During the last months of the year, our small Christian community in La Marsa, Tunisia, experienced many moments of visits, encounters, and joyful reunions, enriching the life of the parish and the religious communities present in the country.
Closing of the Bicentenary of Cardinal Lavigerie at La Marsa Parish
On October 31, on the occasion of the closing of the Bicentenary of Cardinal Lavigerie, our parish in La Marsa welcomed the communities of the Missionaries of Africa and the entire Lavigerie family.
The Mass, presided over by Bishop Nicolas Lhernould, was at once simple, beautiful, and deeply prayerful. It was followed by a time of fellowship with the consecrated members and friends who accompanied us, with a special guest: Pauline Lecointe, the great-great cousin of Cardinal Lavigerie.
A Fraternal Day of the COSMADT in Monastir
In November, a beautiful day of fraternity and sharing brought together about fifty members of COSMADT, the organization that brings together superiors and delegates of institutes of consecrated life in Tunisia, for an outing to Monastir.
Eunice Kyohirwe, Carmen Sammut, and Amalia Aragon represented our community. Warmly welcomed by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition, present in Tunis since 1840, the group celebrated the Eucharist before visiting the Ribat, an impressive 8th-century fortress, with the Museum of Islamic Arts and the tower, from which they admired a splendid view of the city and the sea.
In the Footsteps of Christianity in Carthage
Cécile Dilé guided a group of pilgrims from the Paris parish of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, of the Melkite rite. Coming from Syria, Lebanon, as well as Ireland and France, they wished to discover the roots of Christianity in Tunisia and to show local residents who share their faith that there are also Arab Christians.
She also led the parish’s annual pilgrimage to the same sites, bringing together about sixty people: parishioners, students of Tunisian Arabic, and their families.
Visit of the CERNA Bishops to La Marsa
Gathered in Tunis, the bishops of CERNA came to celebrate Mass at La Marsa parish and to meet the religious communities, the parish council, and several ambassadors. These were joyful reunions, as many of us already knew some of the bishops or vicars general.
The following day, the bishops visited the communities “two by two.” We thus welcomed Bishop Diego Sarrio, Bishop of the Sahara in Algeria, and Bishop Victor Ndione of Mauritania, for a beautiful evening marked by the celebration of the Eucharist followed by a lively fraternal meal.
Reunions and Fraternal Visits
We also had the happy surprise of meeting Bishop Claude Rault, a Missionary of Africa and former Bishop of the Sahara, who had come to Tunisia to preach the priests’ annual retreat. It was a warm and joyful moment, especially for Speciosa Mukagatare and Carmen Sammut, who had previously worked with him in Algeria.
Finally, at the end of November, we welcomed Mr. Piet, a Belgian naturalized Rwandan, an ophthalmologist in Kigali. A man of great generosity, he works in a spirit of service in a clinic open to the entire population. During our conversation, we learned that he had a great-aunt who was in our congregation and passed away in Uganda.
