From the 23rd to 25th May 2025, South Africa hosted the General Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM). This meeting was done in St. Benedict Girls School, Boksburg- Johannesburg. And from the 26th to the 30th the COMSAM and the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
By Nathanael Kagwima*
The chief guests of this event were the President of COMSAM in Africa, Sr. Marie Diouf, Cardinal Fridolin Abongo OFM Cap (Kinshasa), President of SECAM, and our very own Sr. Simona Brambilla MC, Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
A good number of facilitators were also present, presenting different topics, such as, Hope: Jubilee of Hope: From the Bible to the life of the Church (Sr. Anne Arabome – Nigeria), How can Africa receive and enjoy the Jubilee of Hope? (Sr. Christine Baka (Ivory Coast), Synodality – Synthesis of the Synod (Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo ), Contribution of African Palaver to African Participation in the Synod (Sr. Jane Waruguru Kimathi (Kenya), Africa Expectations of the Synod, (Sr. Ester Lucas Jose Maria (Mozambique) Africa and the Global economy (Fr. Charles Chilufya SJ), The Church and Abuse (Sr. Linah Siabana (Zambia/Uganda) among others.
There were representatives from many African countries – with the number of attendees numbering between three to four hundred. The diverse representation added color to the beauty of the Church and the evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit within the same Church. The universality of the Church was well pronounced because, the members themselves, though being religious men and women working in the continent of Africa, some of them come from other continents and countries outside of Africa. Namely, Asia, Europe and America. This therefore made the mode of communication to be three official languages: Portuguese, English and French.
It is important to underline the effort made by the LCCL (Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life) South Africa, in preparation of this event, led by Sr. Zelna Oosthuizen, the President, Sr. Zonke and other members that made this event fruitful.
CORE MESSAGES
Cardinal Abongo OFM Cap, underlined that Consecrated life is ahead in so many ways in relation to Synodality. Consecrated life is the laboratory of Synodality and hence a consecrated person is called to become an agent of conversion with the spirit of inclusivity. Further, the Church in Africa needs religious life to flourish in communion with the people of God. We are called to walk together as missionaries of communion. Our diversity in our congregations attest to that fact of communion.
Our Conferences and assemblies and chapters could be seen as an example of Synodality. There is a common sharing of issues that are part and parcel of our lives and these common sharing brings about that same character and spirit of synodality. This makes us proper agents of the same.
Sr. Simona Brambilla, MC, passed the greetings of Pope Leo XIV, and at the same time her gratitude to the leadership of COMSAM for the organization of this meeting. She underlined that her purpose of the visit, together with her delegation, was to listen and listen and listen. Listening, she insisted, will make her office understand the reality of the religious life in Africa. She said that such understanding would give her, together with the delegation, something to carry when they go back to Rome.
She further encouraged all those present to continue witnessing to the Gospel in the modern world and in the context of Africa which is rich in vocation and vibrant Church. The religious men and women in Africa should not forget also the challenging situations in their continent, touching political, social and economic challenges. A religious person is called upon to be the face of Jesus in the world that he/she is and this goes even so for the continent of Africa.
HOLY MASS AT SOWETO
The COMSAM members had the privilege of celebrating the closing Mass of the COMSAM meeting at Regina Mundi Parish in Soweto. Soweto is a very known township in South Africa and indeed in Africa in general, not just because of being the biggest township in South Africa, but also because this was the epicenter of the freedom struggles during the apartheid regime. It is well remembered that a number of learners were killed on 16th June 1976. This day is celebrated as a National Youth Day (public holiday) in the country. The Comsa members were also privileged to visit around Soweto and other significant places of interest in the history of South Africa.
The COMSAM AGM Meeting
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was attended by the presidents of different conferences of Superiors in Africa, from the 26th to the 30th. The opening Mass was presided over by Cardinal Stephen Brislin, the Archbishop of Johannesburg. This meeting was also to elect the new Council of COMSAM led by COMSAM new President, Sr. Rita Yambo, FSP (Daughters of St Paul, DR Congo) and Vice-resident Fr Jose Joaquim Pedro, MCCJ (Comboni Missionary, Mozambique).
COMSAM Councillors elected: Sr Zelna Oosthuizen, RSG (Good Shepherd Sister, South Africa), Fr Zacharie Ndione, CSSp (Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Senegal), Sr Grace Kyomugisha (Sisters of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mbarara Uganda), Fr Ferdinand Owono, OMI (Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Cameroon) and Fr Anand Talluri, PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, Tunisia).
We have appreciated the experience of this meeting that affirms the importance of the religious men and women in the continent of Africa, who play a vital role of evangelisation and human promotion, justice and peace and protection of the minors and the vulnerable. Africa has a voice in the universal Church and Africa is part and parcel of the richness of the Universal Church. It’s also a seed of Vocations. This continent has given hope to the present and the future of the Church even within the challenges facing her in the modern world.
*Fr. Nathanael Kagwima, IMC, South Africa.
