TICLA SYMPOSIUM OPENS IN DRACC ENUGU, NIGERIA

Tuesday, November 12, 2018: arrivals and accreditation –

1st day, November 14, 2018 – The day started with morning Adoration of the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction and Lauds inside the main Chapel of the Conference Centre led by Fr Stanley Ogaraku, CMF, followed by the opening Mass presided by the Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Calistus Onaga. His homily centered on the day’s readings especially the Gospel: Jesus and the Ten Lepers. The Gospel of gratitude.

The Bishop also gave the KEYNOTE ADDRESS after the Mass. He welcomed all to the diocese, and encouraged this dialogue on Collaborative Ministry as initiated by the Claretians in Africa while challenging the Religious to appreciate their special call and duty in the Church and the society. In fact, Enugu diocese, he said, is fertile for Religious Congregations as it boasts of more than 63 Institutes of Consecrated Life – one of the highest in any African diocese.

BIBLE ENTHRONMENT

The next programme was the Enthronement of the Bible. The Claretian Missionaries, as great promoters of the Word of God as found in the Scriptures, are popularly called Servants of the Word. The Bible is central to the spirit of the foundation of the Congregation. Thus, the Bible was enthroned so that the God’s Word could take its rightful place in our lives, and more so, in our deliberations these days. There was a procession from the Chapel to the Conference hall followed by the readings, Prayers of the faithful, final prayers and blessing taken by different participants as graphically detailed below.

NAMES	CONGREGATIONS	MINISTRIES
Br Mark Anokwuru, Marist Sr Chidera Shira Martins, LLC	Marist Brothers Little Lambs of the Cross	1. Candle Bearer 2. Candle Bearer
Fr Kennedy Okeafor, CP	Passionist Fathers of St Paul of the Cross	Bible Bearer
Sr Agartha Okafor, CP	Passionist Sisters of St Paul of the Cross	1st Reading
FR Kennedy Okeafor, CP	Passionist Fathers of St Paul of the Cross	Gospel
Sr Stella Eke, MSHR	Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary	Intercessions
Fr Zacharia N. Samjumi	Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja	Prayers/Blessing

WELCOME AND PRESENTATIONS

– Fr Peter Okonkwo, CMF, the Chairman of TICLA Organising Committee, gave the Welcome Address. He related that the essence of the Symposium is to draw a clear road map, and furnish, therefrom, the vital elements that will enhance collaborative ministry.

– Fr Henry Omonisaye, CMF, the General Consultor in-charge of the Theological Institutes of the Congregation, also, representing the Superior General articulated the Vision and Mission of TICLA which, to put into historical perspective, started since 1935 with earlier sister Institutes in different nomenclatures spread over Italy, Spain, Philippines and India by the Claretian Missionaries. He assured that the primary aim of these Conferences is to create a concrete awareness in Africa on the intention of the Claretian Missionaries to initiate a degree-awarding Institute for Consecrated Life in Africa, to be situated in Abuja, Nigeria. Indeed, the foundation stone was laid just last week.

– FR Charles Amadi, CMF, Formator par excellence of the Congregation, indefatigable mariologist and missiologist ran down the Origin and History of TICLA. He is one of the founding fathers of the organizational groundwork of TICLA.

– Address by the new Secretary of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) – Fr Zacharia Nyantiso Samjumi (Fr was the immediate past Director, Pastoral Agents Department of the CSN). He underlined the need for both diocesan and religious agents to understand that the MISSION is primarily and ultimately no one’s, but the Lord’s. So, need for unity of purpose and pastoral synergy.

– One thing very remarkable about this second TICLA Conference is that for the first time the Diocesan Clergy were involved. And they were well represented. The President of the Nigeria Diocesan Priests was present. Also, the President of the Regional Union of Diocesan Priests of West Africa – Fr Martin Onukwuba – (originally from Onitsha Diocese) addressed the Assembly. He prayed that the conclusions of this Symposium not be archived like other such endeavors.

– Address by the President of Conference of the Major Superiors of Nigeria (Male) – FR George M Okonkwo, SMMM. He thanked the Claretian Missionaries for undertaking this unique project in bringing the Religious – male and female – to deliberate their singular vocation within their locus and the need for shared ministry in the Church.

– Vicar for Religious of Enugu Diocese Fr Cletus Obasi, CMF emphasizing on the history and uniqueness of Enugu as the former Capital of Eastern Nigeria, and with many different Religious Congregations and Institutes, averred that Enugu could be said to be a major centre for the Consecrated Life. He praised the serene working conditions in the diocese.

– There was a Presentation by Bishop Emeritus of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Anthony Gbuji – He opined that there is need for a new evangelization in concept and methodology. We must do away with the OLD. “Collaborative Ministry is old theology.” The need for “Collaborative Pastoral Ministry”, he said, is the “new thing, new term, new way, the real” – that’s the way to go in the New Era of Evangelisation: new in zeal, expression and method.

MAJOR PAPERS

The main papers came after the break, at 12pm.

1st Paper was by Sr Gesila Nneka Uzukwu on the Topic – PAUL AND COLLABORATIVE MINISTRY: A LESSON FOR THE CHURCH TODAY. She argued elaborately for the realization of this important phenomenon, as situated in the Scriptures. It is time for the Church in Africa to wake up and make women’s participation in the saving action of the Church less TALKING, and not merely peripheral as it seem today.

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– Evening Session – 4PM

After Prayers, Fr Simeon Nwobi, CMF the Superior of the Claretian Missionaries Province of East Nigeria and the Vice President of the African Claretian Superiors gave a Welcome Speech on behalf of Fr Joseph Mbungu, CMF, the President of Claretians Superiors of Africa. Fr Nwobi observed that there was a great improvement in the number of participants in this Enugu Conference and gave adulatory remarks to the organizers for extending invitation to the local clergy.

– A Paper Presenter Fr Anthony Kanu, OSA (Order of St Augustine) talked on THE COLLABORATION WITHIN THE ECOLOGY OF MISSION: CULTURAL AND AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE. “The TICLA idea is a harvest, a celebration of the Consecrated Life.” He believes that there is a lot to be learnt, as regards collaboration and mission from the African perspective, in general, taking into consideration those common denominators in the multifaceted cultural realities and manifestations in the huge continent.

<The Keynote Address, Welcome Speeches, Presentations, Papers and Adopted Minutes will be uploaded in this site in due time>.