Master in Pastoral Ministry
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- ItemThe Contribution of Pastoral Ministry in an Hiv/Aids Environment: With Special Reference to Mukuru Slums, Nairobi – Kenya.(Tangaza University College, 2012) Kawama, VirgiliusThe 15 (AMECEA) 1 th GENERAL INTRODUCTION Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa Plenary session admitted that HIV/AIDS is indeed a challenge to the Church and society in Africa and that solutions to this pandemic must come from within Africa itself. The Church in the region is challenged further to accept and care for its HIV/AIDS infected clergy, religious men and women and the laity, and be on the forefront in condemning any kind of stigmatization of the infected persons. The AMECEA bishops exhorted the people in the region and Africa as a whole to embrace behavioral change, uphold faithfulness in marriage, and for those who are not yet married, to abstain from casual sex and be Christ Centred. 2 The love and respect for the weak, the poor, and the sick caused the researcher (pastoral minister) 3 of this work to take the situation of the people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Kenya as a focus of his spiritual, pastoral and theological reflection. According to the researcher, the pandemic calls for a pastoral approach that grows out of the reality between what is believed and what is done, theology and ministry, faith and life. This thesis aims at helping the reader to discover “The contribution of pastoral ministry in a HIV/AIDS environment” and how it may be improved for its effectiveness. The thesis is going to deal with the problem of HIV/AIDS, basing on the researcher’s practicum done with Lea Toto Program (LTP) July 2011. 5 in Mukuru 6 Slums, covering more than 186 contact hours between June and The thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is concerned with the Insertion experience that will reveal the researcher’s experience while working in Mukuru slums with HIV/AIDS infected and affected people and how the epidemic affects the social, economic, religious, cultural and political aspects of the slums. It will also include the information gathered during the practicum. Literature review forms the second chapter, with special attention on the socio-cultural and pastoral analysis. It will help the researcher to reflect on the roles played by pastoral agents like Church leaders, Christians, believers of other faiths and all people of good-will. It will also promote additional reflection on the new orientations of care, prevention and advocacy while strengthening the existing ones. This chapter is mainly based on the researcher’s personal reading about the pandemic and related issues. The third chapter is the Theological reflection that will help the researcher to grow in the life of the Spirit, to affirm the presence of God and Jesus Christ in the lives of HIV/AIDS-positive people, and to discover the roots of the Church’s pastoral care for the sick. It is based on the practicum experience, biblical, theological positions, and other Church resources. The Theological reflection will also help the reader to explore thoughts, feelings, and general behaviour of HIV/AIDS people to reach a better understanding of their life and their relations to others and God. Pastoral planning for action is the focus of the fourth chapter. It is an attempt to concretely formulate a ministerial program which proposes specific solutions to both the pastoral agents and clients. It will take into account the physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions to suggest to the clients how to cope more effectively with the disease. The pastoral plan will offer alternative ways that provide the infected and affected people with love and hope, compassion and healing of Christ. It is a search for a new pastoral response which takes into consideration people’s experiences of life and the dangers posed by HIV/AIDS. The fifth and final chapter summarizes the main findings and recommendations that make clear the importance of having objectives that guide the pastoral minister in the ministry of HIV/AIDS. It shows how people are to face life-threatening problems from a Christian perspective. It will provide recommendations that could help society to face the suffering and difficulties brought about by HIV/AIDS in a meaningful way.
- ItemSmall Christian Community as a Platform for Continuous Catechesis in Africa --Opportunities and Challenges: Case Study of Our Lady Queen of Peace, South B(Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2016) Chimenge, Sylvester MimbululuFrom the teaching of the Catholic Church we learn that God created us in love so that we may know Him, love Him and come to live with Him eternally (cf. CCC 1). This means that our first vocation as human beings is the search for the living God. It is this search which leads us to the knowledge and love of God and points us to our final destiny, which is the Heavenly Kingdom. St Augustine stated it very well when he said that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. Meaning that, in the hearts of human beings there is a continuous searching for God, continuous longing for God’s love and continuous yearning for being with God eternally. The Church is the mother that helps her children to come to the full knowledge of God, to develop a true love for God and directs her children on the way back to God. Faith formation begins at birth and ends at death, thus, catechesis is a continuous process as long as one lives. The purpose of catechesis is to bring life to faith and bring faith to life so that the human being may echo in his or her life the words of St Paul which says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith” (Gal. 2:20-21). Meaning that, Jesus Christ the son of the living God is the centre and focus of catechesis. Faith formation is the main mission of the Church, as Pope Paul VI puts it, “the Church exists in order to evangelize, that is to say in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gifts of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the mass, which is the memorial of his death and glorious resurrection” (EN, 11). For this reason, the Church strives to bring people to faith in the love of God and to faith in Jesus Christ as their personal savior. The Church also strives to accompany people in their journey of faith so that their faith may grow to maturity and that people may come to the full awareness of the purpose of their life according to the will of God. Therefore, whenever the Church finds that one method of evangelizing is not as effective as expected, she finds another method to complement the old one. This thesis endeavors to analyze Small Christian Communities as a platform for continuous catechesis in Eastern Africa. The AMECEA region consists of nine member countries namely: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. According to Healey, the region has about 180, 000 Small Christian Communities. 1 The thesis looks at some essential elements that are found in Small Christian Communities (SCCs) which can foster the ongoing formation of faith. It also looks at some challenges found in SCCs that can be hindrances to continuous formation of faith. In the first chapter, the researcher presents the background of the study and the problem statement. He also presents the research objectives, research questions and the significant of the study. In the collection of data and the writing of this thesis, the researcher used the pastoral cycle methodology which involves four steps namely; insertion, social analysis, theological reflection and action.
- ItemIntegral Youth Formation: A Necessity for the Church in Africa(Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2011-12) Idowu, Olufunmilayo JosephineThe world and all that exists within it experience their own challenges. These challenges are part and parcel of growth. The world population as stated by CNN Tech stands at seven billion and 1.2 billion of the population are youths. The challenges facing the youth of today do not have much difference from one part of the world to another. My thesis is based on the problems facing the youth in Africa and the consequences on the Catholic Church in Africa. If the Church does not wake up to her responsibility of providing an integral formation for the youths then the future will not be promising. The youths of the 21 st Century are faced with problems such as: unemployment, lack of self awareness and self actualization, uncertainty and emotional anxieties, alcohol and drug abuse, pre-marital sexual acts, sexually transmitted diseases, exploitation from the adults, secularism, youth violence, lack of formal and informal education etc. 2 The Church has been an agent of the spiritual formation of the people of God for centuries and the youth have benefited from this formation, but the whole idea of spiritual formation will be less effective if human, intellectual and pastoral elements of formation are not properly integrated in the lives of the youth, especially in Africa. As the Church encourages an ongoing formation for priests likewise I believe it is necessary for the youth to be given a formation that is general and integral. This involves a process of constant growth, deepening each of the aspects of formation i.e. human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. 3 The Church does not only show love to those who are afflicted by human miseries but also seeks the growth of every human person. She nurtures and brings about development in the lives of her faithful. 4 I believe that an integral formation of the youth will not only spur transformation in the youth themselves but also in the society and in the Church. This transformation will lead them to become better citizens, men and women of integrity, people who live their vocation to the fullest, good leaders in the society and good Christians. The integrated formation of the social, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral aspects in the life of the youth will be of benefit to the Church in Africa. The conception “youth” means different things to different people in accordance to their experience with the youth. Some consider them rebels, others revolutionary, others consider them the conscience of the society, others see them as cheats, e.tc. Most times they are forgotten by the adults because they are considered still far from realising themselves. Pope Benedict sees them as those who yearn for happiness: “In every period of history, including our own, many young people experience a deep desire for personal relationships marked by truth and solidarity. Many of them yearn to build authentic friendships, to know true love, to start a family that will remain united, to achieve personal fulfilment and real security, all of which are the guarantee of a serene and happy future.” The challenges faced by the youth of today are challenges that either break them or make them. This moment in their life is a time of questioning, of searching, of falling in and out of love, of being rebellious, of fighting for justce. If all these challenges are addressed and properly taken care of, then the future is bright. The first part of this thesis has the information about my insertion experiences in Mother Bertilla Training School and among the members of the vocation group belonging to the congregation of the Daughters of St Paul. It also covers the socio-cultural analysis and pastoral concerns of these two places with the pastoral agents present there. My objective in doing this study, the problem that motivated my preference of this study, the significance of this thesis and scope within which I carried out my practicum experience are clearly in the first chapter. In the second chapter I presented a logical flow of realities concerning the theme of the thesis. With the aid of different available materials I have presented the theological and pastoral principles of the integral formation of young people in the scripture and the Church teachings. The third chapter presents the theological reflection supporting the theme of this thesis. Since the theme of the thesis is about the integral formation of the young people, the theological reflection is based on the sound teachings of the Church and its connection to the Christian calling to holiness. This calling includes the prophetic role of the young people in the Church and the Church’s role in their lives as God’s children. It also elaborates the benefit of the integral formation of the youth to the growing Church of Africa. The final chapter of the thesis is about the recommendations and pastoral plan for action, with the summary of my findings, pastoral conclusions, pastoral recommendations and pastoral plan for required action in view of the problems or deficiencies observed. The integral formation of the young people in the Church is a necessity that not only prepares the youth for the future but also it fulfils the mission of the Church to nurture every member of Christ’s body, which is every member of the Church. The recognition of the importance of today’s young people along with their vitality is a benefit of the Church in Africa. Pope John Paul II, calls our attention to this fact by saying: The Church needs to recognize the positive impact the young people have on her. She is to make use of their active and joyful spirit in energizing the Church in Africa.
- ItemImpact of Economic Status on Small Christian Communities in Nairobi(Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2012) Dimba, Alex OkidiSmall Christian Communities are little Church cells where the mystery is lived directly and with great simplicity and concern in the neighborhood. In the Lineamenta (Guidelines) of 2009 of the Second African Synod, SCCs are referred to as “Living Ecclesial Communities where the Church is modeled as a family”. I would like to re-echo these words that “SCC enables Christians to experience the Church directly” 1 as lived today. Our parishes today are functionally supported by these SCCs since they organize the parish activities. From my experience, SCCs have given our local Churches the core foundational value therefore they add greatly to the regular functioning of a parish. Without these SCCs, our parishes risk being rendered dysfunctional and ineffective. According to Dr. Lukwata, a priest from Masaka diocese-Uganda, says that “the brief history of the Church in East Africa reveals that SCCs were the basis of evangelization of the people around Lake Victoria from the onset that is between 1882 to 1885. SCCs have been very important in the life of the Church since time in memorial since they are modeled on the foundation laid by the early Christian Communities. Dr. Lukwata continues to say that it was hoped that in the context of political and ecclesiastical changes in the region, the SCCs would be instrumental in creating a self-supporting, self-reliant and self-propagating Church and that is why in the 1970s, the existence of SCCs resumed” 3 This study will dig deeper into the impact economic status has on SCCs and whether this impact influences the formation and composition of SCCs. St. Michael’s Archangel Parish is geographically situated in Langata, Ngei 1 estate, off Langata highway along Chweya Road. It has two serving priests that is Fr. Francis Kariuki who is the Parish priest and Fr. Mukui Joseph his assistant though they are helped by many other visiting priests. There is also a parish coordinator, Sr. Eunice Mueni who is also the one in charge of Sacristy. The parish is comprised of Christians from different social status mainly the rich from the estate and the poor from the slums. This has also influenced the formation of the Small Christian Communities whereby the composition of the membership goes along with identification of one’s socio-economic class.
- ItemHow Active Participation of Men in SCCs Can Strengthen The Faith Of The Family In Kenya Today(Tangaza University College, 2017) Ngala Karani, JosephThe ecclesiology of communion which developed from the Vatican Council’s model of the Church as People of God was the force behind the African Synod image of the Church as Family of God. This image of the Church makes it easy for the understanding of the creation of Small Christian Communities as a New Model of Being Church. Richard Currier and Francis Gram begin the first chapter of their book, ‘Forming Small Christian Communities: A Personal Journey’ with these words: “It is surprising how much we can learn about Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the first chapter of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.” 1 There is no doubt that this statement refers to the friendship that existed between God the creator and the creatures, Adam and Eve, a community of love and caring for one another, since the writer tells us how God used to take a stroll with Adam in the garden in the evenings (cf. Gn. 3:8). From this remote source of the first community, originated the aspect of communion which runs throughout the scriptures, showing the relationship between God and His people, the chosen race (cf. Gn. 17:1-11; Ex. 12; 20:2-11), as well as a relationship between the people themselves (cf. Gn. 4:1-16; Ex. 20:12-17). It is believed that the very precise initiation of SCCs was by Jesus himself in the New Testament. The first instance was when he called the first four disciples and later appointing the twelve apostles as his companions (cf. Mt. 4:18-22; 10:1-4; Mk. 1:16-20; 3:13-19; Lk.6:12-16). Though this first community of Jesus and his disciples/apostles seemed to be of only men, there were also women who followed Jesus and who were counted among the disciples as well (cf. Lk.8:13;23:55;24:10). These disciples when left behind by Jesus after his Ascension into Heaven, they came to be known as ‘The Community of Disciples in Jerusalem’ (Acts 1:12-26). These are the ones who followed the instructions of Jesus to wait for the Gift of the Spirit in the upper room in Jerusalem. Again, the twelve were not alone, since they were in the company of Mary the mother of Jesus and other women (Acts 1:14). After the Pentecost, the day the Gift of the Spirit descended upon the apostles, Peter led the group of the eleven, raised his voice and preached to the people (Acts 2:14ff). This provoked the listeners who asked what to do, and Peter told them ‘to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus.’ Here, the four pillars of SCCs were well stipulated, that is, ‘devoting to the teaching of the apostles, communal life, breaking of the bread and prayer’ (Acts 2:42). These have remained as foundation of SCCs up to date, since any SCC should draw its strength and devotion from the above four pillars. Thanks be to Pope Saint John XXIII for his great move of calling the Vatican Council (19621965) which acknowledged the images of the Church as People of God (LG. 4), the Church as Communion (LG. 32), and the Church as Body of Christ (1Cor.12:12-27). “These images bring out the fact that the Church is a community of believers that participates in God’s love as Father, Son and Spirit.” 2 This is the image/model the AMECEA bishops while meeting in 1973 promoted and decided to make SCCs a new way of evangelization. However, the implementation of it was not until 1976. This was meant for the laity to participate fully and actively in church matters through participation in the SCCs. The African Synod which was initiated by Pope Saint John Paul II between 1994 and 1995 developed the theme/image/model of the Church as Family of God. According to ‘Ecclesia in Africa,’ this model is made possible through the values and roles of each family member, just as in the SCC where each member has roles to play. The communion aspect is very strong since this is basic for African communities. On this, Rev. Joseph Healey, a Maryknoll Missionary and a Small Christianity Community animator in Eastern Africa since 1968, has the best term for it –‘a New Way of Being Church.’ He says, “Our African SCCs are a communion of families that are often called domestic churches.” 3 In this paper, the researcher is going to look specifically as to whether more participation of men in SCCs can be a way of strengthening faith in families. This research is also going to give special attention to the participation of men in SCCs in Our Lady of Heaven Karen parish in Nairobi Archdiocese. In African tradition, men are regarded as heads of their families while women are regarded second class or weak beings. This is however changing very fast since women are becoming equal partners. In SCCs they take leadership roles and are very active. They talk of equity and equality in responsibilities. St. John Paul II quoting Paul VI affirms that, “If the witness of the Apostles founds the Church, the witness of women contributes greatly towards nourishing the faith of Christian communities.” 4 Though women are taking lead in Church leadership, men should be aggressive. They should reclaim their headship, not negatively, but in a positive manner so that they act as role model to the family. Active participation of men in SCCs is therefore very vital since it will enhance, motivate and encourage all family members to participate, including their children. In the last chapter of this paper, the researcher will share about the participation of men in SCCs in the Diocese of Malindi, the diocese of his origin. Lastly, the researcher will suggest some practical pastoral recommendations as a way forward to motivate men’s participation in SCCs. All this is aimed at strengthening the faith of the whole family. At the end of it all, Small Christian Communities must be a place where the family finds the Church, and the Church finds the family, since SCCs are places of evangelization for the benefit of the bigger community.