Annual Report of the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) of the Religious Superiors' Association of Tanzania (RSAT) – June, 2003 to June, 2004 I. Growth of MAC as a Committee of RSAT In the past year we welcomed a first time representative from the Pallottine Fathers and new representatives from the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (Fransalians) and the Salesians of Don Bosco. Six albums of photographs, symbols and text on the 1987-2004 history of the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) have been made. We welcome comments and suggestions on how to make MAC better known. Although MAC is a voluntary committee with voluntary contributions we are encouraged by the saying: “There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” II. Mission Awareness Seminars 1. Three members (Father Joseph Healey, MM, Mr. John Mbonde and Sister Celina Kimaro, ESM) of our MAC Team gave a two day seminar on "Mission Awareness" at the Don Bosco Seminary, Moshi on 14-15 October, 2003. 30 seminarians. A similar seminar took place at the Spiritan Missionary Seminary, Njiro, Arusha on 20-21 October, 2003 where the MAC Team also included Father George Kibura, IMC, Sister Paskalina Mkolomi, MC and Sister Rosa Waeni, MC. 145 participants. This seminar was in conjunction with the celebration of World Mission Sunday in Loruvani Parish and Holy Family Parish, Njiro in Arusha Archdiocese on 19 October. 2. Full day “Mission Awareness Seminar” in Moshi on 16 October, 2003 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the pope. An audiocassette tape played the original Swahili of Pope John Paul II's stirring words to the people of Tanzania during his visit to Moshi Diocese, Tanzania on 5 September, 1990.  “Now it is your turn to be witnesses of Christ in Moshi Diocese, in Tanzania, on the continent of Africa, and to the ends of the earth."  The seminar was coordinated by UWAJIMO, the organization of the religious in Moshi Diocese and conducted by three members of MAC in collaboration with Father Alexander Ndesario, the Moshi Diocese Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS). There were about 145 participants, mainly African religious sisters.   3. Full day “Mission Awareness Seminar” in Iringa Diocese on 7 March, 2004 sponsored by MAC and PMS and coordinated by Father George Kibura, IMC. 60 participants. The main speakers were Father Liberatus Mwenda, Mr. Cletus Majani and Sister Jane Nugi, MC. III. Relationship with PMS on National and Diocesan Levels 1. MAC members are working closely with Father Liberatus Mwenda, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Tanzania. Five MAC members participated in the PMS NDESA (National Directors of English-speaking Africa) Meeting at Kurasini Centre in Dar es Salaam from 22-24 October, 2003. The Chairperson and Coordinator of MAC participated in the National Meeting of PMS Diocesan Directors at Kurasini Centre in Dar es Salaam from 29 March-1 April, 2004. Both meetings were chaired by Bishop Augustine Shao, CSSp, Chairman of the Mission Commission of TEC. 2. In the past year three institutes in RSAT (the Benedictines Ndanda, the Maryknoll Society, and the Salvatorian Fathers and Brothers) made donations to the National Office of PMS. 3. Father Mwenda has asked MAC members to assist the Diocesan Directors of PMS in different mission awareness projects and evangelization programmes. There is a close working relationship between PMS and MAC especially in the archdioceses of Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Songea and in the dioceses of Iringa, Mbeya, Morogoro, and Zanzibar. After the seminar mentioned below, a new branch -- MAC Songea -- began as an “action committee” within the structure of the Songea Archdiocese PMS Office. 4. Various MAC members participated in the first National Celebration (“Tamasha”) of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood in Iringa from 6-9 January, 2004. 5. MAC assisted PMS in the “Songea Archdiocesan Missionary Congress” from 16-26 April, 2004. A team of 13 priests, sisters and lay people facilitated seminars, meetings, and activities on “Evangelizing Mission” and “Missionary Week” with three main topics: “The History of Mission in Tanzania;” “We Are All Missionaries;” and “Making the Catholic Church Self Reliant.” Archbishop Norbert Mtega was the Main Celebrant at the opening and closing festive masses of the congress. We coordinated three radio programmes on Radio Maria. It is clear that MAC has grown far beyond the original plan of RSAT. As an example, of the 44 participants in the MAC Meeting in Songea from 23-24 April, 2004 only 10 participants came from RSAT institutes (nine priests and one brother). The others were 19 sisters from TCAS institutes, one archbishop, four diocesan priests and 10 lay people. We are presently in a transition stage when MAC is becoming more and more integrated into the structures of the Local Church (“Kanisa Mahalia”) in Tanzania, that is, into the structures the PMS Office of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference. This is a happy sign of growth and maturity. At the same time it is important that the identity of RSAT’s mission awareness priorities and goals be preserved and continue. We ask for the guidelines, advice, and suggestions of RSAT members. HISTORICAL NOTE ON THE ORIGIN OF MAC: In the mid 1980’s one of the RSAT members noticed that the only concerns of the Association seemed to be Formation, Vocations, Novitiates, a Religious Seminary, etc. (inward looking concerns). At the same the Vocation Director of one of the institutes in RSAT saw the need for not just recruiting new Tanzanian members for his own institute, but also helping to form missionaries in the Local Church (outward looking concerns). This led RSAT to form the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC). In the beginning it was thought that the MAC Members would come from the exclusively missionary-oriented congregations and societies strictly speaking. Later this was broadened to all RSAT members. It was the hope of the first MAC Members that from the work of MAC the priority of “Mission Awareness” would be taken up by the Local Church in Tanzania. It was stressed that a Local Church is not a “Mature Church” until it is “sending out” missionaries. IV. Other New Developments, Activities and Challenges 1. We value our close-working relationship with the Tanzania Catholic Association of Sisters (TCAS) including collaborating with TCAS zonal representatives (for example, the first representative of the Northern Zone participated in our April, 2004 meeting) and welcoming an increasing number of Sisters at our bi-annual meetings. 2. A special “Mass of Thanksgiving” at Mbagala Parish, Dar es Salaam on 12 November, 2003 celebrated our 100th monthly, one-half hour Swahili radio programme on Radio Tumaini called Sisi Sote Ni Wamisionari. Cardinal Polycarp Pengo was the Main Celebrant and gave a stirring homily on mission. Since the first radio programme in March, 1995, 210 people have assisted in producing the programmes. This mass together with singling and dancing, the evening party and parts of the 18th Meeting of MAC at the Mbagala Spiritual Centre are part of a 1 hour, 55 minute video produced by Video Tumaini called Sisi Sote Ni Wamisionari: Sherehe ya Vipindi 100 vya Radio. 3. MAC continues to work closely with the editors of the different Swahili missionary magazines in Tanzania. The new leaflet (“kitini”) of MAC was distributed as an insert in the September-October, 2003 issue of Enendeni published by the Consolata Missionaries. It also was printed in the April, 2004 issue of Mlezi published by the Benedictines Peramiho. 13,000 copies of this colorful leaflet were printed and have been widely used and appreciated in Tanzania to promote the work of MAC. 4. Father Jude Shayo, A.J., the chairperson of MAC, participated in the 2nd American Missionary Congress (known as CAM2) and the 7th Latin American Missionary Congress (known as COMLA7) that took place in Guatemala City, Guatemala from 25-30 November, 2003. He brought back many new ideas to help plan national and regional missionary congresses in Africa that will eventually lead to the First African Missionary Congress. 5. 120 MAC T Shirts have been made and are being sold with “MAC Tanzania” and a cross/globe on the front and the words “Sisi Sote Ni Wamisionari” on the back. V. Financial Report I. Income A. Balance on 1 June, 2003 797,730/= 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, Ndanda 150,000/= Benedictines, Peramiho 588,000/= Capuchins 50,000/= Consolata Priests and Brothers 250,000/= Franciscan Conventuals 50,000/= Maryknoll Society 334,400/= Missionaries of Africa 300,000/= Pallotines 60,000/= Passionists 100,000/= Salesians 100,000/= Salvatorians 400,000/= SUB TOTAL 2,412,400/= D. Contributions from congregations and individuals to help finance the activities and projects of MAC: Individual MAC Members 420,000/= Association of Lay Missionaries (ALM) 150,000/= Charles Borromeo Sisters 30,000/= Consolata Sisters 200,000/= Little Srs of St. Francis-accommodations 94,500/= MSOLA 100,000/= TCAS 60,000/= Theresian Sisters, Iringa 60,000/= Mbagala Parish, Dar es Salaam 110,000/= St. Mary’s Parish, Morogoro 10,000/= Stipend for mission talks 75,000/= Value of goods and services 146,000/= SUB TOTAL 1,455,500/= E. Special Grant from Maryknoll for the Half-Time Coordinator 836,000/= F. Profits from the sale of T Shirts 51,000/= G. Profits from the sale of videocassettes, audiocassettes, books, and booklets on mission 73,150/= GRAND TOTAL 6,125,780/= Tz. Shs. II. Expenditure A. Room and Board for two meetings (Mbagala Centre, Dar es Salaam – 592,300/= Emau Centre, Peramiho – 172,000/=) 764,300/= Tz. Shs. B. Activities and projects of MAC: 1. Production of 13 radio programmes for Radio Tumaini 195,000/= 2. Help in production and video distribution of “Amani Kwenu” TV programmes 50,000/= 3. Buying, copying and distribution of audio cassettes and video cassettes on mission 140,000/= 4. Materials (posters, handouts, magazines for World Mission Sunday (24 October, 2003) 200,000/= 5. Printed materials on mission for the ongoing education of MAC Members 375,000/= 6. Video of MAC 490,000/= 7. T Shirt of MAC 460,000/= SUB TOTAL 1,910,000/= C. Local transportation for MAC members and helpers 575,000/= D. Photocopy costs 540,000/= E. Paper, stationary, stamps, office supplies, computer supplies 440,000/= F. Telephone calls and Email/Internet Costs 545,000/= G. Gifts for collaborating groups and departing members 35,000/= H. Films, photographs, albums 85,000/= I. Books, Booklets, Magazines and Posters for MAC Library 160,000/= GRAND TOTAL 5,054,300/= Tz. Shs. III. Balance 1,071,480/= Tanzanian Shillings remain for activities and projects of MAC to be carried out from 1 June, 2004 on. The various institutes and individuals have been very generous this year. Key factors are contributions from individual MAC members and that the religious institutes hosting our meetings help to subsidize the room and board as part of their annual contribution to MAC, specifically the Benedictines Priests, Brothers and Sisters, Peramiho and the Little Sisters of St. Francis, Mbagala. 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 2005 Calendar Year. Any other comments and suggestions are most welcome. Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) – Kamati ya Kuhamasisha Roho ya Umisionari RSAT P.O. 5124 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 1 June, 2004 4