Sr. Maamalifar Joins Meeting with Queen Camilla
Photo: Buckingham Palace Representatives of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) recently met with Her Majesty Queen Camilla at Clarence House in London to share the work of Catholic Sisters serving vulnerable communities around the world. Their discussions focused on human trafficking, conflict, climate change, and the protection of women and girls. Among the UISG delegation was Sr. Maamalifar Poreku, MSOLA, Executive Co-Secretary of the UISG-USG Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. During the meeting, she highlighted how climate change is already affecting the lives of millions of people, particularly the poorest communities, forcing many families to migrate and increasing their vulnerability to human trafficking. Sr. Maamalifar also shared how women religious are responding through environmental education, sustainable agriculture, access to water, and livelihood initiatives that strengthen the resilience of communities and promote human dignity. She emphasized that caring for creation must always go hand in hand…
Understanding “Magnifica Humanitas”
Image Vatican News Article extract from the Dicastery for promoting Integral Human Development https://www.humandevelopment.va/en/magnifica-humanitas.html The dignity of the human being is the criterion to orient technical progress Pope Leo XIV, in presenting to the world and to all the people of God, his first Encyclical Letter, focused on the care for the human person in the time of Artificial Intelligence, said “I invite all members of the Church and of the human family: let us learn to listen to one another, face the present challenges with courage, and cooperate in building a more human and fraternal society. […] Please take with you a commitment to stay awake and, as ‘artisans of hope’, to keep on building the worksite of our time. May the Spirit of the Risen Lord Jesus sustain our work together.” In the time of Artificial Intelligence, humanity is faced with a choice. Whether to let…
Message of hope about the global debt crisis
“I have hope as a Christian, as a follower of Christ. And my hope is in you people, the organizations that have heard the cry of the people: those who are affected by the climate crisis and the debt crisis”. That’s the message from Sister Maamalifar Poreku, a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa from Ghana. Ghana is one of the countries most vulnerable to the debt crisis, with its government spending a quarter of revenue on servicing debts in 2023, according to the UN. Sister Maamalifar, who is the Co-Executive Secretary of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of the Union of Superior Generals, spoke to the Turn Debt into Hope campaign about how the debt crisis has affected communities in her home country. How people have been affected by the debt crisis in Ghana Sister Maamalifar said: I have seen the suffering of the people…
The Story Behind the Canonization of the Uganda Martyrs
The relics are taken on procession in the celebrations of 3rd June This article was composed with information taken from our archives et from the website of the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugogo On the 3rd of June we celebrate the Ugandan martyrs, a group of Christians who were killed because of their faith between 1885 and 1887 under the orders of King Mwanga of Buganda. In particular we remember the Namugongo Holocaust, that broke out on 25th May 1886 and lasted until the 3rd of June 1886, on the feast of the ascension, where martyrs were tortured and burned. Their remains were long left unburied by the King’s orders as they were considered traitors. Six months later, three Christians, amid fears of being charged with treason, in cover of the night went to Namugongo and collected some remains. The relics were hidden by the White Fathers and…
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…
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
Celebrating in the periphery in Rwanda
From our Sr. Marie Kanyoni, in the community of Butare, in Rwanda Our community wanted to conclude the bicentennial of Cardinal Lavigerie with the sister congregations, the Benebikira and the Abizeramaria from our parish; and also with our close neighbors from the cathedral as well as our collaborators, the former students of MSOLA. Then, one of us had the idea of inviting the poor from the peripherie with whom we work in our apostolates, that is, the four groups from three different villages and the Notre Dame d’Afrique Center (sewing center for young women). With this gesture, we find ourselves fully in line with the apostolic exhortation of Pope Leo XIV: From the beginning, Scripture manifests with such intensity God’s love through the protection of the weak and the less fortunate, that one could speak of a kind of ‘soft spot’ of God towards them. The poor have…
Loving the poor and the reality of life
Nairobi is a city of contrasts A touching testimony from Sr. Marietha Joakim, Nairobi, Kenya When I reflect on my experience of helping the poor, I do not begin with theories or Church documents. I begin with the streets of Nairobi, with the people I meet every day with faces that are easy to pass by, yet difficult to forget. Nairobi is a city of contrasts. Tall buildings, busy roads, and signs of development exist side by side with deep poverty. In recent times, the number of homeless people and beggars has visibly increased. At every traffic stop, outside supermarkets, along major roads, and near churches and mosques there are people asking for help. Some are elderly, some are children, many are young adults who should be in the prime of their strength but have nowhere to go. So far, my personal experience of helping the poor…
Living Lent with a Missionary Heart
Some Practical Ways to Live Your Faith Inspired by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa Lent is a season we often associate with sacrifice, giving something up, praying a little more, trying to be better. But what if Lent is not about giving up, but about opening up? Opening our hearts to God, to others, and to the world He loves. Inspired by the Ignatian spirituality of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa you can rediscover Lent as a time to grow roots in Christ and stretch out our hands in love. These are not only for religious sisters, they are a path for every baptized Christian. Deepening our relationship with Christ: The interior journey At the heart of MSOLA life is a personal relationship with Jesus. Mission begins in prayer. Without roots, a tree cannot grow; without prayer, our faith cannot bear…
Journeying together in mission and transformation
From our sister Maamalifar M. Poreku, MSOLA “Come, let us set out together on this journey of faith and transformation.” “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord… that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” (Is 2:3) Walking Together in Faith and Mission Rooted in the spirit of synodality and the missionary charism of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA), this theme is an invitation to embrace a shared journey of renewal. It encourages each of us to rediscover our apostolic life as a space where personal conversion and communal transformation meet. Through our diverse apostolates, we listen deeply—to one another, to the cries of the world, and to the gentle voice of the Spirit. Together, we discern how Christ continues to transform us for mission. Near or far, all are invited to walk…