Father to the late Br. Collins Masinde, OMI visits South Africa
On January 12, 2024, in the quiet morning hours, Bro. Collins MASINDE, OMI, a scholastic brother from the Kenya Mission studying at St. Joseph’s Oblate Scholasticate in Cedara, South Africa, was at the beach near the retreat house. At approximately 11:00 am, a strong wave swept Bro. Collins off a rock, leading to his untimely death at sea.
From September 3 to 6, 2024, the Mission Superior requested that I accompany Mr. Eliud Masinde to South Africa so that he could visit the place where his son had lived. Mr. Masinde also saw the place where his son drowned on January 12 and collected some of his late son’s belongings. As a memory for the family, he also took some soil and a piece of rock from the ocean back to Kenya.
On September 3, Mr. Masinde and I headed to South Africa on Kenya Airways and landed in Johannesburg for a connection to Durban. Upon arrival, we were picked up at the airport by Fr. Barnabas OMI, one of the Formators at Cedara, and two scholastics, Br. Richard and Br. Mangaliso who were with the late Collins on the day he drowned. From the airport, we proceeded directly to Port Shepstone at the Capuchin Sisters Retreat House where Collins spent his last days on retreat. The sisters checked us in briefly and we proceeded to the ocean to the place where our late Br. Collins OMI drowned.
Mr. Masinde saw the place where his son drowned on January 12.
It was quite rough when we arrived at the ocean. I remember Mr. Masinde saying, “surely, how could someone even think of swimming in this kind of water?” He looked at us and said, “What God has planned, no one can block, we accept the will of God. Please move aside and let me talk to my son in prayer.” And so we gave him space. When he was done, we went back to the sisters’ retreat house to spend the night.
We set to the Ocean once again on Wednesday, and spent an hour walking around taking a few pictures. We returned to the Retreat House for a meeting with the Police leadership who were part of the rescue team effort, so they could explain to Mr. Masinde what had happened that day and answer some of his questions arising from the police report and any other queries. Questions such as: how many days did the police take searching for the body of Collins before giving up? How was the search done? What equipment was used? Why is the South African Government not issuing a Death Certificate? The meeting went on well; the Police answered all Mr. Masinde’s questions to his satisfaction.
Meeting with the Police leadership who were part of the rescue team effort.
After the meeting we had lunch and drove to Pietermaritzburg and, finally, St Joseph’s Scholasticate and Institute, where Br. Collins had lived and studied before his tragic demise. At the Scholasticate we were warmly welcomed and received at the formators’ house.
On Thursday, after morning Mass, Fr. Sebastian OMI, a Formator and lecturer at St Joseph’s Institute of Theology (SJTI), took Mr. Masinde on a tour of the Scholasticate, and Institute of Theology. There Mr. Masinde had a chance to visit Br. Collins’ classmates and a classroom where his late son sat as a student. After the tour, Fr. Barnabas took us both to a nearby shopping mall.
After lunch one of the formators in Cedara, Fr. Ziphozonke GUMUDE OMI, spent a good part of the afternoon with Mr. Masinde visiting The Nelson Mandela Capture Site, one of South Africa’s famous historic locations. In the evening during supper, the Scholasticate Community presented a small gift to Mr. Masinde. Thereafter, Mr. Masinde and I went to Mabatwane House, where Br. Collins lived, and joined the Scholastics for night prayer and a brief sharing about the life of the late Br. Collins.
Collins was a joyful, hardworking young man, full of life, who touched lives of many, and his formators spoke well of him. After prayer and sharing, the room where Br. Collins lived was opened for his Dad to see and select a few items to take home: some clothes and other belongings of his son, including his Passport. On Friday we left the Scholasticate Community for King Shaka International Airport for the flight back to Kenya.
Two scholastics, Br. Richard and Br. Mangaliso who were with the late Collins on the day he drowned.
From experiencing this journey to South Africa, I could say that Mr. Masinde is an understanding, big-hearted man, a man of faith in his own way. He shared of his intentions to have Holy Mass in his home with the Kenya Mission Oblates on a later date as a way of closure. I pray that, as Kenya Mission members, we will be able to join Mr. Masinde and support the family at this future event, and bring some closure for them, and even for ourselves who still miss his presence.
May the soul of Br. Collins rest in eternal peace, and may his family be comforted.
“Should it happen that I doze off, please wake me up! I want to die knowing that I am dying: practice well among yourselves charity, charity, charity, and outside zeal for the salvation of souls” St. Eugene de MAZENOD, May 21st, 1861.
By Phelix Johya, OMI
Published on the OMI World website.
