TICLA - The International Conference

What is TICLA?

TICLA is the acronym for Theological Institute of Consecrated Life for Africa.  Like the various theological Institutes of the Claretian Missionaries in different parts and regions of the world, TICLA is a Theological Institute that will focus primarily on the Consecrated Life as a FORM of LIFE and VOCATION in the CHURCH.

Following, therefore, from the above definitive designation, TICLA visions to engage itself actively in the participation of the consecrated life in the African Local Church. This will of course take into cognizance all the theological implications and dimensions of the Religious Life on the one hand, and the existential realities of the Local Churches in Africa on the other. In other words, it will aim at reaching out to the emergent churches in the African region “by offering higher education to the clergy, religious and laity in fields of Consecrated Life, Spirituality, Missiology and Biblical Ministry”.

The Claretian Missionaries, in response to the evangelical call of the Holy Father Founder, St Anthony Mary Claret, (whose Feast Day is celebrated all over the world on October 24) to administer via the most efficient and effective means the urgent mission of making the world conscious and live in the directives of the Gospel. The desire ofClaret was to formulate, primarily, the various ways the missionary, armed with apostolic zeal,could adapt to the realities of the Local Church, which he called the field of evangelization, supporting and transforming these realities into veritable harvest for salvation.

Thus, the Claretian Missionaries of today have established many acclaimed Institutes of Consecrated Life in different parts of the world. Our Missionaries in Africa, in tandem with the General Curia in Rome, took it as a challenge to activate and actualize this desire of our Founder in establishing this institute within the soil of Africa given the number of Religious Institutes in Africa.It will alsomake available its professional services to some locally founded Institutes that would require necessary assistancein formation and in building up their vision, charism and capacity for the good of the Church in Africa as well as the universal Church.

Here, it is pertinent to enumerate the various well-established and much-admired Claretian Institutes for Consecrated Life in other parts of the world. In all, there are 4 Institutes

  • Istituto di Teologiadella Vita Consecrata – Claretianum (ITVC) in Rome, Italy, incorporated to the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
  • InstitutoTeológico de Vida Religiosa (ITVR), in Madrid, Spain, a section of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Salamanca.
  • Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia (ICLA) in Culiat Quezon City, Philippines, affiliated to the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila and recognized also by “St. Anthony Mary Claret College” in Quezon City.
  • Sanyasa Institute of Consecrated Life (SICL), in Bangalore, India, affiliated to the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome and associated with “Christ University” of Bangalore.

Updates on TICLA

Abuja, Nigeria. The International Symposium on Collaborative Ministry in Mission and Canonical Processes organized by the Theological Institute of Consecrated Life in Africa (TICLA), under the auspices of Claretian Missionaries, Delegation West Nigeria, began on the 13th November 2017, with participants arriving from different parts of the nation and guest speakers from Rome, Italy. Venue was the Daughters of Divine Love Retreat and Conference Center, Lugbe, Abuja.

The Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency, Msgr. Antonio Guido Filipazzi officially opened the celebration with the Holy Mass in the morning of the second day. Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe CMF, Bishop of Makurdi Diocese and Most Rev.  Hilary Dachelem CMF, Bishop of Bauchi Diocese, were among the concelebrants.

On the first day, the Keynote Address was delivered by His Excellency, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, CON (Archbishop of Abuja). The Goodwill Message was delivered by the Liaison Bishop for Religious, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, OSA (Bishop of Uromi). Then Fr. Henry Omonisaye, CMF, General Consultor and Animator of the Biblical Ministry of our Congregation, relayed to the participants the Vision and Mission of TICLA. The President of the Association of Male Religious, Fr. George Okorie, SMMM and the President of the Association of Female Religious, Sr. Mary Agatha Osarenkhoe, EHJ also rendered their goodwill messages.

Throughout the dedicated days, Various Speakers were invited to present some themes. They were: Fr. Cristo Rey Paredes, CMF - Historical Perspective and Effective Skills in Collaborative Ministry; Fr. Elias Ayuban, CMF - Norms and Documents on Collaborative Ministry & Canonical Processes; Fr. Anthony Akinwale, OP - Joys and Challenges of Collaborative Ministry in the Church; and Sr. Florence Osho, EHJ - The Place of the Consecrated in the Development of the Vision and Mission of the Church in Nigeria.

The Conference will ended on the 16th of the month. More details shall be added on this page after the careful collation of resource materials and necessary redactions. .