ACWECA PLENARY: Religious Sisters Urged to Focus on ‘Being’ Rather Than Just ‘Doing’ in Consecrated Life

Stella Zulu

The Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) delegates have been urged to embrace the deeper essence of their consecrated life as their true calling is not just to do God’s work but to be God’s presence in the World as they live their Mission.

The call was made by Sr. Christine Mwale in her presentation titled “Revitalizing Consecrated Life and Religious Identity Today,” which she made at Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe today.

Sr. Mwale emphasized the need for the Religious sisters to rediscover the core of their Spiritual identity. “Our consecrated life is not just about the actions we take or the tasks we perform, It’s about embodying the Spirit of our vocation, Living out our commitment to God in a way that reflects our deepest values and beliefs to better serve our communities and fulfill our Mission.” Said Sr. Christine

She continued that the Sisters need to deepen the Spiritual foundations of Consecrated life to revitalize it, and ensure their actions are rooted in a profound connection to God and their congregations’ Charism, and this Spiritual identity should guide their Mission and Ministry.

“We have been the face of God among the people in so many difficult times like pandemics and other sufferings. But we are not where we want to be, and that is why each one of us should reflect and ask what type of fire am I? What am I bringing to my congregation and ACWECA that can revitalize consecrated life”? She said

Sister Mwale also highlighted challenges faced by Consecrated life today including the pressure to meet societal expectations and the demands of their ministries. She urged the Sisters to resist the temptation to measure their worth by what they do but rather focus on who they are called to be, which is witnesses to the transformative power of God’s love

The 19th General Assembly for ACWECA is taking place under the theme of ‘Transformative Holistic Formation for Authentic Living Towards a Deeper Evangelization in the ACWECA Region and Beyond’.

Member countries of the association include Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan and Kenya.