African missionary priests and religious women will gather in Des Moines this week

June 15, 2022

Having been twice postponed from its original schedule in 2020 because of the pandemic, the annual convention of African Catholic priests and religious women will be held in Des Moines July 27-30.

The African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the United States, will bring together African missionary priests and religious women from across the country for two purposes.

“This is an opportunity to meet our own African brothers and sisters, priests and religious,” said St. Paul Father Alphonsus Enelichi, a priest of the Missionary of St. Paul and president of ACCCRUS. He serves the Great Falls-Billings Diocese in Montana. “We can meet each other, interact with each other and it gives us a sense of belonging as Africans, as one.”

The convention is also an opportunity for attendees to hear speakers and learn.

“We can engage in conversations on the topics that are relevant to cultural institutions in America,” said Father Enelichi. “By listening to topical presentations, it prepares us to be more effective and more competent in our various ministries in our various apostolates. Also, we get more information on how to respond to the social challenges, cultural challenges, ecclesial challenges that we experience since we all come from a different place.”

The clergy and religious women coming to the conference are from different African nations and cultural backgrounds. Father Enelichi, for instance, is a missionary priest from Nigeria who served eight years during civil war in Liberia before going to Canada, then serving in Texas prior to going to Montana.

Within the Diocese of Des Moines, there are African priests from Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.

“As African clergymen and women religious, our individual presence and services sometimes fall through the cracks unrecognized within the multicultural and multiracial dynamics of American society,” said Father Enelichi. “Our annual convention gives us not only a sense of belonging but provides us with the opportunity for our collective presence as African missionaries to be visibly recognized and our voice to resonate more audibly within American socio-cultural and ecclesial environment.”

Theology professor Daniel McGuire, Ph.D., of the University of Providence in Great Falls Montana, will provide the keynote centered on the theme “Called to be Witnesses of Christ in a Wounded World.”

ACCCRUS was established in 2004 by the U.S. bishops to provide spiritual and social support to African priests and religious working in the United States. The group is grateful to Bishop William Joensen and the Diocese of Des Moines for hosting the convention.

The public is invited to celebrate the concluding Mass on Friday, July 29 at 5 p.m. at St. Ambrose Cathedral. Bishop Joensen will be the celebrant.

“This convention, by God’s grace, could be very remarkable and a memorable event,” said Father Enelichi. “With that in mind, I would like to say on behalf of ACCCRUS our profound gratitude to Bishop Joensen for keeping the doors open to receive us back to the diocese after two years and for his generous sponsorship and all of the resources. He has met us at every level to assure the success of his convention.”