Testimony of Sylvie:
I responded with enthusiasm to the invitation of the “White Sisters” of Tunis to set out to discover the Church of Tunisia.
A Living Church:
During our stay, I discovered a living Church thanks to our different encounters: with catholics from sub-Saharan Africa studying in Tunis, Christian expatriates lay or not who lived all their lives in Tunisia and Tunisian catholics.
We left with my brothers and sisters from Poland in the footsteps of the first Christians: Saints Perpetua and Felicite martyred in Tunis; Saint Cyprian, Saint Augustine, Saint Louis and Saint Vincent de Paul who left their mark on the city as we have observed through our visits.
Breaking down prejudices:
Nowadays, when the fear of Islam can become a terrible constraint on dialogue, Tunisian Muslim families in the city of Kef have opened their doors to us. We shared with them some very strong moments of friendship.
Even though our cultural and linguistic differences are very strong and despite a difficult past between France and Tunisia, I have felt a personal change: by reflecting on myself and remaining open to others; a possibility to understand other ways of living and thinking and thus to break down prejudices.
I was touched by the very warm reception of Tunisians happy to see tourists returning to their country.
I thank the sisters of the community of Our Lady of Africa for dedicating their time to this very special experience beyond cultural and religious differences.
Sylvie P.
