SAP Pre-Capitular Assembly took place in Mid-November 2015 at Kasisi Retreat Centre in Lusaka. Those who attended the meeting were Fons Vanden Boer, Remacle-Lamec Ciza, Deogratius Ngowi and Raymond McQuarry from South Africa. Then Robert Tebri, Michel Sanou, Paul Namono, Filiyanus Ekka and Simeon Kalore form Malawi, Julian Kasiya, Fidel Salazar del Muro, Jean-Bosco Nibigira and Boris Yabre from Mozambique, Norbert Nkingwa, Bernard Udelhoven, Benjamin Itungabose, John Itaru, Adelarde Munishi, Patrice Sawadogo, Romaric Bationo, Francis Bomansaan, Venerato Babaine and the Provincial Stanley Lubungo from Zambia. The Animator was Luigi Morell and the Secretaries were Serge St-Arneault and Didasio Mwanza.
Most discussions took place in the main hall though five groups studied the content of SAP recommendations for the 2016 General Chapter.
The last day saw the confreres enjoying an outing at Chaminuka private Park situated is about 45 minutes from the venue of Kasisi. They enjoyed a time of relaxation exploring the environment were a variety of animals can we seen on the ground and by boats. Enjoy the pictures. Chaminuka is also well known for its artifacts, sculpture collections for all Africa (quite a few from West Africa), paintings and modern sculpture made out of cars’ spare parts.
My dear Friends, Greetings! I hope you are well. Today, as you receive this NEWSLETTER, most of us M.Afr are travelling to Merrivale, our house of formation, for two great celebrations. Indeed, six of our candidates will take their Missionary Oath tomorrow, Friday, and thus become fully fledged Missionaries of Africa. The following day, they will be ordained deacons! After their last year of theology, sometime toward the end of next year, they shall be ordained priests in their respective parishes of origin. But this being such an important occasion, some of their relatives have travelled to attend these two great events. Already yesterday, the parents and a nephew of our Tanzanian deacon-to-be, Konrad, arrived from Dar-es-Salaam. This afternoon, I will be driving with them to Merrivale. The others are Albert from Burkina Faso, Alphonse from Rwanda, Robin from Zambia, Damian from Uganda and Douglas from Kenya. I hope that we will have one or two good photos of them in the next Newsletter. You may be asking yourself “What is a missionary oath?” Well, here is a short explanation. We, Missionaries of Africa, are not a “religious congregation” as such. We are a “society of apostolic life” and we also live the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience; but we do not take vows. We promise to live a simple life style (poverty, or freedom from things), obedience to our superiors (freedom to serve), and chastity (freedom to love) in our missionary oath – which is a solemn promise on the Bible. Here is an extract of the text of our missionary oath: “… I promise and swear to the Superior General of the Society fidelity and obedience… to observe celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom.” I therefore ask you to keep in your prayers these six new Missionaries of Africa.
I hope this month has been a blessed one for each of you. In spite of all the upheavals happening in the world, the students’ strikes and violent demonstrations, we can see some positive signs of life here and there in our society and throughout the world. Pope Francis is now in Kenya since yesterday. His coming to Africa – his first one – is under the sign of hope and peace to our broken world. Everywhere he goes, he brings a refreshing touch of joy, the joy of the Gospel. Let us pray that his visit in Kenya, then in Uganda and finally in the Central African Republic will sow seeds of peace among these nations of Africa and at the same time, be an inspiration to the rest of the world.
