Greetings to all CLCers in Africa from Jane Hulley in Cape Town.

 

I am very happy to bring you news of activities from some of our Communities.

 

From Botswana

National Assembly to be held from 28^th – 30^th May in Mahalapye.  Sabie Makgothi and Veronica Miller from CLCSA are going to facilitate this Assembly. The work of the Assembly will be to consider the Fátima recommendations following the method used at the National Assembly, South Africa in July 2009. 

I have attached a document about the involvement of SA in Botswana.

 

Retreat in July. Veronica Miller and a team from South Africa will direct the annual retreat.

 

Topo Modiagane who was at the Leadership Course in Nairobi, has presented some parts of the course to CLCers in Botswana. I will send a report of these workshops at a later date.

 

From Nigeria

Tessy Edijala reports that preparations for the 4th National Assembly 11^th – 15^th August are in top gear. Tessy and Stephen Nwaeze Ojiofor will be facilitating and they are hoping that Lois Campbell will be able to come from the USA. 

Topics to be covered include: Three types of Spirituality, Pascal cycle, overview of stages of growth of communities, mystery cycle, power cycle, three styles of leadership, role of the laity – lay apostolate.

 

From South Africa

Sabie Makgothi and Jane Hulley who attended the Leadership Course in Nairobi, will facilitate a weekend workshop in Johannesburg. Anthony Egan sj, the EA for Gauteng will guide the modules on Discernment and Social analysis.

 

A team from SA is going to Botswana for the National Assembly.

I have attached a document about the involvement of SA in Botswana.

 

Sadly I must tell you that Pat Noffke suffered a severe heart attack and died on 19^th March, we are left bereft, already missing our beloved friend, one of the founder members of CLC in Cape Town. She loved CLC and all that we stand for. I have copied part of the tribute paid to her by another CLCer of long-standing, Jill McKay wrote:

 

“One of her main inspirations as a CLC person was the importance of our ‘quality of presence’, rather than a show of intellect or knowledge, as a way of bringing others to God. She knew that the ‘encounter experience’ with Jesus and the ongoing relationship with God in every day life was the key to opening her heart to the graces of the Ignatian journey and the increasing freedom it brings. She discovered this was the only way to be true and that others are touched by this. Graham (Pugin sj) spoke of Pat ‘seeking God’s face’ in her life and in all the people and challenges she met - reflecting on this in her daily prayer and examen. He pointed out how she led the way for us on her journey to heaven and how she can, at last, see God face-to-face.”

Pat has left us with an example of what we are called to be as faithful members of the Christian Life Community.

 

Our Formation Team has been working hard. Their first completed document is, “From Reflection to Action, Becoming an Apostolic Body” This is a programme for 10 meetings to help the South African Community to grow together into a deeper understanding of what it is to be an Apostolic Body, and to prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit for help in discerning a national apostolate for our Region.

We would like to share it with you. A copy is attached.

 

From Lesotho

Mashai Maboloka. Makaola Marake sent this message

“May I also announce the passing away of Ms ‘Mashai Maboloka, a long active member of our CLC community and member of the national team.  She passed away on Good Friday with cancer related treatment complications after fighting for her life in the last few years.”

Those of us who met Mashai at various Encounters and Assemblies will remember her as a gentle and brave woman who was dedicated to  following the  CLC way of life.

Let’s pray for her young daughter as she mourns the loss of her mother.

 

From Madagascar

I received this news from P. Rasendrarivo François Xavier

“ We are organising one weekend a month for  seven months for  CLC leadership. We have some Jesuits to help us. We have already done two sessions. It seems to me that it goes well.”

 

From Zambia 

CLC leadership workshop will take place on the weekend of 28th-30th May 2010. All communities in Lusaka are requested to send four representatives. The workshop will be part of the dissemination of the Nairobi workshop in Zambia, as two regions have had a feel of this workshop already. Four modules will be given during the weekend.

 

National Executive Discernment Weekend. The aim of the meeting was to discern the way forward for the national community.  There were 12 members from the Exco and Formation team. Fr. Emmanuel Mumba facilitated the discernment process which looked at the six key areas which are possible when a community is working effectively and he related these areas to the current ZCLC situation. The six areas considered were: Communication, Promotion, Formation, Growth of our National Community, Collaboration CLC/ SJ / CHURCH and CLC Administration. This meeting gave the leaders an opportunity to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the ZCLC and to discern what needs to be done.  

I have attached the report sent to me by the President, Norbet Tembo.

 

Leadership Course

The first leadership course  was held in Rome in 2006. Participants were trained to train leaders in their communities. The courses in Nairobi and Abijan were the next step in training leaders.  

 

In Abijan, Cote d’Ivoire in French in July 2009.

Jean -Paul Biruru, (RD Congo) ) Guy Maginsi (Exc. Sec CLC ) Thomas Théophile Nug Bissong ( Cameroun) Diego Pollet (France)

The course did not follow the Rome model. The Spiritual Exercises were used as the structure for the course.

Eléonore Gnamien will be able to give you more information on the French programme. gnamienaho@yahoo.fr

 

In Nairobi, Kenya  in English in November 2009.

In Nairobi the course followed the Rome model and all participating communities have a DVD with the material.

There were 18 delegates from: Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho.  The facilitators were Lois Campbell (USA) Edel Churu and Levi Matsheshe ( Kenya ) and Jane Hulley (South Africa)

 

It is encouraging to read the news from the communities that the knowledge and insights gained at the leadership course are  being shared

 

Thank you sending news and information from your communities. I realise this is mostly about the English speaking part of Africa. Please send me news and information from your communities and I will pass it on.  

 

Let us pray for each other, especially for all the new intiatives we are taking, so that we can praise, reverence and serve God by the way we live.

 

On Sunday we will be celebrating the Feast of Pentecost….

 

God of tenderness and goodness I thank you for all your blessings.

Fill me again with the Holy Spirit, so that I can sing with joy of your love and mercy.

Thank you Lord for your love that lasts for ever.

Thank you Jesus Christ for setting me free from all that imprisonned me.

Breath on me Holy Spirit and fill by soul with joy.

 

 

With love and prayers from

Jane

 

 

Jane Hulley

Coordinator for CLC-CVX in Africa

National Secretary

Christian Life Community - South Africa

On mission to becoming an Apostolic Community