The Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) National Directors have challenged the Church in Africa to look for some ways to raise local resources for her Evangelization work.
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The challenge was raised by the team of three PMS National Directors: Rev. Fr. Andrew Small, OMI, (US); Rev. Fr. Jovitus Mwijage (Tanzania) and Rev. Fr. Godefroid Manunga (Democratic Republic of Congo) during their visit to St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi, on Sunday 2nd March 2014.
Their day started off with the celebration of the Holy Mass presided over by Fr Andrew Small before holding a one-on- one conference session with the seminarians.
During the informal discussions, the visitors took time to explain the role of the four Pontifical Missionary Societies which include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Holy Childhood Association, The Society of St. Peter the Apostle and the Pontifical Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.
Among the areas touched on during the discussions with the seminarians was the role of a Missionary and the need for being self-relent in their mission.
Fr. Manunga emphasized on the need for the Church in Africa to be self-reliant as there was no pride in always going to the Western countries with begging bowls when Africans were endowed with numerous human and material resources. He reminded the seminarians on the exhortation of Pope Paul VI on his visit to Africa that called on ‘Africans to be missionaries unto themselves.’
Fr Small told the seminarians that the old Catholics in the western countries, who had a strong spirit of giving to the mission of the Church, were dying out and the young generation did not seem to have a similar generous spirit. “Missionaries in Africa must seek ways to raise local resources for their evangelization work,” he said adding that “External support is dwindling but missionary work must continue.”
On his part, the Rector Very Rev Vincent Lumumba thanked the visitors for finding time to spend a day with the seminarians. He paid tribute to PMS for the support the seminary was getting for its various activities, disclosing that he too was a beneficiary of the generosity of PMS which made him pursue his further studies in Rome.
The directors were in the country as part of a team attending a PMS National Directors Consultation Meeting at the Resurrection Gardens, Nairobi.
SOURCE: KCCB Waumini Communications Office