“YOU LEFT YOUR HOME AND YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR HOME”
“E bora e kaso, e nana e kaso” Bambara Proverb from Mali
On October 30 and 31, 2023, the community of Sceaux had the great joy of welcoming 7 delegates from 6 sister congregations that we had helped with formation from their origin. Responding to the call of the bishops of France, they live the mission in 19 communities.
We let them speak.
“Our presence here, today, at your home and with you, is a very important moment. We want to show our gratitude to you for everything you have done, and continue to do, for our different congregations. Allow me now to introduce our “Fraternity of Our Lady of Africa”. It has just been born. It was April 27, 2023. Its objective is to create a space for fraternal and spiritual meetings of our different African congregations, founded in several African countries, by the White Fathers (M.Afr) and White Sisters (MSOLA).
This “Fraternity of Our Lady of Africa” is made up of 6 congregations: the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (Burkina Faso), the Sisters of the Annunciation of Bobo (Burkina Faso), the Institute of the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Mali), the Bene Tereziya Sisters (Burundi), the Abizeramariya “Hope of Mary” Sisters (Rwanda) and the Sisters of Notre Dame du Lac (Burkina Faso).
The goal of the “Fraternity of Our Lady of Africa” is to:
1. Create fraternity between congregations of the same origin
2. Share our missionary experiences
3. Pray for one another
4. Maintain close ties with the MSOLA
5. Benefit from the prayers and advice of our elder MSOLA sisters in connection with their religious life.”
A highlight of these two days was the Eucharist presided over by a Missionary of Africa, Father Michel Girard.
Here are the words of welcome from our sisters:
“Throughout the liturgical texts of this day (Rm 8:18-25; Ps 125; Lk 13:18-21) the words suggest: seed, birth which rhyme well with patience, suffering, perseverance and hope. All of this clearly illustrates what the White Sisters and White Fathers experienced with our emerging congregations. The seeds sown here and there in Africa are today large, flourishing trees.
“What wonders the Lord has done for us!”
During this Mass, we give thanks to God with our missionaries, Fathers and Sisters, for the fruitfulness of their mission in Africa of which we are the visible fruits.
May the Master of the harvest reward them a hundredfold and make their Institutes grow in number and holiness and may He strengthen our bonds of fraternity and friendship!”
