By Deogratias Mmana:
Professor Emerita of New Testament and Gender Hermeneutics, Sister (Sr) Teresa Okure from Nigeria, has challenged the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa, (Acweca) to mature by becoming self-reliant.
She said this on Tuesday during a Zoom presentation to delegates to the Acweca conference that took place from Monday to yesterday in Lilongwe.
Her presentation focused on the theme for the conference, which was on holistic religious formation in view of living the charism of the congregation and gospel values.
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“I believe holistic religious formation invites us to recognise that it is time to assume responsibility to become mature, no longer satisfied to be babysat. [It is] time to wake up, assume responsibility for personal, communal, regional and continental growth,” Okure said.
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Okure also urged national associations of Catholic Sisters to address vices that rock their formations.
She identified the vices as nationalism, tribalism, gender biases, class, different educational levels, pride and overlooking down on other women while privileging the men.
Another presenter, Sr Jane Frances Nnantamu, who is a specialist in Depth Psychology and Christian Formation, said Acweca needs people that trust their capabilities.
“By looking at their reality and accepting it, the formees gain more inner self-esteem and gradually grow more effectively free. This, in turn, reinforces their ability to trust themselves, others and God,” Nnantamu said.
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She said formation in the Acweca region faces challenges that include the scarcity of appropriately trained formators and training institutions without a complete and updated formation programme.
“When formators have too many candidates for personal accompaniment, there is a likelihood of candidates passing through the system of formation like going through a tunnel…as a result, the formees may end up committing themselves to live their vocation without being known by their formators, let alone being helped to know themselves,” she said.
One of the donors for Acweca, Conrad Hilton Foundation, asked the association to rethink formation programmes for sisters in the region for religious life to thrive.
“This calls for a constant review of formation programmes that can address current challenges and form women-religious who can read the signs of the time and change the approach of evangelisation,” said Sr Agnes Njeri of Conrad Hilton Foundation.
