REPORT OF THE AFRAM 2009 WORKSHOP FOR

PROVINCIAL/REGIONAL MISSION SECRETARIES

8-13 March 2009

LUANDA, ANGOLA

The workshop was officially started at 15h00 with the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony began with the procession of the Bible, candles and some symbols of Angola by our philosophy students. The explanations of these symbols were given by Fr. Daniel MALAMBA, the Superior Delegatus of Angola. Then, Fr. Denis PEREIRA, Mission Secretary of Angola province read the prologue of St. John for our reflection. This was followed by the welcome address from Fr. Zeferino ZECA MARTINS, Provincial Superior of Angola.

Fr. Zeferino in his address welcomed all the participants to the Province of Angola. He was happy that Angola was chosen to be the venue for this workshop for Mission Secretaries. He explained the situation of Angola before, during and after the war. He said that one can see a lot of improvements in the socio economic life of Angolans after the war but a lot more is to be achieved. He also gave us a brief history of how evangelization began in Angola. Fr. Zeferino said that the four characteristic dimensions of our Society have to be seen in our mission, as mission animators.

Fr. Xene Sanchez, the AFRAM Zone Coordinator then addressed the participants. He expressed his gratitude to everyone for coming to this workshop. In a very special way he thanked Angolan Province headed by Fr. Provincial Zeferino Martins and his committee for the courage and determination to push through with the plans despite all uncertainties. Also he thanked Fr. Pio Estepa from the Generalate for taking active part in the preparations of this workshop, Fr. Rolando Reyes the zonal area coordinator for mission animation for contacting the participants and laying out the program.

Fr. Xene said that this is the second workshop for Mission Animation in AFRAM Zone. The first one was in Lome, Togo in 2004. He encouraged all of us to participate actively in this workshop and contribute positive ideas so that this workshop may bear good results and become a useful exercise. Fr. Xene also remarked that some may be skeptical about this kind of workshop but the history of AFRAM zone has proven that there is a clear correspondence between the workshops and the progress that the areas are undergoing especially in the areas of formation and Biblical Pastoral Ministry. 

He concluded his address by reminding us that mission secretaries have great responsibilities to play in the mission animation within the provinces. He quoted Directives for the Mission Secretaries 6.3.1 from the manual for superiors. “Meetings at the Zonal level might offer good opportunities for ongoing education to the mission secretaries regarding the responsibilities of their office. By meeting together, they help to animate one another, share experiences, ideas and plans that allow for better service to their province and to the Society around the world…”

Fr. Sunny Vattapparayil and Fr. Seraphin Kpakpayi were then chosen to be the secretaries of this workshop. Fr Denis proceeded in explaining the time-table of the workshop.

 Fr. Malamba, the rector of the Central Mission House talked about the services the house offers.

After a short break, it was time to listen to the reports from the mission secretaries. Due to lack of time only three were able to present their reports: Ghana, Angola, and Mozambique. At 6 pm, we had the Eucharistic celebration presided by Fr. Zeferino, the Provincial Superior.

Tuesday 10 March 2009

The work resumed on Tuesday 10th March, with reports from Kenya-Tanzania, Togo-Benin, Botswana, D.R. Congo, Madagascar (The report of each province is in appendix). Before we continued with the reports, some time was given to introduce ourselves to one another.

After having finished the reports of each province, a question of clarification was raised by Fr. Xene. He wanted to know whether we have mission animators in our districts. The answer was negative, except for Togo-Benin province. There was a feeling that the mission secretary has to be freed from some binding tasks to coordinate and animate the confreres. Taking the example of Botswana Province with three districts spread out in three countries, it was observed and stressed that all the confreres have to be helped to see themselves as mission animators. Mission animation is not an individual concern.  It was emphasised, in the same line of thought that it was not just enough to say that confreres in parishes are mission animators, but the Mission Secretaries themselves have to give orientations and relevant materials with regard to the many areas of mission animation (Mission Sunday, Society’s feasts etc.). Basing himself on the Province/Region vision, the Mission Secretary should:

EVALUATION OF 2004 PROPOSED MISSION ANIMATION’S PLAN OF ACTION (LOME-TOGO). Fr. Rolando, facilitator.

Three (3) questions were asked by the facilitator; these were:

  1. Did everybody get the Plan of Action of Lome (2004)?
  2. Have we been able to implement this Plan of Action?
  3. What are the limits and challenges as far as this Plan of Action is concerned?

Most of the participants felt there was a difficulty related to the very role of the Mission Secretary. Linked to that difficulty is the fact that the Mission Secretary’s task is treated as secondary. They hold other responsibilities which take precedence over mission animation. The zonal area coordinator for mission animation pointed out other difficulties such as frequent changes of Mission Secretaries, lack of communication between Mission Secretaries, lack of funds etc.

Coming back to the role of the Mission Secretary, questions were raised about how to make the Mission Office more efficient. Should the roles of Mission Secretary and Superior Delegatus be combined in the same person?  This would depend on particular provinces. However, according to Fr. Pio ESTEPA, mission animation could be combined, if necessary, with a task that is compatible especially in terms of mobility. Combination such as Mission Secretary and formation work or mission Secretary and parish priest do not seem to be the best. He mentioned that in bigger provinces in the European and the Panam zones, the Mission Secretariat in itself is such a huge task that it often has to be divided into two offices. One experience that seems to work well in Latin American provinces is that the Mission Secretary relies on the help of lay associates for mission animation.

EXPLANATION OF THE MANUAL OF MISSION SECRETARIES:

FR.  XENE SANCHEZ, facilitator. See Appendix

From his presentation arose questions related to fundraising, namely the management of funds between the provincial treasurer and the Mission Secretary. Actually the funds collected by the Mission Secretary are fundamentally for:

1.       His mission animation activities

2.      The care of confreres working as missionaries outside the province.

3.      SVD world wide distribution of mission funds by the Generalate.

Another question was to which institution to turn for fundraising outside? There are a number of them, but the best way to ask for funds is to do it through the Generalate. It is because:

1.         European funding agencies cross check with the Generalate,

2.         and the Generalate helps in looking for the most suitable funding agencies.

Summing up this question of fundraising, Fr. Pio said it is not, strictly speaking, the task of the Mission Secretary to ask for funds from outside. His role would be to raise local funds for worldwide mission.

WHAT ARE THE INITIATIVES OF FUNDRAISING SO FAR; WHAT ARE THE PERSPECTIVES IN THAT LINE?

Very little has been done in this regard so far. But, we should not give up and say that nothing works in AFRAM. The following initiatives that are working elsewhere may be creatively adapted and improved in the AFRAM context:

1. Distribution of mission envelopes. Inspiring images and messages are printed on envelopes that are distributed in parishes with the return address of the SVD mission office.

It was further suggested that the same envelopes also solicit the address or contact details of the donor. Thus, personal contact can be established with him/her by way of sending seasonal greetings (birthday, Christmas, Easter) and sharing mission news.

2. Campaigning for Missionary Sponsorship. Laypeople are invited to ‘adopt’ a confrere working as missionary abroad by donating money into his specific account at the mission office. The confrere is in turn urged to keep regular correspondence with his donors through the mission office.

3. Campaign for specific mission needs. For example, on St. Christopher’s day in Poland, a campaign among drivers (of private or public means of transport) is launched in behalf of confreres working as missionaries abroad and in need of vehicles in their respective mission posts.

4. Mission Mass League. People are asked to give mission donations and are assured in turn of ongoing prayer support by Divine Word Missionaries by way of daily masses for their particular intentions (e.g., for a deceased, thanksgiving for special blessing, etc.).

5. Lenten alms appeal. In the Philippines, for example, savings box are distributed. People are invited to make a weekly deposit of just one peso each time. When the box is full, they hand it over to their respective parishes.

6. Mission fundraising by children. On the feast of Epiphany in Europe, children go carolling from door to door. Proceeds are given to worldwide missions.

7. Widow’s Mite. Some suggested that it is possible to collect funds locally from our generous parishioners and friends.  Echoing the presentation of Fr. Xene where he mentioned the widow’s mite, we were reminded never to underestimate the generosity of our poor people.

In the afternoon, after one hour session, on the theme above, we were taken into the Angolan realities by Br. Joao Facatino through a PowerPoint presentation.

 

Wednesday 11March 2009

The work continued on Wednesday 11th March with the following theme:

HOW TO FACILITATE THE INCULTURATION OF THE MISSION ANIMATION’S WORK IN AFRICA? Adopt in a realistic mode the triple responsibility of the Mission Secretaries in the Actual Context of the Continent.

Fr. Pio ESTEPA, facilitator

At the beginning of his presentation, the facilitator observed that the Mission Secretary plays an important and unique leadership role. But we have to ask ourselves what it means to be a leader? What does the recent General chapter say about leadership? What makes our task of Mission Secretaries such a unique task? Finally what is the relationship between the Mission Secretary and the leadership team of the province?

As missionaries we should be enlightened with our Mission Project which is outlined already in our constitutions and in the handbook for superiors.

There should be permanent dialogue/evaluation between our Mission Project and our Mission Practice. This dialogue often brings to light the fact that sometimes we are not doing what we ought to be doing. Leadership, as understood by the 16th General chapter is threefold:

·        Administration: we manage things

·        Animation: we animate people

·        Coordination: we coordinate activities

The animation entails dealing with the “anima” meaning soul, heart and feelings of the confreres. The use of the external authority does not help. We will gain them through the force of our ideas, the nobility of our cause. Are we convinced ourselves of what we are doing? Do we know how important our task is? We are to keep good relationships with our confreres, our lay partners and co-workers.

We have to animate our confreres to love what they are doing. And to animate them we need to be animated ourselves. This therefore brings the role of Coordination. In actual fact, the Mission Secretary has no administrative power.

WHAT MAKES OUR ROLE SO UNIQUE?

First remark: the Mission Secretary is an appointee of Fr. General Superior.

There is a historical reason behind: Our founder worked closely with his mission procurator whom he appointed to handle the funds raised as fruit of his apostleship of prayer. From another point of view, the Mission Secretary is the global link with other provinces and the universal Church. 

In this regard, the Mission Secretary is to report to Fr. General Superior annually (January 1st) and at the end of each term. Because of the unique role of the Mission Secretary in the elaboration of the Mission Project, he is a member ex-officio of the Provincial Chapter. One of the recommendations from the General Superior is that the Mission Secretary has to be consulted on issues related to the Mission Project (when a new parish is to be taken up, and when a parish is being handed over…).

Still, in order to clarify the role of the Mission Secretary, another question was raised:

What is the Relationship between the Mission Secretary and the other members of the leadership Team in the Province, namely the Superior Delegatus?

The Superior Delegatus is an appointee of the Provincial. He is in charge of:

This work falls under the Mission secretary in case no confrere is appointed as the Superior Delegatus.

One more recommendation from Fr. General Superior is that the Mission Secretaries should be PROACTIVE. The Mission Secretary is to take initiatives and plan ongoing formation for confreres. He is a formator with regard to the ongoing formation of the confreres in general and of the newly appointed missionaries in particular.

Discussion:

If mission animation is the key word, how do we promote mission animation as Divine Word Missionaries? Internationality is perceived to be the distinguishing mark of the SVD identity. Turning our multicultural membership to genuine intercultural fellowship is in itself already doing mission. The witness of working and living together from various cultures speaks for itself.

We should watch out against building up a false SVD identity. What ought to identify us is rather our SVD spirituality and international missionary teamwork.

We can share our spirituality with our institutions (e.g., parishes, schools). For instance, in Madagascar, the SVD Vademecum is translated into the local language for popular dissemination.

There is no need to seek a radical distinction between our way of doing mission and the diocesan way of doing pastoral work. Actually there is no tension between our way of doing mission and the vision of the particular churches.

 

Proposals in View of Zonal Recommendations

·        For a region or a small province, a member of the council could also play the role of Mission Secretary.

·        That we have common approaches for ongoing formation to facilitate exchange of materials.

·        That LUMKO Institute serve as resource institution for the formation of lay missionaries.

·        That a network of Mission Secretaries be set up for exchanging ideas and experiences on a zonal level.

 

Thursday 12th march

HOW TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION OF THE SVD AND THE LAY PEOPLE ESPECIALLY ON THE MISSION ANIMATION

Fr. Pio ESTEPA, facilitator.

1. The first role of the Mission Secretary consists in stirring up missionary reflexivity through ongoing dialogue between the Mission Project and Mission Praxis within a province, region or mission

Ad Intra:  to help stir up missionary reflexivity through ongoing dialogue between the mission project (what should be done) and the mission practice (what really happens) within a province, region or mission. And it would be appreciable for the Mission Secretary to form a team with the coordinators of the Biblical Pastoral  Ministry, the JPIC, and Communication –a team serving as mentor to the provincial or regional leadership.

The Mission Project has to be worked out as a common project. The Mission Project has to be a prophetic one: that means welcoming (everybody identifies himself with it) and challenging (everybody has to confront himself with the project). The Mission Project does not have to be a mere description of what we are already doing, if that were the case, it loses its prophetic character. A Mission Project has to follow these three classic steps:

SEE:

  1. What is our context: socio-cultural story of the people here and now?
  2. What is the outlook of the local Church? Which kind of Church do we have, a complacent one or a conservative, stuck church?

 

JUDGE:

  1. Who are we as SVDs? Who has God called us to be as SVDs?
  2. Among whom are we sent? Who are our preferential dialogue partners?

We cannot be contented with the regular Catholic churchgoers (we wouldn’t be fishers of men and women), but we have the duty to reach out to the non-practicing Catholics and even go beyond to the non-Catholics of various sorts. Alone we cannot do it; that is where we need to form lay partners groups to reach out to all these people.

ACT: Action Plan (What do we want to do during the three years to come)

Have we seen and identified our partners? We want to work so as to reach out to those partners (Action Plan Ad Extra). Through the characteristic dimensions (Bible, JPIC, Communication, Mission Animation) we identify the priorities according to the needs of those to whom we are sent. In our parishes, schools, chaplaincies and institutions, how do we make visible these characteristic dimensions?

After formulating the Action Plan Ad Extra, what follows is working out the Action Plan Ad Intra which responds to the key question: How can we more efficiently organise our province/region so as to more effectively fulfil our Action Plan Ad Extra? Ad Intra Action Plan has to do more with our internal organisation, finances and human resources.

2. The second role (which is ad-intra) of the Mission Secretary would be caring for the integral wellbeing of the confreres at work in foreign missions. The integral wellbeing consists in a balance between Mind and Heart on one hand; between Body and Spirit on the other hand. We have to minister to our confreres with hospitality and brotherly love. It is good to get the feedback of the missionaries about how they feel.

3. The third role (ad extra) of the Mission Secretary is to help awaken, nourish and sustain mission awareness and generosity within local churches.

4. The fourth role (ad extra) of the Mission Secretary consists in welcoming lay partners who ask to share in our mission spirituality and offer to take part in our mission enterprise.

It is a historical, theological and missiological imperative to empower our lay partners. Our lay partners have already things to teach us about the way they do mission. They are our partners in work, play and prayer.

Prayer has been the first step in doing mission. But our lay partners saw the need to go beyond praying by offering financial help. Still, help in terms of money is not sufficient. But many young people today are ready and willing to put their talents and capacities at the service of the Church’s mission. This is a new form of generosity.

Fundraising, let’s not forget, is a ministry! Our lay missionaries, if they wish to help directly in missions should be able to do so, going from mission ad intra to mission ad extra. However, the initiative of accepting lay missionaries into a province should be a whole province commitment and not just an individual initiative.

Because the generation of our most generous benefactors is dying, we need to promote and maintain interest among our benefactors in general. In this context, the circular letter from Fr. Superior General for Mission Secretaries on “People-oriented Reporting” (L01/2006, 24 October 2006) was recalled and discussed.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ZONAL APPLICATION

PLAN OF ACTION: LUANDA 2009

  1.  That SVD Mission Secretaries in AFRAM take a PROACTIVE role in spiritual ongoing formation of confreres.
  2.  That SVD Mission Secretaries in AFRAM encourage and support every confrere in his role as PRIMARY Mission Animator.
  3.  That SVD Mission Secretaries in AFRAM promote SVD-Lay Associations for mission partnership.
  4.  That SVD Mission Secretaries in AFRAM explore new and creative ways of fundraising as ministry.

Friday 13 March

Presentation of the minutes:

The morning session was spent in correcting the minutes of the workshop and getting it approved by the participants. Since we couldn’t finish correcting the minutes before noon, it was decided that we come back in the afternoon to wind up the workshop.

 

Eucharistic celebration:

The closing mass was presided by our confrere Bishop D. Antonio Jaca, former SVD Provincial Superior of Angola. In his homily, he recalled that he was instrumental in convincing the other Provincials in AFRAM to have the meeting in Angola. He said that he was happy to see confreres from different provinces/regions taking part in this workshop. He also said that Mission Secretaries are the conscience of the Church, since they the ones to awaken the missionary call of the Church to evangelize. A sumptuous meal was served after the Eucharistic celebration to mark the end of the workshop.

EVALUATION OF THE WORKSHOP

Everyone expressed the opinion that this workshop was a great success, because:

·        All the Mission Secretaries were present.

·        The workshop was well organized by the Provincial Superior, Superior Delegatus, Mission Secretary and other confreres in the Central Mission House.

·        We enjoyed the hospitality and friendship of every confrere we met.

·        Fr. Pio Estepa, Fr. Xene Sanchez and Fr. Rolando Reyes expressed their gratitude to all of us for coming and taking active part in the meeting. They also thanked the provincial leadership team for making it possible to have this workshop of Mission Secretaries here in Angola.

Fr. Rolando, Mission Area Coordinator in AFRAM, made two requests:

1.      Should a Mission Secretary be changed, the newly appointed one should be introduced to the job and be accompanied, explaining to him the role of a Mission Secretary.

2.      There must be an ongoing dialogue with the provincial leadership team.

Fr. Pio said that he was happy to meet all the Mission Secretaries; he was impressed by the determination of the Provincial and his council members to host the meeting, in spite of uncertainties. He was also edified by the fellowship among the confreres here. He was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. He concluded saying each one of us is a gift to the Society and to the Church.

Fr. Xene reminded us that we have to send a progressive report of our activities to the Area Coordinator annually.

We are very grateful to the confreres in the province of Angola for the opportunities they gave us to visit some of the missions and institutions during our stay here.

The next workshop of the AFRAM Mission Secretaries will be in 2011. The venue proposed for that workshop is Kenya. The second choice is Botswana Province (South Africa)