A testimony of the life and faith of Sister Marie Léonie Pittet, from Christelle Devanthéry, from Neuchâtel.
I met Sr. Marie-Léonie when I was 20 years old. I left with Voyage-Partage in Tunisia and I lived with her in the community of the White Sisters in La Marsa for 6 months.
During the evenings, we talked about theology, the world, Africa. She listened to me and she shared her faith-vision with me. We lived together an extraordinary year with the visit of John Paul II to Tunisia, the assassination of the Brothers of Thibirine and of the beloved Bishop Pierre Claverie. At the heart of all of this was the very meaning of missionary presence in North Africa. The White Fathers and White Sisters touched me by the radical nature of their evangelical commitment, the testimony of their life given to a foreign land, a humility and a great respect for the culture of their hosts.
“The heart of our faith is one person, Jesus Christ”. You spoke of the Diocesan Synod 72 in Fribourg, a great moment for the Church. We talked a lot about Tunisia, about your love for this culture. You were surrounded by extraordinary people, and thanks to you I have known witnesses of the faith who have nourished my whole life. But above all, you kept an intimate attitude of a seeker of God. Your interior freedom allowed you to welcome with respect any seeker of God.
… You continued your path for several more years. You have now joined your Lord, the One for whom you gave your life. You are in his Light and you radiate beauty by his side, I am sure.
Sr Marie-Léonie Pittet, Léo, took the road to Heaven on December 15, 2019. Her life journey took place in Tunisia, Algeria and Switzerland.
