Chapter Communication - 21 May 2022
Towards the end of the first week, the stage of listening to each other continues through the various reports. Today, it was about the PAC and the Generalate.
PAC
Emmanuel Ngona
Mission and promotion of income generating projects.
After a brief description of the province, its sectors and communities, and the growing number of missionaries from the RDC, Fr Ngona shared the missionary objectives of the province, and then explained the self-financing of the PAC through income-generating projects.
The fundraising projects are not only the idea of the Missionaries of Africa, but also of SECAM. These projects remain in line with our charism and mission, they must also respond to real needs of the population. PAC’s commitment was illustrated mainly by two major projects, Le Georges Defour in Ruzizi and CML in Kigali. These two projects required a good investment. They offer various services: a chapel, a multi-purpose hall, shops, meeting places, offices, space for guests, a restaurant, etc. Their success is growing and revenues are increasing. Other large-scale projects have been carried out, such as in Kisenso (Kinshasa) with a water project for the parish and the population, and at the new house in Kigali. Three schools were built in the province.
Smaller projects were carried out at the local level, with small shops, agricultural projects, etc. There was a session for parish priests, introducing them to the importance and development of such projects. These projects need good stewardship. Let us not forget that it is about mission and not about money.
GENERAL HOUSE
Martin Grenier and Odon Kipili
Portal of the Church of Africa in Rome.
The Generalate is well known to many confreres as the residence of the General Council and the team that supports it, and of the student confreres. Many sessions are held there for our confreres and MSOLA and it is already a meeting place for many Africans in Rome. Its renovation has raised the concern to improve its influence in Rome and in the missionary world.
With time, several suggestions were expressed, among them the idea that the Generalate should become the portal of the Church in Africa. The collection and diffusion of news from Africa and its Church, the planning of conferences with themes relevant to Africa, the holding of sessions dealing with African realities, press conferences, the use of the chapter hall, the possibility of a small museum. The project corresponds to our missionary charism. The President of SECAM, Card. Philippe Ouedraogo, supports it. The project would allow the Generalate to reach out to the African peripheries and to inform the public. There are, of course, many details to foresee, people to be contacted and confreres to be appointed to develop and implement the project.
PLENARY ASSEMBLY
The six teams brought the fruit of their discussions to the first plenary meeting of the Chapter. They were asked to share three key themes from the different reports heard so far. The purpose of this exercise is to record the main emerging subjects. For instance inter-religious dialogue, mission outside Africa, internationality, interculturality , finances. There is no need to panic if you do not see your main suggestions as the chapter is at the end of its first week.
