Vice Province of Mozambique: Challenges and Perspectives
During twenty days (December 15, 2015 – January 3, 2016) Father Eli Chaves visited the Vice-Province of Mozambique with the objective of assisting the confreres to reflect together and to find solutions to the present difficult problems and challenges that the Vice-Province confronts.
There are eighteen incorporated members in the Vice-Province, living in nine local communities. There is not sufficient personnel to administer the present works of evangelization, the formation of young men entering the Congregation, the formation of the diocesan clergy, as well as the formation, human promotion and animation of the members of the Vincentian Family. There are few confreres from Mozambique (seven) and there is a lack of stability among the foreign missionaries. This lack of personnel creates many concerns and uncertainties and also highlights the need to review and revise their ministries and not take on any new commitments. Even though all the works are Vincentian in nature, the confreres are studying certain proposals that would reduce the number of works and thus attain some balance between the available human resources and the work that is required of the personnel. The Missionaries have intensified their outreach to other Provinces, requesting the assistance of other confreres. In order to create greater stability among the foreign
Even though all the works are Vincentian in nature, the confreres are studying certain proposals that would reduce the number of works and thus attain some balance between the available human resources and the work that is required of the personnel. The Missionaries have intensified their outreach to other Provinces, requesting the assistance of other confreres. In order to create greater stability among the foreign missionaries there seems to be a need to develop greater reciprocal cooperation between the foreign missionaries and those from Mozambique … it has been proposed that the foreign missionaries make a commitment to minister in this country for a minimum of five years.
The mission itself is in a precarious situation as a result of the fact that the people have few financial resources and that in turn, limits their ability to defray the costs involved in administering this mission. There have been insufficient efforts and initiatives in seeking outside sources of income which would provide the Vice-Province with financial autonomy. Mozambique is the ninth poorest country in the world! The members of the Vice-Province are most grateful for the help that they have received and continue to rely on external solidarity and collaboration in order to continue their mission and provide for the many urgent needs (some of the community houses are in urgent need of repair and the vehicles that are used for transportation are precarious … to say the least).
The missionary horizon in Mozambique is very positive and the confreres are enthusiastic in ministering and serving the poor. The mission, however, is very challenging and exhausting. The confreres feel the pressure of being involved in so many different activities and experience even more pressure as a result of the precarious conditions under which they minister. There are specific questions that require immediate attention … and there are other question that require long-term planning. The greatest priority with regard to the present and the future of the Vice-Province is initial and on-going formation. Vocational promotion is very promising and at the present time there is a good group of seminarian: 12 in
The greatest priority with regard to the present and the future of the Vice-Province is initial and on-going formation. Vocational promotion is very promising and at the present time there is a good group of seminarian: 12 in initial stage of formation, 13 in philosophy and 7 in theology. Initial formation necessitates the freeing of confreres so that they can be prepared as formators. In this regard, interprovincial collaboration is being explored so that the seminarians can be sent to other countries to study. With regard to on-going formation, there is a need to free the confreres from Mozambique so that they can participate in specialized courses. There is also a need to better the formation of the foreign missionaries and thus create a healthy spiritual and community environment, an intercultural environment. There is also a need to accompany the Missionaries and care for them as they confront personal, community, and pastoral difficulties.
In Mozambique, the Congregation of the Mission is challenged to minister in an intense manner and to promote interprovincial solidarity and collaboration that will ultimately lead to conversion and missionary renewal. In this regard the words of Pope Francis are quite significant: Challenges exist to be overcome! Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hopeful commitment. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigor! … May we never abandon the poor!
Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM
