A SESSION YOUNG PRIESTS (PIONEERS' SESSION) PROVINCE OF EAST AFRICA

Young priests of the Vice-Province of East Africa at Austin House in a mentoring session dubbed “Pioneers’ Session.” This is part of the ongoing formation sessions in the Vice Province.

The session focuses on forming effective and efficient priests who have a real sense of being Assumptionist, true shepherds of the Lord’s sheep and real laborers for the Kingdom.

JOURNEYING TOWARDS THE END OF FIVE YEAR OF PRIESTHOOD

FR. JACOB BARASA 

Fr. Jacob Bara is am Assumptionist priest from Kenya. He was ordained on 19/03/2015.
As he moves towards the end of his 5th year of Priesthood, he says: "I wanted to do something in life and I thank God because I have realized part of it when I'm still strong."
 

13^th July 2019 - ARUSHA-TANZANIA

FIRST RELIGIOUS PROFESSION OF OUR EIGHT BROTHERS

The celebration was marked by the brothers making their first Yes in our congregation.

During the Homily, Fr, Kizito Henri (Vice provincial) insisted to them that they should be good religious. A religious who lives his religious commitment and living the vows of Poverty, chastity and obedience faithfully.  Fr. Kizito also remarked that community life should be at the heart of each of the them; for Assumptionists live in apostolic communities.

During the celebration, some parents made their speech and they remarked that they believe that their children are not in the right place. They promised them support through prayers.

THE FUTURE NOVICES DURING THEIR RETREAT WITH FR. ARNOLD LUKOMBOLA a.a

The community of Austin House

During the retreat of the
Novice to be

The New Chapel of Austin House

     

               

            Novices to be During their
           session of the retreat

                    SOME PHOTOS DURING THE CLOSING MASS AND AFTER MASS

Member of the Vice-Provincial Council
with Fr. Miguel

Fr. Miguel making his final remarks
during the Closing mass

Frs. Kisangani, Miguel, Micheal and Jacob

Fr. Merchoir with some novices

Fr. Jacob and some Oblates and Orante Sister
after the closing Mass

Fr. Kizito Leading the Closing mass of the Chapter

Provincial Superior with some Novice
after the closing mass

THE CLOSING REMARKS FROM FR. GENERAL BENOIT GRIÈRE AND WERE READ BY FR. MIGUEL

(English version)

Dears Brothers,

As you conclude the first chapter of the Vice Province of East Africa, I would like to

FR. Miguel
The representative of the
General Superior
during the Chapter

express to you my closeness and fraternal friendship. Father Miguel has supported you in your

reflection and has already assured you of the support of the general team.

I encourage you to always work for unity and communion. Assumptionist religious life

needs generous, bold and selfless men. Men who are attentive to the needs of the world and who

listen to the cries of today's men and women. The Assumptionist is a missionary of the gospel.

His vocation takes him to the ends of the earth to announce the good news of the Kingdom. I

am counting on you to meet the many challenges of this time.

The Vice Province will have a future insofar as each of you will be resolutely committed

to building a true fraternity. Communities must be models of reconciliation where brothers and

sisters live without discrimination of national or linguistic origin.

I will be attentive to follow the life of your Vice-Province. I plan to make the canonical

visit in January 2020 to see the vitality of the communities and to encourage you to go further.

I invite you to support your provincial, Father Kizito, and his Council team. I pray for all of you.

Fraternally

(French version)

Chers Frères,

Alors que vous concluez le premier chapitre de la Vice Province d’Afrique de l’Est, je

tiens à vous manifester ma proximité et mon amitié fraternelle. Le Père Miguel vous a soutenu

dans votre réflexion et il vous a déjà assuré du soutien de l’équipe généralice.

Je vous encourage à travailler toujours pour l’unité et la communion. La vie religieuse

assomptionniste a besoin d’hommes généreux, hardis et désintéressés. Des hommes qui sont

attentifs aux besoins du monde et qui écoutent les cris des hommes et des femmes d’aujourd’hui.

L’assomptionniste est un missionnaire de l’évangile. Sa vocation le porte aux extrémités de la

terre pour annoncer la bonne nouvelle du Royaume. Je compte sur vous pour relever les

nombreux défis de ce temps.

La Vice province aura un avenir dans la mesure où chacun de vous s’engagera résolument

pour construire une véritable fraternité. Les communautés doivent être des modèles de

réconciliation où les frères vivent sans discrimination d’origine nationale ou linguistique.

Je serai attentif à suivre la vie de votre Vice-province. Je compte faire la visite canonique

en janvier 2020 pour constater la vitalité des communautés et pour vous encourager à aller plus

loin.

Père Benoît GRIÈRE a.a.

Supérieur général

               CLOSING WORD OF THE VICE-PROVINCIAL CHAPTER MAY/2019

My dear brothers and sisters,

We began our work by asking that God's will be done. Here we are at the end of this great work that we begun together and we thank the Lord God infinitely for allowing us to conclude well today. It is the first step in our journey into the future that we want better for our Vice-Province. We believe that it is the will of the God that has been fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled in the life of our chapter decisions.  We are very grateful to each of you for the collaboration and the climate of trust and harmony you have demonstrated for the smooth running of this work. It is already a sign that gives us hope. Let us always remember, my brothers, that on the footsteps of Father d'Alzon, we must walk with concrete things, not just ideas. 

To be sincere, the dedication of each one of us and the working climate we have demonstrated reassure us of everyone's determination to be able to work for a better future for our Vice-Province. Our observations, convictions and orientations are proof that we want to live happily in the following of Christ, in an Assumption where, despite the difficulties, the brothers feel loved by one another. It is on and with this love given and received, felt and lived that we want to build the unity of which Christ is the Source so that through our lives our brothers and sisters may be convinced and believe that it is possible to accept each other and be united.

Through our personal or community life, through our exchanges and sharing with others, we have given the image that we are divided among ourselves. The same ways used to give that image of division among us, needs or requires a real conversion to convince those who found us divided that we have changed and give them the joy of seeing us united and living a sincere fraternity. (I mean, as we have led people to know that we are divided, let us also do our best to convince them that we are now united and we love each other with a love that Christ is the Source). As our reflections and discussions during these meetings reflected, it is clear that Christ's absence in our lives is also the absence of unity in our interpersonal and community relationships. Our life of communion is based on our life of faith in Jesus Christ.

My dear brothers and sisters, you will remember that at the launching of our vice-province we were told that the unity of the religious should be our absolute priority, with the ambition to work for evangelization by first making the Kingdom grow in us and then around us. This is the work of God even if the success depends on each of us. As new vice-province, we have just been through the reality of our dear vice-province together. We have discovered our riches and miseries, what honours us and what humiliates us. No one wants to be humiliated. The Assumption in East Africa, we have now established our apostolic priorities; we have seen the urgency to strengthen our community life. Together, we have agreed that we have each the responsibility to live the main orientations of the 33^rd General Chapter. We want to be men of unity in a divided world with a missionary ambition. We saw the necessity to have a plan for the formation of our young brothers which gives answer to their apostolic needs. All this is possible if we allow Jesus Christ to be at the center of our life (R.L 2), if we feel each, a brother in Christ.

Finally, I would like to refer you to Father d'Alzon's 31st meditation, which tells us about the relationships between religious and others, which must be edifying, charitable, respectful and based on helpfulness. We came to the convent to build each other up. And as you know, nothing is good like a community where we love each other (PS. 32,1), but for that to happen, everyone must put their hearts into it (RL. 7). Father d'Alzon also invites us to mutual respect, because we do not expect anything from a community where people do not respect each other. Finally, we must know how to ask and be of service to the brother in community, which reflects the practical spirit. Such relationships in community will help to grow in union and fervor, and will give fruit expected by the Lord (ES. 568-576).  Once again, we ask you to pray for the Vice-Provincial Council that it may not the source of disunity but a uniting agent.

 Our gratitude to Fr. Miguel for the support he has given us before and during the chapter. Our gratitude also goes to the Preparatory Commission, which provided us with all the necessary elements to make our work easier. We recognize the dynamism and sense of doing well of its members. Thank you, dear brothers, may the Lord take care to make you feel our gratitude! I must thank the Secretaries and their helpers, the Kitchen Department and each of you. I hope all of us here we are happy with our experience of work here in Tengeru.

On that note, allow me now to declare the work of this first Vice-Provincial Chapter Closed.

Fr. Kizito VYAMBWERA HENRI a.a.

The Vice-Provincial of the Vice-Province of East Africa

      THE CLOSING SPEECH FROM THE PROVINCIAL 

Dear Brothers,

Fr. YVES
The Provincial Superior

As we conclude our vice-provincial chapter, I wish to thank you wholeheartedly. I thank the preparatory commission, and all those who made their contributions to this chapter. My gratitude goes to Father José Miguel Diaz for his availability to represent Our Superior General.  Dear brothers you have given generously of your time and your best thinking to make our dream a reality. We are privileged to witness the 1^st of the vice-province 31 years since the creation of the Assumption mission in East Africa. We should keep in mind in a special way our first missionaries, Richard Brunelle, James Pepka and their companions and all those who have been in charge of this mission Fr. Richard Brunelle, Protais Kabila, Simon Njuguna, Jean Marie Meso and their respective teams.   

 Together for a whole week, we listened to the Holy Spirit in order to foresee the future of the mission of this vice-province.  For our liturgy, the gospel according to Saint John chap. 14 -15 has been at the centre of our meditations.  “Love” and “unity” have been the key words. The liturgy of the Word helped me understand that “where there is love and unity there is Jesus Christ, and where Jesus is there will be joy and availability for mission (whether this mission is located in town or in rural zone).

This chapter has been truly a privileged place of reflection, sharing and dialogue. We tried to find ways and means to be truly Witnesses and agents of unity in a divided world.   We have taken the first steps accepting the risk for a future filled with promise. We hope that the enthusiasm with which you have celebrated this chapter will be contagious.

What we have been able to experience together in this chapter have helped us to become aware of the mission that Father d’Alzon entrusted to us: To live and work in loving communion so that the world will believe that Jesus is the source of Unity.

As you have realised in the first part of the chapter, the challenges are many and at different levels: community life, spiritual and pastoral life and financial resources. At the individual level, the gap between what we say and what we live is also challenging.  What I have heard in this assembly since the first day of our chapter reveals me that you want to face the different challenges confident in the love God the Father for our Congregation. I am convinced that human and financial resources are not an absolute criterion for growth. Unless there is a solid spiritual life, a sense of belonging and greater commitment at personal and community level our vice-province cannot grow fast and stronger.

Dear brothers, you need to assure that in the months ahead this investment is put to work and developed. You will need to start afresh from Christ, to use our imagination, to accept making change in your life style and find new ways of being present at the heart of humanity and bear witness to the present of God’s Kingdom. As you have main actors in the preparation and the elaboration of the acts of this first chapter, I want you dear brothers, to be at the front line of its implementation. You know the letter and the spirit of the text that soon will be at your disposal; in your communities help your fellow brothers understand it, not only by your words but also by your own life.

My wish, at the end of this chapter, is that in the nearly future we may gather together to celebrate not a second, a third vice-provincial chapter but a provincial chapter and my task/mission as provincial and of my council is to help you reach that stage. If we work hand in hand respecting the principle of subsidiarity I am confident that we can make it. Now to express our gratitude to God I invite you to join me in this song: “ This is the day….”.

Thank you and may God Bless you.

Arusha, May 25th, 2019

Fr Yves NZUVA KAGHOMA

Sup. Provincial

FIFTH DAY: FRIDAY 24^th, MAY 2019

Discussion being led by Fr. Miguel

The chapter is moving slowly moving towards its end. As usual, the day opens with the Eucharist and the work of the chapter with a prayer. After the opening prayer made by the promoter of the chapter, the floor was given to the secretary to the read the minutes of yesterday's activities. After a debate to clarify the report of the secretary, Fr. Miguel Diaz explains the methodology of the work of the day which consisted in gathering all the elements of the reports of various groups as well as various commissions. The goal was to produce a common document that will be used to develop the acts of the Vice-Provincial Chapter.

After a brief explanation of the methodology of the work, the members of the Chapter were divided into groups to rework the observations, beliefs and proposals that will be used to produce the final document. At 3 pm, all members gathered to give the results of work of different groups. The results of these group will constitute the document that will be the acts of the vice-provincial chapter.

The evening session was left free to allow the secretary time to integrate the various suggestions in the text.

The work load of tomorrow will consist mainly of voting on the various proposals, orientations and recommendations, before the conclusion of the Chapter. This will mark the end of the Vice-Provincial Chapter.

               
                                Cinquième jour : Vendredi 24 mai 2019

Le repos de la nuit a été bénéfique pour tous les capitulants.  Le chapitre avance doucement et sûrement vers sa fin mais il reste encore beaucoup à faire. Comme d’habitude, la journée s’ouvre par l’Eucharistie et les travaux du chapitre par une prière. Après la prière d’ouverture faite par le promoteur du chapitre, la parole a été directement donnée au secrétaire pour la lecture du procès-verbal des activités d’hier jeudi. Après débat pour éclaircissement du compte rendu du secrétaire, P. Miguel DIAZ explique la méthodologie du travail du jour qui va consister à rassembler tous les éléments des rapports de différents groupes de discussions ainsi que différentes commissions. L’objectif est de produire un document commun qui servira à l’élaboration des actes du chapitre vice-provincial.

Après une brève explication de la méthodologie du travail, les capitulants ont été repartis en groupes pour retravailler les observations, les convictions et les propositions qui serviront à la production du document final. Ce travail, combien pris au sérieux, a occupé tout l’avant midi et une partie de l’après-midi. A 15 heures, c’est la mise en commun des résultats de travail de différents groupes. Le document ainsi accouché servira, bien entendu, comme actes du chapitre vice-provincial.

C’est le moment des vêpres et du souper. La soirée est laissée libre pour permettre aux secrétaire le temps d’intégrer les différentes suggestions dans le texte. La journée de demain consistera principalement à voter les différentes propositions, orientations et recommandations, avant la conclusion du Chapitre. A demain donc pour la dernière séance.

                                        MOMENTS OF RECREATION

Bro. Boniface, Bro. Edward
and Fr. Yves during lunch

Member of the Vice-Provincial Chapter
during Supper 

Fr. Maticha and Fr. Jacob during social Day

Bro. Edward and Bro. Boniface

Fr. Luc Martel with Fr. Kizito at close range

Fr. Kizito and Fr. Mawazo
During the social

Fr. Antigon, Mrs Mbutei (Lay Assumption) and Bro. Ignatius
During the last day of the Lay Assumption
in the Chapter

Fr. Yves and Fr. John Kiarii

T.E.A.M.: The New Definition of Unity

The Vice-Provincial Chapter has not been a moment of reflection and dialogue but also of learning from each other. Before their departure, our Lay Brother and Sister wished us success for the remaining part of the chapter and also gave us a new definition of unity which is T.E.A.M. (Together Each Achieves More). No person is an island. None of us can bear much fruit working alone. Unity is the best asset you can ever have.

From Left
Fr. John Kiarii, Bro. Ignatius Matongwa
 and Fr. Yves Kaghoma 

T-ogether as members of the vice province, the province and the congregation, we are witnesses and agents of unity and we will continue to advocate and promote it in spite of our different backgrounds, age… “Our diversity is an enrichment.” It is only in our togetherness that we are going to resolve the problems in our society. Amongst ourselves, therefore, no cases of disunity should be heard. We’ll work together for the Kingdom of God. It is in our diversity that we’ll get more exposure of each one and to learn to respect the opinions of the other.

E-ach of us is an essential component in the building and promotion of unity. Assumption is a home for each and all of us. Feeling at home opens one’s mind to creativity in work, have a common pull of resources and a concrete sense of belonging.

From Right
Fr. Arnold, Fr. Meso, Fr. John, Fr. Merchoir
and Fr. Francois at the extreme corner

A-chievement is not when you pull down your brother or sister but when you raise him/her high all the way to heaven. We’re praying for you and we’ll continue to pray for you dear brothers and sisters. All want to acquire is the greatest degrees of holiness and the promotion of the “Kingdom of God in us and around us.” A Kingdom divided can not stand.

More-the more we want to achieve in our mission is see a successful completion of our projects and conception of more. Divided we are going to achieve nothing. Unity must make use think more about our project, the first being the building up and the promotion of peace and justice.

We continue to thank our lay Assumptionists for giving us the New meaning of UNITY as TEAM. We continue to pray for them in theit mission as Lay Assuptionists.

                                   

                               DAY 4: Thursday 23 May 2019 (English Version)

The morning of this fourth day of the activities of the Vice-provincial chapter is favorable for the work. The Capitulants are aware of this and benefit from doing the bulk of the work.

All starts with a family photo shoot with the lay assumptionists before their departure after having participated for three days in the work of the Vice-provincial chapter.

Member of the Vice-Provincial Chapter

After the invocation of the Holy Spirit, the promoter of the chapter salutes all the Capitulants and wishes them fruitful work. He delivers some information at the attention of the Assembly: the e-mail addresses of the Vice province (e-mail address: eastafricaviceprovince@gmail.com; and the blog: www.eastafricaviceprovince.blogspost.com) and the information that the assumptionist community, Monsignor Henri Pierard of Beni in the DRC was visited at night by armed bandits. This information has provoked both an attitude of indignation and compassion towards the confreres of this part of the DR Congo.

After the announcement of this news, he asks the moderator of the day, Fr. Dominic Kamau to give the agenda.

It all starts with the Secretary's reading of the report on yesterday's activities and the necessary observations related thereto.  Then, the Vice-provincial bursar, Father Christophe Yongesa presents the report on the board of trustees in East Africa Vice-province in Kenya and Tanzania by noting the strengths and irregularities in the application of this legal obligations for a number of years. After a series of questions and answers for an amendment and clarification, the Capitulants go to work in groups of discussions to reformulate and restate the observations, convictions and proposals concerning the orientations to be taken to overcome the challenges of unity, since it is the major theme of the chapter.

Conference Hall During the Proceedings

After a short break while continuing the formal discussions, Fr. Serge MABOU, in charge of formation in the vice-province presents his report. He starts by raising the statistics of the religious in East Africa: 73 religious among them 35 priests and 54 religious under formation: 12 philosophers, 15 theologians and 8 trainees but also 8 postulants and 9 novices. 10 nationalities are represented in the mission.

In the afternoon, the elections of 9 members of the Vice-Provincial Council and the 4 substitutes took the lion's share in the time provided for this purpose. They were all elected and willingly accepted to serve in this Vice-provincial council.

The activities are stopped for the Vespers and supper with the promise to return immediately afterwards to expose the report of the discussion groups about the unit. As the exchanges are no longer fluent because fatigue is felt more and more, the moderator directs that the discussions be stopped and will resume tomorrow when the night has allowed a deserved rest.

"People are tired because they have worked a lot," acknowledges the chapter’s President before concluding with an Ave Maria and asking the Capitulants to go and rest. See you tomorrow to enjoy the freshness of the morning again.

                               Quatrième jour : Jeudi 23 mai 2019 (French Version)

La matinée de ce quatrième jour des activités du chapitre vice-provincial s’annonce favorable pour le travail. Les capitulants en sont conscients et profitent pour faire le gros du travail.

Member of the Vice-Provincial Chapter

Tout commence par une prise de photo de famille avec les laïcs assomptionnistes avant leur départ après avoir participé pendant trois jours aux travaux du chapitre vice-provincial.

Après l’invocation du Saint-Esprit, le promoteur du chapitre salue tous les capitulants et leur souhaite un fructueux travail. Il  livre quelques informations q l’attention de l’assemblée : Les adresses  électroniques de la vice province (adresse mail : eastafricaviceprovince@gmail.com; et leblog: 

www.eastafricaviceprovince.blogspost.com) et l’information selon laquelle la communauté assomptionniste, Monseigneur Henri Pierard de Beni en RDC a été visitée la nuit par des bandits armés. Cette information a provoqué à la fois une attitude d’indignation et de compassion à l’égard des confrères de cette partie de la RD Congo.

Après l’annonce de ces nouvelles, il passe la parole au modérateur du jour, p. Dominique Kamau pour donner l’ordre du jour.

Tout commence par la lecture du PV par le secrétaire sur les activités d’hier et les observations nécessaires y relatives.  Ensuite, l’économe vice-provincial, père Christophe Yongesa présente le rapport au sujet de la personnalité juridique de la vice-province au Kenya et en Tanzanie en relevant les points forts et les irrégularités dans l’application de cette obligation juridique depuis un certain nombre d’années. Après une série de questions et réponses pour un amendement et éclaircissement, les capitulants s’en vont travailler en groupe de discussions pour refixer et reformuler les observations, convictions et propositions concernant les orientations à prendre pour surmonter les défis de l’unité.

Pas de temps à perdre. Après une courte pause prise tout en poursuivant les discussions formelles, le responsable de la formation, P. Serge MABOU présente son rapport. Il commence par relever les statistiques des religieux en œuvre en Afrique de l’est : 73 religieux dont 35 prêtres et 54 religieux en formation : 12 philosophes, 15 théologiens et 8 stagiaires mais aussi 8 postulants et 9 novices. 10 nationalités sont représentées dans la mission. 

Aux heures de l’après-midi, les élections de 9 membres du conseil de la vice-province et les 4 suppléants ont pris la part de lion dans le temps prévu à cet effet. Ils ont tous été élus et ont accepté volontiers de rendre service dans cette instance vice-provinciale. 

Members during the Election

Les activités sont arrêtées pour les Vêpres et le souper avec la promesse de revenir aussitôt après pour exposer le compte rendu des groupes de discussion au sujet de l’unité étant donne que tout le chapitre gravite sur ce thème général sur l’unité dans la diversité. Les échanges ne sont plus fluents car la fatigue se fait sentir de plus en plus. Le modérateur ordonne que les discussions soient arrêtées et reprendront demain quand la nuit aura permis un repos mérité après un travail abattu.

« Les gens sont fatigués car ils ont beaucoup travaillé », reconnaît le président du chapitre avant de conclure par un Ave Maria et demander aux capitulants d’aller se reposer. On se revoit demain pour profiter encore une fois de la fraîcheur de la matinée.

   

                        Troisième jour : Mercredi 22 mai 2019

Mr. Mbuvi, LA souhaite aurevoir aux capitulants

Après la prière et la lecture du rapport du secrétaire reprenant les grands points de la journée d’hier mardi, un autre noyau du chapitre est à édulcorer : La vie économique de la vice-Province. L’assemblée écoute attentivement le rapport économique de l’économe vice-provincial où il souligne l’environnement macro-économique de la vice-province d’Afrique de l’Est, l’état de lieu de la marche économique des 3 dernières années (2016-2019) et la projection pour les 3 années à venir tout en relevant quelques questions économiques majeures.

Après une courte pause, les capitulants, regroupés en 5 groupes se réunissent en commissions pour traiter des questions spécifiques : organisation communautaire de la vice-province, pastorale vocationnelle et des jeunes, formation, vie apostolique (paroisse, éducation et pastorale familiale), nouvelles missions et fondations, collaboration avec la province et la congrégation, vie économique, etc. Il fait froid et la météo indique des pluies sporadiques mais le climat est favorable pour un travail en commissions.

Le volume de la matière à débattre ayant été immense, les différentes commissions ont eu besoin de plus de temps que prévu d’avance. C’est ainsi que la mise en commun des résultats de différentes commissions a eu lieu une heure plus tard à 16h00 pour permettre la mise au point de toutes les propositions et la finalisation des textes à présenter. A chaque présentation s’en suivent des réactions et des questions d’éclaircissement, des observations, convictions et propositions.

Mme. Marguerite Mbutei, LA  dit aurevoir aux capitulants

Une petite pause s’avère nécessaire avant d’écouter le compte rendu de la commission ayant traité la question économique. Après la pause, les capitulants reviennent dans la salle pour cette matière économique. Le promoteur annonce l’agenda de demain jeudi 23 mai qui portera sur la formation dans la vice-province d’Afrique.

Il est 18h30, c’est l’heure des vêpres et du souper qui sera suivi d’un « social » pour dire merci et aurevoir aux laïcs de l’alliance qui ont participé aux premières séances du chapitre et qui rentrent chez eux.  Nous espérons que la nuit sera reposante pour permettre la reprise des travaux demain.