The Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) on Monday set off celebrations of its golden jubilee with a renewed hope that God will transform lives of people who are dedicated to consecrated life.

Speaking at the opening of the General Assembly at the Civo Stadium in Lilongwe, ACWECA president Sister Rosalia Sakayambo cited the breakdown of families as one of the challenges threatening formations in the Roman Catholic Church.

Sakayambo said the assembly will therefore seek to identify solutions to the challenge.

“When the association started, we had needs that have significantly changed reaching this far. So that is why in these few days, we will have to sit down and discuss,” she said.

“We will even have to ask ourselves as to where we are being called to in the next 3 years and in the next 15 years. We will even discuss what the church wants from us,” she explained adding that answers to the questions will bring the much touted transformation.

She stressed on broken families, suicide and improper use of media as some of the key issues that are putting people in worrisome situations nowadays.

In his remarks, president for Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) and Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, His Grace Desmond Tambala, called on consecrated women to find real answers to the questions that will cover every individual regardless of his or her status.

“As a church, we are at home with digital world. Looking at it at face value, it is a gift that is being given by God. It has many advantages but the improper usage is tarnishing it,” he stated.

He bemoaned the tendency of using the media in spreading harmful practices stressing this is posing threats on people’s lives among others.

“This is not what we are intending. This is not what the Catholic Church is looking for whereby the media is used to target people,” he said.