Message from WORLD UNION OF CATHOLIC WOMEN ORGANIZATIONS

A GOODWILL MESSAGE PRESENTED BY ROSALINE  NGANKU MENGA, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD UNION OF CATHOLIC WOMEN ORGANIZATIONS (WUCWO ), AFRICA REGION, AT THE 17TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF SECAM

Your Eminences the Cardinals here present,
ArchBishops, Bishops,
Rev. Fathers,
Consecrated men and women,
Lay faithful,
Distinguished invitees,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I bring you prayerful greetings from the WUCWO women of Africa and exhaust the laudable intentions of SECAM to invite to their plenary gathering, various agents involve in the church in Africa and beyond.

WUCWO’s aim is to promote the presence, participation and co-responsibility of catholic women in the society and the church, in order to enable them fulfill their Mission of evangelization and to work for human development

The theme of this assembly is ” New Pastoral Challenges Facing the African Family Today and Finding New Ways of Evangelizing the Families.” Nothing would have been more suitable to say the least.

During the first Synod of Africa, an explicit appeal was launched for each African family to become ” a privileged place for evangelical witness,” a true “domestic church,” a community which believes and evangelizes, a community in Dialogue with God and generously open to the heart of humanity…….” Ecclesia in Africa No 92.
Today, 22years after, despite the enormous work done by the church, the challenges of the family are even stronger. To borrow the words of the holy Father Pope Francis ” the family constitute the Domestic Church, where Jesus grows,through love and that this love is what the devil wants to destroy, and this explains why the devil attacks the family so much.(1st June 2004, Charisma Renewal Gathering in Rome )

WUCWO  in General and WUCWO women of Africa in particular share in this anxiety. That is why for the pass ten years we have always had as one of our working resolutions, ” the Family”.

We are very aware that as Cardinals and Bishops, your missionary activities to renew the church, revitalizes faith, Christian identity, offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Assemblies of such nature are therefore very important and WUCWO women of Africa are supporting it with prayers for God’s inspiration and directions.
Permit me to use this opportunity to express our appreciation to SECAM for the solidarity that exist between SECAM and WUCWO Africa Region. A relationship marked by mutually profitable spiritual, economic, social and cultural advancement as inspired by the social teachings of the church.
It is our hope that this relationship continues to grow and open up more channels of dialogue and mutual exchange between SECAM and WUCWO.

In particular, I wish to thank those Bishops whose women’s organizations are already affiliated to WUCWO ( 36 organizations in 25 countries.) and pray that through the support of their Bishops, the rest of the organizations in the other countries will do same.

I am excited to announce  that WUCWO women of Africa will come together for a dual occasion ( the 50th Anniversary of WUCWO in Africa, and the routine Regional conference which is held once every four years), next month in Malawi.
The theme of the conference is “WOMEN OF AFRICA PROCLAIMERS OF GOD’S MERCY”
We count on your prayers and usual support and prayers
I thank the Bishops’ Conference of Malawi and all the other Bishops’s Conferences that have hosted us before, for always being there for us and ensure that we succeed. We shall forever remain grateful.

To conclude, I invoke the intercession of Mary, Queen and Mother of Africa, patroness of WUCWO Africa Region, on all our endeavors through out this assembly.  God bless us all.