Metropolitan and diocesan members of the Southern African Catholic Council for the Laity (SACCL) are gathered at the Lumko Institute, Retreat and Conference Centre for its Annual General Meeting (AGM).

In an interview with the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Communication Office, the Coordinating Secretary for the SACBC Department of the Laity explained that the AGM, taking place from 27 February to 1 March, is both a moment of accountability and renewal.

“Formation is important for the laity just as it is important for clergy in the seminary,” Fr Tjamela Dikotsi Mofokeng said, highlighting the Church’s responsibility to equip the lay faithful for their mission in a synodal Church.

The three-day meeting includes reports from dioceses and metropolitan structures on activities since the last AGM, as well as the election of a new executive committee, which will serve a three-year term.

During the Saturday morning session (28 February), participants reflected on the importance of having a will in place. This was followed by presentations on the rights and obligations of the lay faithful and associations, as well as the hierarchical constitution of the Church, presented by Fr Thulani Anthony Gubula, a canonist from the Queenstown Diocese.

The afternoon session featured presentations by Fr Francis Cibane and Sr Inosencia Pati of the SACBC Christian Formation, Liturgy and Culture Department. During her presentation, Sr Pati focused on Christian formation and evangelisation, with particular emphasis on lay participation in the life and mission of the Church.

Participants also engaged with the SACBC Marriage and Family coordinators, Mr and Mrs Mathe, who centred their presentation on widows, widowers, and child-headed families. They further addressed the need for formation on marriage, emphasising the importance of helping the faithful understand the meaning and significance of marriage in the Catholic Church, especially in contexts where couples may first enter into traditional cultural or civil marriages before a church marriage.

The SACCL AGM continues to serve as a vital space for formation, dialogue, leadership development, and synodal collaboration, strengthening the mission of the laity in the life of the Church.