African Mission of APA

PROGRESS REPORT OF THE SPREAD OF PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION IN EAST AFRICA IN 2012 by Father Michael Kithusi

In the wake of the Blessed Pope John Paul II appeal for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration when he said “Every member of the Church, especially bishops and priests must be vigilant in seeing that this Sacrament of Love shall be at the Centre of the life of the people of God, so that through all manifestations of worship due it, Christ shall be given back love for love; and truly become the life of our souls.” (Redeemer of Man) and also
when he expressed his deepest desire for the whole Church with the words "I hope that this form of Perpetual Adoration, with permanent exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue into the future. Specifically, I hope that the fruit of this congress results in establishment of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in all Parishes and Christian Communities throughout the world" (Pope John Paul II's homily at the 45th Eucharistic Congress in Seville, Spain), so far and for the first half of this year, we have done the evangelization that has led to the opening of 6 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapels. Three of them are in Hoima Diocese, Uganda, one in Nairobi Archdiocese, Kenya and
two in Bukoba Diocese, Tanzania.

The main promoters of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the above Dioceses were, Joseph Karuga Kariuki, Emmanuel Okello, Nicholas Maina all from Kenya, and Deusdedit Tusiime, from Ugandan. Joseph and Emmanuel are in the process of opening Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel in a third parish in Bukoba and also have an invitation in August in another Diocese inTanzania while Deus has an invitation to start evangelization in Hoima at the end of July and in Kasese Diocese in September.


From last year January up to March this year I worked by opening upto 3 chapels of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in Fort Portal Diocese, in the same period I met Deusdedit Tusiime, Emmanuel Okello and Godfrey Kanyambwe. When they expressed their interest to promote Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration on a full time basis I embarked on training them on its evangelization and organization each at his own time. Deus and Emmanuel have now participated in the opening of seven Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapels inclusive of the chapels opened last year.

This year each has participated in the opening of two chapels of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (Please see name of main evangelizers in the pictorial part of this report). Also for a long
time when in Kenya I have been working with Nicholas Maina who for the first time and single handedly evangelized for the opening of the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel in a Parish in Nairobi Archdiocese.

 Between January 17th and April this year, I, Joseph Karuga, Emmanuel Okello and Godfrey Kanyambwe made trips from Kenya to Tanzania and then Rwanda. During this period we knocked the door for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in Mwanza, Kahama and Bukoba dioceses of Tanzania. And later in Rwanda, where we requested the Priests permission to promote Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in their parishes in Kibungo and Kigali Dioceses. 

Joseph and Emmanuel were allowed to work in Bukoba Diocese by the Bishop and have already assisted in the Evangelization and Organization that has led to the opening of two Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapels there. Right now they are two weeks working for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in a third parish in the diocese. In February this year we visited Kigali and Kibungo Diocese in Rwanda. I found three Priests who were ready to allow me to promote Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in their parishes located in these two diocese but they asked me to get permission from the Bishop.

Around first of March this year through a letter, I applied to the Bishop of Kigali who is also the Apostolic Administrator of Kibungo Diocese asking for permission to promote Perpetual
Eucharistic Adoration in both Kigali and Kibungo Dioceses in Rwanda. He is yet to let me know his decision. In May I visited the Bishop of Kasese in Western Uganda who allowed me to work with Godfrey Kanyambwe and also to promote Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in his Diocese if I get a willing Priest. I got one Priest in Kasese diocese who wants Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and introduced him to Deudedit Tusiime. These two have agreed that they begin Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration evangelization in September.

I came back to Western Kenya around early June and between the last week of June and now I have been working with Godfrey Kanyambwe in a small place called Migori in South Westen Kenya near Lake Victoria. I met and introduced Godfrey to Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in December last year. I worked a little with him in December last year in Kagoma Parish of Fort Portal Diocese in Uganda.

For now I can say that he is going on well and I feel that by the end of this year he will be able to Evangelize on Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration individually. The three Joseph, Godfrey, and Emmanuel have committed themselves to spreading Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration on a full time basis and are ready for the God's call to any state in life including the Priesthood. I am now working with Godfrey in mastering the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Evangelization. He has already mastered two Sunday Evangelization and we are left with two more Sunday Evangelization and the Seven New Evangelization presentations. After these we will do scheduling and organization for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We may do what is left in about 6 weeks and theoretically Godfrey will be ready to evangelize for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in two months.

Please note that we have also made applications for promoting Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration to other Bishops and Priests in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am waiting to get their response on whether they have
accepted my application....

Thank you very much for your prayers and financial support. May Our Eucharistic Lord bless you.

Note: Those who would like to help financially with our missionaries both in Africa and Latvia please contact Father Doug Harris.

Congregation of The Clergy wants Adoration

Promotion Of Continuous Eucharistic Adoration In Diocese For The Benefit Of Priests And Priestly Vocations

CONGREGATIO PRO CLERICIS

Explanatory note to help promote the practice of continuous
Eucharistic adoration in dioceses (parishes, rectories, chapels, monasteries, convents, seminaries) for the benefit of priests and priestly vocations.

In his Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI concretized the perennial teaching of the Church on the centrality of Eucharistic
adoration in ecclesial life by a direct appeal addressed to all pastors, bishops, priests, as well as the People of God, for perpetual Eucharistic adoration: "With the Synod Assembly, therefore, I heartily recommend to the Church's pastors and to the People of God the practice of Eucharistic adoration, both individually and in community. (194) Great benefit would ensue from a suitable catechesis explaining the importance of this act of worship, which enables the faithful to experience the liturgical celebration more fully and more fruitfully. Wherever possible, it would be appropriate, especially in densely populated areas, to set aside specific churches or oratories for perpetual adoration. I also recommend that, in their catechetical training, and especially in their preparation for First Holy Communion, children be taught the meaning and the beauty of spending time with Jesus, and helped to cultivate a sense of awe before his presence in the Eucharist. (Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 67)

In order to support the Holy Father's appeal, the Congregation for the Clergy,in its own solicitousness for the presbyterate, proposes that:

1.Each diocese appoint a priest who will devote himself full time – as far as possible – to the specific ministry of promoting Eucharistic adoration and coordinating this important service in the diocese. Dedicating himself generously to this ministry, this priest will be able to live this particular dimension of liturgical, theological, spiritual and pastoral life, possibly in a place specifically set aside for this purpose by the bishop himself, where the faithful will benefit from perpetual Eucharistic adoration. Just as there are Marian Shrines, with rectors in charge of that particular ministry and suitable for its specific needs, it is also possible to have "Eucharistic shrines" – with priests in charge of them – which radiate and foster the special love that the Church has for the Holy Eucharist, worthily celebrated and continuously adored. Such ministry within the presbyterate will remind all diocesan priests, as Benedict XVI said,that "the secret of their sanctification lies precisely in the Eucharist.(…)The priest must be first and foremost an adorer who contemplates the Eucharist" (Angelus, 18 September 2005);

2.Specific places are to be reserved for continuous Eucharistic adoration. To that end, parish priests, rectors, and chaplains are encouraged to introduce the practice of Eucharistic adoration in their communities, both personally and communally,in a collective effort to enhance prayer life. Let everyone be involved, beginning with children preparing for First Holy Communion;

3.The dioceses that are interested in this project might look for appropriate donations in order to organize continuous Eucharistic adoration in the seminary, in parishes, rectories, oratories, shrines, monasteries, and convents. Divine Providence will surely assist in finding benefactors who are willing to contribute toward suitable works to set in motion this project of Eucharistic renewal for the particular Churches, specifically: the construction or adaptation of a place of worship for adoration within a large worship building; the purchase of a solemn monstrance or a noble liturgical vestment; and the funding of liturgical-pastoral-spiritual material for such promotion;

4.Initiatives directed at local clergy, especially those relating to the continuing formation of priests, should be always permeated by a Eucharistic spirit, specifically devoting a suitable time to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, so that it may become– together with the Holy Mass – the driving force for each individual and communitarian undertaking;

5.The modalities for Eucharistic adoration in different places may be diverse, according to the circumstances. For example:

·perpetual Eucharistic adoration throughout the 24 hour day;

·extended Eucharistic adoration, beginning in the early hours of the morning and continuing until the evening;

·daily Eucharistic adoration during specific hours;

·Eucharistic adoration during one or more days of the week during specific hours;

·Eucharistic adoration for special circumstances, such as feast days and anniversaries.

The Congregation for the Clergy expresses its gratitude in advance to those Ordinaries who will become promoters of this project, one that is certain to renew the spirituality of both the clergy and the People of God in their particular Churches.

In order to more closely follow the development of this important appeal of the Holy Father, the individual Ordinaries interested in the initiative are kindly requested to keep this Dicastery informed of developments related to continuous Eucharistic adoration in their dioceses, indicating especially which priests and places are involved in this important apostolate.

Should further clarification on this matter be necessary, the Congregation for the Clergy stands ready to provide it.

From the Vatican, 8 December 2007

Solemnity of the of the Immaculate Conception of Mary