A special experience in Tunis
A special experience beyond cultural and religious differences Testimony of Sylvie: I responded with enthusiasm to the invitation of the “White Sisters” of Tunis to set out to discover the Church of Tunisia. A Living Church: During our stay, I discovered a living Church thanks to our different encounters: with catholics from sub-Saharan Africa studying in Tunis, Christian expatriates lay or not who lived all their lives in Tunisia and Tunisian catholics. We left with my brothers and sisters from Poland in the footsteps of the first Christians: Saints Perpetua and Felicite martyred in Tunis; Saint Cyprian, Saint Augustine, Saint Louis and Saint Vincent de Paul who left their mark on the city as we have observed through our visits. Breaking down prejudices: Nowadays, when the fear of Islam can become a terrible constraint on dialogue, Tunisian Muslim families in the city of Kef have opened their doors to…
Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, an Imam sings the Sura “Mériem”
A highly symbolic gesture of fraternity, peace and sharing of common values: at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa an Imam sings the Sura “Mériem”. 30 April 2017 READ MORE : The Basilica of Our Lady of Africa Prayer to Our Lady of Africa Why not Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa?
Wonders of the Lord in Senoufo land!
René met Jesus. In 1971 I became acquainted with René and with his wife Adele and their children. They were the only baptized people in this Senoufo village. In the evenings in front of the door of their house, a group of children would rush to listen to Bible stories which Rene joyfully recounted with conviction. It was during his training in agricultural school that René first learned about Jesus. Since then, great was his faith in his Lord! Everything became an opportunity for him to praise him and make him known! Yet there were threats on the part of the villagers: “René, do not send your children to school without having offered the customary sacrifices!” “René, the custom of our village forbids you to start a new culture!” Yet René sent his children to school and he planted onions in the land of his…
The senoufo language and the wisdom of Nyanyogo
Sister Nicole Robion : What I have learned from the wisdom of a woman of the traditional religion : While learning the Sénoufo language one day this woman Nyanyogo, came to the dispensary. As I had noticed her speaking clearly, I followed her to her home. For years, we had a beautiful friendship and this is what I can share of her wisdom. Welcome : God does not like someone to be sad. If your eye is bitter, your heart is also bitter and everything in you is sad. If people come to you, receive them with both hands. If we honor one another, God will honor us. An Enemy: Someone might hate me but since God who gave me life does not hate her, I cannot make that person my enemy. I laughed with her and she said: “What? You want us to fight? No, laugh…
Beauty and feminine identity by Lucienne Brousse
“The art of tattooing as an attribute of feminine beauty was once the prerogative of North African women. As in all millennial civilizations, this pageantry which embellished the features of the face, the limbs or certain parts of the body formed the adornment of the woman following the example of its current practice in European countries with piercing, a new contemporary form inherited Hindo-Asian civilizations which today attracts casual and rebellious young people. The work which has just been published by Dar El Khattab editions looks with a corpus of signs, symbols drawn on the origins of Berber female tattoos in the regions of Biskra and Touggourt, spreading a little more in the regions of Kabylie, to provide a modest study that attempts an ethnographic understanding of the original symbolism of tattoos, often referring to testimonies of women who practiced it: “It is…
Sister Madeleine Allain and her passion for the study of language Kabyle
Sister Madeleine Allain She was a friend of Algeria who left there after having given much to the culture, especially the Berber language. She not only studied the language, but developed a Kabyle-French dictionary which was published in1982 by the SELAF Editions in Paris. The study of language Kabyle Sister Madeleine Allain arrived in 1939 in Algeria as a “White Sister” with her religious name: Sister Louis de Vincennes. From that date, she began with passion and method to study the Kabyle language in Ain El Hammam (Michelet) and Tizi-Ouzou. In 1953 she founded in Tizi-Ouzou a house of studies for young sisters (Center for Feminine Berber studies). The center later moved to Larbâa Nath Iraten (Fort National). In 1946 she helped found the FDB (Berber documentation file) that was set up with Fathers Dallet and Lanfry to collect Berber texts. In 1947 Sister Madeleine obtained…
“Thank you for my baptism”– Emmanuel, from Burkina Faso
One morning at the beginning of the rainy season, Emmanuel, in his fifties, called me through his eldest son. He had been a good catechumen for a long time but had abandoned everything except his Christian name. We knew each other well and I respected his decision taken long before I arrived. That day, he let me know he was dying and wanted baptism before the great departure. I knew he was very ill. Five kilometers separated me from his village, but what a road! The motorbike had to navigate through the mud. Emmanuel was at the end of his strength, and I found his great desire to ask Jesus his true shepherd to lead him to the Father. He himself had been a shepherd from a young age. At our second meeting, we celebrated his baptism with his wife and two sons who…
Interculturality, a prophetic sign
In following Christ, interculturality is possible, even if for the world it is folly. In our MSOLA family – Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa- and in the individualistic, materialistic and selfish world of today, we find that interculturality is a prophetic sign. From different countries of the world and despite our differences, we share the same life. It is really a testimony. It happens for example that two sisters come from countries at war with each other but through Christ who brings us together, we live in communion and peace. What could be more prophetic? Around us people are surprised to see a European and an African living together and even more, being called “sisters.” People ask us “Where did you meet and how is it that you are sisters? It is unbelievable!” “Yes, it’s amazing, but true!” In following Christ,…
Afrika – Quebec
AFRIKA-QUEBEC intercultural meeting Expo: September 26 to October 16, 2015 Africa Quebec AFRIKA-QUEBEC: the story of a long-lasting friendship Women and men of Quebec, in Africa: In 1901, the Missionaries of Africa (known as the White Fathers), and in 1903, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (known as the White Sisters), opened their first house in Quebec City, rue des Remparts. Very soon, some young women and men of Quebec chose the missionary life and left Quebec to go to Africa. A large number have spent their whole life there, others several years. Today, we still see them serving in several African countries. Those who are back in Canada have a message for us: «In Africa, we have been warmly welcomed. We have learned the local language, the history of the country; we even danced to the rhythm of the drum. We were introduced…
The learning method of tunisian language
The learning method of tunisian language is intended to beginner level. It is written both in arabic and transcript for a francophone and anglophone people, what is quite unique. This method was written by Sister Madeleine Prim. This method is the product of a long story. After some lessons given by The White Fathers at IBLA ( Institut des Belles Lettres Arabes) , the White Sisters have organized a first draft copy of lessons more intensive in 1937. Since 1957, the language center works in its current form, under the name of ” Maison d’Etudes” , based in Monfleury / Tunis and linked to a library intended to highschooler. Initially intended to the White Sister who was studying literal arabic and arabic dialect, with an formation on islamology, the center has opened gradually towards another public living and working in Tunis. The first student…