Plenary Assembly of Catholic Nuns in East, Central Africa to Strategize Formation to Adjust to Contemporary “changes”

The Zambian-born Superior General of the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit (RSHS) described ACWECA’s 19th Plenary Assembly theme, “Transformative holistic formation for authentic living towards deeper evangelization in the ACWECA region and beyond”, as timely.

“This theme calls us to reflect on the importance of transformative formation, to our Religious Life in a world faced with so many changes and challenges that are impacting negatively on our Religious vocations,” she said in her Monday, August 19 address at Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe, Malawi, the venue of the August 18-24 double celebration of the 19th Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee of ACWECA.

Credit: ACWECA

“One of the most delicate areas of our consecrated life in the world today is formation,” Sr. Rosalia further said, and continued, “What type of formation do we give to one another and to our young women, initial and ongoing formation, as we respond to our vocation for mission? It is a formation that enhances our identity and deepens our roots, grounding us into religious life.”

The President of the Kenya-based regional association said participants in the Plenary Assembly would be enriched by testimonies of experienced women Religious, who she said would not only speak from their expertise but also from their lived experience of Consecrated Life.

“It is a time for us to listen, reflect, to learn, to relearn and share what defines us as Consecrated women and what will strengthen our formation strategies as Congregations,” she said.

Credit: ACWECA

Some of the topics to guide reflections during the weeklong Plenary Assembly include “Holistic religious formation in view of living the charism of the Congregation and the Gospel values”, “Mental Health and Self Care in Religious Congregations today”, and “Revitalizing Consecrated life and Religious Identity today”, among others.

In her August 19 remarks, Sr. Rosalia recalled the theme of the 18th ACWECA Plenary assembly in 2021 which was, “Re-awaken the prophetic role: A call for Reformation towards holistic transformation in the ACWECA region today.”

She recalled that at the end of the 18th ACWECA Plenary assembly, the Catholic Nuns in the region challenged themselves to reawaken their prophetic role to strengthen and deepen their evangelization. 

“There was a felt need for reformation of formation in order to facilitate holistic transformation,” the ACWECA President said.

Credit: ACWECA

She went on to recall how the theme of the ongoing Plenary Assembly was formulated, saying it emerged as a result of reflection, sharing and collaboration among the board and the Secretaries General of the National Associations, ahead of its unveiling in August 2023.

“Savoring our journey over the past three years and revisiting our diverse experiences, it was evident that transformative and holistic formation is the cornerstone of our Consecrated Life,” Sr. Rosalia said, adding that transformative formation of women Religious not only fosters their identity but also deepens their sense of belonging and in turn enriches their response to mission.

(Story continues below)

Meanwhile, Sr. Rosalia has described the 19th ACWECA plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee as a special assembly, saying, “God has touched us, and we have grown. We thank God for his faithfulness to us as Consecrated women in the Church.”

Credit: ACWECA

“We are standing on the shoulders of our founding mothers who had a vision and persevering passion that we are here to celebrate this double milestone,” she said, referring to the Plenary Assembly and the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Credit: ACWECA

She added, “This Golden Jubilee is a time to reflect on the Lord’s presence on our journey; it is a time to celebrate the many remarkable steps we have made and express our gratitude for God’s faithfulness and blessings over the years.”

Earlier, his homily during the opening Mass of ACWECA’s double celebration, Archbishop George Desmond Tambala of Malawi’s Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe underscored the need for members of the 10-nation association to nurture their relationship with the person of Jesus Christ, recognizing their mission to “collaborate in redeeming the world”.