Sport and International Women’s Day in Tchad
Schoolgirls in Tchad At the Notre Dame de la Trinité school, where two of our sisters work, there was a soccer match between the girls of this school and those of another neighboring school in preparation for the International Women’s Day. On the very day of this beautiful celebration, our students demonstrated their talents through songs, poems and sketches. It was a good opportunity for women to express their desire to collaborate with men in the administration as they recognize that most people in the public service are men. This is because there are many who still have the mentality that women should be at home taking care of children and doing housework. Here is the coordinator’s message on behalf of all the women of Deli: “As a result, women were once neglected by their husbands, their brothers, their parents and even the State in decision-making, in the workplace,…
Come and see it in Sceaux, France
The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa invite you Saturday 8 June 2024 at 4pm, Espace Michel Voisin 9, rue Michel Voisin in Sceaux (92 330) The story begins in Brittany… In the middle of the 19th century, the woman who was to become Mother Marie-Salomé, the first Superior General of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, was born. She grew up in Plouguerneau and at the age of 24 left for Algeria to join the young congregation founded by Cardinal Lavigerie. There she lived in a community of joy, sharing and prayer. She died at the age of 83 in 1930. Under her leadership, the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, known as the White Sisters, became established in many African countries, serving the people. ‘Doing what God wants’ was the life program of Mother Marie-Salomé (1847-1930). Becoming…
Reflection of the 2023 Synod
Sr. Maria Cimperman is a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She participated in the first assembly of the synod on Synodality in October 2023 in Rome. Sr Maria offers our readers some particular perspectives from the Synod Assembly 2023 in light of the following questions. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share these reflections with you, particularly as I am aware that Conversation in the Spirit was a methodology used during your 2023 General Chapter. I imagine your General Chapter was your synodal experience. What made “conversation in the Spirit” (CIS) such a powerful tool during the Synod experience? First, CIS was a great equalizer. In the process, during round one and two each person has the same amount of time (and is kept to it) to speak and to be heard. The time was the same for a cardinal and a student, for women as…
Celebration Guide to Laudato Si week
This Laudato Si’ Week and Pentecost, let us gather in community to contemplate and nurture seeds of hope for our “suffering planet” (LD 2). Laudate Deum is a reminder about the urgency of the Laudato Si’ message and the need for both personal and cultural transformation amidst our ecological and climate crises. This year’s Laudato Si’ Week theme is inspired by the symbol for Season of Creation 2024, “firstfruits.” Let us be seeds of hope in our lives and our world, rooted in faith and love. “There are no lasting changes without cultural changes … and there are no cultural changes without personal changes” (LD, 70) Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, this eight-day guide seeks to motivate tall people of good will to protect our Common Home through concrete actions and simple changes in the way we live. Here is the link to download the…
A pre-postulant shares her apostolate in Butare
Our community in Butare is near the Cathedral One of the missions of Butare community is formation of the pre-postulants. Pre-postulant Uwizeyemariya Yvonne shares her experience on gardening, singing and teaching at kindergarten. I am Uwizeyemariya Yvonne, I am from Rwanda Northern province, Burera district, Byumba diocese, Bungwe parish. I started my apostolate in Butare community in August. I am happy in the community and the apostolate; it includes working in the garden and taking care of the pigs. I also go for singing practice to the Ingoro y’urukundo sisters. I am happy about this experience. I also work at a kindergarten school Indabo za Maria; this is a school of Brazilian sisters and they welcome and take care of poor children. I go to the apostolate every Wednesday and Thursday in the morning. We are two in the class and when I am there, I help by…
Integral Ecology in Nouakchott
As part of our tree planting action, in collaboration with the Association Soleil des Enfants d’Arafat, a new formula was found by the president of the Association, and our friend, Yahya. In fact, he approached the Mayor of his commune to offer him a collaboration contract, which had a positive result. Yahya has designated 10 state schools that are ready to educate students about ecology and plant trees in the school grounds, in collaboration with students and teachers. This is how on March 15; we began this beautiful adventure in the first school. The Director was very involved and opened the sixth year primary class to us, which has around 60 students. Yahya and our sister Mia led an educational dialogue based on a slideshow with these young people about our sick planet, but which can still be cured. Then Yahya went down to the schoolyard with them to…
Our Apostolate activities in Rwanda
One of the missions of Butare community is formation of the pre-postulants. Here pre-postulant Maria Ahok Wek, from Uganda, shares her experience of apostolate in a school for the hearing-impaired students. We are in the pre-postulate at Butare community, Rwanda. This program aims at giving a progressive entry into the formation process of MSOLA religious missionary life. We have many introductory classes which help us know more about the congregation, consecrated life, how to journey together as a group, to be aware of what is taking place within oneself and around us, to know more about the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Bible and its origin. We are also introduced and initiated to prayer and community life, Apostolate, Actualization of the Vital Human strengths, how to become a Peace builder, to solve various conflicts in a nonviolent way and many other introductory classes. I am Maria Ahok…
A cultural evening with the seminarians of Koumi
Cyarisima Divine, novice in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, shares her experience The Koumi Seminary organized a cultural evening on 03/09/2024 with the theme “Patriotic commitment for peace”. No doubt, due to the fact that the evening was organized by the seminarians, the majority of consecrated people were present. The bishop of Bobo-Dioulasso was also there. The evening was marked by cultural diversity across the different ethnic groups of Burkina Faso. The seminarians presented a poem about peace which said that it is possible as long as we believe in it. We can learn this from nature filled with various species capable of experiencing unity and peace, like ants and bees. They also presented a drama about solidarity. The evening closed with the message from Bishop Paul Ouédraogo who said : The weapon of victory is solidarity, because true peace begins with our conversion at the level of our families, societies…
Our Lady of Africa Training Center in Butare
by Sr. Nisubire Priscille, Butare Community, Rwanda Our Lady of Africa Training Center, opened in April 2023, has as its objective to improve the living standard of youth and enhance their human and Christian values. The center aims to give skills to the youth especially those in difficult situations, to help them be self-reliant. For the time being, a tailoring course was the one offered for six months and ten students completed the program successfully. The training took place in a rented building of the “Economat general” of Butare as we wait for our own center. Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA) collaborators assisted the community by giving some ideas about running this center, giving talks to the students and helping by giving and correcting exams. Though the time was short, the students learned many things in this field and in terms of human values. The program…
A child’s prayer
From Sister Clémentine Mukampabuka in Oran, Algeria In my catechism class, there are around twenty children, aged 6 to 12. For the most part, these are children born in Algeria to parents in an irregular migration situation. For catechism, the most advanced join the youngest to form a single class. During a session, I offer them the opportunity to pray out loud. One of the prayers caught my attention: Lord, I ask you to release my dad from prison and give him a lot of money to come home to us!” A concrete prayer: I recognized this child. He is only 7 years old. He was born in Algeria to a Nigerian and a Cameroonian. I ask myself Where is home for him?” I visited his father in prison. I can list many things that I recognize; whatever, the Lord knows him. He answers our prayers, especially those…