Bible Society of Mauritius celebrates 190th anniversary

The history of Bible work
in Mauritius

The Bible Society of Mauritius, which is also responsible for Bible work on the neighbouring islands of Réunion, Rodrigues and Seychelles, was founded in November 1812, two years after the French handed the island over to the British. Its 11-member founding committee set as its objective “to encourage the circulation of the Holy Scriptures without note or comment and to furnish copies of the same gratis to the indigent, at reduced prices to all others”.

The Society became an Auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1852, but it was not until 1964 that it became a fully-fledged Bible Society. It opened its first Bible House at Rose Hill in 1966, and in 1968 it became a UBS National Office. In 1974, Roger Murat was appointed its first Mauritian Executive Secretary. Full UBS membership was granted in 1988, and since 1995 the Society has operated from its own premises in Eau Coulée.

Throughout a sometimes troubled history, especially in the early days when the socio-economic and demographic structure of Mauritius was transformed by the abolition of slavery, it has been possible to keep the flame of Bible work alive in Mauritius. The Society is now looking forward with confidence to its bicentenary in 2012.

EAU COULÉE, Mauritius — The Bible Society of Mauritius, one of the oldest in the world, has faced many challenges, including natural disasters and economic hardship, since it was founded in 1812. The fact that the Society has survived and prospered within the rich tapestry of races, cultures and religions in Mauritius is a tribute to the resilience and dynamism of devoted staff teams over the years.

Those who gathered in Curepipe on November 26 for a thanksgiving service to mark the Society’s 190th anniversary were very aware of this legacy. The Rev Ian Ernest, Anglican Bishop of Mauritius, hailed the service as an “opportunity to salute the vision that our fathers in faith held”.

All the churches

Pastor Jacky Barbera, the Society’s President, stated that it has always sought to work with all the churches, and the interdenominational nature of the thanksgiving service bore witness to this. He also emphasised that, from its very beginnings, the Society’s main aim has been to “render the Holy Scripture accessible to everybody, at a reasonable price, in the mother tongue”.

The anniversary also provided the Society with a valuable opportunity to bring its mission to the attention of the general public in Mauritius. Initiatives included large colour advertisements in daily newspapers, headed “190 Years of Serving God’s Word”.

Launch

Celebrations continued in a different form on December 5 with the launch of the Gospel of Mark in the local creole, Morisyen, which is spoken by 1.2 million islanders. The translation, which is accompanied by a readers’ guide and a CD, was undertaken by an interdenominational team supported by the United Bible Societies. It is intended to be the first step towards making the entire New Testament available in Morisyen.

The Rev Patrick Fabien, who co-ordinated the project, spoke at the launch of the “exhilarating experience” of working through the various oral and written versions of the Gospel in order to produce an acceptable common translation.

In their foreword, the translators state, “Some ask why a translation in creole? Since the mother tongue of many Mauritians is creole, such an enterprise is but natural. Celebrating and singing in one’s language is crucial to the growth and maturity of faith.” The translators’ approach was endorsed at the launch by the Rev Marc Etive, the Society’s General Secretary, who emphasised that “spreading the Gospel and touching people’s heart require that God’s Word be made available in a language and a cultural set-up which are familiar to the reader or listener”. (WR 375/28 - 3.03)