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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Welcome to Project Linkup</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to Project Linkup"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> News Archive</div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Prayer for Project Linkup"><U><IMG SRC="03ba0aa0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="170" ALT="A Prayer for Project Linkup" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>Back to Archive Contents Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>A Vision for an RCIA Parish</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>Belgrave's Small Church Communities - Birthing New Christians</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>Imaging initiation in Small Church Communities</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Connection between SCCs and RCIA in East African Parishes</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>Caring for New Catholics</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>RCIA is Booming in Africa</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>Easter 2005 for Project Linkup in Dar es Salaam</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>Project Linkup - On Safari in East Africa</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><U><B>What kind of Church does the Rite want?</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Current News Article"><U><B>Current News Article</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>News Article Archive</B></div> <div> <I>February 2004</I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>CONNECTION BETWEEN SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES (SCCs) AND THE RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA) IN EAST AFRICAN PARISHES</B></I></div> <div> Rev. Joseph G. Healey M.M. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>Father Joseph Healey is an American Maryknoll missionary priest from Baltimore, Maryland who was ordained in 1966. He has worked in East Africa since 1968 especially in Nairobi, Kenya; Rulenge, Tanzania; and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Presently he is the Social Communications Coordinator of the Maryknoll Missioners in the Tanzania Region.  He is a member of St. Jude Thaddeus Small Christian Community in Musoma and St. Theresa of Lisieux Small Christian Community in Dar es Salaam.</B></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I><B> </B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Over the past 15 years many Catholic parishes in Africa have learned that the Adult Catechumenate, that is, the process and stages of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), is best carried out in a community setting.  The Lumko Missiological Institute in South Africa has been a pioneer in developing Catechumen communities, a specific type of Small Christian Community (SCC) where the adult catechumens in a parish, sub-parish or outstation form their own SCC to reflect on the <I>Bible,</I> talk about the Catholic faith and journey together as a community.</div> <bR> <div> In some parishes in Tanzania adults interested in becoming Catholics (called “Inquirers”) first pass through the SCC in their geographical area/neighbourhood that submits the request forms for the baptism of adults to the parish office.  Some SCCs have started the ministry of <I>Accompanier </I>in the Adult Catechumenate.  A catechumen choses a SCC member to “accompany” him or her through the stages (steps and rites) of the RCIA. The catechumen is invited to participate in all the activities of the SCC.  Personal relationships and friendships are an important part of helping people who are preparing for baptism to feel “at home” in their local Christian community.  Growth in faith is an experience of living in a believing community.  The emphasis is on the faith being “caught” in sharing the life of the SCC rather than just being “taught” in formal instruction classes.  Sometimes the whole SCC accompanies “its” catechumens - another example of community ministry.  Here all the SCC members are responsible for the spiritual and pastoral life of their own small community.  This approach is closely related to the African values of community, joint responsibility, togetherness and sharing.</div> <bR> <div> Holy Week is the culmination of the two-year Adult Catechumenate in many parishes in East Africa.  There are many important communal events leading up to the celebration of the three sacraments of initiation during the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Service. Here is a description of the experience in Mwanhuzi Parish in Shinyanga diocese in Western Tanzania:</div> <bR> <div> The mainly Sukuma Ethnic Group catechumens (between 30 and 50 each year) have been journeying together for two years.  In their villages and outstations they have been praying in their regular SCCs or in a special Catechumen community.  During Holy Week the adult Catechumens live together and pray together in Mwanhuzi Parish itself.  They develop their own communal identity by praying, singing and dancing (an important part of the Sukuma culture) together.  During the Easter Vigil Service the local community presents the candidates for baptism.  The symbols of the Paschal Candle, water, oil of chrism and white garment are rich in meaning as they are inculturated in a local Sukuma setting.  Different kinds of drums and bells are played during the singing of the <I>Glory be to God.</I>  The women and girls' ululation (a special trilling sound made in the back of the throat) punctuates the singing.  The whole congregation acclaims the newly baptised with clapping, shouts of joy and ululation.  The sponsors, friends, relatives and SCC members flow into the sanctuary and the aisles to sing and dance.  The new adult Christians are reminded of the missionary call of their baptism in the African saying: <I>To be called is to be sent. </I></div> <bR> <div> As part of a project to study the connection between Small Christian Communities (SCCs) and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) in east African Parishes a case study was carried out between July, 1998 and April, 1999.  First the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) of the Religious Superiors' Association of Tanzania (RSAT) prepared a simple, user-friendly handout (leaflet with text on both sides of a single sheet) in Swahili for SCC meetings and <I>Bible </I>services in Tanzania and Kenya.  20,000 copies were distributed on the local level.  The overall heading of these handouts is “Inculturation in Evangelization.”  The contents of this particular handout for use in the SCCs during October, 1998 and especially to prepare for world Mission Sunday on 18 October 1998 emphasized the following:</div> <bR> <div> <B>a.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   1998 as the Year of the Holy Spirit</FONT></div> <div> <B>b.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   Two African sayings (Proverbs) on “Cooperation and Solidarity” with explanations</FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0066CC" FACE="Arial" ><B>c.</B></FONT>   Scripture Text <I>Acts of the Apostles </I>10:34-39 and 44-45 on ”The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit”</div> <div> <B>d.   </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Explanation</FONT></div> <div> <B>1. </B>Small Christian Communities and the <I>Acts of the Apostles </I>10</div> <div> <B>2. </B>Small Christian Communities and adult catechumens. As described above the SCC members accompany the adult catechumens in their spiritual journey.  The sponsor accompanies the catechumens in all aspects of the Christian life during the period of the RCIA participating together in the meetings and activities of the SCC, encouraging the catechumen in the instruction periods and different stages of the RCIA, being the official sponsor of the person when he or she is baptised, confirmed and receives the eucharist during the Easter Vigil Service, and guiding the newly baptised person in al aspects of the Christian life including marriage and leading a holy life.</div> <div> <B>3.</B> The gifts of the Holy Spirit in the life of the SCCs with emphasis in helping the catechumens in the stages of the RCIA, all the SCC members being called to preach the gospel, and the overall missionary spirit and outreach of the SCC.</div> <div> <B>e.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   Photograph of a SCC in Tanzania praying together</FONT></div> <div> <B>f.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >    Three questions discussed during SCC meetings related to the role of the Holy Spirit in animating the community life of the SCCs.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> These handouts in Swahili were also used in the SCCs that are twinned with SCCs in the United States, Australia and other places (a project sponsored by Buena Vista, the Pastoral Department for Small Christian Communities in Hartford Archdiocese and LANACC, Notre Dame.)</div> <bR> <div> <B>Evaluation</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> The handout was distributed widely but its use and effectiveness were mixed.  Some SCC members read it privately over a several month period.  Many SCCs were very slow to use it in a systematic way.  Many SCCs lacked facilitators or animators to guide the discussion.  There were scattered success stories.  Mipa Parish in Shinyanga reported, “The leaflet led to very good discussion especially about the SCC members forming and helping the catechumens.”  In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the material on the Holy Spirit was appreciated the most.  It is too early to determine if the adults baptised in April, 1999 are continuing as committed members of their SCCs.</div> <bR> <div> Mainly this project got SCC members thinking about adult catechumens and our missionary responsibility.  Many SCC members are proud and enthusiastic about adult catechumens being in their SCCs.  But a large number of Christians still see the priests and catechists being responsible for the preparation of the catechumens before baptism.  It is hard to move away from the formal “catechumen class” approach.  The stages of the RCIA take a great deal of time and work and pastoral leaders are reluctant to make this commitment.  Yet it is pointed out that the ceremony and celebration of each stage (similar to life passages) has many parallels in African culture. The challenge of inculturating the RCIA continues.    </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Select Bibliography</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Healey, Joseph. <I>What Language Does God Speak: African Stories About Christmas and Easter. </I>Nairobi: St. Paul Publications-- Africa, 1989. See especially the story about the SCC-RCIA connection called “Paul's Two-year Spiritual Journey.”</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Healey, Joseph and Donald Sybertz. <I>Towards An African Narrative Theology. </I>Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa. 3rd Reprint, 2000 and Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 4th Printing, 2002. See especially chapter three on SCCs and chapters Seven and Eight on the RCIA.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Hirmer, Oswald. <I>Our Journey Together: 47 Catechetical Sessions for Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) </I>Kampala: St. Paul Publications - Africa, 1988<I>.</I></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Sybertz, Donald. <I>Hadithi za Kisukuma Zinazofanana Vidao (Sukama Stories following the themes of the RCIA Catechetical Sessions). </I>Bujora, Mwanza Kituo cha Utamaduni wa Usukuma, Privately duplicated, 1991-1998.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Maryknoll Missioners, P.O. Box 867, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  Updated 1 January, 2002.   </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id27_m.htm" TITLE="News Archive"><U>Back to Top</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>