“In Malawi, each group has a parish-level pastor and spiritual leader,” she said, adding, “At each meeting, a religious person is given the responsibility to provide spiritual guidance with us.”
She continued, “The Legion of Mary in Malawi and other organisations carry out many activities in collaboration with the Church and are fully involved in all celebrations and commemorations.”
Patrick Kamau, President of the Third Order of Franciscans in Kenya, also shared his experience during an online event on July 11. “We are involved in parishes, we take part in liturgical services, Bible reading, Eucharistic services, catechesis and even evangelization,” he said.
“We try to make ourselves visible in the activities of the church as we also take part in many other activities such as washing the vestments of priests and visiting the sick,” Kamau added.
In South Africa, the president of the dioceses of the Society of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary said the organisation was involved in raising funds for the seminary’s priestly training.
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“We ensure that each member contributes a certain amount to the seminary every year so that the diocese does not struggle to pay for the fees of priests,” Kgosi Mthembu said.
“We also participate in the construction of church buildings through financial donations from our members,” Mthembu added.
She lamented the bad habit of favouritism among some priests, which she said discourages lay people from joining organisations.
“Bishops should ensure open communication because in some cases, priests do not want to hear anything about certain fraternity groups and prefer one fraternity group at the expense of others,” Mthembu lamented.
She stressed the need to reach out to God’s people in need, including visiting sick people in their neighborhoods, as well as strengthening the faith formation of members of the Society of Friends group.
Silas Mwale Isengea is a Kenyan journalist with a strong interest and passion for Catholic Church related communications. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Languages, Media and Communication from Moi University, Kenya. Silas has extensive experience in the media production industry. He currently works as a journalist for ACI Africa.
