Planning Meeting in Africa

At the invitation of the Conference of Provincials for Africa, a meeting was held at MIC Nairobi (Kenya) between 28 June and 1 July, to plan for the better diffusion of our Marist spiritual patrimony across the Administrative Unites of Africa and Madagascar.

Participating in the meeting were the African graduates of the six-month Patrimony Course that was held at the General House in Rome during 2008: Brothers Vincent de Paul Kouassi (West Africa), Henri Bashizi (PACE), Auxensio Dickson (Southern Africa), Elias Iwu and Benedict Umoh (Nigeria). The meeting was facilitated by Brother Michael Green (Australia) who was Superior of the 2008 course in Rome.

During the five days of their meeting, the Brothers developed a detailed set of recommendations to be considered by the Superiors of Africa.

The two most important proposals concern, first, the establishment at MIC of an African Centre for Marist Spirituality and Mission and, second, an integrated programme for the teaching of Marist spiritual patrimony across the three stages of initial formation: postulancy, novitiate and scholasticate.

For the last five years, Brother Michael Green and Vincent de Paul Kouassi, have conducted workshops at MIC. This will now be extended so that there is a progressive programme from the beginning of the postulancy. It is also envisaged that a range of other courses, workshops, seminars and retreats will be offered for Brothers and Lay people, both in the new Centre at MIC and across the continent.

It is envisaged that the Centre for Marist Spirituality and Mission will play a key role in preparing and in supporting African Marists in their undertaking of Marist mission into the future.