Sr. Margret (left) with the journalist who made the interview
Shared by Sr. Margret Tovar, Trier, Germany
The birthday of my cousin was celebrated in a splendid setting near Frankfurt / Main on May 1st, 2024. In the invitation he had requested that instead of gifts people could make donations for the missionary work of the White Sisters.
At the reception in the park of the golf club, I had a conversation with a journalist who wanted to find out more about our community and our different activities in
Africa. We agreed to meet after lunch to discuss this.
But then another opportunity presented itself. My cousin gave a speech during lunch in which, among other things, he briefly mentioned our African mission and asked me to say something about it. I spontaneously thought of the journalist among the guests who wanted to know more about the MSOLA. So I asked my cousin to invite this lady to interview me while everyone was waiting for dessert. Said and done.
- I spoke about the foundation of the Congregation in Algeria by Cardinal Lavigerie and answered questions about our religious habit;
- underlined our fraternal relationship with Muslim people,
- emphasized the care for the old and sick sisters in nursing facilities,
- pointed out our young African sisters and the founding of 22 local religious communities in line with our founder’s saying
in Africa the real work must be done by Africans themselves”.
From our present projects I talked briefly about three: Training for girls and women in Butare, Rwanda; working in the Ukusijoni refugee camp in Uganda, and sheltering sexually exploited children and women in Malindi, Kenya.
There was general and great approval and recognition among the guests, also as I mentioned that we have an African superior general for the first time.
I believe that we can “sow” everywhere, make our charism known, and leave it to the Lord of the harvest to decide which seeds will bear fruit.
In Germany, as in most European countries, we are only known as old and very old religious sisters in care facilities, so I was happy to have shared and aroused interest in who we are today and given our website also.
After the feast a lady called, she would like to come to Trier and ask a lot of questions about our Congregation. Another lady sent a WhatsApp message saying:
It was a beautiful day, the interview with you touched and fascinated me, as well as the calm and contentment you radiate.”
