KENYA: AMECEA hosts SECAM Workshop for Small Christian Communities
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar
(SECAM) in collaboration with AMECEA have organized a workshop on how Small
Christian Communities receive, own and implement Magisterial Documents.
(SECAM) in collaboration with AMECEA have organized a workshop on how Small
Christian Communities receive, own and implement Magisterial Documents.
The main
aim of the workshop which began on 24th September and will run till
28th is to study and strategize on the reception and effective
implementation of Pope Benedict XVI’s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus which was promulgated in Benin, on 21 November 2011.
aim of the workshop which began on 24th September and will run till
28th is to study and strategize on the reception and effective
implementation of Pope Benedict XVI’s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus which was promulgated in Benin, on 21 November 2011.
This workshop which was initially intended for the
AMECEA Region had been elevated to a continental workshop that covers all the
regions of Africa so that it could benefit to all the regions of SECAM.
AMECEA Region had been elevated to a continental workshop that covers all the
regions of Africa so that it could benefit to all the regions of SECAM.
According to Fr. Joseph Komakoma, the First Deputy Secretary
General of SECAM, the workshop intends to bring together key Small Christian
Community practitioners from the entire continent of Africa to share
experiences, successes, challenges, best practices and opportunities available
to the Church in Africa through the use of SCCs as a tool of primary and deep
evangelization in solidarity and mutual consultation.
General of SECAM, the workshop intends to bring together key Small Christian
Community practitioners from the entire continent of Africa to share
experiences, successes, challenges, best practices and opportunities available
to the Church in Africa through the use of SCCs as a tool of primary and deep
evangelization in solidarity and mutual consultation.
In
addition the workshop intend to foster unity, communion, solidarity and bonding
of pastoral agents coming from various Regions and Episcopal Conferences
leading to promoting, revitalizing and implementing the Church’s pastoral
policy on Small Christian Communities and the Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Africae Munus on Reconciliation, Justice and Peace.
addition the workshop intend to foster unity, communion, solidarity and bonding
of pastoral agents coming from various Regions and Episcopal Conferences
leading to promoting, revitalizing and implementing the Church’s pastoral
policy on Small Christian Communities and the Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Africae Munus on Reconciliation, Justice and Peace.
Finally the workshop
intends to recommend how its outcomes can be the basis for pastoral reflection
and action regarding some of the forthcoming pastoral events and programmes
such as the Synod on the New Evangelization For the Transmission of the
Christian Faith (October 2012) and the Year of Faith (October 2012 to September
2013) etc and create the basis for a permanent consultative structure for
Regional Pastoral Coordinators at Continental level.
intends to recommend how its outcomes can be the basis for pastoral reflection
and action regarding some of the forthcoming pastoral events and programmes
such as the Synod on the New Evangelization For the Transmission of the
Christian Faith (October 2012) and the Year of Faith (October 2012 to September
2013) etc and create the basis for a permanent consultative structure for
Regional Pastoral Coordinators at Continental level.
In his welcoming speech
on behalf of the President of SECAM, Rt. Rev. Bishop Emmanuel Obbo from the
Dioceses of Soroti, who is also the AMECEA Representative at the SECAM Standing
Committee, said that the theme of the workshop captures the essence of what the
workshop aims to achieve. “Given that all our pastoral activities need to be in
conformity with the teaching of the Church, then the reception, study, and
implementation of the teaching documents of the Church become critical
regarding our pastoral programmes,” he added.
on behalf of the President of SECAM, Rt. Rev. Bishop Emmanuel Obbo from the
Dioceses of Soroti, who is also the AMECEA Representative at the SECAM Standing
Committee, said that the theme of the workshop captures the essence of what the
workshop aims to achieve. “Given that all our pastoral activities need to be in
conformity with the teaching of the Church, then the reception, study, and
implementation of the teaching documents of the Church become critical
regarding our pastoral programmes,” he added.
While speaking onbehalf of the AMECEA Secretary General who was absent during the opening
ceremony due to other commitments, Fr. Febian Mulenga Pikiti, the coordinator
for AMECEA Pastoral Department thanked SECAM Secretariat for giving AMECEA the
opportunity to host the event. He said that the workshop is very meaningful for
the church of Kenya because the Small Christian Communities are very vibrant
here. “Am told there are close to 40,000 Small Christian Communities,” he said
adding that the African continent is full of resources, full of cultural
diversity, full of potential and full of youthfulness as well as share a common
identity, the value of community living, of relationships and solidarity.
He added that as we are
preparing to start the year of the faith, 50 years after the second Vatican
council, it is a time for rethinking about deepening of faith in Africa and the
Small Christian Communities are the most effect avenues to constantly see ways
of bringing faith into the daily life of the people.
preparing to start the year of the faith, 50 years after the second Vatican
council, it is a time for rethinking about deepening of faith in Africa and the
Small Christian Communities are the most effect avenues to constantly see ways
of bringing faith into the daily life of the people.
The Workshop will include the following activities: formation of SCCs (Small groups) during the workshop (three
English-speaking SCCs, two French-speaking SCCs and one Portuguese-speaking
SCC) for prayer, reflection and discussion; Bible Sharing/Bible
Reflection in the SCCs (Small groups) using the Gospel of the following Sunday and a visit to a meeting of a SCC in the local
area.
English-speaking SCCs, two French-speaking SCCs and one Portuguese-speaking
SCC) for prayer, reflection and discussion; Bible Sharing/Bible
Reflection in the SCCs (Small groups) using the Gospel of the following Sunday and a visit to a meeting of a SCC in the local
area.
Source: AMECEA Social Communications office
