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…
World Day of Prayer for Creation
An initiative of Pope Francis It was Pope Francis who took the initiative in his message of August 6, 2015, to establish this world day in line with his recent encyclical Laudato Sì. “I wish to communicate to you my decision to also establish in the Catholic Church a “World Day of Prayer for the Protection of Creation. Starting this year, the day will be celebrated on September 1, as already happens in the Orthodox Church. Our common vocation, guardians of creation The annual World Day of Prayer for the Protection of Creation offers each believer and every community a valuable opportunity to renew their personal commitment to their vocation as stewards of creation, giving thanks to God for the wonderful work that He entrusted to our care and invoking his help in the protection of creation and mercy for the sins committed against the world…
In Sicily the “sisters of the world” with migrants
The “sisters of the world”: an international team of religious women in Sicily with the migrants. Pope Francis asked religious last year to get involved in welcoming migrants. At the request of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) the Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa (White Sisters) decided to participate in an inter-congregational, international team to welcome the migrants who land in Sicily. These migrants also come from Africa and for them, to be welcomed by African religious who can understand their drama is a valuable relief. Sister Vicky Chiharhula, Missionary of Our Lady of Africa, Conglaise, shares the first steps of this team. Sisters with migrants in Sicily We arrived in Sicily on Dec 12, 2015—from five congregations, different nationalities: Argentina, Eritrea, India, Poland and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We were very well received by everyone in the diocese of Agrigento and beyond. From…
Mrs. Adonis and her hens
We go to Haiti to meet Mrs. Adonis
“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…
February 20, the World Day for Social Justice
February 20 is World Day for Social Justice. For the two Institutes founded by Cardinal Lavigerie, it is the Annual Day of prayer and reflection on modern slavery. The theme for 2016 is: “Shine the light on modern slavery.” How to learn about modern slavery? • Find in your city or country organizations working against modern slavery and against human trafficking and get in touch with them to see how you can work together to eradicate modern slavery. There are networks of religious men and women working against human trafficking in 70 countries, linked with Talitha Kum. Do you know those in your country? Could you collaborate with them? • Learn clues to help you identify potential victims of trafficking and see what can be done. • Discover your slavery footprint and check the goods produced by child labor or forced or compulsory labor. • Encourage companies to take…
Saint Bakhita, Patroness of kidnapped persons and victims of trafficking
Josephine was born in 1869 in South Sudan. She lived with her parents, 3 brothers and 4 sisters in Olgossa, a small village in Darfur, close to Mont Agilerei. The first suffering felt by Josephine was when those she called ” négriers” in reality members of Arab tribes who were slave traders, abducted her elder sister: “I still remember, she said in 1910, how Mama cried, and how we too cried. “ One day, between 1876 and 1877 she suffered the same fate as her sister; she was kidnapped and carried far away. “I was only thinking of my family; I called out to Papa and Mama, with anguish in my heart impossible to describe. But no-one was listening to me. “ Sold into slavery several times in the markets of El Obeid and Khartoum, she was treated brutally by her captors.…
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,…