ACWECA: “We Serve Best When We Serve Together,” Catholic Nuns in Eastern and Central Africa Urged

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Catholic Sisters under the regional body Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) have been urged at the ongoing Plenary Assembly to collaborate and partner so as to strengthen their prophetic role in society.

Speaking on “Collaborative networks for collective impact: A unifying lesson from the Covid19 pandemic,” Sr. Jane Wakahiu the head of Catholic Sisters Initiative at Conrad N. Hilton Foundation reminded the nuns that collaboration and networking is the way to go.

“The pandemic has taught us that we cannot and we must not, work alone. We must network because our collective knowledge, experience and support produce a collective impact,” Sr. Wakahiu highlighted to the participants and emphasized further, “We serve best when we serve together.”

In her presentation on the fourth day of the virtual assembly Thursday, August 26, Sr. Wakahiu narrated to over 175 followers of the session that the impact of Covid19 pandemic calls on the Consecrated women to re-examine their priorities and practices if they are to fulfill their prophetic role and ensure transformation in the institutes and communities where they minister.

“We must re-evaluate how we prioritize the poor, and how we work across boundaries to collaborate for the good of the mission,” she said and added, “We all live charisms of love and compassion to each other and those entrusted in our care, and the time is now for us to be courageous and creative in our approaches as we continue our work in the missions.”

Sharing on the impact of the protracted Covid19 pandemic that has affected every sector in the society, Sr. Wakahiu, a member of the institute of the Little Sisters of Saint Francis (LSOSF) noted that talking about collaborative networks as a unifying lesson from the pandemic that is intertwined with the theme of ACWECA Plenary Assembly (Re-awakening the Prophetic Role: A Call for Re-formation Towards Holistic Transformation) is timely so that the association and major superiors of Congregations can “stop, pause, and reflect together on the pandemic challenges, and if at all we will emerge from the pandemic stronger in charisms, stronger in formation, stronger in service, and stronger in leadership.”

She disclosed that the pandemic has changed the way we work, engage and relate with each other thus challenging “our ministries, our Sisterhood and eventually it has created new areas of work and new ways of working.”

“This pandemic has created a wilderness of pain and struggle across the world. It does not know boundaries, it has not spared a continent or nation, nor distinguished between races, culture, wealth, or religion; rich or poor alike are significantly impacted, Sr. Wakahiu the former executive director of the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) said during her Thursday facilitation in relation to how the pandemic has affected the Catholic Sisters apostolates.

Amidst the challenge, she calls on the Consecrated persons “to live a charism of prophecy and be attentive to the signs of the time.”

Sr. Wakahiu referenced Pope Francis’ 2014 Apostolic letter to consecrated people noting that, “Prophets receive from God the ability to scrutinize the times in which they live, interpret events and keep watch in the night and sense the coming of the dawn.” Besides, “Prophets know God, and they know the men and women who are their brothers and sisters and they tend to be on the side of the poor and powerless, for they know that God himself is on their side.”

She underscored that even though the Sisters are called to go to the periphery and evangelize, the pandemic has impacted their life.

“Our communities have lost Sisters who were working on the frontlines as healthcare staff, our elderly sisters have died, many of our ministries remained closed during the lockdown and so many sisters could not provide services to people in need or minister to those suffering.”

Even though the pandemic has left negative impact Sr. Wakahiu said, “Prophet Isaiah challenges us to behold and be attentive to the new thing God is doing in us and around us and to recognize, what God will spring forth in us, in our formation houses, in our communities and in our ministries,” knowing that, “We will only be able to perceive this new thing if we look hard, listen and allow the spirit to lead us.”

Sr. Wakahiu has encouraged the consecrated women that amidst the hardships of pandemic, they should trust in the Lord and hold unto him knowing that, “In our daily living, dying, and rising, we belong to him.”