Pastoral Department

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    Innovations and New Trends in Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in Africa Today
    (Hekima review, 2009) Healey, Joseph
    Today there are over 90,000 Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the eight AMECEA countries of Eastern Africa. Kenya alone has over 35,000 SCCs. The past year has seen innovations in the development of SCCs in Africa including Highlights of the SCC Practicum Papers, Case Studies of SCC Involvement in Peacemaking/ Peacebuilding and in the Kenyan Lenten Campaign 2009 and Expanding the SCC Global Collaborative Website. A careful assessment of these experiences can help chart new trends in the future of the Catholic Church in Africa. This can lead to deeper theological reflection especially in the context of evolving a contemporary African Christian Theology than includes African Narrative Theology and the Theology of the Church-Family of God in Africa
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    How African Small Christian Communities Implement the Pastoral and Missionary Vision of Vatican II
    (Tangaza University College, 2013-07) Healey, Joseph G.
    As we continue to celebrate the 50-year Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council we recall the historical foundations of African Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the People of God Model of Church and in the communion ecclesiology of Vatican II.A study of five documents of Vatican II reveals that Small Christian Communities are one of the great fruits of the council and an awakening of the church as the People of God. The founding fathers of AMECEA had a vision of implementing Vatican II’s ecclesiology of communion in Eastern Africa that focused on the communion (koinonia) and service (diakonia) aspects. Both African Synods built on the foundations of Vatican II and highlighted the pastoral and missionary role of SCCs. We can look at the praxis of SCCs in Eastern Africa though the lens of the three speakers at the Theological Symposium 2013. Pastoral, parish-based SCCs are part of the “new face” of the parish and a significant part of a new way of being parish from below. The parish is a communion or network of SCCs within the “communion of communities” ecclesiology. We are optimistic that the experience of SCCs as a New Model of Church from the grassroots as witnessed by SCC members in Africa will bring significant changes in new pastoral structures corresponding to our contemporary communion ecclesiology and the ecclesial reality on the local level.
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    From System To Story
    (Tangaza University College, 1996-02) Tucholski, Henry
    "Once upon a time ", that is common phrase; easy to oppose a truth but impossible to resist a story. Many spiritual teachers of humanity, like Buddha and Jesus brought to light their teachings in stories. Through stories they warmed the way into hearts of their listeners, and broke dim n barriers hindering human hearts from "touching" the divine. In the light o the revival of story telling and increased interest of many for narrative theology I would like to give my thoughts to this subject. This research will be combined with my reflections upon the theological system used for the preparation of future ministers at Tangaza. I feel we are still dominated by creeds, catechisms which form our thought patterns. Our theological preparation for the near future ministry in Africa takes an analytical path which fits very well to our computer age. Our "knowledge energy" stressing rational and logical patterns in theology, stands in a dilemma with hungry people for experience of God and holistic vision of their lives. I think the revival of story-telling here in Africa calls louder than anywhere else . African culture fades away front its imaginative elements of life, from story-telling. People have stopped telling stories. Perhaps this fact too, has contributed to the lack of personal contact among the people. We are on the threshold of a new face of Evangelization of Africa. The recent post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Africa" No.11 says that: "... the local Churches of Africa hold a right ful place in the communion of the Church, that they are entitled to preserve and develop their own traditions without in any way lessening the primacy of the chair of Peter." In connection with this quotation I think that storytelling is very much part of the African culture, as the preservation of values and its developments. The same concern For the revival of story-telling should find its place in theology. We should invi live in our theological studies the elements of imagination and feelings. Maybe in such an approach to theology we would find it easier to express it to the people without lessening its gist. in the world at large there is already a well-established section of theology called "Narrative Theology" with leading theologians such as John Shea, John Navone, William Bausch. This nanalive approach to theology raises many important issues. One of them is that story could be a very good means to transmit the intellectually elaborated theology to simple people who search rather for something to notuish their feelings and imagination. however, this requires preparation. 5 A Minister engaged in storytelling must be able to interpret stories, and must understand how the Christian story finds resonance in the hearts and minds of story-hungry people. The whole theme of storytelling covers a large field. In my paper I will be selective. I want to depart front the theological context, look at the narrative reality of a man, then looit closely at story itself and its teller and finally Twill bring story to a pastoral context. In the first chapter I will try to make a move from a theology embodied in system to story. The following chapter. "Tow ards theology of Story" will insert us in the broad context of a story. The third chapter is devoted to the pastoral application of storytelling in the area of Catechetics, Liturgy and moral teaching of the Church. At the end of this paper, in the appendix I would like to give some practical suggestions for the storyteller.