Cameroon: Pastoral Visit of the general Superior in the District of Central Africa Step 2

Douala Saturday 29 October 2016

The general Superior participated this Saturday 29 October in the District Council which was held in the Library of La Salle College in Douala. Six Brothers make up this Council with the responsibility to assist and accompany the Brother Visitor in his duties as a facilitator of the District of Central Africa comprising of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad. Several important points were in the agenda of this Council: adoption of communities’ annual programmes, re-opening reports of educational works and New Communities, Report of the Economic Council and the adoption of the 2016 -2017 budget, preparation of the perpetual profession of Brother Débasco, District Chapter, District retreat…

The Council, after 4 hours of working, was interrupted at 12h 15 so that everyone can gain back some energy. But as soon as 2.00 pm, the superior began to receive the Brothers for individual accompaniment up to 4.00 pm…  He joined again the meeting of the District Council at 5.00 pm…

Douala, October 30, 2016. All Saints Feast Day

The Brother Superior, accompanied by the Director of the community of Douala and the general Councillor, participated in the Mass this Sunday 30 October in the oldest Catholic churches of Cameroon located within the school of La Salle Douala. He was invited by the celebrant, Father Clément, the Cathedral parish priest, to greet the Assembly at the end of the mass.  a round of applause responded to the few words that he spoke in English to the faithful.

The individual interviews with the Brothers continued after the Mass… This morning session ended at noon with the meeting with all the Brothers present in Douala… The Superior gave encouragement and a vibrant exhortation to the Brothers. He introduced with a quote from Saint Paul: Dear Brothers, You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4, 22-24). He expressed his joy to know that the Brothers take many lesson hours. Our vocation is to teach… He pointed out that if we are particularly dedicated to the mission, we must not however let ourselves be reduced to the mission. We are more than the mission. We need to integrate the aspects of the consecration and the community in our personal spiritual life.

The Brothers must take care of their personal and community prayer life and share with one another their experience of God. While regretting that there is no full-time person in charge of vocation, he recommended the Brothers to show creativity in terms of Lasallian pastoral vocations. It is a duty to work towards the training of our lay partners. He expressed his hope of seeing a rise of Lasallian African researchers and also to see the realization of the dream of an inclusive Lasallian African University. He expressed his desire to see the Brothers of RELAF going beyond their borders of personal and institutional comfort, and getting involved particularly in the projects of South Sudan and Lebanon…

In the afternoon of this Sunday, October 30, led by the visitor of the District, Brother Blaise, the Superior discovered more closely, over the 250 km separating Douala and Yaoundé, a little more of the realities of the Lasallian mission in Cameroon … We arrived in Yaoundé at 8.00 pm  past.

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