AMECEA: Subsidiarity Office Created at AMECEA to Coordinate Mission Aachen Local Projects
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Following the new concept on project funding by Missio Aachen, which was shared last year with the Bishops of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), a new subsidiary office has already been created at AMECEA to coordinate the local projects within the region and its affiliate countries.
Missio Aachen is an international Catholic Missionary Organization in Germany that promotes the development of the Catholic Church and the training of its employees to strengthen the pastoral, social, and interreligious work among others.
Establishing a subsidiarity office is an initiative that aims to give greater responsibility and decision-making capacity to local Church structures. It marks a major shift in how Catholic development and pastoral projects will be managed across the region.
According to Miss Karina Strack, a member of the Missio Aachen’s subsidiarity team in Germany who came to AMECEA Secretariat to assist in the establishment of the new office, the groundwork for coming up with a subsidiarity office began in 2022, following an agreement with Bishops from AMECEA member conferences to localize project management.
The process took a significant step forward in 2024 when some selected priests from across the region underwent training in Germany.
“This office gives more responsibility to the region, because the people here know their context and their needs better,” Ms. Strack explained, adding, “We are focused on enhancing the project management system and establishing strong cooperation between AMECEA and Missio Aachen.”
She disclosed that eligible projects must be pastoral in nature, with a focus on child safeguarding, adult education, or training programs. While some exceptions may allow for construction-related proposals, only applications from dioceses, parishes, universities, and recognized organizations in the AMECEA region are accepted. Congregational projects are handled through a different Missio Aachen office.
Sharing with AMECEA Online Tuesday, May 12, on the changes in the Missio Aachen projects, the newly recruited regional subsidiary officer, Ms. Evelyne Muriuki, noted that “Previously, dioceses and institutions within the AMECEA region submitted their project applications directly to Missio Aachen. But under the new framework, these applications must now pass through the regional subsidiarity office, which collaborates closely with the desk officers at Missio Aachen for review and approval, but the final decisions remain with the Missio Aachen board, which meets monthly from January to November.”
She narrated that eligible projects must be pastoral in nature, with a focus on child safeguarding, adult education, or training programs, though some exceptions may allow for construction-related proposals.
Looking ahead, the subsidiarity office said, “We plan to visit various regional conferences and develop tailored project guidelines for each country.”
This shift toward localized engagement reflects Missio Aachen’s commitment to empowering the Church at the grassroots, ensuring that development efforts align more closely with regional realities and pastoral needs.
