Saturday, October 31, 2015

Participants of the Pre-Capitular Assembly



Participants of the Pre-Capitular Assembly:

Manuel GORDEJUELA (Provincial  Treasurer)
John ASERBIRE (Assistant Provincial)
Adam CYTRYNOWSKI
Deusdedit MJANKWI
Hilaire GUINKO
Bernard CHOWA
Joel OUEDRAOGO (Delegate Sup. Sudan)
Baptiste MAPUNDA
Martin ONYANGO
Fidelis DAMANA
Innocent MAGANYA
Vincent TRAN
Otto Katto
Antonio KOFFI
Bartholomew MROSSO (Delegate Sup. Tanzania)
Gerald CHARBANON (Delegate Sup. Uganda)
Charles OBANYA  (Provincial)
Felix J. PHIRI (Delegate Sup. Kenya)
Emmanuel BARONGO (Secretary)
Yago ABELEDO (Moderator)

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Identity and Dream Identity

In any analysis and planning session for an organization, revisiting the organization’s identity (corporate identity) is an important starting point.  The basic question to bring out organizations identity tends to be:  WHO ARE WE? After a day’s introduction to the Appreciative Discernment, we looked at our identity as a Society.

Importance of Identity: Identity is important not only at organizational level but also at individual level as well.  Our Lord gives us a good example of individual identity. At the beginning of His public life the Holy Spirit confirmed his identity “you are my beloved son, with you I am well pleased” Mk 1:11. With this identity he faced the temptations in the desert. At his appearance at Nazareth, still in the power of the Spirit, He declared “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me” Lk 4:18.  With the awareness of his identity he gave himself fully to his ministry knowing what he was going to live for and what to die for. Both at personal and organization level, our identities are important as they frame our way of being in the world – establishing what we live for and what we die for.

Identity - Two Perceptions:  We can look at our Society as an Organization whose identity is fixed and complete, or as an organization with an identity that is incomplete and open to change transformation.

Dream Identity:  The later view of Society leads us into acknowledging that although some elements of our identity as a Society are constant, we are co-creators of the present and future identity of our Society. It leads us into awareness that we do not have only one future Identity ahead of us, but many future identities, and our role is to choose the one we want. In appreciative Discernment language; we looked at ourselves as active agents in the social construction of our identity.  In line with Appreciative Discernment Methodology we emphasized the importance of positive DREAM IDENTITY of our Society as an important building block in the construction of a good present and future identity.

Collage showing different images presented by the participants. Designed by Fr. Antonio Koffi

Images from the Natural World of Animals and Plants:  In our sharing and discussion on DREAM IDENTITY we were each asked by the facilitator to come up with images or emblems. We came up with a variety of images. Most of them were drawn form the natural world of animals and plants. We had a brief discussion on what each of the images that we chose could mean to our relationship among us as confreres, to our financial and material life, to our work and to our governance and leadership. For example; what could the life of Bees mean in the various dimensions of our life and work?

In our search for who we want to be and what we want to do, perhaps the natural world of animals and plants have floods of lessons for us, if only we paid more attention in considering our Society as a living Organism – if we looked at it from a bio centric perspective.

N.B. This is an echo of the session on our identity as a Society (our corporate Identity). It is not part of the official report of the session.

Fr. Charles Obanya

QUOTES FROM OUR PRE-CAPITULAR ASSEMBLY

“The Appreciative Discernment Theory (ADT) sounds wonderful but where is the  of  the Cross?”

“The Church today is a church driven towards success, but success in the church means  embracing the Cross, that is  my option.”

“Life is a vicious cycle, we live at different moments that of failure and that of success this is all found in this theory of ADT (Appreciative Discernment Theory).

“ Be careful, ADT is not aiming solely at success or perfection as such, Missionaries of Africa is a human Institution therefore there is always an imperfection somewhere.”

“ ADT is a powerful theory but it must be well understood in order to bring good results, but should we know the weaknesses of the old theory?”

“There is fear in us of being good, we enjoyed to be in a messy situation, it is like  “if you wash a pig it goes back to its muddy place.”

“ If I change will I be of any success,  I am afraid to risk, so I am comfortable.”

“The reality of the dwelling place of God, the reality is the CROSS iin  our life individually or communally.”

“The paschal mystery in the ADT is found in the doing and sustaining our life, change is a cross.”

“ Instead of starting with a critical eye that ignores what works, we start from what goes well (which is positive)." (Superior General, Rome)

“What do you fear?”

“ I managed to conquer my fears, and I went into the mission.”

“ Being a missionary of Africa entails a risk.”

They told me you cannot manage because you have no money, no car, you don’t have a Ph.D, but I believed in myselfI made it.”

“The question you  need to ask yourself is “What can I do for my society and not what can the society do for me.”

“Let us give space to each other old and new.”

“I heard a lot of negativity about Poland, about Katakwi  but I overcame and went forward.”

“Mission is believing in God and in myself as well.”

“I got support from confreres or community and the people I served.”

“I took the drink as part of my integration into a cultural setting.”

“I go into  the mission with God, and prayer is the engine of my mission.”

“I believe in my giftedness”

“We want to discern a dream or vision for the future that stretches us beyond the good that is already present.”

“As missionaries of Africa we accept the responsibility  to be co-creators of our communities.” ( Pre-Capitular Doc from General Council  Rome).

“What are we doing?”

“We need to explore the world behind the image.”

“You cant  ask your grandmother to run the marathon.”

“As missionaries of Africa we are trained to discern,  to work, to pray and to live together like a family.”

“Animals have no images but they organize themselves and work well.”

“In order to relate well with one another in a healthy and mature way we need self-awareness.”

“Without the sense of universality the church will be no longer a church.”

“Without a cross the church become  a supermarket.” 
        
“In life you must be able to embrace your madness.”
“I have a dream.”

“Lack of proper and genuine consultation breeds  resentment and anger  whatnot.”

“If you cannot take risk just be prepared to fail.”

“Let us trust ourselves as regards to income  generating projects.”

“We  are  not serious and let us remove defense mechanisms.”

“I feel attacked for expressing the truth.”

“Enough is enough, we have spoken a lot on income generating projects now is time to act.”

“If you only accept what you like and reject what you don’t like then it is not gospel” (St. Augustino of Hippo).
“Mission is about love of Jesus of Nazareth and not about money”

“To aim building a good church  without forming good families is like aiming to build a beautiful house but on sand foundation.”

“We are like a neglecting father  who  distributes food  to  neighbor’s family but neglecting his own”

“We need to establish a “karibu community” as care for the needy brothers  especially those wounded  with addictions.”

“Proper care of needy brothers must begin in our own communities first.”

“You need to hit the rock bottom to realize that you are sick and you need help.”

“Let us listen to the hidden voice.”

“Today we have enough money, tomorrow we don’t have, how come?”

“We have no fund to support our apostolate, but we continue fishing money out what a contradiction.”

“We need to open doors to our Christians,friend and family members who want to support us now.”

     “Mission is all about passion for Jesus Christ and his people.”

“Political election is not enmity but only a process to get good leaders.”

“In mission we construct and reconstruct.”

“Positive focus leads to positive action.”

“During this 28th General Chapter, we ask for the openness of mind and heart filled with love, wisdom and courage.”

“How do we become apostolic community?”

“Lord grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot  change, Courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference” (AA).

“Love of Christ compels us and make us  his disciples.”

“The love of Christ enables us to consecrate our lives for proclaiming Him and his gospel.”

“Sit down and count your blessings instead of complaining all the time.”

“To have good and healthy community we need good community animators.”

“To love Jesus simply means detaching from ourselves completely and our material things.”

“Mega Provinces give provision for wider movements of confreres within the Province.”

“Great things still happens.”

 “The great miracle happening everyday is that aim alive.”

“Differences are accepted and integrated.”

“Our communities should be places of compassion and healing.”

“Using the ADT will help to understand individual projects positively  instead of fighting them.”

“Our Pastoral centers should produce prophetic voices.”

“Formation doesn’t end with ordination, but it begins with the first appointment.”

“Specialized studies today are not a favor but a need for every confrere.”

“For the care of  confreres let us create places of relaxation in each sector.”

“When we get wounded  in our mission then home is the best healer.”

“Sending a confrere home is not chasing him away, but a way of helping him.”

“The earth is, but the frozen echo of the silent voice of God.”

“In life  always learn how to land gently, slowly, but surely.”

“Meeting another person is stepping on holy ground.”

Quote/Joke from our evening outing recreation: Real meaning of Obama “Original Black African Managing America.”

“Let us take care of our language and vocabularies.”

"God  made man, and man made money, but money made man mad.”

“Darkness cannot drive darkness away, only light.”

“In living community life we need to acknowledge and value our differences.”

“What can we do about family apostolate and youth?”

“We didn’t receive the spirit of timidity, but of  being sons and daughters f of our loving Father.”

“The Power of the spirit makes us men of hope.”

“Let us put love above the law in our apostolic attitude and life.”

“How has God blessed you by being a member of Pre-Capitular?”

“Your are a blessing.”

“Amen.”


Compiled by Quote’s Secretary Baptiste Regina Mapunda

Framing Setbacks in Appreciative Discernment Dynamics










Monday, October 26, 2015

LAST QUOTES FROM OUR PRE-CAPITULAR ASSEMBLY

Quote/Joke from our evening outing recreation: Real meaning of Obama “Original Black African Managing America.”

“Let us take care of our language and vocabularies.”

"God  made man, and man made money, but money made man mad.”

“Darkness cannot drive darkness away, only light.”

“In living community life we need to acknowledge and value our differences.”

“What can we do about family apostolate and youth?”

“We didn’t receive the spirit of timidity, but of  being sons and daughters f of our loving Father.”

“The Power of the spirit makes us men of hope.”

“Let us put love above the law in our apostolic attitude and life.”

“How has God blessed you by being a member of Pre-Capitular?”

“Your are a blessing.”

“Amen.”


Compiled by Quote’s Secretary Baptiste Regina Mapunda