TANZANIA: The Witness of your Religious Consecration is the Core of your Apostolate, Archbishop Solczynskinew tells religious women
The Apostolic Nuncio to Tanzania, His Excellency Archbishop Marek Solczynskinew has challenged Religious Women in Eastern and Central Africa not to forget the witness of their Religious Consecration as that was the core of their apostolate.
Apostolic Nuncio to Tanzania
during his homily for the closing
Mass for the 17th ACWECA Plenary
Assembly in Tanzania
In his homily last Thursday during the closing Mass of the 17th Plenary Assembly of the Association of Consecrated Women at Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Most Rev Solczynskinew expressed confidence that, the sisters endeavours undertaken and accomplished during the working sessions, accompanied by prayers were useful and of great help for them and their apostolate.
He said the witness of Religious Consecration is precisely what St. John Paul II said to priests and religious during his memorable visit to Tanzania in 1990.
“In his address to religious men and women here Dar-es-Salaam, the same Pope noted that, the paradox of the cross whereby dying with Christ leads to new life in Him should be fully apparent in your way of living. May you always incarnate with joy those words of the Vatican II Council regarding your consecration. The more ardently that Religious unite themselves to Christ through a self surrender involving their entire lives, the more vigorous will become the life of the Church and the more abundantly will her apostolate bear fruit,” he said
Archbishop Solczynskinew echoed Pope Francis’ message sent to Assembly “The Holy Father encourages all of you to deepen the bonds of friendship and communion among yourselves so that you may offer a more convincing witness to society and the Church. Here again the most important thing is witness,” the Apostolic Nuncio to Tanzania said.
“The Holy Father is moreover confident that this Assembly will be an opportunity to rediscover the freshness of the gospel from which new avenues arise, new paths of creativity open up with different forms of expression, more eloquent signs and words with new meaning for today’s world,” he went on to quote Pope Francis.
The Nuncio said that, it is a providential call for all consecrated men and women to live their religious consecration as faithful servants to the Lord and the Church.
“The witness of your religious consecration is the core of your apostolate and it should be the starting point of all your undertakings and the goal to achieve,” he said
He added that, religious consecration was a call to walk blameless in holiness before God and to be the faithful and prudent servant whom the master puts in charge of his household to distribute their food at the proper time. “May the Lord find you dear Sisters and all of us doing so when he comes again?” he exclaimed.
The Sisters who came from the Member Countries of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia had convened at the Tanzania Episcopal Conference Centre – Kurasini for their 17th Plenary Assembly on the theme “Revitalise our Solidarity for deeper Evangelisation in today’s Complex Reality within the Region.”
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By Sr. Grace Candiru, MSMMC,ACWECA Communication Officer.
