Lesotho CLC: Our Graced History
The Lesotho Community was founded in 1973 and now approaching 40 years. Our graced history can be told over three distinct phase.
Phase 1:1973 – 1990
CLC was first introduced in High Schools in Lesotho with the assumption that the Ignatian spirituality would be introduced into these pre-communities and take root and deepen in these youth as they go into tertiary institutions and enter adult walks of life. In the this early period was a graced experience. Lesotho was yearning for an organized spiritual forum for youth especially in high schools. CLC provided filled this vacuum and groups grew up in numbers and size. CLC became a youth movement of choice in Lesotho. The groups celebrated Eukarist and learnt Gospel values and shared in common prayer. The nature of the apostolate in this years was really a question of doing good works rather than discerned forms of mission.
This early phase experience were good for Christian formation of the youth. In addition, many of the members went on to become priests and/or join religious congregations. CLC became a strong force among the youth well into the seminaries and formation houses for the religious. For the first time youth were going straight from public high school to the seminary whereas they used to go from primary school to high school run by the Bishops as part of the seminaries.
Phase 2: 1990 to 2000
The success of the CLC in high schools in the first phase came to haunt us in the second phase. The large groups and numbers of CLCiers meant that the Ignatian spirituality, General Principles and Charism of the CLC were not deepened as part of our on-going formation. The large groups became youth choirs emphasizing music and fun compared to more serious formation in the spirituality of the CLC. The number of groups further made it difficult for all groups to have guides and it was not even easy to control the formation of new groups as they were sprouting all over the catholic high schools. The lack of formed guides for the groups lead to further loss of the authentic spirit of the CLC.
Phase 3: 2000 to 2008
This phase is characterized by a serious attempt on the part of the national community to re-discover our Ignatian identity and a search for real appreciation of our charism and life according to the General Principles. Several International Formation Encounters within the English Speaking Africa region had a positive impact on the life of the Lesotho CLC at this time. Formation courses provided under the auspices of the Formation Team for English Speaking Africa (Fotesa) starting in 1996 lead to a renewed search for the authentic spirituality of the CLC. Major attempt were made for members to go through 8-day retreats annually, the structure of CLC meetings was re-discovered and emphasized as the on-going formation of our local groups.
There was also a renewed effort to transform the national community from a youth based CLC to an adult based community. However, this was met with strong resistance for change as members from being mere pius groups to a CLC in accordance with the General Principles. This emphasis for change has really disoriented many our local group and sometimes with the tacit support of some priests and religious. This to this day is still threatening the national community with conflict and potential splits. There are those among our communities who find CLC way of life according to General Principles, Norms and Charism as a strange way of living for our groups