More than 2500 children member of the Pontifical Society of Holy Childhood from all the dioceses in Tanzania, are expected to attend the Conference which will start from 11th to 16thJune, 2014 in the Diocese of Tunduru Masasi.
According to the event organizer who is also the Director of the Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) of Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Fr Jovitus Mwijage, the preparations for the Conference have been completed to a large extent. He said that all the security details have been put in place to ensure that security is maintained at all the times.
He said that the Conference aims at teaching children how to grow and mature in faith. Fr Mwijage said this is taken as part of the training to make children become missionaries to their fellow children inside and outside the Catholic Church. “In order to achieve to this goal, parents should also join us first by allowing their children to attend the Conference then allow them to participate in other Church activities,” he said.
The organizing committee of the Conference has prepared some topics, including “child and faith; children and the effects of globalization; and children and Sacrament. Other topic include children's rights and their responsibilities for parents and their formators; the role of parents and formators in child care; children and the lives of saints; children and the missionary apostolate; and how children can become responsible of themselves.
Concerning the details and logistics of transport to Tunduru Masasi, which is in southern Tanzania, Fr Mwijage said all the buses and cars which will be in the caravan will fly the Vatican flags, a symbol of Pontifical Mission Societies.
The closing Mass will be held at St. Francis Xavery Cathedral and will be presided by the TEC President Bishop Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa .
Fr Mwijage said the Conference will also be attended by visitors/guests from Malta and Malawi.
TEC holds a national Conference for PMS children after every two years. This is the 4th time TEC is organizing a national conference for PMS children. The first Conference was held in Iringa Diocese, second was in Zanzibar and the last one, which was also attended by PMS children from Kenya, was held in Mahenge Diocese in the year 2012.
SOURCE: TEC Communications Office
