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.