TANZANIA: Priests and Religious on Sabbatical Celebrate a Cultural Day
Participants for the cultural day at Canossa, Tanzania
Sr. Immaculate Tusingwire, MMS
Priests and Religious participating in the Inter-Congregational Ongoing Formation (ICOF) program, on Friday, March 8, had a colourful celebration of cultural day at Canossa Spirituality Centre in Arusha Tanzania, where the program is being hosted.
The day began with a creative Liturgy that included some of the best practices from different cultural origins including hymns, Eucharistic prayers, different languages during prayers of the faithful, and national or cultural dressing which all contributed to the depth of the experience of God and the community.
The liturgy was followed by a meal comprising different traditional dishes prepared by the participants, and presentations from different cultures.
Highlighting the significance of the Cultural Day, the ICOF Program Local Coordinator, Fr. James Kulwa Shimbala SMA, said that even though some of the cultural practices have elements to be lamented over, the cultural day celebrates the best from our cultures, especially the values, world views, philosophy, virtues and aspirations.
Fr Shimbala added, “The negativity experienced in today’s post-modernistic world can be so depressing when we focus only on what is wrong leaving out the element of what is good thus failing to be grateful, yet gratitude is essential for wellness and renewal.”
The ICOF Program, also referred to as a renewal/ Sabbatical Program, was founded in 2015 by five congregations that saw the need to have an ongoing formation program in Africa to address the challenges of high costs and traveling documents to visit other countries. The program was also meant to implement the relevance of what was taught in some Western institutions and be applied back in Africa.
The program at Canossa has two cycles; from January to March and then from April to June. Some participants choose to do one cycle while others opt for both.
ICOF’s mission is to provide Catholic priests, Religious and other pastoral agents in Africa the opportunity, space, and time for personal renewal which is done through four dimensions of Formation; human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual.
Currently, the program is running its 1st cycle with priests and religious from 13 countries and 16 congregations across Africa.
