AMECEA Bishops commend religious women of the region.

Sr Helen Kasaka – Nairobi, Kenya.

“We have noticed that religious women are such a consolidated group and in all our conferences, you are very effective. We are very grateful for that and the accompaniment of your work in the Church” -  Bishop Charles Kasonde,

A journey in Synodality

Bishop Kasonde made the remarks during the first-ever meeting between the Association of Consecrated women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) and the Association of Members Episcopal Conference in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) executive members on 22 November 2022, at Roussel House of the Donum Dei Missionary Sisters in Karen, Kenya.

The AMECEA – ACWECA meeting which attracted Bishops and Major Superiors of religious congregations was held under the theme “Journeying together in the spirit of Synodality in responding to the mission of the church in the AMECEA region.”

The meeting was convened in the spirit recognising the selfless service religious women.

The religious vocation of Brothers

Bishop Kasonde used the occasion of the meeting to make a passionate appeal for the vocation to Brotherhood. He said the Church in the AMECEA region needed to find ways of supporting the call to Brotherhood.

We want religious brothers “to come out and exercise their role and emulate consecrated women in our Church. It is this collaboration that we want to harness on this journey of Synodality,” Bishop Kasonde remarked.

Catholic women organisations

Bishop Kasonde further commented on the laity in the Church and lauded the women’s organisations for being very strong in the regions’ Bishops Conferences. He urged the men’s apostolate who are lagging behind to also come out and exercise their rights and responsibility within the Church.

He remarked that in some of the Bishops’ conferences and dioceses, the men’s apostolate was doing well but still a lot could be done.

Religious women and the Hilton Foundation

Bishop Kasonde further acknowledged the support and efforts of the Hilton foundation which has given great hope to ACWECA and AMECEA. He said the Foundation has provided post-graduate scholarships to religious sisters in the region and substantially increased the number of educated religious women.

“The Hilton foundation has enabled us to achieve what we are doing and for that reason, we want to recognise and thank them,” he said.

The appreciation of religious women

Sr. Rosalia Sakayombo, President of ACWECA and Superior General of the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit in Zambia also expressed her appreciation at the meeting with the region’s Bishops.

“We are want to ensure that the different parts of our society are taken care of in the discussions -not only the interests of sisters but also of priests and the laity,” Sr. Sakayombo said.

She prayed that these kinds of meetings between religious superiors and Bishops would become regular.

(Amecea News)