Leadership Conference for Consecrated Life Gather for AGM

by Admin · March 24, 2023

Front Row: Members of the LCCL SA Executive with President Fr Siphelele Gwanisheni OFM in brown

By Sr Katy Van Wyk OP – The Leadership Conference for Consecrated Life in Southern Africa (LCCL SA) met for the three-day Annual General Meeting. Religious Sisters, Brothers and priests gathered on a crisp afternoon in the beautiful venue of Lumko Institute in Benoni.

There was great excitement among the members, reuniting and meeting new people. However, there was also a moment of sadness as members remembered with fondness and gratitude, the loss of Sr Letta Mosue who was a member of the executive committee, but died shortly after the last AGM.

The first session was the induction of about 20 new religious superiors who had been elected since the last conference. Facilitator Christian Brother Michael Burke in his PowerPoint presentation used images of spirals, explaining that everything points to the centre and radiates out. This came through in the reflection process, in which small groups looked at different questions. These helped participants delve deeper into their own experiences, looking at their physical and mental health, what energised and de-energised them, and our learnings about our leadership roles.

This process laid the foundation for the rest of the AGM and its theme, “Discernment in Decision-making”. The theme was a follow-up to last year’s theme of “listening”; both themes are inspired by the Church’s journey of Synodality. It was noted how much the role of discernment in our countries’ leadership was lacking.

Archbishop Siegfried Mandla Jwara of Durban, liaison for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) celebrated the opening Mass.

The archbishop focused the congregation’s attention to Azariah’s prayer, a prayer that leaders can also pray. The opening prayer, led by Sr Mary, reminded the congregation of their connectedness to all that is — something so necessary in these days of major environmental and other upheavals, inequalities, xenophobia, and so on.

The Vision Statement was posted on the wall throughout the conference: “Being prophetic in word in action, examining critically the cultural values operating in Church and society, caring for and promoting the integrity of creation, supporting and encouraging each other in our ministry of leadership”. Underlying all of this is a commitment to follow Jesus Christ in faith, hope and love.

In addition to “Discernment and Decision-making”, the conference covered many other important topics, such as “Law and Consecrated Life”, a complex subject which canon lawyer Fr Robert Bissell of Cape Town delivered in a way all could understand.

Structural and functional renewal of LCCL(SA) was emphasised through the revision of statistics of the individual religious and congregations in the conference as well as the work of the metropolitans and dioceses. This was aimed at creating support systems among different religious congregations in different contexts and internal conditions.

It was noted that the conference is celebrating 30 years since the merger of the male and religious bodies was recognised by Rome.

Franciscan Father Siphelele Gwanisheni, president of the LCCL(SA), was the main celebrant of the closing Eucharistic celebration. In his homily, he reminded the congregation that whatever they do in leadership, and whatever compliments or criticism they may receive, it is not about them but about the office of leadership.

The closing Mass included prayers for those 50 departed members of the conference who passed away since the last AGM last year. Jubilees for individuals and congregations were also acknowledged.

Gratitude was expressed to different people: Br Burke, for his creative and gentle facilitation skills, Archbishop Jwara for his support to the members of the Conference, and to Sr Thao Phi, secretary-general, for her great organisational skills, and the representatives from Lesotho and Zimbabwe.