Friday, 07 December 2018 10:02

Episcopal Ordination of Msgr. Martin Boucar TINE, sss


Papal Bull

Papal BullPope Francis, Servant of the Servants of Godsends greetings and Apostolic Blessings to his beloved son, Martin Boucar Tine, member of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation and Vicar General, now appointed as Bishop of Kaolack.

We wish to exercise diligently Our Office as the Supreme Pastor of the entire flock of the Lord, so that the people of God may be provided with spiritual help as much as possible.

Since the Venerable Brother Benjamin Ndiaye has left the Church of Kaolack to move to the Archdiocese of Dakar, so that a responsible of that jurisdiction would not be further awaited, we have recourse with real trust in you, beloved son, to provided solid faith and doctrine. We are confident that you will  effectively manage a good work of Prelate.

Wherefore, receiving the advice of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, with Our Apostolic Authority, we nominate you as Bishop of Kaolack and grant you all the rights and responsibilities that pertain to your state and purposes connected to the prescriptions of the sacred canons.

Before receiving the episcopal consecration outside Rome, in the popular place you want, it is also necessary that you make the Profession of Faith and take the Oath of Fidelity to us and our Successors, according to the norms of the Church.

Moreover, I exhort you to inform the clergy and the faithful people of your election, to all, so that they receive you well, as one who arrives as a teacher and guide, welcome you with open arms considering in turn the laborious service for the benefit of the faithful, because their souls are strengthened and sustained.

Given at Saint Peter's in Rome on the 25th day of July, in the year of the Lord 2018, the sixth year of our Pontificate.

Cathedral Kaolack

 

The Episcopal Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of the 4th bishop of Kaolack, Mgr. Martin Boucar Tine, is composed of both cultural and religious symbols such as ears of cereal grains, the Cross, a pitcher of water and white linen. It also includes the colours of the Senegalese national flag and his episcopal motto. Bishop Martin Tine also explains the reason for choosing to keep the SSS cross and the ring. Here is Bishop Tine’s description of the meaning.

Coat of arms Bp Martin Tine fr sThe Episcopal Coat of Arms is made up of an ensemble of symbols by means of which a bishop issues a message either about himself or about how he intends to respond to the pastoral mission that the Lord and the Church have entrusted to him. These symbols can range from colours to the cultural elements of his country, including those of the Christian religion. We essentially base our coat of arms on three elements (colours, cultural elements, religious elements) to express the following.

The Red Cross

Our Christian faith is founded on the Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died and is risen, the Good News that we are called to proclaim and bear witness to as bringing salvation to all people. This Paschal Mystery is at the heart of our personal and communal Christian existence. It is represented by a Red Cross at the centre of the coat of arms. This Paschal Mystery is celebrated every day by the Christian community for its life and unity in Christ.

Millet and sorghum

The Eucharist forms the communion of the Church as God’s family, despite the sins and weaknesses of each one. It is Christ, bread broken for a new world, who is its source. This Eucharist is made both from natural products and likewise from cultural elements. Millet and Sorghum, ground into flour, are the basic cereals of bread, human food and material for the celebration of the Eucharist. They symbolise the Christian community as well, since the cob, formed of several grains, recalls that the Christian members form the Body of Christ. These realities of nature are also the elements that characterise two peoples, the ethnic groups None and Saloum, who merged undoubtedly in the course of history and today comprise our poor people who join hands in walking in faith and witness to the hope that dwells in us who look forward to a world of greater justice, peace and love.

The pitcher, jug and white linen

The Church or the Christian community makes the Eucharist insofar as it is called to celebrated it, but above all to witness to what it celebrates, namely, God’s limitless love in Jesus Christ for every person. This total gift of God in Jesus Christ calls forth the response of his disciples to bring about the realisation of a new world. “I have given you an example that you also should do this for each other.” Eucharist and Gift of self, Eucharist and Service, Eucharist and Commitment, these are symbolised by the washing of the feet (indicated by the pitcher, the jug and the white linen).


The colours of the Senegalese flag

Whereas the Paschal Mystery celebrated in the Eucharist pertains to the whole Church, it at the same time refers to the particular and concrete situations of every people and nation. This is what we intended to express by inserting its symbolism at the centre by identifying the Nation and the Senegalese people through the colours of their flag: Green, Yellow, Red. This means that, as Christians, our participation in the transformation of our Nation and our People will begin essentially from the Paschal Mystery that we celebrate in the Eucharist.

Episcopal motto

To describe the Paschal Mystery as limitless love, total gift unto death, Saint John begins the chapter relating it as follows: “Before the feast of the Passover, knowing that the hour was at hand for him to pass from this world to his Father, Jesus, having loved his own who were in the world, loved them unto the end.” (Jn 13:1) It is from this that we derive our episcopal motto: “He loved them unto the end.” This is above all in continuity, we hope, with the logic of our priestly motto, which was: “I am what I am through the grace of God.” (1 Cor 15:10) Not only what I am today is always because of grace alone, but the Lord remains faithful and despite my limitations, his love follows me to the end in my charge of the episcopal ministry. The motto also expresses how God has loved us in Jesus Christ by making the supreme gift of Himself on the Cross and this is the first meaning Saint John attributes to Him. This is a programme of life, a challenge that only God, by associating us with Mercy to his Paschal Mystery, can realise in us. Without any self-importance, we simply want to endeavour to abandon ourselves day after day into his hands and his infinite Mercy. 

 

Bp Martin Tine6Bp Martin Tine Cross.jpgWhy have I kept the insignia of the SSS Con-gregation?

For me, this is a way of staying connected and in communion with my religious family. Besides, I’m glad to be a son of Saint Peter-Julian Eymard. And I can never thank the Congregation enough for all that it has done for me. I was in the (diocesan) seminary before I entered the Congregation. Now I leave the Congregation to re-enter the diocesan Church, like a return to the sender, but as a sinner who seeks to allow himself to live and be transformed through the Eucharist. And this is what I would like everyone to understand through these signs.

+ Mgr Martin Boucar Tine
Bishop of Kaolack

Message of the Archbishop of Dakar

“This is the day that the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice!... Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Ps 118:24. 26a)

Bp of DakarAfter a long wait, lived sometimes impatiently, but ever in persevering prayer, the people of the diocese of Kaolack at last received, through the intermediary of the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Michael W. Banach, the good news of Pope Francis’ appointment of the Reverend Father Martin Boucar Tine of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament as the Bishop of Kaolack. This was on 25 July 2018.

We give thanks to God for this choice that fills us with gladness and hope, delighted for the precious gift that the Lord has given to his people in granting them a new she-pherd. The long wait was abundantly re-compensed in ena-bling us to live a favourable time.

At the end of his episcopal consecration on 24 November, which seems to be a bright date in the history of the Kaolack diocese, Mgr Martin Boucar Tine will place his talents as a pastor and the rich experience he acquired in the government of his religious congregation at the service of God’s Church at Kaolack. We wish him heartfelt assurance of our fraternal prayer for a fruitful apostolate and fulfilment among the people of this beloved and so endeared land of Kaolack.

In the collegiality uniting him to the other bishops of the universal Church, Bishop Martin will collaborate with his peers at the heart of various levels, such as in the Ecclesiastical Province of Dakar, the Episcopal Conference of Senegal, Mauritania, Cap Verde and Guinea and Bissau, as well as in the Episcopal Regional Conference of West Africa (CERAO), and the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SCEAM).

At these various levels, as at that of the universal Church, he will bring with his charism his specific contribution as the Lord’s envoy for our times.

A new missionary horizon is opening up in Kaolack with the arrival of Bishop Martin, who will certainly not fail to further root the eucharistic spirituality. With him and in communion with the people of the Kaolack diocese, we implore the intercession of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the patron saint of the diocese, to promote the Kingdom of God through the proclamation of the Gospel and Christian witness.

As a successor of the Apostles who closely collaborated with the Lord Jesus Christ, a bishop is a gift from God to his people, for their sanctification, their teaching and their service. May our prayer contribute to fostering the fruitfulness of the episcopal ministry of His Excellency, Bishop Martin Boucar Tine: ad multos annos!

+ Mgr Benjamin NDIAYE
Archbishop of Dakar

Message of the Superior General

On behalf of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, of our religious present here, I praise the Lord God for having given us this brother, Bishop Martin Tine, as a member of our Congregation and for all the service that he has carried out in our charismatic Eymardian family.

Generalate Chapel

God has bestowed a new choice in his life, calling him to continue serving the Church as the bishop of Kaolack. As the family of Saint Peter-Julian Eymard, we are glad to be able to offer the Church this precious gift, in the person of one of our brothers, Bishop Martin. The Church is benefitting from a bishop aware of his mission, open to grace, in solidarity with the poor, able to create a deep relationship of brotherhood and, above all, a happy person, knowing how to spread joy in an effective and profound way by bringing the gospel to the hearts of men and women of his time.

The Church is obtaining a precious gift with the service that Bishop Martin will provide to the diocesan church of Kaolack. As a Congregation we shall be deprived of his presence in the life of the community, which is the greatest requirement of our charism, deprived also of his skills in the service of the Congregation, especially that which he has offered as Vicar General.

Bishop Martin, thank you for being our brother and for having assisted us in following the path received from our holy founder, St Peter-Julian Eymard. May the Lord bless you with his grace and mercy, may he bless your diocese and our Congregation by giving us many holy and mature vocations.

Immense thanks.

Fr. Eugênio Barbosa Martins, sss
Superior General
Kaolack, Senegal, 24 November 2018

Msgr. Martin Boucar Tine, new bishop of Kaolack

Bp Martin Tine2sAfter three years and nine months of waiting, finally the consecration of the new Bishop of Kaolack has taken place on 24 November 2018.

The interim administrator of the diocese, the Abbé Pierre Tine, said that during this long period they had prayed a lot before the Blessed Sacrament, and the outcome is a Blessed Sacrament Bishop! In the chapel of the bishop’s residence itself there was exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and the fervent faithful used to come to adore. The Blessed Sacra-ment religious of Senegal have given a monstrance to the Bishop so that he may continue the beautiful tradition.

At the solemn and festive Mass of consecration, presided by the Apostolic Nuncio, Michael Banach, eight bishops concelebrated, among whom was the Archbishop of Dakar, who had first been the bishop of Kaolack. Also, among the concelebrants there were the following: the Superior General of the Congregation, Father Eugenio Barbosa Martins, his Consultor Father Joseph Vu Quoc Binh and the Pro-vincial Superior of Italy, Father Domenico Avogadro.

From Africa there were also present our confreres Father Anaclet Bambala, the Provincial Superior of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and Father Brel Malela Daouda, the Regional Superior of Congo-Brazzaville.

There were about 150 priests present, many male and female religious and a crowd of faithful from the various dioceses.

Father General said that the Church have “taken” from us a confrere who was the Vicar General of the Congregation, however, he hopes that since this gift was to the Church, the Lord would give us abundant holy eucharistic vocations.

Bishop Martin Boucar Tine was born in 1966 in the parish of Koudiadiene in the diocese of Thies, entrusted to the Blessed Sacrament religious. The pioneer in this parish had been Father Paolo Signori, followed by Father Renato Ghisleni, Pietro Brivio and later by several other confreres.

Having completed elementary school, Martin expressed the desire to enter the Blessed Sacrament Congregation, but since these religious did not have a formation house for boys, he was sent to the diocesan minor seminary of Ngazobil. When he reached high school age he again expressed his desire to become a Blessed Sacrament religious and entered the Eymard Foyer in Dakar.

After his novitiate in Lonzo in Congo-Kinshasa, he continued his theological studies in Kinshasa. He was ordained a priest in 1996 in Senegal where he undertook the first years of priesthood. In 1999 he pursued studies in dogmatic theology at Kinshasa, where in 2001 he was appointed the director of the Blessed Sacrament scholasticate Emmaus in Kikusa.

In 2006 he was elected the Regional Superior of our foundation in Senegal and in 2011 a General Consultor of the Congregation. Then from 2017 he was chosen as the Vicar General, with responsibility for formation and the Congregation in Africa. After this vast experience, Pope Francis appointed him the Bishop of Kaolack.

Bp Martin Tine4The Diocese of Kaolack comprises a vast territory situated in the centre of Senegal, where Christians make up only 2% of the population that pertains prevalently to the Muslim religion. Despite the small number of Catholics, namely about 17000, who are organised in 18 parishes and spread in the city and various villages, the Christian communities are very committed and maintain good relations with the Muslims, above all regarding works for human promotion. There are 50 priests of the diocese. Presenting the diocese to him at the Mass of his installation on 25 November, the Feast of Christ the King, they hoped he would become rooted in their diocese to deepen the faithful in the faith.

In his homily, the Bishop reiterated that in Christ’s Kingdom we must not seek power and prestige, but we are called to serve with tenderness and love. And he gave an eloquent sign of his desire to place himself at the service of all by introducing into the celebration the ritual of the washing of the feet.

There are also in the diocese 26 religious communities, among which there are 16 priests belonging to 4 religious families: Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Issoudun, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Piarists and Discalced Carmelites. To their representative, inspired by the new bishop’s episcopal motto: He loved them unto the end (Jn 13:1), they told: You have come among us to love us.

The new Bishop has been chosen from a Congregation that is not present in the diocese, though it was called to open a community there in 2002. Now the Congregation, which has recently set up the Province of Senegal, has provided a Bishop, who is the only religious of the Episcopal Conference. It is the first grace that the Lord gives to the new small Province of Senegal. We hope the new Bishop will be able to spread joy and communion among the various components that enrich the Church.

We hope and pray that this gift offered to the Church can stir up new vocations to respond to the various requests that bishops, seeing how we live our charism, are making to us about opening a new Blessed Sacrament community in their dioceses. If the Lord has chosen a Blessed Sacrament religious to become a bishop, this means that the Church of Senegal has understood that the Eucharist is the heart of the whole Christian life and infuses reconciliation and peace among all peoples. This choice is a sign of blessing that commits the religious of the Blessed Sacrament present in Senegal to live fully the mystery of the Eucharist and to manifest to all that we are able to live in the joy of being loved by God, our Father.

In sharing this event, there spontaneously springs up in our heart a hymn of gratitude to the Lord for having accompanied us during these almost 60 years of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation’s presence in Senegal. At the same time, we give fervent thanks to the confreres and benefactors who have supported us, especially in the vocation apostolate.

Fr. Alessandro Bianchin, sss
Missionary in Senegal
Dakar 25 November 2018

 

Last modified on Friday, 21 December 2018 09:26