The joint session is a major meeting of the General Government (comprising the General Superior, Vicar General, 2 General Assistants, 5 Councillors, General Secretary, General Treasurer) with the Major Superiors (Provincials and Delegation Superiors) and Mission Superiors of a Region. This year, Senegal hosted this assembly for the Africa-Madagascar Region (AMR), from Monday, March 18 to Saturday, March 23, 2024.

Before coming to Senegal, each member of the General Government visited a Unit in the Africa-Madagascar Region (which is divided into two Sub-regions: Francophone and Anglophone Interprovincial Conference) for several days, which is how Fr. Asodo HENRICUS OMI, Assistant General for Formation, arrived in Madagascar.

Before the Joint Session, the Major Superiors and Mission Superiors of our Francophone Sub-region met already in Senegal to discuss our internal life. This meeting was part of the annual meeting. After the meeting of the Major Superiors and Mission Superiors of the Sub-region, there was also a meeting of the Major Superiors and Mission Superiors of the Africa - Madagascar Region.

How did I experience this Joint Session? It was of great importance for the General Government, which organizes it for all 5 Oblate Regions of the world, but it is even more important for the Region that organizes it together with the General Administration and hosts it. In short, the joint session is for the benefit of the Congregation and the Church.

During this Session, many topics were shared, addressed, and discussed according to the agenda including leadership and administration, communion and restructuring, protection of minors and vulnerable adults, communication/JPIC/Mission with the youth, communication from the General Superior. We also had a day of visiting (the city of Dakar, Gorée Island), pilgrimage…

The meeting took place in a fraternal atmosphere. Personal introductions helped us get to know each other as pilgrims of hope in communion, according to the theme of the General Chapter. It was a significant and historic meeting, which further wove fraternity and communion in the Region with the General Government and vice versa for the good of all, the Congregation, and the Church.

The opening mass, presided over by the Archbishop of Dakar, showed how well-known and recognized the Oblates from the Senegal Delegation are in the local church.

The presentation by Father Ferdinand, president of the Region, on the reality of AMR showed the achievements and challenges, while the Communication from the General Superior reminds and calls us to attention regarding the current situation of the Congregation and the Church. In short, the General Superior emphasized :

• Communion, which fundamentally comes from a sincere attachment to Jesus Christ, the center of our life, in prayer, and involves solidarity and subsidiarity ;
• Community and missionary life, for which each Oblate is responsible. Being an Oblate is above all being a man of the community. Therefore, community life must be strengthened ;
• Evangelization: first living the Gospel that we preach. In other words, we are the first called to live this Gospel before preaching it to others to whom we are sent ;

• Ongoing personal and communal conversion, which is not possible and sincere without personal and communal prayer and mutual listening… ;
• The role of the youth (pastoral care for and with the youth) and associated laypeople.
• The desire and work for the sanctification of our life, our vocation, anticipated in the preface (letter of our holy Founder) of our CC & RR.

The intervention by the General Treasurer, on the other hand, helped us to open our eyes and take charge of the financial and economic future of the Congregation from the research and strengthening of local income of each Unit.

The issue of politics and protection of minors and vulnerable adults reminded us further how much the abuse of these people devastates today, Africa is not spared at all !

As for the role of the youth (youth pastoral) and associated laypeople, it is today inevitable and crucial in our life as OMI missionaries; I would like to say that without youth pastoral or the youth, the Church does not go far, and without associated laypeople, the Congregation cannot achieve much. The passage and presentation of this group of youth and that of the associated laypeople of Senegal during the Session proved this to us.

I thank God who led me to Senegal, thanks to the Administration that programmed this joint session; it was a grace and helped me to work more for the glory of God and the salvation of souls! Many thanks also to the OMI Senegal Delegation who welcomed us with an Oblate heart !

Fr. Alphonse RAKOTONDRAVELO, OMI

Superior of the Delegation