“Dearest Father Lavigerie” a letter from Alice

Dearest Father Lavigerie,

It is now 134 years since you joined the Father whom you loved and served so dearly. I am writing this note to give you news of the mission in Algeria and also of your daughters in the community at Hydra.

It is with joy that I reaffirm to you that we have kept alive the flame and zeal of the missionary charism that you bequeathed to us. Over the years, Mother Marie Salomé and all the generations of White Sisters who have taken up the torch of your dream have kept the lamp burning and have faithfully passed it on to us. Today, in turn, we continue this mission in communion within the Archdiocese of Algiers, of which you were the shepherd with a loving and devoted heart. As you have always advised us, we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit and make our community our primary place of mission.

It is with joy that I share with you our mission in Algeria and, more specifically, that of the Hydra community within the Archdiocese of Algiers. It is currently made up of the sisters: Juliana Karomba, Franceline Hien, Apolline Traoré, Valérie Kabore, Jovanie Nitunga and Alice Koné.

We form a large, culturally rich international community. In our diversity, we lead a communal life sustained by prayer, shared discernment, the apostolate, hospitality (welcoming new members, visiting sisters, friends, and anyone who knocks on our door), listening and, above all, our presence. We celebrate life on a daily basis by sharing together birthdays, significant events in our congregation and the Church, and historic moments in our countries of origin and mission. Our community places particular emphasis on hospitality so that everyone feels at home here and our doors are wide open to all. In addition to this, each of us is engaged in an apostolate that enables us to live out the encounter and the ‘All for All’ that you taught us.

As we have learnt so well from you, we nurture our attachment to Christ through personal and communal prayer, the Eucharist, days of recollection, retreats, spiritual readings and guidance, and so on. Aware of our role as women apostles and of the frailties of our human condition, prayer is essential: it is prayer that binds us to Christ, the Master of the mission.

We carry out our apostolate in the Algerian context with a deep attachment to the Church and to this country, which forms an indelible part of our history. We attach great importance to neighbourly relations. We bear witness to the presence of Christ through our closeness to the people in the concrete realities of their daily lives. We stand by those who are vulnerable and make our presence felt particularly during the defining moments in the lives of the people we serve.

Within the diocesan Church, Valérie and Jovanie share in the apostolate with others through catechesis. Franceline and Juliana support young people and visit brothers and sisters in prison. In addition to this, we lead the monthly Mass in our parish community.

In line with the struggle to safeguard creation and promote human dignity, to which you have inspired us, we also put our SNMDA charism at the service of those in need here in Algiers. Sisters Valérie and Juliana assist people with Alzheimer’s and provide great support to the families of those affected, who greatly appreciate this work. Their apostolate makes the Dar El Ikram centre a place where life and hope shine forth. Franceline helps with the training of nursery school teachers.

Juliana and the others visit the prisoners regularly. Through these visits, they give the inmates courage, faith and hope. They also act as a bridge between the prisoners, their families and loved ones.

We still remember how you once said that ‘to learn a people’s language is to prepare oneself to belong to them’. In this spirit, Jovanie and Alice have been learning Arabic since their arrival.

As well as the language, Jovanie works with the children at the youth centre, whilst Alice goes to the University Cultural Centre (CCU) where she interacts with Algerian youth. Personal and spiritual formation, as well as language learning, are always of great importance to us. That is why those who join our community commit themselves to studying the language, history and culture of the people, as well as to the mission lived out within the diocesan family. This year, we have the joy of welcoming Apolline into our midst. Through her presence, our community has grown! She is a great help at the Dar El Ikram centre.

Here in Algeria, every encounter, whether formal or informal, is a mission. We turn these into moments of sharing and of God’s presence, which call us to offer a glance, a greeting or a smile. Through these encounters and exchanges, we learn to appreciate the diversity and richness of our mission country, which is predominantly Muslim.

We show our closeness to the Algerian people through regular visits to our neighbours, or during celebrations such as weddings and birthdays, and in times of mourning.

Finally, dear Father, following in your footsteps, we feel sent here by the Lord to continue the mission in the footsteps of all the generations of White Sisters who have gone before us on this Algerian soil. We continue our mission in collaboration with the Church of Algeria and all people of good will. We are learning that making our presence a witness to Christ is just as important as active pastoral work in other mission countries.