The Chapter has underlined again the importance of our presence in the parish. It is the visible sign of our insertion in, and collaboration with, the local Church, allowing us to live out and promote our missionary vocation. In order to promote this commitment, the Chapter proposes the following:
a) That communities in parishes should consist of at least three confreres and that they should have a community apostolic project.
b) That whenever a parish is taken over or a new one created, care should be taken that this is done with discernment and long term planning with all the parties concerned. The General Council should prepare a grid for discernment to help reflection on the choices to be made.
c) That confreres work in the parish in a spirit of collaboration, that they communicate amongst themselves so that each one knows what the others are doing and thus being able to support one another.
d) That parish structures be organised to facilitate on-going formation of the laity, thus giving them the opportunity to become more involved in parish work.
e) That confreres engaged in parish work take part in sessions for pastoral formation organised by the local Church. This would help to avoid divisions between missionaries and local clergy.
f) That Brother confreres be appointed to parishes. g)that confreres working in parishes make use of confreres working in the specialised centres (JPIC-ED…) and also that these centres get involved in the formation of the laity.
h) That our parishioners become more missionary through an apostolate adapted to their circumstances. When working in the parishes entrusted to us, we should always keep in mind the particular charism that distinguishes us as Missionaries of Africa.
i) That each parish served by the Missionaries of Africa have active groups for JPIC, dialogue and ecumenism.
j) That we think of better ways of integrating persons with disabilities into our parishes: better physical access, signing for the deaf, help for the partially sighted or for the blind, etc.
k) That our parishes be places of safety for children and vulnerable adults.
l) That our administrative and financial management be transparent.
m) That we sensitise our parishioners concerning their taking responsibility for the upkeep of their own parish and the parish workers.
n) That any contracts made with the dioceses be clear and set down in writing.
Capitular Acts 2016, pages 31-33