Continental Assembly
Sagana
January 2006

EVANGELIZATION

The Church as God’s Family, a concept proposed and urged by the1994 Synod on Africa, has appeared to us as a model to be followed in all our reflections at all levels of our life and mission; the communitarian, the regional and continental. We would urge and welcome a philosophical-theological reflection on this topic, which would explore the existing relationship between the “family spirit” of Africa and that of our Institute.
Let us not forget that the percentage of youth in our Continent is very high, and we should look at this reality with great interest, and direct our deliberations and choices toward it.
Inculturation, a topic of much interest and dialogue at the Synod, remains one of our priorities both in our efforts at inculturating the Gospel, and at penetrating deeply into the culture in which we are operating.
Finally, following the path proposed by Pope Benedict XVI, we make efforts to find ways to serve God’s people, together with the other Christian Churches, in order to reach that communion for which Jesus prayed.

Practical Proposals:
1. Youth Ministry
a. Let there be an exchange of information and material among those who are in charge of, or operate in, this field.
b. Establish a Consolata Youth Movement.
c. We are envisioning a Continental Youth Assembly after an adequate preparation of the youth at the regional level.

2. Apostolic Community
a. In line with the choice made by the X1th General Chapter, we strongly support the proposal of having three members in each community.
b. “They will know that you are my disciples by the love you have for each other”. Let this be a topic for reflection in all our communities and Regions.
c. All the Regions should prepare an adequate period of time for the orientation of the new missionaries. This period should not only give them the chance to learn the local language, but, also, to introduce them to the local culture. The new missionaries, especially the young ones, should be placed in communities which can facilitate their insertion in the work of the Region and in the style of IMC community living.
d. Whenever the Region cannot provide a suitable school for the study of languages, we suggest the following: Kinshasa – for French; Nairobi for English; Maputo for Portuguese; Morogoro for Swahili.

3. HIV/AIDS
a. This reality must become part of the ordinary pastoral care of parishes, but also of youth and family ministry.
b. We urge to adopt in our parishes the method of Home Based Care.
c. Each Region should entrust the program and, especially, the work of prevention of HIV/AIDS to a missionary. This confrere could facilitate an exchange of information and material, such as reviews, programs, ……

4. Formation of Leaders
a. At the Continental level we propose the use of the GABA and LUMKO programs for the preparation of leaders. These programs seem best suited for the purpose, in as much as they are an expression of the African Church.
b. An exchange of material is recommended between those responsible of this sector of our pastoral work.


5. Urbanization
a. A meeting of pastors, or of those who work in the big cities, should be organized during the next six years, at the regional level. In the meantime a study should be conducted on the peculiar and specific aspects of urbanization.

Re-Qualification and Restructuring (“Ridimensionamento”)
a. We urge that an opportune time be set aside for the updating of missionaries whenever they go through a change of work.
b. After some years of work (7-10), each missionary should be given the opportunity of attending a course (e. g. LUMKO).
c. Each Regional Conference should analyze very carefully the number and the use of its personnel, in order to detect and select better its specific fields of work, and also to reach a harmonious balance between the members who work in human promotion and those in first evangelization.

CONSOLATA LAY MISSIONARIES
It is high time to promote with greater determination the laity in Africa, not only as a continent which receives lay missionaries coming from abroad, but also as a continent ready to send lay missionaries prepared and formed in its own land. This is a necessity due to the missionary nature of the Church itself (cf. AG).

Practical Proposals:
a. Even if at present our priority is not the formulation of the Statutes, already in an advanced phase of study and preparation at the level of the Institute, nevertheless we commit ourselves to developing initial experiences of formation of the Lay Consolata Missionaries, and in organizing such groups where they do not yet exist. These experiences may be of help even in the formulation of the Statutes.
b. The animators of the various Regions should develop the awareness of the lay missionary movement in their various activities.
c. The Centres of Missionary Animation should promote and form Consolata Lay Missionaries.
d. At the continental level the Regions should promote a reflection on the importance of the laity in the process of evangelization in the light of the Bible itself.

FORMATION
The various IMC Regions of the African continent have developed all the stages of formation for the young people called to become Consolata Missionaries: the Propaedeutics and Philosophy (at the regional level), the Novitiate (at the continental level), and Theology (at the international level).

Practical Proposals:
a. The formators should preferably be chosen among the missionaries of African origin, but also keeping in mind the international component of the formative team, which has to prepare Consolata Missionaries for the Ad gentes mission, and not only for mission in Africa.
b. Efforts should be made to prepare formators for Africa in the continent itself, including other personnel who wish to prepare themselves for the ministry of formation.
c. To hold periodic meetings of all formators of the continent, to reflect together on the IMC formative journey in Africa.
d. There should be a possibility of mutual exchange of formators to preach annual retreats, seminars, and other formative activities in specific fields where formators may have an expertise, ….
e. The admission of the postulants to the novitiate should be done on a continental basis, to give each novitiate the possibility of receiving students from the various countries in which we work.
f. Well prepared courses on the teaching and learning of Italian and English right from the Propaedeutics should be offered in the spirit of belonging and love for the Institute and mission.
g. It is recommended that each formator pays special attention to the resolution of particular crises of his students, and not postpone them to the successive stages of formation.
h. Novices, who go on vacation after the period of the novitiate, will be given $150.00 as pocket money for their vacation and for the purchase of clothes. The journey home is paid separately. When one moves from his Region to a new destination, will receive from the same Region the sum of $100.00. Notification of this will be sent to the new Region, to which the novice will give accountability and, if possible, show the receipts of the expenses.
i. The professed members and the students of theology will go on home leave after three years. On this occasion they will receive the sum of $300.00 as pocket money. When they go on the annual vacation, they will be given the sum of $100.00.

Information. The members, who do not know English but are requested to do the novitiate in Sagana, should be notified that the English course begins in October. While attending the course, they will be under the jurisdiction of the Kenya Region.

MISSIONARY ANIMATION AND VOCATION PROMOTION (MVA)

Missionary Animation and Vocation Promotion is a well established reality in our Regions and all (or almost all) have appointed a full time missionary responsible for it.

Practical Proposals:
a. Each Region should have a full-time missionary responsible for MVA.
b. Each Region should establish a centre for MVA.
c. During the next six years, three meetings of those responsible for MAV should be held in the continent.
d. The first of these meetings should last for about a month. Its major topic should be the formation of the animators, or of those who might be called to work in this field.
e. A second meeting should be devoted to the formulation of the MAV continental project. The participants should make ample use of the project formulated in the meeting held in Iringa in 2004, while updating it in the light of the last General Chapter. An important aspect of this new project should be the vocational accompaniment.
f. The Continental Councillor and the Secretariat for Mission, helped by experienced personnel of the country which hosts these meetings, should be responsible for its organization.

JUSTICE AND PEACE AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION (JPIC)

The theme of JPIC is becoming part of our missionary awareness, and many are the pastoral initiatives directed to this movement. Nevertheless we acknowledge the need to do much more in order to internalize it and become more operative.
It is not easy to pinpoint common paths followed by our Regions in this field, due to the diverse problems we encounter and the huge tasks with which we are confronted.

Practical Proposals:
a. In the next six years two meetings of those in charge of JPIC in the Regions should be organized. These meetings should not only be an opportunity for an exchange of ideas, but should offer programs of deep formation such as reconciliation among people, non-violence, economy and financial dependency of Africa, ESPERE,….). The Continental Councillor, the Secretariat for Mission, together with the missionary responsible of this sector of the host country, should organize these meetings. The first one will be held in Congo.
b. Each Circumscription should appoint a full-time missionary responsible for this sector. Where this is not possible, the one responsible ought to be living in a place where this task can easily be performed.

FINANCES AND ADMINISTRATION

The African Continent still depends a lot from foreign help which makes possible the projects and development work we carry on in our various Regions. While we are aware of the difficulties of such a situation, we must nevertheless strive after economic self-reliance. We should not forget that, at times, we should be ready to sacrifice efficiency in order to live closer to the people! To achieve this purpose, a simpler life-style will be of great help!

Practical Proposals:
a. In Basic Formation, especially in the last years of Theology, the students should be prepared in this field with adequate courses.
b. Being aware that we ourselves are not always prepared to handle this area of our ministry, proper use of experts should be sought out in looking for sources of financial assistance.
c. The structures of our ordinary administration should become as much as possible self-sufficient.
d. Each Circumscription should appoint a person for the preparation of projects and the request for financial help. These projects should always be approved by the local community and the Region. Also, we should never forget the importance to present the financial reports of the projects to all those involved in their financial assistance.
e. To detect at the continental level a person with an expertise in this field, who is able to form and to accompany the personnel responsible of the projects.

INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

a. The community of Djibouti continues to depend both juridically and economically from the Region of Ethiopia, even if it helps the African Continent in the field of Interreligious Dialogue with Islam.
b. Each Circumscription should set up a point of reference (commission, person in charge, ….) with whom the community of Djibouti can dialogue to formulate a project of Interreligious Dialogue with Islam.
c. Our web site should have a special program on Interreligious Dialogue coordinated by the community of Djibouti.
d. The community of Djibouti and this Continental Assembly request the General Councils of the IMC and MC for an evaluation of the Consolata presence in Djibouti, in 2006.
e. To single out individuals specialized in the dialogue with Islam and the traditional religions to help the Circumscriptions in the promotion of this aspect of our missions.
f. All the materials and subsidies available on this topic should be collected and analyzed, so that it can be spread in all our communities.
g. To draw-up a map of the IMC places of work which show an interest in the Muslims and traditional religions, and also of the personnel actively involved in Interreligious Dialogue and all the activities already existing.

ONGOING FORMATION

All missionaries should feel the necessity and urgency of a personal ongoing formation: as religious, as Consolata Missionaries, and as persons engaged in a particular commitment of work.

Practical Proposals:
a. Resume the process of reflection begun several years ago, on the inculturation of the IMC charism in Africa, and also of religious life as it is understood in this continent.
b. Locate in the continent specialized centres and IMC communities which can offer adequate help to missionaries who experience difficulties due to various dependencies.
c. The Regions should clarify to all the members the procedure for the request of a sabbatical period.
d. The Continental Assembly requests the General Council to prepare missionaries with specializations in the following subjects: mass media, interreligious dialogue, psychology and sociology, anthropology, history of the IMC and administration.
e. Seminars and/or workshops should be organized at the regional level on the issue of various dependencies which affect human behavior.

OTHER MATTERS (Varia)

Declaration of Responsibility (Manleva)
• This document has been approved by the General Chapter. A correct explanation of its spirit should be offered to the missionaries who are requested to sign it.

Home Leave
• According to the directives of the XIth General Chapter, each missionary goes on home leave for three months after three years of service. The pocket money given for the period of vacation is $600.00, or €500.00. Whenever there is need for supplementary financial assistance, permission of one’s Regional Superior or Administrator should be obtained, before asking the assistance from the host Region.

Travel
• Travels are always subject to the approval of the local superior or the superior of the circumscription. Each missionary who travels outside one’s region and outside one’s duties, must obtain the permission of the General Superior via the Regional Superior
• When a professed member, for reasons of visa or for medical treatment, has to reside outside his Region for a period of time longer than the one required by his vacation, should be given a temporary residence in one of the IMC communities.
• When a temporary professed member is assigned to a centre for formation abroad, all the superiors and the formator should work in strict unison. This will allow a speedier resolution of the visa problems, and help the young missionary feel the family spirit of the Institute also in this moment of painful wait.

Publications of the General Government
• We accept the proposal of the General Government of cutting down the printed edition of the Da Casa Madre to favour the electronic one. At the moment, the two should co-exist side by side.
• The printed edition of Documentazioni is also reduced considerably. Each Region should print for its members the material received electronically.
• The Circumscriptions are urged to provide articles and studies for the Da Casa Madre and Documentazioni.

A New Opening in Africa
• The Continental Assembly has considered the proposal of the General Chapter of a possible new opening in Africa, in a Portuguese speaking country, preferably in Guinea Bissau. The Assembly favours Angola in as much as it offers greater missionary challenges and possibilities.

Constitutions
• The Assembly accepts the proposal of re-printing a more official edition in Italian and English, and a less expensive edition for the other languages.

Collaboration with the Sisters MC
• In those Regions where the IMC and the MC are present, efforts should be made to program and hold the Canonical Visitation at the same time. This should be done also for other important events such as the Regional Conference, annual retreats, …
• Since we are animated by the same charism, and called to work in communion, we express the desire to continue the journey of collaboration started in the last several years, especially in the field of JPIC, MVA, DI, …

Continental Secretariat
• At this moment, the Continental Assembly does not see the necessity of a coordinator, or a Continental Secretariat. Nevertheless it proposes that the Continental Councillor assess in the future the concrete necessity of either one.