Meet Brother Rob Malusa

Meet Brother Rob Malusa

by Fr. Steve Ryan, SDB

Bro. Rob in the chapel 

of the SDB provincial center in New Rochelle

In June Brother Robert “Rob” Malusa, SDB, came back to the USA for the summer. He arrived on June 16, and is staying in New York for a few months. Originally from Long Island, Bro. Rob was with the Salesians in the U.S. for several years before going to Africa as a missionary. For nearly ten years, he has served first in Malawi and then in Zambia.  

Bro. Rob began his time in Zambia as the assistant principal of a big technical school. “The government loves the place since it creates lots of work,” he explained, having beamed that the school had 1,000 students learning 12 different subjects.

After three years, Bro. Rob was called to another school due to an emergency. They had no principal! Located in an extremely rural part of the country, Lufubu sat 800 miles from the capital, Lusaka, and 180 miles from the nearest store. “Although I had been hesitant, it all worked out beautifully,” Bro. Rob reflected. The agricultural school had a farm attached to it, which helped make the community self-sustainable. Brother worked hard to make the farm and the school work more closely together.

His latest assignment was in the training of young Salesians. Bro. Rob worked on the formation of novices and is now setting up a program for the young Salesians.

Bro. Rob loves his life as a missionary and expressed his appreciation for all those he has encountered. “I love the people in Malawi and Zambia,” he shared. “They are very caring and sharing people. If they have even one grape, they’ll give you half.” Bro. Rob also noted how the youths are open to faith and spirituality. Despite the language barrier at first, they love to sit and talk, and, eventually, everyone understands one another. “They are open in terms of their life, their faith, and their love of God,” Bro. Rob stated. “That’s what brings me the most joy.”