By Paschal Norbert
SAGANA, AUGUST 15, 2025 (CISA)- From August 11 to 15, the Consolata Missionaries’ newly elected continental superiors and their councils gathered in Sagana, Kenya, for an intensive leadership workshop designed to equip them for the challenges and opportunities of guiding the congregation’s expanding mission in Africa.
The meeting, which brought together leaders from the congregation’s seven African circumscriptions, combined formal training in governance, administration, and pastoral leadership with in-depth discussions of the political, social, and economic realities shaping missionary work on the continent. It will culminate with a pilgrimage to Tuthu, Murang’a County, the birthplace of the Consolata Missionaries in Africa.
The Consolata Missionaries have a presence in 11 African countries, organized into seven circumscriptions: the South Africa–Eswatini Delegation; the Mozambique–Angola Region; the Tanzania–Madagascar Region; the Kenya–Uganda Region (mother region); the Ethiopia Region; the Ivory Coast Delegation; and the DR Congo Region. Their ministries include parish work, evangelization, schools, hospitals, social outreach, and the formation of new missionaries.
According to Fr Erasto Mgalama, IMC, Continental Councilor for Africa, “Africa provides the largest number of vocations in the congregation. In many of our seminaries around the world, Africans form the majority. This is a great blessing, but it comes with a challenge: we must ensure quality formation to match the numbers.”
The workshop, titled Service to the Authority, was rooted in the congregation’s understanding of leadership as a service derived from Christ and the charism of the founder, St. Joseph Allamano.
“Authority in our congregation is about service, service to the charism, to Christ, and to the Church,” explained Fr Mgalama, noting “Since we have a newly elected team of superiors from June of this year, this meeting is an opportunity to reflect together on our role as leaders in the Church and the Congregation.”
In an interview with CISA, Fr James Bhola Lengarin, IMC, the General Superior of the Consolata Missionaries, framed the workshop’s main purpose as a renewal of leadership skills and missionary vision.
“The whole idea was to bring together the newly elected councils so that they could meet, share, and receive a refresher course on leadership,” he said.
“These men already know our mission, goals, and purpose as Consolata Missionaries. However, as leaders and decision-makers, they need to develop specific skills to guide, accompany, and govern their communities effectively.”
The workshop included leadership and management strategies, governance methods, administrative planning, and an in-depth study of the congregation’s Constitutions, Directory of Governance, and relevant sections of Canon Law. A canon lawyer was brought in to clarify the role, qualifications, and duties of a superior within the Church’s legal framework.
Beyond the formal sessions, the workshop was also deeply pastoral and personalized. Fr Lengarin held nightly meetings with each circumscription.
He explained, “We went deeper into their specific realities: personnel issues, administrative challenges, mission priorities, and the political and social conditions of the countries where they serve.”
These discussions emphasized the importance of consolidating human and material resources so that decisions are well-informed and aligned with on-the-ground realities. The aim, he noted, was to ensure that leaders return to their missions “ready to dialogue, discern, and move forward in building the institute.”
Another central theme was the need to revisit leadership through the lens of the Consolata tradition. Fr Mgalama explained that the program encouraged leaders to “re-read our leadership in the light of the Consolata tradition… revisiting our Constitutions, directories, and governance structures, from the General Government to the continental and circumscription levels, so that our work runs smoothly and in unity.”
The gathering also addressed the personal qualities necessary for missionary leadership, including emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and resilience in times of difficulty.
The meeting’s outcomes were not only organizational but also spiritual and strategic. Fr Lengarin stressed that Africa’s growing vocations, 21 novices in Kenya and 28 in Tanzania, are a sign of vitality and hope, but also a call to responsibility.
“Our way of life continues to inspire,” he said, adding “Africa is working to solve its own problems, especially in the economic and financial sphere… Many of our institutions here are strong; our task now is to make them even stronger.”
He also urged missionaries to remain deeply present in their communities, especially among the poor, the marginalized, and those whom society neglects, such as street families and children.
Fr Mgalama framed the meeting as both an induction and a reaffirmation of the congregation’s missionary identity.
“We are revisiting our identity, what makes us unique in the Church, and the specific challenges we face in Africa, particularly in formation and economic sustainability,” he said.
“Above all, the central reminder is that our mission is Christ’s mission… Even in difficult times, we must remain faithful to the one who sends us.”
As the workshop closed, the leaders prepared to journey together to Tuthu, the historic cradle of Consolata mission in Kenya, to draw inspiration from the roots of their congregation’s African story. With renewed clarity on governance, strengthened unity among leaders, and a shared commitment to mercy, justice, and inclusion.
