ETHIOPIA: Preparations for the 19th AMECEA Plenary Assembly moving on smoothly
Three subcommittees namely Logistics, fundraising and communication have reported to be doing well in terms of preparations for the forthcoming 19th AMECEA Plenary Assembly in Ethiopia.
According to AMECEA Pastoral Coordinator Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo who attended the plenary preparation steering committee meeting in Ethiopia on Monday 19th March, 2018, the Catholic Church in Ethiopia has taken the plenary issue to heart given that it is the first time in the history of AMECEA that Ethiopia will be hosting the Plenary Assembly since the conference which initially comprised of Ethiopia and Eritrea was granted full membership in the Association in 1979,
“It is quite commendable that the Ethiopian Bishops conference has taken the plenary issue quite seriously; the steering team that is organizing all this is really of a high calibre. They have appointed a coordinator whose responsibility is to specifically coordinate the activities of the plenary which involves holding accountable all the sub-committees that have been established,” Fr. Chimombo explained.
Indicating that the sole purpose of their meeting was to exchange ideas between AMECEA Secretariat and the Ethiopian Bishops Conference and also to get updates from each sides regarding their respective obligations as far as the plenary assembly preparations are concerned, Fr. Chimombo said that this was important in order to arrest any huddles, mishaps or challenges that either sides might be encountering in the course of preparations and to make sure that both sides are reading from the same page.
“We noted that in terms of fundraising they have done quite well, almost reaching half theirtarget while anticipating that in the coming one month or two, they will be able to meet their target,” Fr. Chimombo said, adding that in terms of logistics, which includes receiving delegates on arrivals, accommodations, conference facilities etc. are well taken care of.
He further noted that the Liturgy committee which will take care of the daily prayers organized according to conferences, all the requirements for Eucharistic Celebrations, the opening and closing ceremonies is already in place
He added that the Bishops Conference is receiving a lot of support from different members of the community including the lay faithful who are committed to fully playing their parts.
“Despite the political uncertainties in the country following the recent resignation of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, all the plenary preparations are going on well. All the dioceses are actively involved in preparations and have especially taken to heart the issue of publicity by ensuring that all necessary material to promote publicity are brought to the faithful,” Fr. Chimombo explained adding that as a result the Catholic Church has become more visible than before.
A number of items have been made for publicity purposes and these includes special key holders with inscriptions of AMECEA Plenary Assembly, pamphlets, files, fliers, banners, candles and all these bears the Plenary Assembly dates as well as the theme.
“Of course there is also the AMECEA Plenary Assembly Prayer published in both Amharic and English languages and is being used daily at the parishes throughout the country,” Fr. Chimombo said.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
