Living a year with Cardinal Lavigerie in Malawi: awareness, celebration, and mission
By Sr. Mbaihamndene Valerie, Lilongwe community, Malawi As a community in Malawi, we would like to share how we lived and celebrated a year with Cardinal Lavigerie, the founder of the Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr.) and the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA). To begin with, we organized two radio programs and one television program. The main purpose of these programs was to raise awareness and help people learn more about Cardinal Lavigerie, his mission, and his lasting impact in Africa. These media platforms gave us a valuable opportunity to speak about Lavigerie commitment to anti-slavery, the fight against human trafficking, child labor, exploitation, and corruption. We also highlighted what Lavigerie accomplished in Africa through his missionaries, especially here in Malawi. Inspired by Cardinal Lavigerie deep love and passion for children, we celebrated his life together with the children at Tikondane. The day was lively…
Catechists training in Maaji and Agojo
Sr. Magda during a class By Sr. Magdalena Orczykowska, Ukusijoni community, Uganda In the Maaji and Agojo refugee settlements in Northern Uganda, our team of Missionaries of Africa and Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa continues to offer regular training for the catechists who serve the Christian communities. These moments of formation are one of the simple ways we bring the Word of God to people who continue to wait for the Good News of hope. During the sessions, the catechists deepen their understanding of theology, spirituality, and leadership, and they learn to recognize God’s presence in their daily lives. Each session gathers around 25 catechists, ranging from young people who are still in school to elders who sometimes struggle with English. We also encourage women, who form the majority in the refugee settlements, to participate actively and take up this important leadership role within their communities. The…
A very modest commitment to recycling and care
Srs Maria del Carmen García Sedeño, Juana-Maria Gomez Rodriguez et Adoración Bolívar Castro with another resident We close the year 2025 with an article from our sisters Maria del Carmen García Sedeño, Juana-Maria Gomez Rodriguez et Adoración Bolívar Castro in Málaga, Spain, that shows how the smallest gesture can make a difference and start a change for us and for our communities. For several years now, we have been living at the Madre Carmen residence for the elderly in Málaga, Spain. At present, there are three White Sisters living here. Our residence is very good, and we like it a great deal. It is considered one of the best residences in our region. However, since our arrival, something has struck us: our residence does not recycle all the waste it produces every day, and we can assure you, there is a lot of it! At the…
Joyful and peace-filled Christmas season
“The Word became flesh and lived among us”. (Jn 1:14) Dear Friends in Christ Joy and peace in our Savior! This Christmas, we celebrate God’s closeness in every moment of our lives, our joys, our sorrows, and our daily encounters. Like Mary, may we await the Savior with hearts open to the hidden meaning in each present moment. As pilgrims of hope, may we be witnesses of Emmanuel, light in our darkness, living love and service in the world. Grateful for your trust, collaboration, and shared journey, we pray that the New Year bears fruit that reflects God’s love and joy. With every good wish for a joyful and Peace-filled Christmas season. Sr Angela Kapitingana, Sr Jeanne D’Arc Ouattara Sr Leticia Garduño Mejia, Sr Małgorzata Popławska, The General Council of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa
Cardinal Lavigerie and the foundation of women congregations
At the symposium held at Tangaza University in Nairobi on 20 September 2025 to celebrate the bicentenary of Cardinal Lavigerie, Sr Hélène Mbuyamba, MSOLA, gave a presentation highlighting the cardinal’s role in the creation of women’s congregations Here is an abstract from the conference of Sr Hélène Mbuyamba, MSOLA At a time when the role of women was limited to domestic and family tasks, Cardinal Lavigerie made clear that for him the apostolate of women was an indispensable complement to the apostolate of men. As a man of faith, broad-minded and endowed with extraordinary vision and foresight, he understood the importance of women’s apostolate among women and recognized their vital role in transforming society. Even women who rarely left their homes were still at the heart of their households and it is in the home that women shape the society of tomorrow. Sisters could reach them and help…
The legacy of Cardinal Lavigerie
In this video we have a thoughtful presentation of the vision and work of Cardinal Lavigerie, by the Missionaries of Africa, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa and members of the Lavigerie family
Hold on to Cardinal Lavigerie legacy
Celebration in Malindi Report by Sr Redempta Kabahweza, from Malindi, Kenya For the bicentenary of the birth of our dear Founder Cardinal Charles Lavigerie many events were programmed in our communities and I am grateful to God for having given me opportunity to attend a number of them. In November 2024, we had the launching of bicentenary here in Malindi diocese at our brothers, the Missionaries of Africa’s Parish in Tarasaa. As we did not have a chance to travel to Nairobi for the same function, we were happy as a community to have the launching of the bicentenary here in Malindi. In December 2024 I was invited by our brothers to give sessions to the parish youth on Child Protection (including risk of sexual abuse, early marriages and early pregnancies). The youth were happy with the sessions though some of them were emotionally down as they were reminded…
Burundi celebrates Cardinal Lavigerie
A testimony from Burundi highlights the enduring charism of Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, showing how his spirit continues to grow and inspire generation after generation. In this first video the celebratory Mass for the closing ceremony of a year of events that have brought together all the faithfuls in Burundi. Here is the text of the prayer in the video In this second video an hymn to Cardinal Lavigerie engagement in Africa sung by the pré-postulants of the Gitega community.
Are we ready? Advent is coming
In preparation for the Messiah’s coming, let us “make straight his paths” as Isaias the prophet bids us. That is to say, let us go to God with an upright intention and seek Him alone with the sole desire of pleasing Him. (Mother Mary Salomé Thoughts 623. 3) The season of Advent is a time of expectation, when we prepare our home and our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming”. Advent is a season of hope, a time to nurture peace and experience joy in anticipation for the love that is made incarnate with the birth of Jesus. This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 30, 2025. Each Sunday of the season traditionally spotlights a key theme, hope, peace, joy, and love, to invite reflection, prayer, and expectant celebration. The traditional…
Let us move forward, family of Lavigerie
For Lavigerie’s bicentenary, celebrate his legacy of faith and commitment to the African peoples by drawing inspiration from his missionary zeal, courage and faith, and focusing on his legacy of human dignity. The theme for the bicentenary year was For a passionate and renewed commitment to the African peoples’