Saturday they will joined by father Ouma Matthew, the general counsellor in charge of Africa, who is coming from South Africa, where the General Superior Fr. Aquileo and Fr. Ouma, made the canonical visitation of the Delegation.
The Continental Meeting began on the 23,05,2007 with the vespers; during the service, we entrusted it in God’s hands and asked for his Spirit to descend upon us and the entire Institute.
On the 24,05,2007, during the Eucharist, Fr Paco contextualising the Gospel of the day invited all the formators to become witnesses like the apostles who witnessed to Jesus Christ, as he himself he was the witness of the Father. He proceeded by saying that this testimony should extend to all the aspects of our way of life. With his own life, Jesus taught his disciple how to be in communion with God, and, in turn, the formator should strive to live in communion with God , the Institute and his own community.
In his welcoming speech, Fr. Paco invited the African formators to go beyond the speeches during this family forum, to stick together, to share one’s own experience, to see together the difficulties of formation, and to help each other feel that we are one body with the rest of the Institute. Moreover, he conveyed to us all the best wishes of the General Direction and other missionaries who are praying for us.
Fr. Franco Cellana, the Regional Superior of the Region of Kenya, welcomed us and told us that this meeting was the appropriate moment whereby the African Imc formators gathered together to reflect on how to harmonise their ways of forming Imc missionaries in Africa, keeping in mind the cultural and religious environment, which should bear some weight on, and make the difference in the formative process or the candidates. “It is a fitting occasion to deepen your thoughts, by looking together towards the same direction. You should be aware of the Continent’s situation, which is quite a difficult one in most areas of the life in Africa. It is in this difficult context that the Imc formators are called to form new missionaries”.
We should not worry about our community, its geography of vocations and members’ origin, but our worry and preoccupation should be the one of preparing and forming well our future missionaries keeping in mind the African situation. According to Fr Franco our Imc community of formation should be not only an educational community, but a true Imc community and ecclesial community, through which the Christian way of living is seen.
Let us try to find ways on how to better our formation in Africa, how to respond positively to this African reality.
These are our facilitators’ team,
1.
Two moderators, Frs. Thomas Ishengoma (tz region) and Ichuloi Anthony ( Kenya region).
2. Two secretaries, Frs. Pendawazima Dietrich ( Kenya Region and Fr Jackson Murugara (Kenya Region)
3. Secretary of communication with Imc, Fr. Symphorien Fumwasendji Kapumba and Fr Anthony Bellagamba.
2. Two secretaries, Frs. Pendawazima Dietrich ( Kenya Region and Fr Jackson Murugara (Kenya Region)
3. Secretary of communication with Imc, Fr. Symphorien Fumwasendji Kapumba and Fr Anthony Bellagamba.
