A Summary of the Custody’s Assembly

CUSTODY’S ASSEMBLY- DOMINCAN CONVENT-BAMBUI

September 25-26, 2023

A summary of the discussions at the Custody’s Assembly, held in the Dominican Convent (Bambui)

Monday, 25 September 2023

The assembly doors opened at about 9am (Monday, 25 Sept. 2023), with 63 participants. Br. Kenneth Kinyuy, the Custos, welcomed all the brothers present. He expressed gratitude for the presence of the brothers especially the presence of  Br. Kilian Ngitir (General Councilor for Africa), Br. Wachamo Aklilu Petros (from the solidarity office in the Curia), and the Provincial Minister, Br. Angelo Borghino, for making it for the Assembly. The Custos, Br. Kenneth, basing on the word “rapprochement”, indicated that the assembly would be a moment of verification, whereby information received by the Curia and the Provincial has to be verified and clarified so that we all, as friars, move on the same footing and to the same direction.

Br. Kilian intervened after the Custos. He expressed the General Minister and his council’s worry about Cameroon concerning the postulancy project and other projects of the Custody. He acknowledged the fact that the postulancy had been an urgent project for the past 9 years, a project which is being realized today in Mbohtong. He indicated that this giant project was happily welcomed by the Curia even though, along the lines, the project has undergone some misunderstandings, reasons for their presence at  Assembly, an opportunity for clarity to be made on the Postulancy project and to see together the steps to take for the realization of this noble project so dear to the Custody.

After the intervention from the Curia, through Br. Kilian, the Provincial Minister spoke up. He spelt out that the assembly is convened because of the need to enlarge our reflection as a custody, on the custody and its future. Moreover, pointing to the numerous projects of the custody as a major concern, the provincial explained that the fundamental question is not on the mistakes made about these projects not discussed or clarified with him, but on the mentality behind these projects. He even enquired to know if it was important to build people or the walls. He further highlighted the place of authority as service. In his presentation about the animation of the custody’s life by the council, two points were looked into: firstly, that the Custos and his Council ought to animate spiritually, pastorally, and fraternally the life of every fraternity and brother. He stated that in all the superior does, he must ask himself how what he does is of help to the brothers to faithfully respond to the call of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, that listening to the brothers is of prime importance in animating the brothers and of great value or service to fraternal life.

Moreover, Br. Borghino, the Provincial Minister, gave guidelines on how to animate the custody based on his own experience as councilor and provincial.

• The need of the custos to visit brothers in their fraternities and in their functions such as bursars, guardians etc.

• The need to create active commissions to assist the council.

• Giving more accent to formation of brothers in the custody and that a healthy relationship exists between the superiors and the formators.

        After the Provincial’s interventions, brothers went into constituted groups of 7 to evaluate the Custody’s activities. This evaluation was guided by the following questions:  

QUESTION ONE

Approximately five months after the celebration of the custody chapter, how do we evaluate the significant events and moments, as well as the problematic ones? For those who did not participate in the chapter, what perception or feedback could they have gotten? What effect did I have within the various fraternities?

QUESTION TWO

At the custody level we can reflect on these elements: =how do we live the relationship with the custody? What feeling of real belonging do we live and express? Do we feel like active members, who live responsibly, or passive members, who use the custody for their own projects? How do we evaluate our personal commitments in the life and activities of the custody? How is the quality of our communication with each other and with those in charge and service of authority? How do we use forums and social media? To what extent are they constructive and unifying instruments rather than a source of division? What real openness do we experience with respect to the national territory, starting from vocational animation? What are our expectations for the future of the custody? Are our current activities and commitments helping us achieve these goals? How do we live the relationship with the province, what are the expectations? What can and should we grow and improve on?

QUESTION THREE

At the initial and ongoing formation level: how do we evaluate the initial formation path in the custody, what are the strong points and what are the weak ones? What evaluation do we give to ongoing formation? What opportunities can we avail ourselves of and what are the lacks?

The feedback from this workshop was a great help to the brothers to see what has been done, what needs to be improved and how to move on as a Custody.

TUESDAY: 26 September 2023

The second day of the Assembly had as vision, to tackle the projects of the Custody and to bring out solutions to the uncompleted structures. Br. Wachamo Aklilu (from Ethiopia), working in the solidarity office in the Curia, being the first to intervene for the day, briefed the brothers on the following points.

Firstly, he expressed his joy of being present in the custody, indicating it was his second time of coming to Cameroon since 2009 with the inauguration of the Cardiac Center. Then, he presented to the brothers the structure of the solidarity office. He further explained the difficulty of assisting the brothers of the Custody in their projects as a result of the financial crisis that undergoes the Curia.

After his presentation, the brothers went into groups to continue reflecting on the life and projects of the custody through the following questions:

• At the level of projects how do we evaluate the strong commitment sustained in the construction projects still underway? What sharing took place within the custody

• At the ecclesial level we can ask ourselves: What participation do we experience in the events of the dioceses in which we are inserted? What is our contribution to the journey of the local church with our own charism? What is our involvement and our communion with the bishops, with the priests, with other men and women religious? How do we evaluate bishops’ relationships with our superiors?

• Sharing general observations: joys, worries, fears, hopes etc.

After the interventions from the brothers in response to the questions, Br Tobias then greeted the brothers, informing them of his departure for mission to America, precisely in the province of New Jersey.

From his intervention, came closing remarks. The first closing remark from the Custos, Br. Kenneth, who said that what had provoked the Assembly was a mistake in the construction of giant structures in the custody; a mistake God has used to reunite us and to help us reunite our ideas for the good of our Custody. The Custos appreciated the Provincial Father for having a critical eye on him and on our custody. He concluded by thanking the Provincial for being always a father who leads the custody into the “promised land”.

The remarks of the Custos were then followed by those of the Provincial, who in the first place, thanked the brothers for making the Assembly a fruitful one through their frankness and sincerity. He acknowledged being hard on the brothers, yet underlined he has a responsibility before the province to respond to each member of the province.  About the construction of the postulancy, he pleaded that each brother of the Custody sacrifices something in view of the structure. Lastly, he acknowledged the fact that the Custody needs to move towards autonomy, knowing there are modalities to be arrived at. Consequently, there is a need to start reflecting on such modalities.

Br. Aklilu Petros, on his part, equally expressed his joy of meeting the brothers and sharing with them. He appreciated the hard work of the brothers, and encouraged all to keep striving always for the good of the custody, which one day, shall be raised to a Province.

Finally, came the words of Br. Kilian, who articulated his satisfaction for the spirit of collaboration amongst the brothers, exhorting them to continue to strive for perfection, valuing each other as a gift. He added that brothers do away with their differences and learn better ways of handling them. This will then foster unity amongst the brothers and in the custody as a whole.

We thank God for having led us throughout this family gathering.

Pax et Bonum

Br. Cedric Verbe Kohyen