The Portiuncula Retreat House at the Franciscan Family Center, Nairobi, Kenya, was the venue for the JPIC Animation Committee meeting on December 8-14, 2024.
All members of the committee, Daniel Rodriguez Blanco, Taucen Hotlan Girsang, Jean Eric Mutabazi, and Sr. Mary Sebastian Wangari, with the exception of Tomas Insua who was unable to attend, arrived at the venue at midday on 8 December.
On Monday, 9 December, in the morning session, Br. Daniel, Director of the JPIC General Office, welcomed the meeting, continued with the presentation of the agenda, then proceeded with a review of the general and specific objectives of the JPIC for 2022-2027 as well as the outlines action and a report on JPIC activities in 2024. The updates of the Franciscan networks in the Americas, Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa were also addressed.
In the afternoon session, Sr. Mary and her team shared about the various activities carried out by the JPIC Franciscans Africa. The meeting was concluded with a visit to the Provincial House of Friars Minor and having dinner.
The next day’s agenda, 10 December, in the morning session, focused on the JPIC International Council Meeting to be held on 1-7 March 2025 in Assisi. During coffee break, the president of the Franciscan Family of Africa, Br. Paul Sila OFMCap, came to introduce himself and speak about several possibilities of collaboration with Franciscan Network in East Africa. In the afternoon session, collaboration with Roman VI, Franciscans International, the Laudato Si Movement, and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development was reviewed.
On the morning of 11 December, the agenda was seven activities scheduled on the occasion of the Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures 2025: Online meeting with the Minister General, International JPIC Course in Roma, presentation of awards to 5 persons or institutions committed to Integral Ecology in the world, V Serata Laudato Si in Bologna, virtual course on Integral Ecology, text subsidy 2025, and COP 30 in Brazil. In the afternoon, there was a meeting with the refugee coordinators at Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) and Kivuli Center in Nairobi. Especially at the Kivuli Center, several refugee coordinators from different countries in Africa were willingly to share their experiences of surviving for years in Kenya as refugees.
The following day, 12 December, in the early morning, there was a short visit to formation house, St. Anthony of Padua Friary, Langata, where the mass and the morning prayer were celebrated together with around 29 friars both formators and students. Then, the meeting continued with the JPIC agenda from January to June 2025 and to study the Particular Statutes of the General Office for JPIC.
On Friday, 13 December, in the morning, the agenda was to meet with the Rector of Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Very Rev. Prof. Stephen Mbugua Ngari, and the Director Centre for Social Justice and Ethics, Rev. Dr. Peter Mbaro. Both the University and General Office for JPIC OFM agreed that the celebration of 10th anniversary of the enciclical Laudato Si and the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures in 2025 would be a distinctive momentum that needs to be celebrated through a series of activities. It means that colaboration is encouraged.
Finally, the meeting concluded with a visit to the Laudato Si Center in Isinya Village developed by the JPIC Franciscans Africa where a number of projects are being carried out such as water supply, solar panel, development of sewing courses for housewives, organic farming, cows and goats breeding, as well as the opening of a small shop providing household goods.
