On February 18-23, 2024, the members of the ad hoc committee in charge of drafting the Formation Directory for the African Federation of Conventual Franciscans (AFCOF) met in person at the National Shrine of Mary, Mother of God in Subukia, Kenya, to start their work. The committee members are Friar Moses Kabenla ARTHUR, from the Custody of Ghana; Friar John LESA, from the Province of Zambia; and Friar Paul KALOKI, from the Province of Kenya.
The ad hoc committee was created by the current AFCOF Formation Commission, which is entrusted with the mandate of drafting the AFCOF Formation Directory. The friars working on this first draft have been consulting documents of the Order as well as other resources, such as the past resolutions and statutes concerning the AFCOF Common Formation initiative, and a questionnaire that was sent out to all friar formators, including those in charge of continuing formation. At the conclusion of their work in Subukia, the committee members participated in the Stations of the Cross at the Shrine and prayed at the Marian Chapel on top of the hill where there are three natural fountains.
On February 24, 2024, the ad hoc committee members made a fraternal visit to the St. Bonaventure Formation House in Nairobi, Kenya, where they met with the friars in formation and the formation team on two separate occasions. The committee members gave the friars an update on the work done so far and listened to what they had to say on matters regarding the formation of friars in Africa. The draft in its current form will be sent to all of the formators of the AFCOF Federation for their input. Then, the ad hoc committee will incorporate their suggestions into the draft.
The AFCOF Formation Commission is scheduled to meet in June of 2024. At that time, it will finalize the draft and sent it out to all of the friars in the AFCOF Federation for their input before finally submitting it to the Ministers Provincial and Custodes of the AFCOF Federation in February of 2025. The AFCOF Ministers Provincial and Custodes will pass the final draft onto the General Secretariat of Formation who will then submit it to the Minister General and his Definitory for their approval. We entrust this work and the stages of its development to our Mother Mary, the Immaculate, to our Seraphic Father, Francis, and to all the Franciscan saints, so that through their intercession, we may, as a family, follow the path of discipleship traced out for us by our Franciscan charism.
Friar Moses Kabenla ARTHUR
