MVA course– Africa Continent was an implementation of the proposal from the last AMV continental meeting held in Iringa (Tanzania) 2004.

The objective is to help the participants so that they may be evangelizers, animators and formators. We are from South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, D. R. Congo, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and Ethiopia.

The main themes of reflection and sharing in the first week were as follows: African Cultural Knowledge (Themes and embedded beliefs); The ministry of missionary animation; Missionary animation in the local Church; Missionary animation and inculturation.

On Tuesday 4^th of Dec. Mr. Odinga (a lecturer at Tangaza Collage) presented the first theme: “African Cultural Knowledge” which comprises African world view and the methodology for appropriating or articulating African Cultural knowledge. This systematic approach aims at making one debate, celebrate and critique African culture as an insider.

On Wednesday 5^th of Dec. Fr. Fritz Stenger (Missionary of Africa., a lecturer at Tangaza College) presented the second theme: “the ministry of Missionary Animation”. This theme was elaborated as: the foundations of missionary animation; the mission in the world today; missionary animation; missionary animator; and Vocation and discernment.

On Thursday 6^th of Dec. Fr. Joseph Maina (Comboni Missionary working at the Missionary animation office at the National level in Kenya) presented the third theme: “Missionary animation in the local Church”. He traced the missionary animation in Africa from the Malawi and Zambia documents of 1998 that stressed the need to be a missionary and a mission Church. To achieve this there is need for conversion (i.e. Intellectual, religious, moral, mystical, and cultural) in order to arrive at a Church that is self- supporting, self- evangelizing, and self- ministering. In the evening, we had the joy of the visit of the continental IMC superiors who are currently having their meetings in the Regional house (Nairobi). Each of them shared with us the reality of AMV in their respective regions. At present there is significant progress in the creation of animation centres and having full time animators. On the other hand there are still challenges that need to be addressed: 1) a directory for missionary animation for Africa; 2) why less vocations are coming from our areas of apostolate?. We concluded the sharing with a Eucharistic celebration in which Daniel Kivuwa, a student at Kinshasa Theologicum, renewed his religious vows.

On Friday 7^th of Dec. Fr. John Webotsa (Comboni Missionary currently working at Korogocho Slum in Nairobi) presented the fourth theme: “Missionary animation and inculturation”. He opened his presentation with reference to the documents of the church. Then he defined the terms: “inculturation”; “interculturation”; and “enculturation”. Finally he presented the sources of inculturation.

On Saturday 8^th of Dec. we visited the following places in Nyeri Dioces: Consolata Cathedral (built by Bishop Cavalera in 1954 and where Bishop Gatimo and Bishop Kirima are buried); the tomb of Baden-Powel (the founder of boys scouts and girl- guides; Mathare Mission (Consolata Sisters community, the cemetery where many of our Consolata Missionaries are buried, the Consolata Shrine where we celebrated the eucharist at the tomb of Sr. Irene Stefani). We had lunch with Consolata Fathers at the new site of the animation centre, then we visited the tomb of Bishop Filipo Perlo at the convent chapel of Mary Immaculate Sisters.

On Sunday 9^th of Dec. we joined the Christians of Gaturi Parish in their centenary celebration. The Parish is still under our missionaries. The mass was presided over by Bishop Peter Kihara (IMC) of Marsabit. On our way back we stopped at the Cathedral of Muranga.

Inform@tion 2

On Tuesday morning, 11^th Dec., Sr. Sandra (a Carmelite Missionary animator in Kenya) presented the theme: “Vocation Animation Challenges to Religious Life”. Due to the challenges of AMV, our Congregations today need vocation animators that are mature, balanced, integrated and passionate, in touch with God and reality. She presented four aspects where missionary animator needs to constantly grow: spiritual, human, community and mission. Vocation animation becomes that which evokes, provokes, and convokes. In the afternoon, Fr. Awiti (IMC animator in Kenya) presented the practical challenges of AMV from his personal experience. He also facilitated a workshop on “Vocation Office Management”.

On Wednesday 12^th of Dec., Fr. Magnante (IMC lecturer at Tangaza College) presented the “Biblical foundation for Mission in Mathew- Luke and Acts”. He emphasised the need for the animator to experience the transforming presence of Jesus Christ, so as to share what he/ she has seen and heard just like Moses, Isaiah and St. Paul. He challenged us to reflect on how our own experience resembles or differs from that of St. Paul and in what way Jesus our point of reference, is enabling us to understand who we are, from where we come, and what we are called to do. We concluded the day with the celebration of Kenya’s Independence Day.

From Thursday 13^th to Saturday 15^th of Dec., Sr. Maria (MC Mistress of the novices in Kenya) presented the following topic: “Motivation of Vocation as a fruit of missionary animation- Vocation Discernment”. She led us to reflect on the following questions: What does motivation mean for me? What motivates me to work as missionary animator? How can we develop the real internal motivations that really count in life? What does “Value” mean for me? What kind of value do I consider important for my life? How do I transmit them to others? What kind of criteria do we consider essential for the animator in order to follow the person in vocational discernment? What kind of criteria do we consider important to present to the person that is going to be accompanied?

On Sunday 16^th of Dec., we had a pilgrimage to Tuthu Parish where we celebrated the Eucharist together with the Christian community. After mass we visited the historical site where the first Consolata Missionaries celebrated the first mass in 1902.

Inform@tion 3

On Monday the 17^th – Tuesday 18^th of Dec., Sr. Simona Brambilla (Consolata Sister, General Councelor) presented the theme: “towards the formulation of an Allamano Pedagogy”. In so doing she talked of Allamano as an educator, formator and spiritual director who proposed the missionary ideal as the unifying common denominator of all formative process and of all aspects of life. She underlined his attentive listening, affability, trustworthiness, rectitude, strength, meekness and family spirit. Our way of living our mission is by being in empathic relationship with the others.

On Wednesday 19^th – Thursday 20^th of Dec., Mr. Alloys Ojore (a Lecturer at Tangaza College, in the department of Social ministry) presented the topic: “the challenges for youth today and encounter for vocation/ career discernment”. The African youth bring with them positive elements such as: enthusiasm, hope and a deep yearning for God, personal talents, community living, keen interest in truth and justice, love for others, sense of the sacred, cross-cultural gifts and their changing culture. He stressed the need for accompanying the youth through human and Christian formation. He concluded by highlighting some helpful criteria that would help the youth identify their vocation in life.

On Wednesday evening, Fr. Gigi, (imc editor of the Seed Magazine) shared his experience in the field of missionary animation and communication. As missionaries we are instrument of communication to others who are still out so that they come into the circle of communion with Jesus.

On Friday 21^st Dec., Fr. Tacisius Maina, imc, (former lecturer at Tangaza Collage in the department of Youth Ministry and currently is a Doctoral student at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa) presented the theme: “Missionary animation and basic formation of the young people”. He highlighted that the end result of basic formation depends on the formator’s understanding of the charism and the teachings of the church. He went ahead to point out basic elements in the accompaniment of the candidates to achieve human and spiritual maturity. His presentation was followed by Sr. Jane Nugi (mc., formator of the Consolata juniorate in Nairobi). She talked about, “AMV and initial formation”. By virtue of Baptism, all are called to be missionaries. She went ahead to stress the need for those appointed in the ministry of AMV to be identified with the spirituality of our institute. There is still need for a deeper collaboration between the AMV and the formators in basic formation. There is also need to deepen the communion and collaboration between imc and mc according the intention of B. J. Allamano. After supper, we gathered to anticipate the Christmas best wishes.

On 22^nd Dec., we left for Christmas holidays in different parts of Kenya.

Inform@tion 4

On Monday 31^st of Dec. 2007, we gathered to come up with a document that would reflect the fruit of our course. Being the last day of the year, we had mass together with the imc noviciate community.

On Tuesday 1^st of Jan. 2008, we concluded the document, “Mission and Vocation Animation in Africa today”. This is intended to be a general guideline for animation in our respective regions and delegations in the continent. We also evaluated the course. In the evening we were invited for supper at the noviciate.

On Wednesday 2^nd of Jan 2008, the general councillors for Africa, Fr. Mathew and Sr. Anair, gave a final address to conclude the course. The two regional superiors of Kenya, Fr. Chellana and Sr. Jacinta, also made some encouraging remarks with reference to our apostolate. Together, we had a thanks giving mass.

We express our sincere gratitude to the Consolata Bethany community for their hospitality during our one month stay. We also thank the Kenyan region, imc/ mc for their fraternal support. Thanks to all who have made this course possible, either directly or indirectly. Through the intersection of our lady Consolata and Blessed Joseph Allamano, we pray that all of us may constantly be strengthened in our mission.