Kenya Hosts Pontifical Missionary Societies Meeting

(October 29, 2011) The national directors of the Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) from English speaking countries in Africa are meeting in Kenya on the theme: How to make the Catholic Church in Africa more missionary minded in the light of new evangelization, from October 26 to November 3. The meeting was officially opened by Papal Nuncio in Kenya, Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin. Later in the day, Chairman of the Kenya Commission for Missions, Bishop Anthony Ireri Mukobo, addressed the participants on the topic; Christ’s mission is our mission. Fr John Oballa, Rector of St Thomas Aquinas Seminary spoke on training of future priests and challenges facing formation today. The meeting brings together PMS directors from Angola, Sao Tome, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the Gambia and Sierra Leone. The meeting is being attended by, among others, Fr Timothy Lehane, Secretary General, Society for the Propagation of Faith in Rome and Msgr John Dale, outgoing PMS National Director in England and Wales.