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Closing Mass on Sunday, September 28, 2025

The Plenary Council officially closed on Sunday, September 28, 2025, with a Eucharist celebration presided over by the Superior General, Fr. Stanley Lubungo, at Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Nairobi, Kenya.

The celebration began with great joy, with the entire Church singing and dancing, including children, youth, and adults. Using the jubilee year slogan, “Pilgrims of Hope — Together in Prayer,” Father Binu Jose, Pastor of the parish, welcomed the Superior General, the Plenary Council participants, confreres, candidates, religious men and women, and the entire assembly. He expressed the parish’s gratitude that the Society of Missionaries of Africa had chosen their parish for the closing Mass of the Plenary Council. The parish offered gifts to all the members of the General Council to show their gratitude to the Society of the Missionaries of Africa. They also offered lunch to all the guests after Mass.

Father Stanley Lubungo began his homily by saying it was an honor for the Plenary Council participants to be welcomed at the Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish. He added: “In reality, we could not go anywhere else because here we feel at home.” This is the only parish where the Missionaries of Africa serve in Nairobi. He then related the day’s readings to the world we live in, bringing them to the reality of Nairobi. He said, “In Nairobi, in some places, only a short walk separates glittering skyscrapers, nicely arranged by modern-day developers; high-end restaurants; and gated estates from crowded slums. The separation between these nice buildings and the slums, where families struggle to find food, clean water, and school fees, is really striking.”

To hear the Superior General’s homily and see images of the closing Mass and other key moments of the Plenary Council in Nairobi, follow the link to our Society’s official YouTube channel below.

By: Serge Zihalirwa Boroto, M.Afr.

Governance: Managing Human Resources – Accompanying Confreres – Senior Confreres Senior Confreres

On September 19, 2025, fathers Anselme Tarpaga and Stanley Lubungo led the Plenary Council.

Father Tarpaga, Assistant General, said that if our charism is the feet of the Society, then leadership is its head. Referring to the Capitular Acts, he listed expressions that describe the Missionary of Africa leader and his responsibilities. He cited the following: service, animation, co-responsibility, subsidiarity, proximity, conversion, planning, formation, and renewal.

He then highlighted the positive aspects of leadership within the Society and the areas in which we still need to improve.

Finally, he discussed what he called “the identity of the M.Afr. leader and his style of governance”. You will find a link to this text below.

The second presentation, led by the Superior General, addressed the well-being of confreres from two perspectives of the Capitular Acts: on the one hand, accompanying confreres, and on the other hand, senior confreres. Father Stanley Lubungo praised the Capitular Acts, emphasizing their positive and prophetic nature regarding the well-being of confreres: “Despite our differences in origin, we live together as brothers and take care of one another”. Unfortunately, he lamented, “reality is not always so glorious”. He added that we should strive to emulate the Samaritan from the parable in the Gospel of Luke, as Fr. Apollinaire Chishugi described in his presentation to the Plenary Council. Those in leadership positions should help their confreres care for others.

Father Jaya Mrutyun, the SOA delegate, presided over the Eucharistic celebration to conclude the morning sessions.

When the plenary assembly resumed in the afternoon, the participants recognized the paramount importance of the two themes presented by fathers Anselme and Stanley, which could be the subject of a recollection. They encouraged everyone to adopt collaborative leadership and remain faithful to our constitutions and laws instead of trying to impose decisions.

Governance and Identity of M.Afr. Leadership by Anselme Tarpaga

By: Serge Zihalirwa Boroto, M.Afr.