The program of the ongoing formation course for the Consolata Missionaries celebrating their jubilee, held in Rome at the General House from September 1 to 27, includes moments of reflection, group work, sharing, and celebrations.
By Charles Gachara Munyu *
The day of Wednesday, September 3, began with Holy Mass presided over by Mons. Jackson Murugara, IMC, Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Meru, who is in Rome for the course for new bishops organized by the Dicastery for Evangelization. In his homily, the bishop emphasized “the importance of community life and the deep sense of belonging to the Institute.”
Consecrated Life Today
The theme of the day was “General Analysis of Consecrated Life Today,” presented by Father David Glenday, former Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries. With extensive and profound experience in religious life, the missionary highlighted three attitudes: a) Gratitude: appreciating and being grateful religious; b) Trust: religious life is worth living; c) Responsibility: what can I do for the future of religious life?
In his reflection, Father David Glenday developed four main points:
1. Rediscovering the Founder by making the charism real in responding to today’s challenges and situations where we are present. There is no charism without the Founder. Saint Joseph Allamano is the living charism.
2. The charism is the heart of being religious, as it is the true experience of God in our lives.
3. Mission, on the other hand, is the fruit of the charism. It is what we do as consecrated religious.
4. The Spirit impacts the early stages of formation. It is the Spirit who ignites the desire to serve, offering oneself to the mission.
Read also: Course G25: “The Word of God as a Guide to Consecrated Life”
The second ongoing formation course begins in Rome
Formation in the Institute
In the afternoon, Father Mathews Odhiambo, General Councilor responsible for formation in the Institute, presented an overview of basic formation, ongoing formation, and studies for the six-year period 2023–2029. “Formation does not end with perpetual profession or sacred orders but continues throughout the missionary’s life. The XIV General Chapter emphasizes that formation is ‘a never-ending task’ that requires constant accompaniment and care,” recalled Father Mathews.
Showing some statistics and the current situation of our formation process, Father Mathews expressed gratitude for the work underway and, at the same time, concern about the decline in religious vocations in Europe and Latin America.
“The Institute currently has 15 formators, serving as novice masters, rectors of professed members in houses of formation worldwide, and in centers of ongoing formation,” reported Father Mathews, stressing that “the Institute also invests in preparing missionaries with specializations to face contemporary missionary challenges.”
The day concluded with interventions and contributions from participants, which is part of the methodology of the course itself.
Dialogue with the Superior General
On Thursday, September 4, the group of missionaries had the opportunity to dialogue with the Superior General, Father James Lengarin, who presented an overview of the Institute.
Regarding personnel, currently, we Consolata Missionaries are present in 214 communities, organized into 14 jurisdictions in 30 countries. “The congregation is experiencing a time of renewal, just as the Church has undergone a profound transformation over the past 50 years,” observed the Superior General. “It has shifted from being shaped predominantly by the European and Western cultural context to becoming a truly global Church, in which people of every race, culture, and nation are called to embody Gospel values,” he stated. “Wherever we have served and continue to serve as missionaries, the legacy of our predecessors is constantly acknowledged. We are held in high regard by the people, by bishops, and by the Pope.”
As of May 2025, the Institute numbered 894 missionaries (including novices and those in temporary profession): 533 from Africa, 128 from the Americas, 7 from Asia, and 226 from Europe. Currently, 364 missionaries serve in 11 African countries; 227 in 9 countries of the Americas; 23 in 3 Asian countries; and 264 in 6 European countries. Another 16 missionaries work in other contexts.
Father Lengarin reminded that “our fundamental goal is holiness, and that it must be rooted in the heart of every missionary, as emphasized by our Founder, Saint Joseph Allamano, who received the gift of the charism.” He also insisted that “the mission ad gentes is a distinctive feature of our Institute within the Church. The Founder emphasized the importance of dedicating ourselves exclusively to non-Christians. Through total and permanent consecration to the mission, we direct all our resources and energies toward proclaiming the Gospel throughout the world, overcoming territorial, cultural, and religious boundaries.”
After a moment of sharing in four groups, the participants enriched the reflection on the reality of the congregation in the world.
“The Institute must return to its founding mission, just like the first Christian communities, to find renewed inspiration. As we celebrate the centenary of the death of our Holy Founder, we are invited to re-center our focus on the Risen Christ, to rediscover the urgency of evangelization, and to consider the community as a space of communion. This includes the acceptance of the role of lay missionaries,” concluded Father Lengarin.
The course, held in English, is promoted by the General Office for Formation and includes 14 priests and 1 brother from Africa, Latin America, and Europe, who during this six-year period will celebrate 25 years of priestly ordination and/or religious profession. A first course, in Italian, took place in May 2025, and a third course is also scheduled for September 2027.
* Father Charles Gachara Munyu, IMC, missionary in Venezuela.
