AMECEA PLENARY: ACWECA Assures AMECEA Bishops of Continued Collaboration
Sr. Helen Kasaka, LSMI
The President of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (CWECA), Sr. Rosalia Sakayombo says the Religious sisters will continue to support and collaborate with the bishops in the AMECEA region.
Sr. Sakayombo said this when she was presenting the message of solidarity at the 20th AMECEA Plenary Assembly from 10 – 18 July 2022 at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, Kenya.
Sr. Sakayombo highlighted that ACWECA is working closely with AMECEA in implementing the Catholic Care for Children (CCC) Programme.
“This program promotes the sharing of responsibilities in raising the children in our Region. It realizes the importance and place of the family in this effort. It is in the family that children are nurtured and taught values that shape the child’s relational behaviour beyond the family. Both ACWECA and AMECEA are committed to this project which we hope to expand to include all countries in the region,” she said.
She said currently the project covers the countries of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia adding that Malawi is a new entrant in the project and has plans to grow the project beyond these countries.
The president also mentioned the Synodal Process project as another area in which ACWECA is working closely with AMECEA.
“This project covers all the countries in our Region and we are enthusiastic that our collaboration in the Synodal process will strengthen our working relationships and contribute to a more effective and vibrant Church in the region,” she said.
She added that as we celebrate this Plenary Assembly and the achievements of AMECEA over the years, we also celebrate the collaboration between ACWECA and AMECEA, as well as with other partners in the region and beyond. “Indeed, let us celebrate our working together to continue being a sign of hope for the people of God in this AMECEA Region and beyond”.
Sr. Sakayombo observed the uniqueness of this year’s AMECEA Plenary assembly.
She said this AMECEA assembly Plenary is unique since it is happening at this time in history when the spirit is leading the Mother Church to communion, participation and, dialogue in the spirit of Synodality as called for by Pope Francis.
“What I see in the room when I look around is an attestation of the same. I see a representation of the whole church: My Brother Bishops, Priests, Religious women and men, and the Laity – are all represented”.
She also said she was happy to witness the historic Assembly of AMECEA.
“The fruits of AMECEA speak for themselves: Small Christian Communities; improved quality of education; enhanced pastoral care and health services in the region, to mention just a few,” Sr. Sakayombo said.
The president, in her message, also pointed out that ACWECA and AMECEA are siblings from the same Mother.
“Our activities are complementary and feed into the same ultimate mission in the Church: – promotion of the work of evangelization in the Region. So, whether a priest is saying Mass or administering any of the Sacraments of the Church; whether a sister is teaching the youth or treating children in a health centre; whether a lay Catholic is collecting taxes for their government or running his/her family business; we all share one baptism and are called to the same responsibilities with regard to sharing the gospel message and witnessing to the gospel values in our various vocations in our Region”.
She said this is why we welcome with enthusiasm, the selection of the theme for this 20th AMECEA Plenary Assembly, “Environmental Impact on Integral Human Development”
“This challenges us all, reminds us that we have a common responsibility, and invites us, in our different spaces, to embrace the care for our common home – “Mother Earth”; realizing that God has indeed provided us all with resources to be shared and stewarded so that all God’s children – created in God’s own image and likeness – can live with dignity”.
ACWECA represents over 30,000 Catholic Sisters spread in 10 English-speaking countries of Eastern and Central Africa. These countries are: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as an associate member.
ACWECA closely collaborates with AMECEA in her various pastoral activities and programs geared at strengthening the capacity of Catholic Sisters to achieve its vision of empowered consecrated women for deeper evangelization.
