The Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) disclosed that its forthcoming Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee Celebrations will be held in Malawi.

The two-tier celebration will take place from August 18-24, 2024, at the Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe under the theme: “Transformative holistic formation for authentic living towards a deeper evangelization in the ACWECA region and beyond (John 14:16).”

ACWECA president Sister Rosalia Sakayombo, from Zambia, told journalists in Lilongwe on Tuesday that the opening mass to usher in the celebrations will be held on Monday, 19th August 2024, at the Civil Stadium from 9.00 am and will be concelebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi and Zambia, Archbishop Gianluca Perici and the Archbishop of Lilongwe, His Grace George Tambala, as well as other invited Bishops and clergy from AMECEA Region and beyond.

“This year Plenary Assembly of ACWECA is special because it marks the 50th anniversary since the foundation of the Association. Therefore, we will have a two-tier celebration in August the Plenary Assembly, and the Golden jubilee. All this will be happening here, in Malawi. Thus, the celebrations are being organized by both the secretariat of ACWECA and that of the Catholic Sisters in Malawi, namely The Association of Women Religious Institutes of Malawi (AWRIM) whose chairperson is present here named St. Janepher Selmani of the Sisters of Our Lady of Amersfoort,” said Sakayombo.

A plenary assembly is a high-level meeting that is held every three years. And as Sakayombo explained, the assembly brings together leaders of congregations in the ten countries to learn from and listen to each other, to discus and reflect on issues affecting religious life and the society in the region.

“This year ACWECA marks its 19h Plenary Assembly. This Assembly also invites partners and collaborators from around the world, who support the work and the ministry of the Catholic Sisters in the 10 countries of ACWECA Membership. As an association, we believe that none of us can face the challenges of this world alone, therefore, our numbers and our togetherness gives us the power to have greater inmpact and transform the world through our missionary work and different apostolates,” she explained.

The celebration’s budget chairperson, Sr. Marie Claire Kapachika, said they will need not less than US$300, 000 [approximately MK600 million] to have successful event.

Kapachika therefore called upon Christians, organizations and people of goodwill to donate their financial and material resources towards the preparation of the celebration.

Among others, the sisters have produced a celebration cloth, which is going at US$4 [MK6,000], as part of the resource mobilization initiative.

ACWECA Sisters were known as AMECEA Sisters at foundation, since the membership of ACWECA is drawn from the countries that make up the AMECEA region. Thus we thank God for Malawi as it is here that also AMECEA Bishops inaugurated the Golden Jubilee Year of Small Christian Communities.

ACWECA is a regional body comprising of National Associations of Consecrated Women or Catholic Sisters from ten (10) English speaking countries of Eastern and Central Africa.

These countries are: Eritres, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Sadan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe as an associate member. ACWECA is made up of more than 300 Congregations and more than 30,000 sisters.

ACWECA was founded in 1974 and its Vision is to empower Consecrated Women to become deeper Evangeliners.

Catholic Sisters work with some of the most marginalized sections of people in our society Sisters are involved in all pastoral activities that pertain to the Catholic Church. They catechise the young and old, they are found in education, in health and in social ministry, among others.

Their mission is to help the Conferences of Sisters in the respective countries to be able to promote the spirit of collaboration and sharing of spiritual, human and economic resources, among member conferences, to enhance religious formation and strengthen leadership capacity of the Sisters for deeper evangelization in the region.