Season of creation in Nouakchott
On the occasion of the Season of Creation 2022, the Muslim-Christian dialogue group of Nouakchott organised a common prayer by the sea on Wednesday 21 September. We sat side by side on the sand, 5 Muslims and 6 Chris-tians, contemplating the immensity of the ocean before us. We were inspired by the suggestions sent by the Sea-son of Creation 2022. During the spontaneous sharing about what was coming up in us, as we contemplated the ocean and the people around us, listening to the birds, we felt confirmed that creation unites us as believers of different traditions. God has given human beings the responsibility to care for all created beings. We experienced the Kingdom of God already here, feeling brothers and sisters, called to care together for creation and to praise God for the air we breathe, for the water that gives life, for the earth that sustains and nourishes…
A meeting that awakens our charism
While on vacation for a few days with the Poor Clares, I received a request from my friend, the mother abbess: “Marie-José, I need you. I have just had a phone call from Secours Catholique who will accompany a young African girl who will be staying with us for a day or two.” The young African arrives. She lives in the same hallway as me. At one point, I walk past her room, see her door wide open. She is sitting on the bed and rummaging through her backpack. Beside her, the unfolded sheets. ” Can I help you? We’ll make the bed together.” She warmly thanks: “I did not know this method of making the bed”. Then she tells her story: “I am an orphan–no father and mother. I lived with my grandfather and went to school until my grandfather died. There was no one left to pay and I…
The seeds of “Laudato Si”
Since July, two “Laudato Si” circles have begun to sprout in our community, one for adults and one for young people. The beginning is weak and humble. We do not yet see the path clearly but moved by our conviction “… that Africa has an important contribution to make to the world, we choose to participate in making it a reality” (excerpt from the MSOLA’s raison d’être), and trusting in God, we launched the call. The response was a nice surprise, people came. The young people asked to meet every two weeks and the adults once a month. The young people came on the 21st and the adults on the 27th of August. We are nourishing the ‘listening to creation’ with the resources from our congregation and different organisations, in a special way with the letter of Pope Francis for the time of creation and the Encyclical “Laudato Si”. In…
A Muslim lives the charisme of Lavigerie
A Muslim lives the charism of Lavigerie We share with you a marvel of God’s action, the presence of his Kingdom among us. Yahya Sall, a young Muslim from Mauritania, fights for the rights of undocumented and out-of-school children, as well as planting trees in his neighbourhood, supporting migrants and foreigners, widows and children. Through our sisters in Nouakchott, he has become a reference person in the neighbourhood for those who are voiceless and without support. He himself says that he is now a missionary: “What touches the human being also touches me”. Sensitive to the suffering of others, recognising that he himself is limited, he believes that God is beyond our limits and that with Him everything is possible. When a poor family or a sick mother turns to him, he replies that he personally has no means of helping them; but he promises to tell all the people…
The Tabaski festival in Burkina Faso and Mauritania
Le Tabaski est célébré par les sœurs avec leurs amis musulmans dans les différents pays. Voici deux témoignages. Les SMNDA fêtent le Tabaski à Ouagadougou Comme chaque année, la Commission diocésaine pour le dialogue islamo-chrétien s’est préparée à aller saluer nos frères musulmans le jour de la fête de la Tabaski, 9 juillet. Avec joie, les sœurs Clémence, Agnès, Georgette (de passage), Leticia et les pré-novices, Ancile et Emily se sont jointes à la commission pour les différentes visites. Nous étions très heureux de vivre cette journée de rencontre et de fraternité. J’ai été très touché d’être appelé par mon nom par l’Imam Alidou Ilboudou qui prêchait à l’Université de Ouagadougou. Il me tendit la main pour me saluer et nous remercier de notre présence. Les photographes en ont profité pour nous prendre en photo. Les photos ont commencé à circuler rapidement sur les réseaux sociaux disant qu’une religieuse catholique…
The Earth is for all… be happy!
Each year in Nouakchott, the “Maison du Quartier” organises a summer camp for 3 weeks. This year’s theme was: “The Earth is for all… be happy! “. This camp aims to help children improve their knowledge by doing several activities with them. This year, we were lucky enough to experience this event because in previous years, it had been cancelled due to Covid 19. The “Maison du Quartier” committee, in collaboration with our community, organised activities that could help these children. There were volunteers who offered to give the children various activities such as: embroidery, crochet, computers, decorating bottles, singing and patchwork. Everyone contributed where they could. We welcomed about thirty children and we put them in groups so that they could participate in all the activities in turn. Through these activities, we taught the children to save nature by recovering and using everything that had to be thrown away,…
2022 Season of Creation Prayer
Creator of All, From your communion of love your Word went forth to create a symphony of life that sings your praise. By your Holy Wisdom you made the Earth to bring forth a diversity of creatures who praise you in their being. You called human beings to till and keep your garden. But we turn in on ourselves and away from our co-creatures. We fail to listen to the cries of the poor and the needs of the most vulnerable. We silence the voices of those who hold the traditions that teach us to care for the Earth. We close our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us through the Scriptures. Creation cries out as forests crackle, and animals alike flee the fires of injustice that we have lit by our unwillingness to listen. In this Season of Creation, we…
Presentation on Integral Ecology
Sr. Francine Maas, Winooski community (USA) On May 17, 2022, I gave a presentation, on Integral Ecology, to some of the staff members of Our Lady of Providence (OLP) Residential Care Home, in which our community resides. Last November, our nursing director asked me if I could help the staff learn about the importance of recycling, etc. Right away, I agreed to this request if it would be for the springtime. This delay was providential as in the meantime Sr. Begoña sent us more information on Integral Ecology and Ecological Conversion. This information helped me tremendously as this was my very first experience in doing something like this. Begoña sent me her PowerPoint on Integral Ecology and the video on Ecological Conversion agreeing that I would adapt the material to fit our multicultural and multi-religious staff. Working with the PowerPoint I learned a lot and had fun in the process,…
Woman of faith and hope meeting the refugees
Sr. Agathe Mukamuligo, Lilongwe community (Malawi) Who are they? Where do they come from? Where are they going? They are men and women, young people and children who live as a family, not having their own family nearby. There are many widows and single mothers. They come from the Great Lakes countries in Central Africa, and are now in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in the Dowa district of Malawi. Where are they going? They are here, waiting for a host country or continent. Most dream of the USA, Canada, Australia and Sweden. They form the community of life and faith of St Ignatius of Loyola. They have the right to refugee status, but some of them have been waiting for a long time: 21 years for some, 20 years for others, 5 years, 3 years or 1 year for the last arrivals. And they continue to arrive. Although they have…