth and now have a chance of living a life without all the horrible conditions back home, a life which every child deserves.
“My prayer remains that this community continues to flourish and grow, and that they never lose faith and hope in Christ,” he concluded.