Small Christian Community as a Platform for Continuous Catechesis in Africa --Opportunities and Challenges: Case Study of Our Lady Queen of Peace, South B
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Date
2016
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Tangaza University College/Duquesne University
Abstract
From 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.
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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.
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Keywords
Small Christian Communities, Catechesis, Africa, African Family Spirit