The Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) participated in
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the re-launching of the Bible Animation Apostolate Program organized by Daughters of St Paul through Paulines Publications at St. Peter Claver’s Catholic Parish in the Archdiocese of Nairobi on 5th and 6th April 2014.
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The event which ran under the theme: “The Word of God in the Family,” attracted about eight five (85) men, women and youth of St. Peter Claver Parish. The event was preceded by various preparatory meetings between the Daughters of St. Paul, the Parish Priest, Fr. Stephen Karingu, the Parish Team and the Parish Council.
In the introductory remarks, the organizer, Sr. Olga Massango FSP, said that the Biblical Animation Apostolate is inspired by the spirit and charism of Blessed James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Blessed Alberione encouraged families to make the Bible as everyone’s book that would inspire and penetrate people's lives. Bible Animation Apostolate is, therefore, a way of bringing the Bible closer to the people, help them to appreciate the centrality of the Word of God in their lives and of being able to give witness to it by proclaiming it to others.
During the same event, Fr. Charles Kyato, Chaplain of Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), made a presentation on the centrality of the Word of God in the Family and the Life of Faith. He emphasized that adherence to the Word of God can build, strengthen and unite families so that they are indeed the true image of the Family of God. The second presentation was made by the AMECEA Pastoral Coordinator, Fr. Febian Pikiti Mulenga, under the theme: “I and My Family, we choose to serve the Lord” (Josh 24:15). He stressed that, "like in the time of Joshua, the Word of God continues to challenge and inspire us to constantly renew our covenantal love relationship and commitment to God. In this way, our life will be guided by the values of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then together, we shall build a civilization of love, reconciliation, solidarity, tolerance and mutual respect in our family and the society in which we live."
The event was concluded on Sunday 6th April with the celebration of the Eucharist, where each participant of the Bible Animation was called by name and given the certificate by the main celebrant Fr. Jude Waweru, who is the AMECEA Justice and Peace Coordinator. To conclude the program, the congregation pledged and made a commitment to enthrone the Bible at home and to be a witness by allowing the Word of God to be the real guide and source of one’s own life.
During these two days, Bibles were displayed and sold at a subsidized price by the Paulines
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Publications Africa in order to fulfill the intuition of Blessed James Alberione to let the Gospel enter in every family.
Speaking with AMECEA Online News Sr. Olga Massango, FSP, the event organizer said Bible Animation Apostolate activities had been carried out, especially by Sr. Maria Rosa Ballini, in the late 90’s in Kenya and Tanzania. Sr Ballini stopped the apostolate due to her health problems which led to her death.
She said that the aim of Bible Animation Apostolate is to help people to familiarize themselves with the Word of God which is alive and active, touches us and transforms us in our everyday life. In the Bible there is life for us today and we can appropriate it in order to become our own. In this way it becomes a real living encounter with the Jesus, Word of God made flesh. Bible Animation creates a lot of interest in the Word of God so that people understand it better, deepen it, and do the enthronement of the Bible in the Churches, in families and homes.
“We are happy that this apostolic initiative of Bible Animation made us to be in communion with the Holy Father Pope Francis, who on 6th April offered the Gospel to all the people in St. Peter’s Square in Rome and we feel encouraged to make the Biblical Animation Apostolate evermore real for our people in Africa,” she said.
The Biblical Apostolate lies under the spirit of the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul Blessed James Alberione, who, very often encouraged the first generations of the Pauline Family, “to make the Gospel penetrate in the masses… “The Bible is everyone’s book. Let it become our daily bread”. His constant concern was: “How can we bring the Bible closer to the people? How can we help our people understand the centrality of the Word of God in their life?” From 1920 onwards, Bible Days, Week of the Gospel, Gospel Festivals and all biblical initiatives related to the Word of God were celebrated so as to take the Gospel to every family and let it be the centre and inspirer of their life.
SOURCE: AMECEA Social Communications and Paulines Publications