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| Rt. Rev. Agapiti Ndorobo, Bishop of Mahenge |
About 2000 Holy Childhood children from nine Dioceses of Eastern and central Tanzania gathered in Kondoa Diocese for a 4 day conference whose theme was ‘Formation is the right of a child.'
The dioceses represented include Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Morogoro, Tanga, Dodoma, Singida, Mahenge, Ifakara and Kondoa–the host.
Welcoming the children and delegates, Right Rev. Bernadin Mfumbusa, of the Diocese of Kondoa, said, “Children are God’s blessing to the family, the Church and Society. It is the responsibility of all people, especially parents, to take care of children, protect them from all forms of abuse, form them according to Christian values and provide them with education so that they become responsible citizens.”
Bishop Mfumbusa expressed gratitude to all the participating Dioceses for bringing children to come together and share their faith among their own peers.
Speaking in the opening remarks, the Bishop of Mahenge, Right Rev. Agapit Ndorobo, urged children to remain open to the guidance of their parents so that they able to grow in Christian virtues, love for one another and cultivate fear of God as they grow up. “You should know your Parents cannot satisfy you with everything, even some of the basic needs; train yourself to accept the realities of life and limitations of your parents,” he said.
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| A section of Conference Participants during Eucharistic Celebrations |
To the parents and formators who accompanied the children, Bishop Ndorobo encouraged them to be responsible in instilling the right values in children. “Families must be the first school for children; we should teach them by action, through our deeds; so you should be a model of good moral behaviour and Faith to children. Children learn easily by action; through our action we can teach them the virtues of love, peace and tolerance,” he said.
Taking note of the theme of the Conference, he said, “We are all tasked with the responsibility of caring for and helping children so that they understand their roles in their families and the Church in general.”
Also in the program children were also taught about the roles in the liturgy especially on how best they can participate in the divine worship.
The Conference started on the 30th June and ended on 3rd July 2015.
By Pascal Mwanache, Kondoa