Golden Jubilee For Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference The two synods of Africa on Centres of evangelization The two Post-Synodal exhortations of the Special Assemblies for Africa underscore the importance of these centres particularly in the area of Inculturation. (Cf. Ecclesia in Africa 62, 64, Africae Munus 103, 136). The first Synod expressed the hope that the Episcopal Conferences, in cooperation with Universities and Catholic Institutes, would set up study commissions, especially for matters concerning marriage, the veneration of ancestors, and the spirit world, in order to examine in depth all the cultural aspects of problems from the theological, sacramental, liturgical and canonical point of view (EA 64). History of the ZCBC National Pastoral Centre The idea of having a National Pastoral was introduced by the Rhodesian Catholic Bishops' Conference in 1968. In 1970 a sub-committee of the Commission of Major Religious Superiors presented a proposal to the Bishops' Conference for a “Pastoral Institute” on the pattern of Gaba in Uganda. The Bishops accepted this in principle, but on a smaller scale preferring to think of a “Pastoral Centre”. In 1972, Fr. Horst Ulbrich SJ was appointed its first director. The Pastoral Centre was meant to be at the service of Mrs. Elizabeth Duvai, the Z.C.B.C. as a separate entity from the Secretary General Secretariat with its own independence National Pastoral Centre and initiative. The overall objective of the Pastoral Centre was to serve the Z.C.B.C. in its coordination of the Pastoral efforts by means of research, information, liaison and facilitation in formation. The first outstanding project in inculturation was an important study of the Kurova Guva ceremony and its relation to Catholic belief and practice. In the area of formation, a series of “Winter Schools” were started. Under research, there was translation of the liturgical documents which were coming from Rome and the adaption of the Rite for the Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) was done. 70