Immaculate Tusingwire, MMS
In a bid to improve formation of religious men and women in Uganda, the Formation Ministry of the Religious in Uganda (FoMRU) launched a campaign to strengthen Formation for Pastoral Agents.
The event took place during the General Assembly of the Association of Religious in Uganda graced by Rt. Rev.Serverus Jjumba, Bishop of Masaka Diocese, Msgr. Charles Kasibante, Fr. Kamoga John Bosco, the president of ARU, together with the major superiors who were attending the assembly and other invited guests especially those in the field of Formation.
According to Sr. Mary Pauling Namuddu, Coordinator FoMRU, the main purpose for the Campaign is to sensitize all stakeholders in the Catholic Church within Uganda regarding the continuity and strengthening of Consecrated amidst the challenging trends of the 21st Century. This points to the urgent need to focus on improved quality formation of pastoral agents.
Sr. Romina B. Nyemera, OLGC in her Keynote address narrated the journey of FoMRU and appreciated ARU, the staff of FoMRU and Porticus, for sponsoring the program over the years. Sr. Romina emphasized the importance and urgency of renewing our formation programmes and the formation of formators, given that formation is a determinant factor for the continuity of religious institutes.
In his address, Bishop Serverus thanked Loyola Center for Media and Communications for partnering with FoMRU to produce a video that elaborates more on the purpose of the launched campaign. He stated the need to have formators who can pay attention to the pillars of formation and formators who are ready to be formed by those they are forming.
Sr. Pauline further elaborates that the dissemination campaign is meant to take at least five months of intensive continued sensitization of all people in the Church and in society using the different communication media centers and social media to reach a wide range of population.
“As an office, we plan to carry out the dissemination activities within the four (4) Ecclesiastical Provinces so as to reach the different parts of the country. If we get funding, we may reach out to Institutions of learning to share with them some information of youth formation into good citizens and possible evangelizers”
ForMRU invites the consecrated persons to participate in the dissemination campaigns by taking part in the planned activities, sharing their lived formation and community experiences as agents of evangelization.
Unlike other campaigns we know, this one is not to last for a given period, it is expected to continue at different levels in the individual Institutes and at ARU. Sr. Pauline says, “Since formation is the powerhouse of consecrated life, it is a lifelong campaign, and it is done following the signs of the time and according to the needs of the stakeholders and the changing trends”.
