ACWECA: Sisters add a lot of positive energy to the mission of the Church
By Sr. Helen Kasaka, LSMI
Bishop Chairman of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) Right Reverend Charles Kasonde has congratulated and commended the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) for bringing energized positivity and cohesion in the mission of Christ.
This revelation was made at the synod on Synodality’s second meeting between AMECEA and ACWECA. “We cherish these bonds of relationships but in so doing, we realized that the organization under ACWECA of our mothers of religious women, brings a lot of positivity and cohesion in the mission of Christ and this has to be commended to our sisters and we say congratulations!” the Bishop commended.
Bishop Kasonde spoke of the need to challenge the African Union (AU) leaders to look at ways and means of strengthening their bonds of relationship as political leaders and be able to contribute to the governance of Africa in a manner that helps the emancipation of Africa.
The Bishop said that Africa is a sleeping giant endowed by the Grace of God with various gifts, ranging from good weather, climate, minerals, wealth, and resources that can clearly develop Africa and emancipate it in the way of empowering its poor populations. “We are very rich people but poor. We sleep on minerals, eat on top of minerals, and suffer on top of the wealth that God has given us,” he pointed out.
The Bishop said that some areas in Africa are war-torn, where there is great suffering of people who are internally and externally displaced by the wars and some of these wars are unceasingly, killing innocent brothers and sisters and destroying their property. This is a lost moment for Africa which cannot be recovered.
“If our leaders at that political level would come together and move with a paradigm shift that would clearly look at the importance of Africa and the use of the gifts that God has given us, with fairness, justice, and equity in the extraction of our resources and the maintenance of the peace with which we are enrolled by our Lord, Africa can change in five days and be a desired destination,” The Bishop noted vehemently.
He said that religious leaders, priests, religious men, and women, can contribute in various ways to the governance of the continent of Africa. We do not belittle our contribution to the development of Africa, we still accompany our political leaders and beg them to act fairly and with sincerity of heart as they govern over the people of Africa.” Bishop added.
The bishop observes that the desire of Africans is to also develop a united state of Africa that erases down artificial boundaries created by the colonizers and be identified as one people of Africa. The intra-trade could have been a way of enhancing Africa’s economies as a whole, countries, and regions.
He however believes that the battle is not lost, there is a need for commitment and bills of what Africans want to achieve and develop the continent, put up efforts of peace, and ensure that joy and peace that the Lord has given to Africans continues to sustain the environment and add to the desire of a clean environment for African countries. Africa can do better than it is doing now. The hope is not lost; people still depend on those political leaders of goodwill who can make any contribution to the development of Africa.
The Bishop advises that there should be a continuous process of accompaniment of our children, and young adults.
“Therefore, we are waiting for the sense of belonging to this family in the AMECEA region and the entire African continent leading to unity.” Bishop Kasonde said.
He appreciated the spirit of synodality like AMECEA coming up with the meeting together with ACWECA as a way of strengthening bonds of relationships in communion, participating in the mission of Christ as baptized members who profess one faith in God.
“May God continue to bless our efforts, and may He continue to enrich this relationship between AMECEA and ACWECA.” He prayed.
On her part, the President of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa, ACWECA, Sr. Rosalia Sakayombo said that they came in gathering keeping in mind all the synodal discussions that were taking place, both in Rome, local communities, Dioceses, and beyond.
She added that they came to this second gathering with an open mind, ready to receive and share so that the collaboration continues.
“We would also like to mention that as ACWECA we are happy with what has happened from the last time that we gathered up to date. We are having a lot of remarkable collaboration that has happened between AMECEA and ACWECA through the different gatherings.” ACWECA president highlighted.
She said, “We are in a synod era when we are all being invited to move together leaving no one behind. We hope that as we gather here we shall go back from the first time we met to the current time. How has the spirit moved all of us, what has happened from what we called ourselves to be previously and appreciate.” ACWECA president, Sr. Rosalia Sakayombo reminded the participants.
She informed the house that the ACWECA 19th Plenary Assembly has been convoked and it will take place in Malawi, Lilongwe from the 18th – 25th of August 2024 and she extended the invitation to the gathering in advance.
The president revealed that the ACWECA Plenary Assembly was convoked under the theme “Transformative holistic formation for authentic living towards deeper evangelization in the ACWECA region and beyond.”
She explained to participants that the theme came about because when they gathered in Uganda and reflected back, on the past three years since the last plenary assembly and what they are being called to at the moment, they felt that signs of the current times are pointing them towards deepening their formation; both ongoing and initial formation so that if they are rooted and grounded in good formation, they will become better evangelizers convinced of their call and what they are doing.
ACWECA region caters for 10 countries, Sudan, South Sudan, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eretria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as an affiliate member.
