Small Christian communities contribute to growth of church in Africa

Published: 2004-06-24

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (CNS) -- When Cardinal Polycarp Pengo became archbishop of Dar es Salaam in 1992, the archdiocese had 600,000 Catholics in 20 parishes. Today, the archdiocese has grown to more than a million Catholics in 48 parishes. When the Rome-based lay Community of Sant'Egidio met for the first time in Dar es Salaam in 1998, six people got together under a tree. Today in Tanzania, Sant'Egidio has more than 500 people in 12 different communities. In downtown Nairobi, Kenya, a 1:15 p.m. weekday Mass at Holy Family Basilica consistently draws more than 500 people. The second of the two daily morning Masses also is especially well-attended, said Nairobi archdiocesan officials. The Catholic Church is growing by leaps and bounds in Kenya and Tanzania, as it is throughout the continent of Africa. Since Pope John Paul II became pope in 1978, the number of Catholics in Africa has increased by nearly 150 percent to 137.5 million. Some church leaders attribute the growth to development of the concept of small Christian communities, parish-based groups that meet to pray, study Scripture and help others. In 1997, the bishops of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa decided that the model of the small Christian community should be used in every diocese.

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