ACWECA: Leadership Listening and Discernment Retreat on Synodality kicks off
Sr. Helen Kasaka, LSMI
The Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) Leadership Listening and Discerning Retreat on Synodality kicked off yesterday at Africama House in Karen, Nairobi on Thursday, 26th May 2022. The retreat has seen the participation of 12 participants from 9 of the 10 countries that make up ACWECA.
The aim of this event is to listen and discern together the Synod process, using the methodology of spiritual conversations. The process will also produce a vision statement on Synodality from the African Consecrated women to be submitted to the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops in Rome.
The Program Coordinator Ms. Ndanu Mung’ala has said that this is line with the convening goal of the Africa Synodality Initiative (ASI) a program under the Jesuits Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM) that is facilitating the gathering of the leadership of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA).
In her invitation letter to major superiors in the ACWECA region, the facilitator of the retreat Sr. Anne Arabome, a Sisters of Social Service (SSS) the Associate Director of Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Marquette University in United States of America said that Synodality entails journeying together, listening to one another and together listening to the Holy Spirit as the people of God.
According to Sr. Anne, Synodality is an important dimension for Consecrated women who are composed of persons who have come to live together from different cultures and experiences. The voices and opinions of Consecrated women are essential if our Church must “dream together, pray together and work together.”
The ACWECA leadership is at this moment contemplating life as Consecrated women in the Church in the spirit of communion, participation, and mission.
Highlights of the ACWECA Leadership Listening and Discerning Retreat on Synodality program started with a welcome and orientation to Africama House by Fr. John the Baptist Zamcho followed by an introduction and gathering ritual by the facilitator Sr. Anne Arabome on Thursday 26th May at 4.30 am.
On Friday 27th May 2022), the participants focused on the Visitation of Mary with Elizabeth, inspired by Pope Francis: Mary journeys, Mary encounters, Mary rejoices.
The Sisters also had a virtual conversation with Sr. Nathalie Becquart XMCJ, the Under-Secretary of the Synod of Bishops. The Sisters also had time for personal and communal reflection and diverse spiritual rituals throughout the event. On Saturday 28th May 2022, there were contemplative listening reports from groups, communal discernment, and a closing ritual.
ASI aims to enrich the synodal process of “journeying together” as the pilgrim and missionary people of God. The goal of ASI is to generate creative ideas and resources that will support local churches in Africa and enable them to engage fruitfully and constructively in the synodal process. ASI fulfills this goal by developing informative media productions, organizing webinars that support the formation of the faithful, and convening various groups to reflect critically on synodality from an African perspective.
On the other hand, ACWECA envisions empowered Consecrated women for deeper evangelization in the region, and the leadership of ACWECA represents the aspirations of the Sisters in the region with regard to the synodal process.
ACWECA members at the Synodality Retreat came from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Only Eritrea was not represented but members present prayed for their colleagues in Eritrea saying that they were united in the spirit of Synodality.
