COMMUNITY FOR MISSION
 
I remember the SCW (at the Service of the Church in the World) retreat of 1975 very well. Brothers and sisters decided to have a joint retreat. This was a new experience for all of us and a turning point for many of us.

Therefore, when I got your invitation share my experience of community for mission, a vivid memory of how some brothers spontaneously reflected on such a challenge toward mission came to my mind. Perhaps, also a recent visit by Mrs. S. Muyaya to our community in the month of October last year sparked on a nostalgic feeling in my heart. She came to invite me to the forthcoming annual meeting of the SCW (the Convivenza) which would take place in middle of December 2010.
 
I responded positively to the invitation, but when my health weakened in the following weeks, I went there just for a cup of coffee. This gesture was, nonetheless, appreciated very much by the team.
 
For many years I attended the Convivenza annual meetings .In those days there were so many people interested to attend our meetings. So many, that we had to scramble for places to accommodate the attendants and limit representation of regional participants. Now, thirty years later, I found there were only ten people present. Some of these people were familiar faces from the past team. Mrs. Muyaya was one of them. Sadly, conspicuously missing in this group were religious brothers and sisters. For religious brothers and sisters used to be the energy and the heart of the SCW in Malawi.
 
In the mid-seventies the SCW organized a retreat in which we reflected on the signs of the times. The hunger of the youth for spiritual guidance was seen as a great need. At the close of the retreat the retreatants from the Blantyre Archdiocese were grouped together and were confronted with a clear challenge; "What are you going to do on this issue? "Are you willing to start retreat weekends for the youth in the schools?
 
Even though we felt that there was some willingness to do so, we were hesitant to give a clear response. None of us had any experience of leading retreats. We felt at a loss on how to go about it and how to make a start. We then proposed to have a follow-up of this retreat by keeping coming together in prayer and reflection weekends.
 
We were committed to our promises and organized regular prayer meetings which after some time led to the Blantyre Core Group . The SCW gave training sessions and we grew into a strong group which stood ready in the weekends during the year to go out to secondary schools. The core group was formed by religious sisters and brothers. Fortunately, many lay men and women joined the group. They too were instrumental in giving shape to this service. Four or five FIC-Brothers, several Sisters of Our Lady, Daughters of Wisdom and Servants of Mary dedicated themselves to this service to the youth, over a great numbers of years. Most of them were always present until sickness or repatriation declined their commitment. It is sad to note that young religious today do not feel attracted to join this community for mission.
 
With great respect I remember Mr. E. Khaula who headed Catholic Insttute Primary School in Blantyre and was always ready to join the team. Mrs. Muyaya, who after her retirement as a teacher had found a well paid job, but she was willing to take a fulltime job with Convivenza at half the payment. Brothers and Sisters with a full apostolic assignment were willing to spend their weekends in the ministry of Convivenza. Sometimes the team travelled to far-away schools (Nsanje, Phalombe,Mwanza !). Looking back, I feel that these years were a great blessing for all of us.
 
The international leaders from the Powerbase in Rome were always present in our annual meetings to give full spiritual support and invited us to grow further and develop new topics so that our retreats would keep the interest in following years.
 
The spontaneity and eagerness of the youth gave our services a powerful support for motivation. The group grew in great respect for each member. The regular self-evaluations and affirmation of the other members were deep experiences.
 
I have no idea why young religious brothers and sisters do not take part in the mission of Convivenza today. But I can tell you this: the SCW was more exemplary as Community for Mission than many of the religious communities I have known.
 
Br Thomas Lechner