The vocation of being approachable
Sr. Zawadi Barungu with a young mother From Sr. Zawadi Barungu, in Burkina Faso As I began writing this article, someone rang our doorbell. I dropped everything and went to open the door. It was a veiled woman, visibly elderly, looking for a teacher who works at a center near our house. I went with her to show her the entrance to the weaving center. As we started, she thanked me and wished me twins: “May God give you twins”. No doubt that was the best she thought she could give me, the best she could wish me at that moment. Poor people offer us more than we think we give them. The “poor” give everything, they give themselves. Thus, we all have this potential within us because we are rich in love to give and very often poor in love because of sadness, worries, and false…
Let’s get ready for the Season of Creation 2026
Season of Creation is a time (September 1 – October 4) for Christians to come together in prayer and action for Creation Our Biblical text for this year is drawn from Ezekiel 47: 1- 12, which portrays God’s life-giving water flowing from the temple of God. The river grows deeper and deeper restoring barren land, reviving waters, and sustaining flourishing ecosystems. The vision invites human responsibility: recognising ecological damage, embracing interconnectedness, we are called to immerse ourselves in the water, and actively safeguarding and working for the renewal of creation so that environmental healing and human well-being may flourish together. Every act of care for creation becomes part of a global stream of hope. Prepare your community with the Guide that you can dowload at this link Season of Creation Celebration Guide 2026 After you can share how your parish, school, community, or organization is celebrating the Season…
10 Actions You Can Take on Laudato Si’ week
Hope would have us recognize that there is always a way out… that we can always do something.” Laudato Si’, 61 Laudato Si’ Week is a global moment when Catholics turn hope into action for our common home. Whether you are an individual, parish, school, religious community, or institution, you are invited to take one concrete step for integral ecology and make it count through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Choose one action that fits your context and begin this week! Responding to the Cry of the Earth 1. Reduce your community’s energy use this week Identify one immediate way to reduce energy consumption. Examples: • Turn off unnecessary lighting in unused spaces • Adjust heating or cooling slightly • Launch a commitment to reduce electricity use for the next month Parishes, schools, and institutions can begin reviewing energy usage and setting a reduction goal. 2. Restore local…
Activities at the Worldhouse
By Marina Van Dalen, SMNDA Coordinator – Netherlands The four Dutch sisters based in Boxtel are involved in the activities at the Worldhouse, sharing their vision of a life lived out in mission every day. Iftar meal for everyone This year, Ramadan and Lent began on the same day, namely Ash Wednesday, 18 February, and we thought it would be a good idea to organise an Iftar meal for all residents during this period. Most of the Muslim residents at the Worldhouse are of Moroccan or Turkish origin; the others are Dutch or Indonesian, and they usually eat their meals separately. Two ladies from the Muslim community promised to prepare a simple Ramadan meal suitable for the older residents, not all of whom are used to Arabic cuisine. Before the meal, we gave a presentation on Christian fasting during the 40 days of Lent and another on fasting…
A tree for each child
By the community of Nouakchott in Mauritania In the Sahel, the region south of the Sahara Desert, the advancement of desert sands is threatening homes and farming fields. A big Pan African Plan has been promoted to fight the desertification and residents all over the region are planting a “Great Green Wall” hoping to slow down the process. The project started in 2007 and all neighboring countries are engaged in this great challenge. By 2024, around 30 million hectares had been restored, representing 30% of the target set. This large-scale project faces numerous challenges, such as a lack of funding and locust swarms, but also, and this has been the most worrying development in recent times, terrorist threats and a lack of political leadership. To know more you can visit the Wikipedia link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Green_Wall_(Africa) In Mauritania our sisters have been planting trees for many years now, in…
Meditation in memory of our Algerian martyrs
A total of 19 men and women religious, priests and a bishop, were slain in Algeria between 1994 and 1996 during the Algerian Civil War. They were declared martyrs by Pope Francis and beatified on 8 December 2018 in Oran. To facilitate the prayer for tomorrow we share a meditation prepared by the White Fathers in memory of our brothers murdered on the 27th December 1994 in Tizi Ouzou. Link to download the Meditation for the blessed martyrs of Algeria
Refugees’ wellbeing at the heart of our mission
From the Ukusijoni Community, in Uganda The state of refugee life is in fact a life of poverty. For some it becomes misery, seeing how they forcibly left their own land to establish themselves in a very limited space in another country. Some manage to come out of it, but the majority remain in a dire situation. This is the case of so many in Maaji and Agojo refugee settlements in Adjumani district, Northern Uganda. Our mission in Maaji and Agojo settlements, seeks to respond to the concrete realities of the refugees with their various needs. It is a pastoral apostolate that includes humanitarian responses where possible. Refugees need God in the first place, in whom they find their answers, and those they discover as God’s messengers become part of their lives. Our service to them seems to have come at the right time, when amid the…
A new member at the Dicastery
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development was created on August 17, 2016 according to the wishes that our Holy Father Pope Francis expressed in his Apostolic Letter, under the form of a Motu Proprio, Humanam Progressionem. The new Dicastery promotes the integral development of the person in light of the Gospel and in line with the Social Doctrine of the Church. It dedicates particular attention to taking care of the goods of justice, peace and the safeguarding of Creation, as well as issues regarding disarmament, human rights, human mobility, health, charitable works, expressing the concern and attention of the Pope towards a humanity that suffers, among whom are the needy, the ill and the excluded. In addition, the Dicastery follows issues regarding the necessities of those who are forced to abandon their own countries or those who are without one, the marginalized, the victims of armed conflicts and…
The heart still beats… a memorable day in Ouarzazate
Our Sisters in Ouarzazate, 3rd on the left Sr. Rehema and in the centre Sr. Hélène, among the faithful who came to celebrate together the Eucharist The Community of Ouarzazate, Morocco, share a memorable day There are days that leave an indelible mark on the soul, like a light that continues to shine for a long time. Sunday, October 26, was one of those days. In a context that does not allow us to hold open public activities or celebrations, we chose to mark the closing of the Jubilee Year of our Founder, Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, with what unites us most: a Eucharistic celebration imbued with recollection and fervour. A moment where every gesture and word counts. The preparations were simple but made with much love. A few prayers, a short message about our Founder and prayer intentions filled with hope. We also chose hymns in different…
Doing what you (tin)can
Sr Leny on her rounds Sr Leny Droogh, who is 90 years young, has a daily task she has carefully chosen. When she walks to church every morning at 9 o’clock with her rollator, she picks up every plastic bottle and tin can that she can find, in the grass along the road or in the garbage bins. On the way from the church coming back home to the Wereldhuis, she does the same. She also does this when she goes to the supermarket for shopping. Then she goes to the recycling spot in the market and she gets a refund based on the amount of cans and plastic bottles. Last year the refunds all added up to more than 1.200 euros! She divides this well-earned money among all kinds of good initiatives, like a local project for vulnerable people or a mission project in Africa and…