CANONICAL VISITATION
TO THE REGION OF KENYA
(January 5th – February 27th)

Sagana, February 25, 2004

Dear Missionaries,

The visitation to the Region of Kenya, which took place in the months of January-February 2004, was conducted in a way never tried before. Given the vastness of the Region and the multiplicity of its activities, for the first time the General Superior and the Vice General Superior visited at the same time differ-ent communities, while the general councilor for Africa accompanied one or the other visitor in the various zones of the Region. This method, approved by the last General Chapter (XGC), has allowed us to speed up a little, while observing more carefully the regional life and works, looking at them from various per-spectives and different sensibilities.
With the Regional Council we did have a preliminary meeting which pro-vided us with the chance to enter immediately and in depth into the realities of the Region. Together we did agree on a plan of work which would allow the visitors to have a bird’s view of the entire Region, through the personal dia-logue and the visit of each community and activity of the Institute, and, at the same time, would give the chance to receive the personal opinion of the mem-bers of the Region on the present and future iter of our mission in Kenya. This was obtained in the five Zonal Meetings.
Fr. Luigi Brambilla, Regional Superior, accompanied us in the visitation of the farthest communities, while the Vice Regional Superior, Fr. Matthew Ouma, facilitated the meetings of the communities closer to Nairobi. To both of them we offer our most sincere thanks, because we soon became aware that the visit has not been an event for the visitors only, but also for they themselves, for the time they spent in the participation of the community and zonal meetings, and for the many clarifications with which they have assisted us.
We wish to offer you all a most sincere thank you, dear confreres of the Region: to the elders who, in their wisdom, have often reminded us of those as-pects of our life which are fundamental and which should never be forgotten, and with their perseverance they have witnessed to these perennial aspects of our life and work, and also our thanks to the younger confreres who with their enthusiasm and their dreams invite us to look ahead, at the future of the Region, with confidence and hope.
We present to you our observations in ten themes which have emerged more vividly in the dialogue of the past two months; a dialogue which has been formulated by various voices. We are aware that in this moment we are not able to convey all that we have in our minds and hearts. Moreover, in some cases, we will just touch on certain important and complex realities which would deserve a deeper treatment. We will leave with the Regional Council some reports re-garding local communities and the zonal meetings. They may use this material in their service of mission animation of the Region.
While our attention has been focused mainly on Kenya, we did not neglect to look often at Uganda as well, where three of our communities are carrying on the missionary work mandated to them, and where we spent one week of time during the visit. Unfortunately, due to the constraints of space for this report, we cannot give all the attention intended to this Country, which in the last several years has been tormented by wars and internal conflicts, and which is still in need of our solidarity. Our confreres give to this Country their contribution with determination and enthusiasm, through their work in two parishes and in the missionary and vocational center.

1. Kenya, “our land”

This Country and this land, which the missionaries of Kenya, regardless their place of origin, feel as it belongs to them all, is going through a delicate and crucial moment of its history. Two years ago Kenya has gone through with much maturity and peacefully, the last political elections which were meant to put an end to twenty years marked with many realizations, but also by many problems: from a political and administrative corruption present everywhere, to a generalized economic and social stagnation. For this reasons, the Lenten Campaign 2003 speaks of a “New Day…”, a “New beginning for Kenya”, and invites all Catholics to unite with all vital forces of the nation to defeat the per-sistent poverty, the lack of a good government, and to be able to prepare a Con-stitution which would assure the Nation the practice of law, and a lasting peace based on justice and mutual respect. The same document, and that of Lent 2004, prepared by the Commission of Justice and Peace, recall all of the most impor-tant objectives towards which all citizens should move with a common effort, to insure a better future for all Kenyans.
 A fight to abolish absolute poverty which contributes to a sprawling crimi-nality, and is an impediment to the progress of the nation which counts 30 million people of whom 44% under the age of 15. The Institute of Eco-nomic Affairs reports that this poverty affects 56% of the entire population, and gives origin to subhuman situations, especially in the slums of the big cities.
 Fight against social inequality which is constantly on the increase, and af-fects adversely all the aspects of human life, especially health and educa-tion. Kenya is listed among the 10 poor nations of the world, which have the highest incidence of social inequality. On account of this, the economic growth leaves the poor poorer all the time.
 Fight against divisions and factions which, in the past, have been generated or, at least, favored, by political interests. In this field the Church could claim a role of leadership in proposing reconciliation among all the inhabi-tants of the Country.
 Fight against an immoral economy in order to submit it to honest and solid principles of morality. In fact all the citizens ought to be able to grow eco-nomically, to have a permanent job and a salary which would assure a dig-nified life and decent conditions of work.
 Commitment for the establishment of a political class which will look after the real good of the nation, defend the cause of the poor, promote the unity and harmony in the whole Nation, abstain from favoring some at the ex-pense of others.
 Fight against the terrible disease of the AIDS/HIV, and against all the dis-eases which kill innumerable victims, like malaria. The Christian is a per-son who is constantly on the watch-out so that human life may be en-hanced and defended at all cost.
 Commitment of all so that, the new Constitution which the Nation is pre-paring, may bring a new social order in the respect of the rights of all, and capable of instilling in all people the sense of responsibility for the com-mon good. In this area the Catholic Church has had, and continues to have a role of primary importance, by making people aware and attentive to these issues.
Nowadays, words like: common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, transpar-ency, honesty, are making inroads at all levels of the Kenyan society which, helped by its rich cultural heritage, the multiplicity of ethnic groups, and a wide spread education, offers a good guarantee for the building up of a better future. Hope is being renewed and stirs up new energy everywhere. The wrong-doings and power abuses are now punished, corruption is openly condemned and whenever possible corrected, great efforts are made in the field of education. Even the foreign investors show new trust in the potentialities of the country.
The Catholic Church of Kenya, with its great wealth of personnel, forma-tive, educational and charitable institutions, is offering a strong and prophetic contribution in condemning evil and in preparing the people to work for the common good. The National J&P Commission has been involved in the past few years in a grass-roots work to conscientize the Christian communities to the values of justice, peace and reconciliation. This service is best expressed in the Lenten Campaign of fraternity, in which all these values are celebrated in a par-ticular way. Also the Regional Commission IMC/MC of J&P is offering its con-tribute to create an ecclesial conscience more and more attentive to the issues which deeply affect the Nation. As Consolata Missionaries we cannot shrug off our responsibility of giving our answer to the strong invitation of the Bishops, so that our ecclesial communities may become a true leaven in a society more united, fraternal and participating in all sufferings.
We take this opportunity to remind all the confreres of the invitation issued by the XGC not to let a year go by without reading attentively and participating in the concrete situations of the Country, and, if necessary, asking help from ex-perts, so that we will not remain on the periphery of the journey of Kenya and the dreams which are enlivening the people.

2. The Institute: home and family

We have been pleasantly surprised and our hearts have been full of joy by the emphasis which several confreres, older and younger, have placed on the value of identity with and active belonging to the Institute. The long experience of community of the former confirms that it is possible to feel identified with the Institute so as to make of it our true family, and the short experience of the latter already suggests to themselves that without an intimate union with all the confreres it is not possible to grow in a wholesome manner as Consolata Mis-sionaries, thus expressing in its fullness the charism of mission, and giving a valid help to the Church of Kenya.
The tree of the Institute in Kenya, willed by the Blessed Allamano, and planted with much commitment by our first missionaries one hundred years ago, has now grown as a seasoned plant, with many branches, each producing copious fruits. The celebration of the centenary of the arrival of the first mis-sionaries, lived by the Institute and the Local Church with profound joy and feeling of gratitude to the Lord for all the Institute has been able to do to pro-mote the growth of this Nation and for the birth of eight dioceses, has reminded us of these fruits.
One hundred years of life is, without any doubt, an important achievement for a Religious Institute, but it remains just one step in a long journey. A new journey is opening to us, perhaps amidst paths unexplored and many challenges. We cannot and should not frustrate the hopes of the people and of the local Churches, which are still expecting so much from us, especially in the field of evangelization ad gentes, still needed in Kenya, but also in many other fields which are in harmony with our specific charism.
A very special thought at this particular moment is for our Confreres born in Kenya and who work in the Region. They are numerous, young, and are en-gaged in various pastoral fields of the Region, while retaining a primary role in mission and vocation animation, and in formation. We like to tell them what the Blessed Allamano would emphasize in this moment with much conviction and force:
 Be proud to belong to the Institute: it is your family, your home. You have received the charism of the Founder and of the Institute from confreres who differed from you by culture, language and formation. Nevertheless, you have welcomed it, because you have perceived instinctively that it was first of all a gift of the Spirit. Now it is your duty to live it with a full commitment and fidelity, so that you can hand him over to the younger stu-dents embedded with your culture, mediated with a better accessible lan-guage, and made credible through the testimony of your life. Such an incul-turation of the charism should be accepted by all with a sense of serenity, avoiding the danger of betraying the integrity and intensity of the spirit of the Blessed Allamano, but it should also be looked upon as an obligatory stage in the transmission of the same spirit. Read with interest all that the Institute publishes on the charism, our history, the Founder, his spirituality, the life of our family. Some may encounter the difficulty of the language in trying to have access to all the documents which are published. While the General Direction continues with its efforts of translating in various lan-guages the documents concerning the charism of the Institute, we wish to invite all those who do not know any Italian to do their best to learn it.
At the same time we ask of the older missionaries an open-mind towards the younger members, openness to team work, readiness to give them confi-dence, remembering that they still have a long time to correct themselves and their short-comings. This commitment of integration between young and older will undoubtedly assure a serene and secure future to the Region.
The last General Chapter has requested that a special bond of collaboration with the Consolata Missionary Sisters be nurtured, based on the same charism, origin and Founder. The visitors have noticed a slight improvement of the Re-gion non only in the mutual relationship, but also in carrying forward in the few missions in which both the IMC and the MC work together, the missionary work with a common view, respecting the dignity of the feminine vocation, the belonging to two distinct juridical entities, and the plan of the respective Gen-eral Chapters. It is a great desire of the visitors that this bond and collaboration increase even more in the future, so as to become living witnesses of the one missionary family of the Allamano.

3. Sketching the future

The last canonical visitation did attempt, in an embryonic way, to pin-point the possibility of re-writing our IMC presence in Kenya, in a way more conso-nant with the new situations of the Church and the Region, and in harmony with the directives of the last few General Chapters (cf. Official Bulletin, N. 79, pp. 43-44). The following year, the XGC, by deepening the contexts of our mission, offered clear orientations so that the Regions/Delegations would be able to set new paths of their mission. The Regional Conference of 2000, which is a re-markable example of a concrete planning, steered the Region towards the for-mation of zonal centers, marked by missionary animation and a significant mis-sionary presence. This trend was again confirmed in 2002, when the Archdioce-sis of Nyeri requested explicitly that a center for missionary animation be estab-lished at Mathari.
We congratulate the Region which has initiated with courage and foresight-edness a program of restructuring which, as the years go by, will undoubtedly produce considerable fruits both for the local Church and the Institute. This program foresees the establishment of five zones, each characterized by an IMC missionary presence and animation of the local Church, and by some type of pastoral service which, even if reduced in number, ought to be meaningful for the quality of service. These five zones will be complemented by other two which are distinguished by their traditional and well marked character ad gentes (Diocesis of Maralal and the periphery of big cities).
Regarding the personnel, the Region, while making great strides towards the reduction of foreign personnel, is also augmenting the establishment of communities with personnel exclusively Kenyan or African. Though this sce-nario may not be planned with full awareness, nevertheless it is being realized little by little as a fait accompli. We believe that such a change should be ac-companied by proper means which will facilitate its realization without trau-matic happenings which could prove dangerous for the IMC community as well as the people entrusted to our pastoral care. As an example we wish to point at the economic self-reliance of our works which should depend more and more on local help, more than on the exclusive help which comes from overseas.
The number of missionaries in the Region has remained almost the same in the last six years. During the last canonical visitation there were 1 Bishop, 109 priests, 14 brothers and 28 professed students. Today there are 4 Bishops, 104 priests, 12 brothers and 23 professed students of which 3 are brothers. Also the median age has decreased from 59 to 53.
In this regards, it is useful to remind ourselves of some remarks made by the last General Chapter: “Each Region/Delegation should become fully aware that it is almost impossible for the General Council to plan a distribution of the personnel, both qualitative and quantitative, following the principle of ‘substitu-tion’. Let the General Direction distribute the available personnel, following certain priorities: to the new openings ad gentes approved by the Chapter; to the basic formation; to missionary and vocational animation. This personnel should also be prepared according to the demands of the above priorities.” (pp. 94).
On the basis of these directions, the “Planning of the General Direction 1999-2005” asked specifically the Region of Kenya, as well as other big Re-gions, a substantial decrease of our communities. It is not even thinkable of achieving the goals of the Chapter to post three missionaries in each commu-nity, and eliminate a few situations of missionaries who live alone, without go-ing through this decrease of activities. This streamlining of activities is not meant to signal the death, but a better life of our communities and an added fruitfulness to our missionary work.
A realistic and foresighted planning of the Region ought to be accompa-nied by another qualitative change. The missionary of the future, wherever shall be called to exercise his pastoral activities, should be endowed with a par-ticular attention to the realities of a society which at times appears anchored to ancestral values, and other times open to a constant and rapid evolution, keeping pace with the modern planetary culture. The repetition and the lifeless perform-ance which often render inadequate many of our activities, must be substituted by a creativity which allows us to read the contexts of the Country, thanks to an appropriate program of ongoing formation, to a constant updating and also to the collaboration with qualified persons, including lay people. With accelerated frequency, our missionary service in Kenya demands differentiated pastoral an-swers, which the good will alone, or the spirit of entrepreneur of the individual person will not be able to offer in an adequate way.
The missionary who wishes to operate with good results in the evangeliza-tion of today and of the future of Kenya, should also be prepared to work in team, and to collaborate with the local forces and other groups of missionaries. One has only to think of the immense challenges offered by the epidemic AIDS/HIV which, like other natural scourges is destroying families, leaving be-hind countless orphans. A Christian and pastoral answer to this calamity will be possible non primarily by personal initiatives, but, above all, by pastoral pro-jects which utilize lay and religious agents to fight a common threat to human-ity.

4. In the Local Churches as Consolata Missionaries

The insistence of the Founder on the love for the Church ought to be made practical for us, today, in a renewed attention for our local Churches, and a con-stant collaboration with the Bishops, priests, religious, and with all the active forces of the Dioceses in which we operate. The Church of Kenya has made, and is making, great strides towards maturity at many levels. In certain areas of its life we can assert that she is self- sufficient and ready to offer her full meas-ure of missionary contribution to other poorer Churches. Here are some signifi-cant statistics: in the Church of Kenya there are over 7 million Catholics, 30 Bishops, 700 priests, six major seminaries, 130 congregations of women reli-gious and 60 of men religious. It is enriched by the presence of the major lay movements. The Catholic Press prints materials in English and Swahili. There is a weekly national Catholic Newspaper, and two monthly magazines, one of which is our “The Seed”. Recently a national Catholic Radio network has been installed. There are innumerable pastoral and spiritual centers for the ongoing formation of all sorts of groups and persons.
During the canonical visitation of the Region, the contact and dialogue with the Bishops of the thirteen dioceses in which we operate, has helped us to be-come aware of the universal and sincere gratitude for what the Institute has ac-complished in one hundred years of missionary work, but also some of their wishes which the visitors would like to see them become, little by little, opera-tive guidelines for the Region. Let us list them briefly:
 The local dioceses are blessed with many vocations. We wish that the di-ocesan priests could find in you true elder brothers, always ready to coop-erate at the diocesan as well at deanery levels, and, when requested, open to receive the newly ordained priests in our communities, thus allowing them to go through meaningful and formative experiences of work and life, which will enrich their priestly life.
 Religious communities are plentiful in the dioceses where we work. Some are born out of the apostolic zeal of our confreres, and they are already working in many places. Heirs of the charism of Blessed Allamano, forma-tor of priests and spiritual director of many religious, let us be close to them, let us offer them willingly counseling and financial as well as spiri-tual support. Let us share with them our missionary charism, which can be of great help in their consecrated and apostolic life.
 We wish that the young people who approach us for counseling or help in the discernment of their vocation, will find us attentive. Let us favor in our parishes the vocational groups, or other initiatives capable of stirring up relevant questions related to God’s call in their life.
 Be always ready and willing to cooperate in the elaboration of diocesan pastoral plans. Some dioceses are celebrating their Synod: this is a particu-larly significant moment which calls for our participation, even if it means to devote time and efforts on your part. The same participation should be present in the work of the deaneries and of the diocesan commissions.
 The Christian communities desire our assistance and our motivation in or-der to arrive in the near future to a financial self-support. The Bishops, also, ask this assistance from us, as well as the diocesan priests who will take over many of our parishes. On our side, however, we should never give way to the temptation of paternalism, or to the promotion of projects which depend mostly from foreign assistance.
 Several dioceses have celebrated the hundredth anniversary of their evange-lization. This process of evangelization continues and reaches even the most remote human groups. The Christian communities are constantly in-creasing, both quantitatively and qualitatively. As missionaries we should be eager to offer our support to new forms of collaboration among the various churches, like, for instance, the Fidei Donum priests.
 The Churches of Kenya have always been opened to receiving the contribu-tion of foreign lay people, and to include them as partners in their mission-ary work. We think that the time is now arrived to start in the Region spe-cific initiatives for the missionary formation of the laity and stir up in them a deeper missionary awareness. The lay people in general ought to be able to find in us missionaries a brotherly welcoming and a sure reference point in the quest for a profound Christian formation and commitment to the ac-tivities of the Church. Let us clip our apostolic approach of that almost in-born clericalism which tends to curtail the various ministries of the laity, and does not allow them to play a role of large importance in many fields of the life of the Church (ex. Family, social action, school, health).
We have observed with joy and excitement that many missionary places and institutions are named after the Blessed Allamano. His picture is present in most of our churches and places of worship, but not in all as yet. This display of his picture is not sufficient. We should offer to our people above all the spirit of Blessed Allamano. Let us strive to make known his holiness of life, let us invite Christians to offer their prayers through his intercession and to ask for his assis-tance and help. A good number of pastoral subsidies are now available and they should be made accessible to all in the major language(s) of each country. Let us make special efforts to offer to the young students, books, biographies of our Blessed Founder, so that their acquaintance of and intimacy with a missionary saint may awaken in them the quest for their vocation, or the desire for a greater commitment in their Christian life.

5. The quality of our life.

The concluding days of the canonical visitation have coincided with the li-turgical feast of the Blessed Allamano. We have celebrated that feast in various moments and places, taking advantage especially of the Zonal Meetings. The filial intimacy with the Founder has once again allowed us to hear his paternal but insistent call: - I want you saints! You are here to become saints!
Together with a persevering and profound commitment of many missionar-ies, the visit has also perceived how constant is the danger to fall into medioc-rity of spiritual life, in the consumeristic mentality already wide spread, or bourgeois behavior which endangers the best values of our consecration. All of us can experiment how, under the appearance of zeal, may hide the attraction towards activism and the cult of efficiency. Even the subtle attraction to being a protagonist can often push a missionary to give preference to personal pro-grams, and thus reducing the very nature of brotherhood, and our traditional family spirit.
We are living in a society in which the evangelical values of brotherhood, justice, solidarity and human life seem to be challenged by many other realities which are contradictory: violence, marginalazation of the feeble, the race for easy money, the disregard for life, and corruption.
Side by side with these negative and challenging scenarios, which the mod-ern society offers us, we find the teaching of Blessed Allamano who, deeply convinced that only the man of God who possesses a high degree of holiness can be a true missionary, never let an occasion go by, without highlighting the double call.

1. Deep esteem of consecrated life
This charismatic gift which the Allamano has grafted onto the tree of our missionary vocation so that this could produce more abundant fruits, should be highly treasured by us all. Since the General Chapter of ’93, the Institute has been engaged in a profound reflection on the meaning of our religious consecra-tion. Nevertheless we must have the courage to ask ourselves without any hesi-tation, what meaning do the religious vows have in our life, and how do we live them out, what does it take to follow Christ and which means do we use to be faithful, what influence has on us the constant teaching of the Founder who wanted us nothing less than “saints”, and how do we strive to put them into practice.
For the Founder consecrated life consists in the interior push which moti-vates the missionary to spend all his life for God and his brothers and sisters, which provides him with strength and zeal in announcing the Gospel giving pri-ority to those who have fallen away, or those who do not know yet Christ, which helps him to nurture an intimate and affectionate relationship with God to be developed through prolonged moments of prayer, of reading the Word and presence with the Eucharist. It is indeed the religious consecration which ce-ments in us, in a permanent way, the conviction that “only God” is the real value of all our life, and we have to strive not less than for holiness, and that “to do the will of God” is our daily preoccupation.
We do not intend to continue to underline the values of religious consecra-tion, which the XGC has reminded us with special emphasis, and which the documents of the Church constantly re-propose with renewed strength. Instead we wish to remind you of some means which are indispensable to keep the fo-cus sharp on the ideals of our consecrated life, foundation stone to live effica-ciously our missionary vocation.
 The local and regional superiors have an irreplaceable role in the life of the community: to remind its members of the fundamental demands of our consecration, and to animate each missionary towards a life coherent with the commitments accepted the day of our profession. A missionary com-munity finds indeed its unity around the true values, shared by all and ac-cepted willingly by all.
 Let the value of the religious vows be recalled periodically in our monthly days of recollection and community meetings. We should have the courage of sharing about them in community. A confrere who was asking me in a slightly provocative way, ‘ what meaning do the vows still have?’, certainly evoked in me the importance of talking more often about them, and evalu-ating them in our revision of life.
 To all, but in a special way to the younger missionaries, we recommend that each year, especially on the occasion of the Spiritual Exercises, a per-sonal project of life be drawn (cf. XCG,33). We ask also that the use of Spiritual Direction, so dear to our Father, returns to be a feature in our spiritual fabric.

2. Let us return to more and better prayer
Our consecrated life needs a well developed rhythm of prayer, to remain at the feet of the Teacher, to hear His Word, to converse with Him. To restart anew from Christ ought to be the constant commitment of our life, as it hap-pened to the Apostles. In fact it is only if we start with Him that our announce-ment, our charitable initiatives, our works of consolation will have efficacy, and will build up God’s Kingdom in the heart of the world.
Let us return first of all to the Word of God, indispensable source of all spiritualities. Let us return to it in our daily meditation, in the Lectio Divina which many missionaries have learned how to practice. How wonderful it would be if, at least once a week, the missionary community would gather, to-gether with the strictest collaborators, to hear the Word of God which will later on be announced to the Christian communities! In fact, it is through the encoun-ter with the Word that our faith is nurtured and our inner sight learns how to look and judge events and persons with the same look of God. Let us never for-get the words of our Constitutions which, reflecting the teaching of the Founder, invite us to use the Word of God: “By the gift of grace, we have become the servants and ministers of God’s Word, which is at the center of our lives. We listen to the Word as individuals and as a community, so that our attitude may be the same as that of Jesus Christ, and God word may be the foundation of our prayer. Holy Scripture “is our book”; we should study it every day. (Cost 62).
We dare also remind you all of a deep attention in the celebration of the Daily Eucharist so that it be always accompanied by that spirit of faith and de-votion which our Founder would have liked to see in each Consolata Mission-ary. Let us never forget the strong statement of Vatican II which refers to the Eucharist as the source and apex of the process of evangelization, and the true center of the Christian community. We also urge you to make good and frequent use of the sacrament of reconciliation convinced that it remains an indispensa-ble means for a serious and strong spiritual journey. Let these values be deep-ened with much time and efforts during the basic formation.
Besides the indispensable moments of personal prayer life, let us also culti-vate with much care all the acts of community prayer. Besides the numerous ex-amples of fidelity to this community prayer, practiced by many communities at least twice every day, we must confess our sorrowful surprise in noticing that other communities do not have any moment of community prayer. In these communities it seems that all prayers are left to the initiative of the individual, or to moments in their pastoral work. Allow us to appeal to these communities so that they will resume with commitment the praxis of the Institute in practic-ing both the daily acts of prayer, as well as those which are requested at specific times like the monthly day of recollection, the eucharistic adoration, special prayers of marian devotion, the annual spiritual exercises.

6. Communion and fraternity

We read in the Novo Millennio Ineunte: “To make of the Church the house and school of communion: this is the great challenge which we face as the Third Millennium begins, if we wish to be faithful to the design of God and answer also the profound expectations of the world” (43). Certainly we are the first ones called to answer this challenge. In fat “the consecrated persons are asked to truly be experts in communion, and to practice its spirituality as the witnesses and agents of that communion project which is the apex of the history of hu-manity according to God” (VC 46).
Called by our vocation to accompany the first steps of the new Churches, we cannot offer a better service than that of giving a strong witness of love, communion and fraternity, showing with facts that it is possible even in our time, as in the times of the first Church, to “be one heart and one soul” (Acts 4. 32).
The spirituality of communion and the practice of fraternity cannot be im-provised and cannot be sustained only with good will. They are learned above all in our communities, when each member is able to share joys and sorrows, to care about the needs of others, to offer a sincere friendship. It belongs to this spirituality the ability to see the positive in the others, valuing each member as a gift of God and making space for him in our lives. We read in the document Ripartire da Cristo: “The spirituality of communion is projected as the spiritual climate of the Church at the beginning of the third millennium, active and ex-emplary task of the consecrated life at all levels. It is the highway of a future of life and witness. Holiness and mission go through the community, because Christ makes himself present in it and through it” (29).
The canonical visitation to all the communities of the Region has allowed us to witness in them a certain serenity and reciprocal collaboration. But sharing afterwards with the individual members, and making even a superficial evalua-tion of the quality of life, we have noticed the this communion and fraternity should be deepened and lived at a more intense level. Allow us, then, to review some aspects which need more attention and particular care.
 In the last two decades in our Institute the Project of Community Living (PCL)has been talked about. The PCL consists of the study of our realities and a global planning of all the aspects of our community life. During our visit we found out that very few communities engage themselves in this an-nual exercise, and give it all the attention and time required to formulate it. In general the communities are happy to decide the time table of the main activities of community life, and of pastoral engagements. This is too little, an so it will not affect deeply the quality of life of the community. We urge each community to prepare its own PCL, and, if needed, to ask for help from the Regional Superiors.
 It is lamentable that in the Region there still are situations in which the mis-sionaries live alone, despite the many efforts of the Regional Direction to find solutions and stop such situations, and allow all to live in communities. The continuation of such situations have in fact adverse consequences on the missionary himself and on the Christian community which he serves.
 The community meetings are an indispensable means to grow in fraternity and communion. They ought to be fairly frequent and directed in an ade-quate manner, if they are to bring fruits. They should not be limited to the planning of pastoral duties, but should also include issues related to out consecrated and missionary life, should become moments of evaluation of the community, without excluding a necessary and ample communication.
 A great harm is caused to the communion of the regional and local commu-nity by the lack of fraternal sincerity in the mutual relationships, of human maturity of some of us, and the habit of gossip. We urge you all the avoid at all cost this behavior which damages profoundly your fraternity and causes a great deal of harm to the missionary work.
 We had the impression that individualism and the desire to be in the lime-light (protagonism) find some fertile grounds in some of your communities and missionary activities, due perhaps to the isolation of the missionary, to the complexity of missionary work, or the need which the missionary feels to act without any control and thus play the role of the protagonist. In simi-lar cases, the community at most is able to divide the works to be per-formed, which will then be conducted in isolation and independence. When the PCL is utilized properly, it becomes an antidote very effective against any individualism or protagonism, favoring instead co-responsibility, sharing life and work, and fraternal correction.

7. Apostolic zeal

During our visit to the parishes and Christian communities, you have often made the remark about the need for the missionaries to be more creative and ac-tive in the organization of our pastoral work. Repeatedly you have talked about vagueness, of lack of creativity, of a certain stagnation which unfortunately of-ten characterize our pastoral work. Even if the Parish Council is present in al-most all parishes, not proper used is made of it by some parishes. Many parishes do not have a true pastoral plan, and are satisfied with a normal program of sac-ramentalization. In other parishes the laity are barely present as an evangelizing force, and their formation is not sufficient for the tasks proper to them.
During the celebrations of the Centenary of our presence in Kenya, all the Institute has been engaged several times in analyzing the significant experience of the Conference of Murang’a, which marked the beginning of our own style of performing mission and pastoral work. We wish to encourage you not to aban-don that example: go back again to talking about pastoral life among yourselves and, at the zonal and regional levels, compare with one another your programs of work, encourage each other in trying new methods and programs which may produce more fruits. In their visits to the parochial communities, the Superiors ought to warmly invite the confreres to favor and encourage in their respective diocese, an organic activity and shared pastoral activities. This is the best gift we will offer to the diocesan clergy who little by little is taking over our places and works in many parishes.
Let us now remind you of some elements which may be useful to you in maintaining always alive and effective the apostolic work, and which have been commented already in many parishes during the visit.
 The Pastoral plan is a means of primary importance which, if it is well studied and implemented, can give a strong impulse to the revitalization of our parishes. Let the religious personnel and the close collaborators be ac-tively involved in the study, in the drafting of this plan. Through the pas-toral plan we are able to make better understood our method and style of mission, and share it as a charismatic gift to be spread all over.
 Formation of leaders, of the catechists, of the lay people is, without doubt, one of the priorities in each pastoral project. We have noticed with great joy that several parishes have built a pastoral center, whose primary pur-pose is to qualify and form the leaders of the parish. Our Blessed Allamano will never rebuke us for having spent abundantly energy and financial means in the formation of the Christians.
 The thrust ad gentes, which is characteristic of our missionary work, should never be set aside. In all the zones which we have visited, you have told us that still exists the presence of many persons who have not yet come into a meaningful contact with the Gospel, or who have abandoned religious prac-tices. They should be the target of our privileged attention, thus avoiding an easy segregation of ourselves within the walls of our centers of cult.
 Each parish is being enriched gradually by movements and religious eccle-sial groups. They should be viewed with interest, and accompanied in their formation and apostolic activities. The presence of the priest or of the reli-gious in these groups and movements is the secret to help them feel part of the Church and to channel in the best possible way their apostolic energy.
 At the diocesan and parish levels a study should be done on the possibility of drafting the constitutions of new ecclesial ministries, which should sup-port and integrate the traditional and valid work of the catechists. The vast-ness and complexity of many of our parishes, as well as the need for a more grass-roots oriented work at all levels of the pastoral activities, require this switch to the ecclesial ministries.
 Mission animation of the Christian communities has been viewed by the XGC as one of the most important activities of our ad gentes, and so it has to be dear to each missionary. We have noticed with great pleasure that the Region is making courageous choices in this field, foreseeing a chain of centers which encircle the whole country. Nevertheless each missionary should himself be a “MISSIONARY ANIMATOR”: if the fire of mission burns in our hearts, it is impossible not to influence our Christian commu-nities in that direction.
 Being aware of our duty to journey in harmony with the Church, we can never forget the importance of the ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue as indispensable means for any true missionary activity, even when their practice would find obstacles and misunderstandings.
 The means of social communication can have a very relevant role in the evangelization and mission animation of the people of God. Our Constitu-tions remind us of this: “In its work for mission animation and vocation promotion, our Congregation should avail itself of the means of social communication in an adequate, proper and realistic way” (85). Each mis-sionary is exhorted to utilize all means at his disposal to implement his ministry. He should utilize and spread, in a very special way, “The Seed” magazine, which is well known and appreciated in the whole of Kenya.

8. From the side of the youth

Up to this point, we have purposely avoided to talk about “priority choices” to discredit the idea that every time one accentuates an aspect or reality, he pur-posely ignores or neglects other aspects or reality equally meaningful. But deal-ing with the youth, we cannot fail to underline the importance of this theme, be-cause in them we find the foundational stone of the future of the Institute and the Church. Nevertheless, the complexity of this topic obliges us to set some limits to it which are proper to the canonical visitation.

1. The Youth Ministry
Even a quick and superficial look at Kenya reveals immediately how im-portant the youth is in the social, ecclesial and national life. The results of the 1999 Census were showing that out of total population of 28.607.000, the youth between 0-19 years of age were 16.297.000.
The visit has once more surfaced many hesitations, uncertainties and diffi-culties in beginning a serious and effective youth ministry. The age of the mis-sionaries seems to discourage a serious involvement and pastoral activities for the youth. Attendance to secondary schools and graduate studies often seems to turn the youth away from the parish. The trend to a global society seems to alienate the youth from the Christian communities, and push them towards in-terests and values which are antithetic to most of ours.
But also the visit has perceived that there are the embryonic signs of a pos-sible change of direction. There is a small number of young confreres who work in parishes and nurture a special interest in the youth. Groups and associations of young people grow rapidly: all these are providential means to contact and form the youth. We have many primary and secondary schools sponsored by us: they constitute an open field for an effective formation of the youth. Lately the so called “Sunday Schools” have been organized. This is a commendable initia-tive which offers us the possibility of caring for the children and their religious formation.
Let us call your attention on these two opportunities open for youth minis-try. Our care for the schools, especially those sponsored by, or dependent on the Catholic Church, should not be limited to the structural or organizational as-pects. Let it become above all a steady presence of ourselves as well as of our collaborators, and an occasion for the Christian formation to the youth. Let us follow the teachers, call them periodically for programs of formation, and let us be close to their difficulties.
The “Sunday school” should be opened, as far as possible, in all our par-ishes. This initiative can draw many children to the parish, and offer them a formation which responds to the needs of their respective age, involves them in many activities of formation, recreation and social life; activities which are of paramount importance for a holistic and harmonious growth. At the same time we welcome all the efforts to introduce cultural, recreational and social initia-tives, which will allow us to get closer to the youth and make them feel at home in the our parishes or in other centers of cult.

2. Vocational promotion and care
This type of promotion and care finds its natural milieu within the parochial youth ministry, and in the secondary schools. By the simple fact that we have a vocation to the religious and missionary life, each of us should take to heart this particular ministry, and cultivate it with special love and fondness. Obviously, this ministry cannot be relegated to the young missionaries: we know by experi-ence that a closeness in age with the youth can be of help, but it is not indispen-sable. Also not all our pastoral activities enjoy the presence of young confreres.
One of the first duties of the vocational ministry remains always the prayer: let us pray and remind our communities to pray as well. Let us remember all the time the words of Jesus: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the owner of the harvest to send workers in his harvest (Mt 9, 37-38). Let the parish community raise often its prayers to ask for priestly, religious and mis-sionary vocations.
Another major duty is the one used by Jesus himself, when he told John and Andrew: “Come and see” (Jh 1,39). This evangelical sentence suggest that vocations are born from the personal contact, requires our testimony of a joyous and authentic consecrated life, and demands from us a sense of warm welcom-ing of the youth and availability to listen to them.
The vocational groups, present in most parishes, are the natural outcome of any youth ministry. They should be accompanied with care by persons prepared for the task, a program of formation should be adequately prepared in which all vocations are well presented, vacation time should be targeted for formative programs and vocational discernment. The Regional Office of vocational ani-mation, through the zonal centers, which the Region is preparing, can offer use-ful means and be available to special initiatives.

3. Basic Formation
The thoughtful and prolonged visit of the Vice General Superior to the formative communities of the Region, has perceived in all the houses of forma-tion a serene atmosphere conducive to a good formation, a spirit of commitment and of collaboration within all the équipes of formators, the constructive work of coordination of the Vice Regional Superior. Without entering into numerous details, which were considered during the visitation, we limit ourselves in this report to enumerating the main proposals offered, and the major needs which emerged.
 The Region at this moment is closer to the formative communities. The confreres in pastoral activities are indeed more open to receive our students during their pastoral experiences, visit the seminaries a little more fre-quently, and follow closer the seminarians of their own parishes. There is still a long way to go so that the Region may identify fully with our semi-naries, and our seminaries may merge fully with the regional life and activi-ties. And so both should multiply the initiatives which can help to amelio-rate the mutual relationships.
 We invite all our formative communities to increment and make it better the means which can help rise the tone of spirituality. We know that in this consists the hearth of any formation
 for the consecrated life and mission. During all the iter of their formation, our candidates should be urged to nurture the ideals of following Christ, to strive for sanctity of life, to identify more and more with our missionary charism. Let all our seminaries be true schools of sanctity, as Blessed Al-lamano desired, by nurturing prayer in a particular way.
 The last General Chapter has drown clear directives (cf. p. 93-94) for the basic formation of the candidates to the brotherhood. In order to put them into practice in the context of the Region and for the purpose of assuring the young candidates the necessary formation before the novitiate, the ca-nonical visitation suggests that, after the propedeutic year and the period of technical formation, the candidates have to spend a year of postulanship, free from all scholastic duties.
 The formators ought to be as much as possible with their formees, sharing their life, preoccupations and problems connected with their formative iter. They should give proper importance to the formative dialogue: let it be held frequently and let it help to understand well the life of the young candi-dates, and discover better and better the vocational motivations. All the as-pects of formation ought to be equally present during each stage of forma-tion, thus avoiding the danger that some fundamental formative aspects be undervalued. The students should be actively involved in the upkeep of the structures and assume some responsibility for their economic welfare.
 We invite the young students to value the most the interculturality which distinguishes in a special way the stage of theology. All the students should become acquainted with the mutual dialogue, with receiving the riches of the others. They should make all efforts so that the stagnation and weari-ness never take over especially during the last years of their formation. Their preoccupation for the academic activities should never curtail the other dimensions of formation.
 Let the professors be always aware that their contribution has a heavy posi-tive or negative weight on the formation of the young candidates for the priesthood, brotherhood and mission. Besides improving their teaching, let them take to heart the holistic formation of the students. In the academic field, we recognize that the Consolata Philosophicum has a very special importance, for the responsibility which it carries in the Institute and in the Church. The visit recognizes with gratitude all the intelligent work which has been done, and invites to qualify this center of studies with even greater professionalism, insisting more on the educational quality, than the increase of its structures.
We wish to conclude this exhortation, by reminding ourselves what the In-struction “Ripartire da Cristo” writes about those persons who are called to dedicate themselves to the formation of our young candidates.: “We wish that the best personnel be appointed to formation, even if this calls for great sacri-fices. The utilization of qualified personnel and its adequate preparation is a priority duty. We must be very generous in dedicating time and the best ener-gies for formation” (18).

4. The young missionaries
In the Region the confreres with 10 years of priestly ordination and profes-sion for the brothers, are 20. The number is considerably high, and we should thank God for this. They are a hope and a source of potential fruitfulness for the Region. For these confreres who usually are in the first missionary experience , the General Chapter asks to continue a special accompaniment, and specific moments of permanent formation. The Regional superior or his Vice Superior ought to be in charge of this formative process, already in place in the Region, and continue to follow it as close as possible.


9. The use of goods

The Circular Letter Economia, Povertà e Missione,which the General Di-rection has sent to the Institute last year, and which each Region deepened and commented on, has given a sharp focus to the importance which a correct use of money should have in our mission. We do not wish to expand on the principles, but to concentrate our remarks on some problematic aspects or questions which, in the course of the visit, we were able to detect.
 Not all the missionaries submit the financial reports of the parish to the Bishop, with copy to the Regional Direction. We were told that some Ordi-naries do not require such reports. But our vote of poverty demands that all administrative transactions be transparent and in communion with the au-thority. If the dioceses do not strictly require the financial reports, the mis-sionary ought to be equally attentive to fulfil on time such a duty, and send a copy to the Regional Direction.
 The development projects are numerous and constitute a considerable in-crement in the commitment to endow the missions of the necessary struc-tures, and of helping the most urgent needs of the people. We must remem-ber, however, that these projects, before they are started, must be atten-tively examined by the local community and by the Pastoral Council, have the approval of the diocesan authority and the Regional Council, together with the financial backing. All the projects should have the active participa-tion of the Christians in their realization.
 The principle of the Common Fund (Cassa Comune) at the level of local community should be followed non only by drawing the money necessary for one’s needs, and put that which was received through benefactors or for services rendered by the missionary, but should be manifested also by keeping the community aware of its economic situation, and making it co-responsible of its financial planning.
 The meeting of the Regional Administrators, which took place in Rome last November, has stressed the importance that all missionaries be helped to become good administrators, and feel interested in providing what the community needs for its necessities. Each missionary should be instructed how to keep a correct bookkeeping, in accordance with the praxis of the In-stitute and the laws of the Country. To achieve this, we suggest that the Re-gional Direction, with the assistance of the Regional Administrator, organ-ize appropriate courses for the young missionaries and all those who wish to know better the administrative procedures and a correct accountability.
 The Region, in its Regional Conference, has decided that each missionary give 10% of the donations which he receives from benefactors to increment the Common Fund. In virtue of the vow of poverty and of the principle which requires of all of us to reach “an actual sharing together of goods, ac-tivities, and talents, thus aiming at the ideal of owning everything in com-mon” (Cost 45), no one is allowed to take this duty lightly, or to avoid it al-together. Let us always remember that it is the correct exercise of poverty which will show if we feel and are authentic members of the same Family, in the spirit of Blessed Allamano.
We think that it may help to recall some directives of our General Direc-tory, and which have been a matter of discussion, and an answer has been re-quested during the visitation:
Individual missionaries are not allowed to own motor vehicles for personal use. Vehicles are for the community and should be used according to the needs of its various offices and activities (45.1).
Goods given to a missionary for a specific apostolic project should be used according to the intentions of the donors, and in agreement with the authorities of the local Church and of our Congregation (45.2.)
Missionaries must carefully avoid business-like attitudes (affarismo) and the use of means and methods contrary to the local laws. The purchase of real estate and any kind of investment of one’s money, or of other people’s money, are forbidden both in mission territories and anywhere else outside one’s own country (46.1).
Everyone should be ready to economize and use with care the goods of the community, exercising moderation in matters of clothing, and traveling, as well as in all circumstances and situations (44.1).
 We read in the Constitutions: “A missionary retains the ownership of those patrimonial goods which he possesses at the time of his Religious Profes-sion […] Before profession he must entrust to somebody else the admini-stration of his goods and decide about their use and usufruct. After profes-sion, in order to perform any transaction, or change provisions concerning his patrimonial goods, a missionary needs the permission of the Superior General or of his Regional Superior (48).
In virtue of the above mentioned rules, the professed missionary is not al-lowed to acquire and to manage real estate goods, like land and buildings. The missionaries who wish to visit his own family and spend some part of his vaca-tion with them, will be able to find accommodation with one of the IMC com-munities and, above all, in the centers of missionary animation which the region is preparing in various zones of the Country. If our houses would not be avail-able, the Regional Superior will resort to other solutions, but always in keeping with the norms of the Constitutions.




10. The Holy Spirit and we (Acts 15, 28)

The words of the Apostle Peter to the Christian Community, at the end of the Council of Jerusalem, reveal the manner of being and work of the first Christians: they were doing all in mutual communion, and with the Spirit of Christ. Subject of special consideration is that conjunction “and” which links among themselves the Spirit and we, and it seem an effort at elevating the per-son, even in its own weakness, to the dignity of co-responsibility and solidarity in the salvific action of God. This is a reminder which fits well the end of the canonical visitation: our limits and frailties should not discourage us, the mis-sion which is ahead of us is, without any doubt, exacting; problems and chal-lenges will always be there. But with us there is the Spirit of the Risen Lord who opens the paths, enlightens the difficult situations, picks us up from our falls, becomes inspiration and intuition in front of the unknown. This sharing with the Holy Spirit demands, on the other hand, the full commitment of each one of us, in freedom, with the workings of his intelligence. The intuition of love, the sharing of the experience, the quest for the same questions which re-veal the fatigue of the journeys of faith and love.
Now we entrust each of you to the heavenly intercession of the Blessed Al-lamano, and in particular the young and the sick. From heaven may he continue to follow “his” Kenya, the people so dear to him, the Christian communities so numerous and full of zeal, and may he intercede for the Institute many and holy vocations, filled with his spirit.
Aware that this is the last letter we write to you, as a final conclusion we wish to propose to you, making them our own, some excerpts of the first circu-lar letter of the Father Founder to the missionaries of Kenya, written the 27th of November 1903 (cf. Quasi una vita…., III, pp. 685-690). After having thanked the Lord for all the good which in a few months the missionaries were able to accomplish, G. Allamano adds:
“I thank the dear Consolata for the consolations with which she was com-forting me when, each evening, pouring out my heart full of worry for you and the Institute, she seemed to make me feel that you and the Institute were under her special protection, and nothing evil would happen under the mantle of such a lovely Mother”.
He then continues to exhort the missionaries to cultivate:
 “Spirit of faith: You have gone to Africa not for human reasons, but only to become holy and save many souls, and thus to deserve heaven reserved to the Apostles”.
 “Spirit of love: the last memento which I entrusted to you before you left, and which I renewed to the second and third group was this: that you would love each other like brothers in O. L. J. C.”
 Spirit of sacrifice, which is the foundation of missionary life. He who says ‘missionary’, refers to a man totally sacrificed; and you understood the missionary in this way in your desire for the missions”.
 “Spirit of humility: this virtue, necessary for everybody, is much more nec-essary for you in order to become suitable instruments in the hands of God, for the conversion of the infidels”.
And he concludes: “May the Consolata, our sweetest patroness, bless you as I with all my heart implore every morning and night that in you and me the will of God be accomplished. In Domino,
C.G. Allamano, Superior”.

With the same feelings of fraternity, we, too, greet you in the Lord,

Fr. Piero Trabucco, IMC
(General Superior)

Fr. Antonio Bellagamba, IMC
(Vice General Superior)

Fr. Norberto Louro, IMC
(Continental Councilor for Africa)