Catholic bishops’ conferences in Africa and many Catholic groups and leaders have extended their congratulations to ACI Africa (the Association for Catholic Information in Africa) — a service of EWTN News, which is a division of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) Global Catholic Network — ahead of its fifth anniversary on Friday, Aug. 9.

Founded in August 2019, ACI Africa provides free and timely coverage on news in Africa from a Catholic perspective. Through its English and French websites, various social media networks, and free email subscriptions, the Nairobi-based news service gives media visibility to plans and actions of Catholic Church leaders, individually and collectively in their respective diocesan, national, regional, continental, and congregational forums as well as individual Catholics and institutions at the grassroots.

In a “goodwill message” on behalf of members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the secretary-general of the continental symposium, Father Rafael Simbine Jr., expressed “happiness and gratitude on this memorable day for ACI Africa and beyond, for the Catholic Church on the continent and its islands.”

“On the occasion of the celebration of the wooden jubilee, five years of the online media ACI Africa, I would like to share with you, solemnly, my deep gratitude for the innumerable services rendered to the Church family in Africa, particularly in the sector of evangelization through the media,” Simbine said in his message.

He said the activities of ACI Africa, including daily news reports from the “eight regions of SECAM, the Vatican, and the whole world,” have increased the Church’s visibility across Africa. He recognized ACI Africa as a news service that demonstrates a commitment to providing up-to-date news about the Church in Africa.

“ACI Africa’s services in the production and dissemination of information are the more remarkable as the content is produced and disseminated in several languages and is accessible free of charge,” Simbine said.

ACI Africa contributes “substantially to the dissemination of the good news and to the development of cultures in their diversity in Africa and in the world,” he added. Simbine went on to express appreciation to Father Adalbert Marie Mohm, who founded ACI Prensa in 1980 in Lima, Peru, and the current leadership of ACI Africa and all the staff, as well as to “all the partners and the readers of this media.”

For their part, members of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) said that since August 2019, ACI Africa has been “a pastoral tool for the continent providing news on the issues affecting the Catholic and the community in general.” “This has added value in telling and sharing the stories of the Church in Africa: Its joys, pains, and sorrows,” AMECEA secretary-general Father Anthony Makunde said in his congratulatory message on behalf of the Catholic bishops.

Makunde added: “By offering free access to your news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, organizations, and individuals, you have not only increased awareness of the activities of the universal Church but also fostered a deeper sense of Catholic thought and culture in the lives of Catholics everywhere.”

“Thank you for keeping us informed about the Church’s mission and developments. We recognize and appreciate this vital role you play in nurturing and strengthening the Catholic faith across Africa,” the Nairobi-based member of Tanzania’s Archdiocese of Mbeya said. “May ACI Africa continue to grow and thrive in its mission, and may God bless your noble efforts and the entire staff abundantly,” Makunde said, adding: “Wishing you many more years of success and impactful service to the Church and its faithful.”

In another message of congratulations, the president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka, extended his “hearty congratulations to ACI Africa,” saying: “This Catholic news agency has done well in presenting the news about the Church from an African perspective.”

Sipuka noted that ACI Africa has given visibility to the “activities of the Church on the whole continent of Africa and in that way created a sense of pride and identity of the African Church.”

Through ACI Africa, he said, “we know how much the Church is present in Africa, alive and engaging.” “Thank you for publicizing the Church in Africa and its engagement on faith, social, and political issues and thus making known her impact on the continent and the universal Church. Keep up the good work and may God bless you,” Sipuka said in his message.

Caritas Africa also commended ACI Africa on the eve of its anniversary for its “pivotal role in evangelization, particularly within the Catholic Church in Africa.”

“This milestone is a testament to the invaluable service that ACI Africa provides in the realm of EWTN,” said Lucy Esipila, the regional coordinator for Caritas Africa. “ACI Africa has significantly contributed to enhancing the visibility of Caritas’ impactful work.”

By ACI Africa