Annual Report of the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) of the Religious Superiors' Association of Tanzania (RSAT) - June, 2001 to June, 2002 I. Follow-Up to the Suggestions of RSAT 1. Ongoing Mission Education of MAC members and members of the congregations and societies in RSAT: The twice-yearly Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) Meetings include a mission education component. While no specific mission seminars and workshops have been conducted by MAC in the past 12 months, at least six members of MAC with specialized training and experience in the communications media have used e-mail, radio, television, magazines, newspapers, leaflets, handouts and posters to promote a missionary spirit in the various congregations and societies. While the Mission Awareness Seminars at the Salvatorian Institute in Morogoro, Spiritan Missionary Seminary at Njiro in Arusha, and the Don Bosco College of Philosophy and Youth Studies in Moshi are given on a three-year cycle basis (next proposed for 2003), MAC awaits specific invitations from individual RSAT congregations and societies. 2. Outreach of MAC throughout Tanzania: a. MAC - Mwanza (a Mission Awareness Committee in the Mwanza Zone) continues in its second year. The 15 active members animate families, Small Christian Communities (SCCs) and schools. The coordinator is Sister Rita Ishengoma, STH. Brother Timothy Ibutu, S.J and Sister Rita produced a half hour radio programme called "Sisi Sote Ni Wamisionari" that was broadcast on Radio SAUT on World Mission Sunday (21 October, 2001). MAC - Songea is in the initial planning stage. b. Our 9-12 April, 2002 meeting of MAC took place in Dodoma. We had 32 participants including four from Dodoma. It was an excellent opportunity to visit the Local Church in the Dodoma area with field trips to local sites followed by discussion and reflection. While the travel costs are high, the opportunity to extend MAC to the whole of Tanzania makes it worthwhile. Bishop Matthias Isuja Joseph of Dodoma gave an inspiring talk to open the meeting and stressed the priority of missionary work. 3. Concern has been expressed about the large number of MAC members who do not belong to RSAT congregations and societies. A big turning point in the history of MAC was Father Isidor Peterhans, OFM Cap (then the Chairperson of RSAT)'s suggestion in 1996 to widen MAC to involve sisters, lay men and laywomen in MAC activities. The Mailing List of MAC is around 85 people including official members, contact people, collaborators and friends. But the financial burden has remained on RSAT. To alleviate this situation we are taking the following steps: a. Encourage RWSAT itself and mission-minded congregations of Sisters belonging to RWSAT to contribute regularly to MAC expenses. b. Recommend that each MAC member contribute 10,000/= a year. c. Look for other creative means to cut down on expenses. The Little Sisters of St. Francis are generously offering accommodations for religious sisters participating in the MAC Meetings at Mbagala. Individual members are contributing the costs of transportation, photocopies, photographs, paper and other supplies. d. The main challenge is the high cost of two MAC Meetings a year especially if 30 people attend. At present the RSAT General Fund provides 500,000/= per year. NOTE: Full Room and Board at Mbagala Spiritual Centre, Dar es Salaam is 8,000/= per day while it is 5,000/= per day at the Ivrea Sisters Centre, Dodoma. MAC asks the RSAT for advice on how we can get additional funds to cover the expenses of two meetings a year. Also one solution is to ask non-RSAT participants to contribute to the costs. Another solution is to shorten the number of days of the meetings. II. Relationship with PMS on National and Diocesan Levels Rev. Liberatus Mwenda is the new National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Tanzania. He has established an office at the Tanzania Catholic Secretariat of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) in Kurasini, Dar es Salaam. In March, 2002 the national director convened a PMS Executive Committee meeting. Bishop Augustine Shao, C.S.Sp., Bishop Chairman of the Mission Commission of TEC, and the five Archdiocesan PMS Directors in Tanzania participated. Father Jude Shayo represented MAC at the meeting. At the MAC meeting in Dodoma Father Mwenda presented recommendations on how MAC can participate in the work of PMS. He said that he was going to write to all the bishops in Tanzania informing them about the role of MAC in assisting PMS in different programmes in evangelization. MAC members are working closely with PMS on various mission awareness projects including a series of zonal mission seminars to take place in Tanzania later this year. Father Mwenda asked MAC Members to assist the Diocesan Directors of PMS in the various dioceses. Mrs. Esther Chilambo and Mrs. Perpetua Mashelle represent MAC on the Advisory Council of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood in Dar es Salaam Archdiocese. A special activity is producing both radio and television programmes. There is also a close working relationship between PMS and MAC in the dioceses of Zanzibar, Morogoro, Iringa and Mbeya. III. Other New Developments, Activities and Challenges 1. At our April 2002 meeting of MAC Father Jude Shayo, A.J. of the Apostles of Jesus was elected as the new Chairperson. We gave a special vote of thanks to the outgoing chairperson Father Leo Bagenda, I.M.C. who in a true missionary spirit is going to work in the Kenya Province of the Consolata Missionaries (covering Kenya and Uganda). New members have joined MAC from the Consolata Missionaries, Missionaries of Africa, Capuchins, Franciscan Conventuals, Precious Blood, Salesians of Don Bosco and Salvatorian Fathers and Brothers. 2. Under the coordination of Father Paul Haule of the Communications Department of TEC, MAC members have recorded a series of radio programmes for Radio Tanzania and television programmes for Televisheni ya Taifa (TVT). MAC members also participated in two videos produced by Video Tumaini and broadcast in the "Amani Kwenu'" series on Coastal Television Network (CTN): a. Panel Discussion on "Mission" (which used the excellent TEC poster with the theme "Kila Mbatizwa ni Mmisionari" ("Every Baptized Person is a Missionary") and the youth play Wajibu Wangu (My Responsibility) on World Mission Sunday, 21 October, 2001. b. Panel Discussion on the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood, the children's play Nendeni Ulimwenguni Kote (Go Into the Whole World) and Bishop Method Kilaini's reflections on Christmas on 23 December, 2001. 3. MAC members use e-mail and the Internet more and more to share ideas and information and to promote mission awareness. For example, we download and distribute church documents on mission in both electronic and paper formats. Pope John Paul II's 2002 Message for World Mission Sunday was sent around the world by e-mail and posted on several Internet websites just two days after it was published at the Vatican. At the MAC Meeting at Mbagala in November, 2001 Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, the Nuncio in Tanzania, and Father Chesco Msaga, C.PP.S. spoke on the importance of the mass media in evangelization. Father Joseph Healey gave three talks at the AMECEA/IMBISA Pastoral Communications and Social Action Course at the Tumaini Centre, Nairobi, Kenya on 10 May, 2002 on: "Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel." He used a Case Study of the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC)'s collaboration with the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), Tanzania to disseminate Pope John Paul II's 2001 Message for World Mission Sunday in English and Swahili. Presently these kinds of "Mission Messages" are electronically "stored" on the Vatican Website (http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm), the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Africa Region Website (www.maryknollafrica.org), Parish Without Borders Website (http://parish-without-borders.net), etc. They are also available from the Catholic Information Service for Africa (CISA) by e-mail: cisa@wananchi.com. 4. Through e-mail, regular mail and personal visits, MAC has developed close collaboration with people and groups involved in mission awareness in Kenya including Father Eugene Ferrari, I.M.C., the National Director of PMS, the Mission Promotion Team of the Comboni Missionaries, Lwanga Communications of Mombasa Archdiocese, the Social Communications Department and Documentation Service of AMECEA and New People and The Seed Magazines and people and groups involved in mission awareness in Uganda including Father Augustine Lukenge, the National Director of PMS, and Father Brian O'Rourke, C.S.Sp., a former MAC Member. IV. Financial Report I. Income A. Balance on 1 June, 2001 240,000/= Tz. Shs. B. Contribution from the RSAT General Fund for MAC Meetings 500,000/= C. Contributions from RSAT Members to help finance the activities and projects of MAC: Apostles of Jesus 30,000/= Benedictines, Peramiho 100,000/= Franciscan Conventuals 100,000/= Maryknoll Missioners 380,000/= Missionaries of Africa 100,000/= Salesians of Don Bosco 100,000/= Two Private Donors 300,000/= SUB TOTAL 1,110,000/= D. Contributions from Congregations and individuals to help finance the activities and projects of MAC: Consolata Sisters 100,000/= Individual MAC Members 123,000/= Little Srs of St. Francis-accommodations139,500/= Lwanga Communications, Mombasa 100,000/= MAC Mwanza (money) 55,000/= MAC Mwanza (value of goods) 7,000/= MSOLA 100,000/= RWSAT 30,000/= Special Collection 2,500/= Theresian Sisters, Iringa 30,000/= Value of goods and services 131,380/= SUB TOTAL 818,380/= E. Special Grant from Maryknoll for the Half-Time Coordinator 950,000/= F. Profits from the sale of books and booklets on mission 8,500/= GRAND TOTAL 3,626,880/= Tz. Shs. II. Expenditure A. Room and Board for two meetings (Mbagala, Dar es Salaam - 638,550/= Ivrea Centre, Dodoma - 417,100/=) 1,055,650/= Tz. Shs. B. Activities and projects of MAC: 1. Production of 12 radio Programmes for Radio Tumaini 120,000/= 2. Help in production and video distribution of "Amani Kwenu" TV programmes 250,000/= 3. Buying, copying and distribution of audio cassettes and video cassettes on mission 240,000/= 4. Materials (posters, handouts, magazines for World Mission Sunday (21 October, 2001) 200,000/= 5. Printed materials on mission for the ongoing education of MAC Members 125,000/= 6. New Leaflet on MAC (July, 2002) 280,000/= SUB TOTAL 1,215,000/= C. Local transportation for MAC members and helpers 50,000/= D. Photocopy costs 420,000/= E. Paper, stationary, stamps, office supplies, computer supplies 240,000/= F. Telephone calls 215,000/= G. Gifts for collaborating groups and departing members 75,000/= H. Films, photographs, albums 55,000/= I. Books, Booklets, Magazines and Posters for MAC Library 80,000/= GRAND TOTAL 3,405,650/= Tz. Shs. III. Balance 221,230/= Tz. Shs. remains for activities and projects of MAC to be carried out from 1 June, 2002 on. We count on the generosity of RSAT members to make financial contributions for the ongoing and new activities and projects of MAC especially in the 2002 and 2003 Calendar Years. Any other comments and suggestions are most welcome. Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M. -- Coordinator Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) - Kamati ya Kuhamasisha Roho ya Umisionari RSAT P.O. 5124 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 1 June, 2002 4