AFRICA/ZAMBIA - Church in Zambia organizes Missionary Congress in October

Lusaka (Agenzia Fides) – October 13 to 16, the Church in Zambia will host a Missionary Congress. As Fr. Bernard Makadani Zulu, National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies in Zambia, tells Fides, the Missionary Congress is organized by the local Bishops' Conference, in collaboration with the Pontifical Mission Societies and religious institutes.
“The Church in Zambia is over 100 years old. This is not a small achievement. It certainly calls for a time reflect on the missionary experience of the Church over these years and especially today,” says Fr. Makadani. “The Mission Congress intends to bring together 100 participants - priests, religious and laity - to: celebrate our being missionary church, reflect on our missionary journey, and to look to the future, see the missionary challenges, and find our way ahead following up on the Second African Synod.”
“The Missionary Congress will be an animation session to orient the ecclesial community towards missionary cooperation, and thus have every diocese, institute, organization and every person in the Church be involved in the missionary efforts,” says Fr. Makadani.
The PMS Director continues: “It will also be an opportunity to enhance our bond as evangelizers and reflect on the universal missionary cooperation, to widen our horizons beyond our local situation and feel part of the universal efforts to preach the Good News to the ends of the earth.”
“We pray that this pastoral initiative will help increase cooperation, including a diversification beyond the celebration of the mission days. We would love to animate the people of God so that they become aware of their missionary responsibility and their role in the promotion of the missionary initiatives,” concludes Fr. Bernard Makadani Zulu. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 22/4/2010)