Franciscan Sisters of St. Anne Friends Association (FSAFA)

An association is an on-going activity and not everything can be discussed in a sitting but associates learn step by step.

As associates of the congregation, the FSAFA members need to flash back on the earlier missionaries who evangelized our country and the kind of support they were accorded by their families, friends and well-wishers which enabled them to accomplish their mission in Kenya. Evangelization is a joint effort of both the lay and the consecrated.

Friends are therefore meant to share more in the work of evangelization, for this is a mission for every individual who is a follower of Christ Jesus. The work of evangelization is not only for the consecrated as has been perceived by many people. The lay believers have their role which they ought to fulfill as they journey through life; one way of getting to fulfill this mission is through cooperating with the consecrated in this kind of Associations.

A friend is a well-wisher who would want to see a particular individual or organization achieve its goals as laid down. In this kind of Association a friend accepts the invitation to share in the life of the FSSA sisters which is clearly spelt out in the Charism and spirituality of the Congregation. Friends do by interpreting the signs of time so as to remain relevant to the society.

All the consecrated are called to a life of service and the Superior only animates the proper running of the Institute and she remains the servant of the servants.

Being part of the Association of friends is a vocation in which the FSSA family becomes extended by opening its doors for deeper and faster mode of evangelization. In the Gospel of Mathew 20:3-16 it is clearly stated that the vineyard of the Lord is open to all people and it is from this that we are invited to join the association and evangelize to the world.

In getting into the Association an individual becomes part of FSSA and participates in the activities of the congregation. As the friends share in the life of the FSSA they too will share in the life and the activities of the friends for through it they participate in evangelization. The role of friends in the Association is not just financial support but also professional and technical skills.

The Association of friends is meant to be a team with a common interest to achieve. Members have to be of one mind and heart and always remain focused on their primary role of evangelization above all else. Members ought to journey with each other in understanding, respect, love and having interest on each other’s wellbeing in order to remain as a single body.

For the Association to be well established there has to be formation program to help in the purification of motive for accepting the invitation to be a friend of FSSA challenges notwithstanding.

Objectives of FSAFA

The committee of the sisters had coined a name of the Association, the aim and objectives as stated;

THE NAME

The name of the Association shall be “Franciscan Sisters of St. Anna Friends Association” FSAFA.

The association does not form part of the internal and external governance of the congregation.

 AIM:

Sustainability of the congregation and building congregation’s capacity to respond to its call i.e. Franciscan calling in the contemporary society.

OBJECTIVES

The Association shall be a Religious Association with non-political objectives and shall have the following objectives:

1. To foster closer links and fellowship between FSSA and Alumni of schools and Institutions once directed by them and other organizations both locally and internationally.
2. To encourage and assist members to live their daily activities depending on their state in life, in the Spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.
3. To encourage and assist members to grow in the penitent Spirit of Mother Johanna of Jesus.
4. To animate members by means of retreat, conferences, special prayers, meetings, and celebrate annual feasts of St. Anna & Joachim and St. Francis of Assisi
5. To promote missionary animation and evangelization.
6. To participate in the activities of FSSA in Kenya and in particular to support FSSA in the role of Evangelization
7. To promote sustainability of the congregation and building the congregation’s capacity to respond to its vocation.
8. To do all other lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objectives or any of them
9. To form branches in such places and such times as the Association deems fit.