(Rome) The meeting of COREAM CARP (Commission for the Apostolic and Restructuring Plan) took place from 28th February to 2nd of March 2019 at the General Curia in Rome. The following members participated in the meeting namely Fr. Mike Brehl (Superior General), Fr. Nicolas Ayouba (General Consultor), Fr. Joao Pedro (Restructuring Commission), Fr. Tryvis Moyo (Restructuring Commission), Fr. Noel Sottima (Coordination Team), Fr. Raphael Kitheka (Restructuring Commission), Fr. Zéphirin Luyila (COREAM Coordinator). Fr. Gerry O’Connor (Coordination Team, and Director of Redemptorist Solidarity Office for Africa and Madagascar) could not be present for the meeting.
The agenda for the meeting was presented by Fr. Nicolas and the members also agreed upon the discussion on the new ideas that might come up during the meeting. In his intervention, Father General Michael Brehl, said that in view of the forthcoming Mid-Sexennium meeting in Nairobi (from July 28th to August 11th) as a Commission our work is enormous and thus we need to work very hard. This is especially on the proposed COREAM Apostolic plan, the Re-Configuration plan, the COREAM Strategic Plan and the Mid-Sexennium meeting agenda. Fr. General reminded us of the fundamental questions that should be in our minds as we continue with our discussions:
· Why do we have to engage in this process of Restructuring?
· How will this affect and transform our relationship with the Mother Provinces?
· Fr. General stressed that the dialogue with Mother Provinces during the Network for Africa, which will probably take place before the Mid-Sexennium meeting, will be very important in view of the process of Reconfiguration.
· The issue of finances is also an important aspect we need to focus more during this meeting. Another important aspect that emanates from various assemblies of our Units and needs special attention in this meeting is the formation (Initial and Ongoing).
After the opening remarks by Fr. General, the Commission went through the responses from various Units of the Conference on the Apostolic Plan and Reconfiguration process. Then there were the discussions on the necessary steps of the whole process to set up from now to Mid-Sexennium meeting and after discussions on Formation, Mission, Leadership, Administration, Relation with the Mother Provinces, and Finance. Various challenges, difficulties, fears, and possible solutions were discussed.
To implement all this, the coordinator introduced the further aspect of the Strategic Plan as an important tool in realizing our Apostolic Plan. He said that the present Strategic plan 2016-2019 needed to be reworked and updated to help us implement the Apostolic Plan of 2019-2022.
Thus, he stressed there is a need to see how to integrate the Apostolic priorities of the new Apostolic Plan in the Strategic Plan. This task shall contribute to making all things clear in order to facilitate the implementation of the whole process within the Conference of the Redemptorists of Africa and Madagascar (COREAM).
Fr. Zephirin Luyila, CSsR,
Coordinator of the COREAM
