COMSAM 2025 closes on a note of Hope and Renewal
By Kati Dijane – The sixth General Assembly of the Confederation of Conferences of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) concluded on Friday, May 30, 2025, in Pretoria, with the election of a new leadership team and a strong message of hope, unity and renewal for consecrated life across the continent.
The assembly, which began on May 26 with an opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal Stephen Brislin, the Archbishop of Johannesburg, brought together religious superiors from across Africa for a time of reflection, discussion and spiritual renewal under the theme: “Hope, Synodality, and Empowerment of Consecrated Life in Africa.”
In the presence of Ms Daniela Leggio (representing Sr Simona Brambilla MC of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life) and Fr Toussaint Tshingome Ilunga, COMSAM’s legal adviser, a new council was elected. Sr Rita Yamba, FSP (Daughters of St Paul, DR Congo) was chosen as COMSAM’s new president, with Fr Jose Joaquim Pedro, MCCJ (Comboni Missionaries, Mozambique) elected vice-president.
Other elected council members include:
- Sr Zelna Oosthuizen, RSG (Good Shepherd Sisters, South Africa)
- Fr Zacharie Ndione, CSSp (Holy Ghost Fathers, Senegal)
- Sr Grace Kyomugisha (Sisters of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Uganda)
- Fr Ferdinand Owono, OMI (Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Cameroon)
- Fr Anand Talluri, PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, Tunisia)
A message of unity and renewal
In her inaugural message, Sr Rita expressed gratitude for the spiritual atmosphere and historical significance of gathering in South Africa during a Jubilee Year, emphasising that COMSAM’s mission is one of hope and solidarity. “We want to be for our contemporaries that tree in whose shelter they can rest, that tree that purifies, heals and nourishes,” she said.
She added that Pope Francis has guided the Church on the path of hope, and COMSAM gives thanks to God for the election of Pope Leo XIV, a consecrated religious and “worthy son of St Augustine,” as a symbol of divine providence and African leadership within the universal Church.
The gathering featured moments of deep communion, including visits to historical landmarks such as Regina Mundi in Soweto, the Union Buildings and Freedom Park, where delegates reflected on South Africa’s history of struggle and liberation.
Commitments for the future
Sr Rita outlined COMSAM’s commitments moving forward, including:
- Deepening personal relationships with Christ.
- Advocating for justice, peace, and the protection of the vulnerable through the creation of JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation) commissions.
- Supporting the poor and marginalised while fostering communities of peace and fraternity.
- Embracing synodality as a spiritual and pastoral path for the Church in Africa.
- Promoting lay leadership, Ubuntu values, and greater collaboration with bishops.
- Moving towards the autonomy of congregations while continuing prophetic witness.
- Protecting vulnerable people from all forms of abuse and exploitation.
Highlighting the message of Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu OFMCap during his address at the symposium on May 24, Sr Rita encouraged communities of consecrated life to be “laboratories of synodality” and “signs of hope” for the world, concluding her message with a heartfelt invocation to Our Lady of Africa to accompany the Church’s journey.
Reflections from the host country
Sr Zelna Oosthuizen RSG, president of the Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life in Southern Africa and newly elected COMSAM councillor, described the experience of hosting the symposium and AGM in South Africa for the first time as “eventful and unifying.”
More than 400 delegates gathered for the symposium, which took place in English, Portuguese and French, creating a dynamic multilingual space of fellowship and shared purpose. Sr Zelna expressed hope that COMSAM’s new leadership would open pathways to meet the evolving needs of the religious and wider Catholic communities in Africa and Madagascar.
Closing Mass: A call to faith and resilience
The assembly ended with a closing Mass presided over by Auxiliary Bishop Masilo Selemela of Pretoria on Friday, 30 May. Drawing from the Gospel of John and the Acts of the Apostles during his homily, Bishop Selemela reflected on Jesus’ words to His disciples before His ascension, comparing their temporary sorrow to the labour pains of a woman giving birth—pain that gives way to joy.
He reminded the faithful that suffering is a reality in the Christian journey and that many consecrated men and women serve in contexts marked by hardship. Yet, he emphasised that they are called to be signs of hope and perseverance in a world that often rejects the Gospel message.
“We must always put our trust and faith in the Lord, knowing that with God everything is possible and that nothing is too difficult or impossible for us to do as long as we have God by our side, journeying with us and providing for us, fortifying our resolve and commitment even in the face of the greatest and most difficult adversaries and obstacles,” he added.
The bishop concluded with an encouragement for all consecrated people to remain faithful and devoted, allowing God to work through them in building a more just, compassionate and spiritually vibrant Africa.
