Two Priests, Religious in Africa Appointed Consultors of Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life
Four of the new members appointed by Pope Leo XIV as consultors of the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) are from Africa.
A trained psychologist and psychotherapist, Fr. Zolabi has dedicated much of his priestly ministry to the formation and accompaniment of Jesuits and future priests. Sr. Mary (Makamatine) LemboSr. Lembo is a Togolese member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and currently serves as Vicar General of her religious congregation. She is a psychologist, psychotherapist, and formator with extensive experience in the human formation of Priests, seminarians, women and men Religious, and other Church leaders. She holds a Master's degree in Educational Sciences from thePontifical Salesian Universityand earned both a Licentiate and a Doctorate in Psychology from thePontifical Gregorian University. (Story continues below)Her doctoral research focused on the prevention of the sexual abuse of women Religious and the promotion of healthy pastoral relationships between priests and consecrated women. Since 2014, Sr. Lembo has collaborated with the Institute of Anthropology: Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care (formerly the Centre for Child Protection) at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where she has contributed to research, teaching, and safeguarding formation. She is recognized internationally for her work on safeguarding in the Church, particularly her efforts to raise awareness about the abuse of women Religious in Africa and to promote prevention, accompaniment, and institutional accountability. In 2026, the French Republic conferred on her the title of Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) in recognition of her contribution to safeguarding and the protection of vulnerable persons. Brother Antoine KazinduBr. Kazinduis a member of theMarist Brothers of the Schools(Fratres Maristae a Scholis – F. M. S. ) and currently serves as a Counsellor at Lycée de Kigali in Rwanda. A Rwandan Marist Brother, he has dedicated much of his religious ministry to Catholic education, formation, and the accompaniment of young people. Over the years, he has been actively involved in the formation of Marist Brothers in the Province of Africa Central-East (PACE),facilitating formation programmes for young Religious preparing for perpetual profession and accompanying Brothers in their vocational journey. He has also served on international formation initiatives of the Marist Institute, including the Formators' Course in Nairobi, Kenya. Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.