Blessed Martyrs of Algeria
We remember the blessed martyrs of Algeria, in particular our brothers Jean Chevillard, Alain Dieulangard, Charles Deckers and Christian Chessel. On 8th May 2020 Bishop +Claude Rault. M.Afr. gave a homily to the the Missionary of Africa in Paris, France. It so happens that, through the mystery of history, I have come to know almost all the members of the Church of Algeria whose memory we celebrate today. Some I have known more, others less. On several occasions I was able to work with Bishop Pierre in the Episcopal Conference, and he came several times to the Diocese of the Sahara when I was Vicar General. He was a passionate and exciting man. His regular letters during the “black decade” soon made him a potential target for armed Islamists and security forces. He knew the risks he was taking. I was also quite close to Christian Chessel,…
From Rome to Congo, with Hope
News from our sisters’ participation in the International Network of Consecrated Life Against Human Trafficking “Talitha Kum” Sr Nadine Nana at the opening of “Talitha Kum” the DRC In October, the International Network of Consecrated Life Against Human Trafficking “Talitha Kum”, was established in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was a great honor for me to participate in the opening session of the network. For more than ten years, many consecrated people in Congo did not know about the existence of this international network, but thanks to the dedication of Father Bernard Ugeux M.Afr, the Talitha Kum leaders decided to open the network in Congo with the approval of monsignor Willy Ngumbi, Bishop of Goma. The Talitha Kum session took place in the diocese of Goma and was held from October 16th to 20th. It was led by Sister Angela Kapintingana, MSOLA, and coordinated by Professor…
Jubilee of the World of Volunteering
The entire period of the Jubilee 2025 is characterised by a rich calendar of religious, cultural and social events. The Holy Year programme includes several ‘jubilees’ dedicated to different categories of people, identified according to their profession or their role within the family, the Church and society. The two days of 8 and 9 March are dedicated to the world of volunteering, as a reminder of the role played by non-profit organisations, NGOs, social workers and volunteers from all associations working for the benefit of the community. Today we also want to remember and thank all the volunteers with whom we continue to work on various projects. We do so with an article by our sister Elisabeth Biela, who has left her role in the Karlsruhe community as leader of the refugee ministry in collaboration with many other Christian and lay associations. Here are her thoughts on the occasion of…
Enjoying little things: a trip to Antwerp Zoo
Written in July 2024 by Ludovica Hofmans and Reninca Van Elzen Summer was slow in coming to Belgium and rather temperamental … We did decide on a date for a visit to Antwerp Zoo, and on that day, 19 July 2024, the weather was very fine, even a little too hot (30°C). But, equipped with hats and bottles of water, we went ahead with our trip to the zoo. We (Anna Hendrickx and ourselves) were lucky enough to be accompanied by Claire, our coordinator, and Sr Marcelline and Sr Maïté, our leaders, who were visiting Belgium! Pauline, a friend of Sr Mia Van Looy, was also on hand to help transport us as all three of us were in wheelchairs. We thank her again very much! I, Ludovica, really admired Pauline, Marcelline and Claire, who pushed us all the way. Thanks to them, I had a great…
Ambassadors of hope: together against human trafficking
Ambassadors of hope: together against human trafficking Every year on 8 February, in the liturgical memory of Saint Bakhita, we celebrate the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking. People on all continents unite their prayers against human trafficking. Among them, we, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, as members of Talitha Kum, the international network of religious against human trafficking. Join us and other Ambassadors of Hope in praying against human trafficking. Join the Online Pilgrimage of Prayer and Awareness against human trafficking on the 7th of February. For more information and prayer materials visit preghieracontrotratta.org
Empathy in Action: Lessons from the World Day of the Poor
Sr. Valérie Kaboré on mission in Algeria “While part of the world is condemned to live in the depths of history, while inequalities increase and the economy punishes the weakest, while society is dedicated to the idolatry of money and consumption, the poor and the marginalized often have no choice but to continue to wait (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, n. 54). … It is us whom his grace makes shine; it is our life, imbued with compassion and charity, which must become a sign of the Lord’s presence, always close to the suffering of the poor, to soothe their wounds and transform their destiny.” Link to the PDF https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2024/documents/20241117-omelia-giornatamondiale-poveri.html I feel very inspired by this quotation from Pope Francis. He recalled these words recently, on 17 November, during the World Day of the Poor. Several events and celebrations that we have experienced in these days can be linked…
Tree planting in Mauritania
On Saturday, October 26, we organized a planting of twenty trees in a neighborhood of Nouakchott called Basra. There were 19 of us, including, among others, 6 people from the Islamo-Christian Group including Sr. Mia and Sr. Elyse, three priests, the president of a Mauritanian association for Education and Culture, the president of the association Soleil des Enfants, the president of the association Ensemble Pour un Avenir Meilleur and his team. We went to get the trees from the gardener to bring them to the neighborhood of Basra where the action took place. The young people from the association had raised awareness among the families in the neighborhood about the benefits of trees and some of them asked for a tree. Each family had already dug a hole in front of their door and had prepared the manure and the fence to prevent the sheep from damaging the young…
Cleaning up the Indian Ocean – a gesture to our Mother Earth
“Laudato si’, mi’ Signore” – “Praised be you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful hymn, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our Earth is like a sister with whom we share our life, and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.” Caring for our Mother Earth should be our priority every day, because all our actions, good or bad, have an impact on Her. We are called to be responsible for what we do and to take care of our Mother Earth. I am happy to share with you the way we helped to clean the Indian Ocean because it was really a beautiful experience to do such a gesture. We in the Dar es…
The “Visitation” of Our Lady in the refugee settlements
It was a rare occasion in our refugee settlements. Far away from the town, somehow isolated, the refugees of Maaji and Agojo – settlements in the North of Uganda, have rarely seen such great events and opportunities to gather and pray. Ten days before its arrival in Maaji, the people of the settlements were informed that the image of Our Lady of Kibeho was on its way. The time to prepare for her arrival was very short and all the leaders of the Catholic chapels that we, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa and the Missionaries of Africa, are in charge of, rolled up their sleeves to start the preparations. Drawing up the budget, collecting food, cleaning the houses to receive those who would accompany the statue of Our Lady, clearing the ground around the chapel that would be the main venue for the welcome, building the podium,…
“Thank you for everything”
From our Srs Franceline Hien and Valérie Sibdou Kaboré of Hydra-Parmentier “Thank you for everything” This word was spoken a few days ago by the little girl, barely 3 years old, of a work colleague. We were returning from a beautiful day spent in the mountains, in the middle of the forest. That evening, while reviewing my day, I was challenged about my capacity to live gratitude in depth. Am I able to say, at the end of each day: “Lord, Thank you for everything”? At the end of this month of September, I take the risk of saying “Thank you for everything” Spiritual retreat Thank you for the time of spiritual retreat lived at the monastery of Thibhirine with our brothers the Missionaries of Africa. Led by the brothers and sisters of the Chemin Neuf, it was an intense moment of personal and community prayer…