In his speech on the first full day of the ongoing 19th Plenary Assembly of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) in Malawi, the Secretary General of AMECEA, Fr. Anthony Makunde, described the mission of Catholic Nuns in the region as “transformative” and that engaging in “transformative formation is indeed to wake up the world.”
“The Sisters’ role in the formation of the faithful can never be replaced by any other group. You are the main tools of holistic formation,” Fr. Makunde said on August 19 at CIVO Stadium (Maula Cathedral) in Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe.
He lauded the members of ACWECA for their collaboration in pastoral ministry and evangelization, adding that the Church in Eastern and Central Africa needs “the service of Religious women and men today more than yesterday.”
The collaborative approach of the Catholic Sisters is in line with the ongoing Synod on Synodality. which the Secretary General of AMECEA said calls for “a more collaboration of all the baptized in the mission of the church.”
“The many pastoral and social works done by women Congregations can neither be underrated nor brushed aside. The Sisters have always carried out the healing, teaching, and consoling ministry of Jesus with high dedication in the remotest parts of our region,” he emphasized on the first full day of the double celebration of the 19th Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee of ACWECA.
Fr. Makunde continued, “The synod discussion has acknowledged the general role played by women in general and women religious in particular especially in coordinating small Christian communities and engaging in catechetical work.”
“We need not forget Sisters who are involved in the risky mission of combating human trafficking in our cities through advocacy and running of rescue centers,” he said.
“The Bishops in AMECEA region, acknowledge and recognize the work done by the Sisters both in the parishes and the institutions although sometimes, not much-acknowledged publicity of which we regret,” the Clergy of Tanzania’s Catholic Archdiocese of Mbeya said, adding, “The many fruits we are proud of as a church in the region are a product of many hands. The sisters have a key role.”
ACWECA, the Kenya-based association that brings together Conferences of Catholic Sisters in 10 countries of Eastern Africa, has partnered with the Association of Women Religious Institutes of Malawi (AWRIM), the host Conference, in organizing the August 18-24 Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee celebrations under the theme, “Transformative holistic formation for authentic living towards a deeper evangelization in the ACWECA Region and beyond.”
Also speaking on the first full day of the double celebration, the leadership of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) congratulated Catholic Nuns in the 10-nation association for the double celebration.
“This milestone marks a significant achievement in the history of ACWECA and we rejoice with you on this momentous occasion,” the General Secretary of ECM, Fr. Valeriano Mtseka said.
The ECM General Secretary went on to laud ACWECA for the “commitment to evangelization, justice, peace and reconciliation in our region”, adding that the Sisters’ “tireless efforts have made a significant impact on the lives of many and we are grateful for your dedication and service.”
Meanwhile, members of the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) have described the ACWECA Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee as “a moment of constant and true witness to a Consecrated life anchored in Christ.”
“This testimony shines through the multiple activities of your Union and the fruits which spread, not only to your different congregations and their apostolate but also to the entire sub-region and ultimately to the entire continent,” the President of COMSAM, Sr. Marie Diouf said on August 19.The Senegalese Superior General of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart acknowledged the diversity of the ACWECA membership in terms of nationality and culture, noting that the “dynamism” of the members and their resilience as they “face and overcome” challenges can contribute to the evangelization mission in Africa and the progress of Africans.
“We have the right to think that the ACWECA-COSMAM relationship should participate in the development and especially in the evangelization of our brothers and sisters in Africa so that Consecrated life in Africa contributes more and more, not only to evangelization, but also to the development of all Africans,” Sr. Diouf said.