Ministry of JPIC
From our sister Maamalifar Poreuku, Executive Co-Secretary of the JPIC Commission USG-UISG My vocation is a childhood dream come true. Around the age of 6, some sisters called “mooda pele” often visited our village and my family. Mooda pele means “White Mothers”. I was so captivated by the name and their activities in the village that I wanted to be like them. This was what motivated me to want to go to school. When I reached the age of reason and went to school, I did not see them anymore, so I thought they had left the country. I met other congregations, but did not feel attracted to them. After completing my secondary education, not knowing if the mooda pele were still in Ghana and not being attracted to any other congregation, I thought my dream to become a white mother was an illusion. So, thinking of other plans,…
Celebration of St Bakhita in Madrid 2023
The Vigil of St Bakhita in Madrid organized by the Diocesan Commission against Human Trafficking of which Begoña Iñarra is the coordinator, is celebrated every year in a different parish, to create awareness in the different parts of the town about human trafficking. This year it was celebrated in St Cayetano parish, in the heart of the traditional and well-known Rastro (flea market) district of Madrid. There were about 100 people and many people all over Spain and Latin America followed the video in streaming. The members of the Human trafficking commission animated the vigil written by one of the members. The social vicar of Madrid Archdiocese introduced the vigil that was very symbolic. A beautiful image of Ste Bakhita was before the altar. Four people put up five posters with the words “Freedom” “Dignity”, “Caring Paths”, “Inclusion” and “Empowerment”, at St. Bakhita’s feet. All along the prayer, we…
Unity is possible
On August 14, I took the road around 6:00 p.m. to go to Oran to participate in the week-long Taizé Tlemcen session. I arrived in Oran late at night to continue to Tlemcen in the morning. I was well received by our sisters in the community of Oran. On August 15, I went to Tlemcen with Sr. Jeanne d’Arc, Sr. Clémentine and a friend of our Sisters from the community of Oran. It was a great joy for me to be with them. We arrived in Tlemcen at noon and joined the others for the Eucharistic celebration. It was a beautiful celebration animated by good songs in different languages. It was only a beginning and an opening of joy that accompanied us throughout the week by deepening the life of Taizé. We were about 70 in number. They were students, monks, nuns and a couple with their 3 children. We…
Prison Ministry. Oran, Algeria
This pandemic has forced us to change habits and patterns and made us discover new ways of carrying out our apostolate. Here in Oran, Algeria, we used to go to the prison in pairs (with a priest) once a week to meet between 25-38 men. The prisoners are almost all sub-Saharan (majority Cameroonians). Most have no other visits and no links with the outside since their arrest. During the visit I try to listen to each one. When I get home I contact their relatives, their partners, friends in Algeria and then by Facebook their families and friends living elsewhere. It is an extremely emotional and spiritual apostolate because we are journeying together and we are able to form a family that meets once a week around the Word of God. Due to the health crisis, the country’s authorities suspended visits to prisoners, but during the last few months,…
The Lublin community in Poland and JPIC-ED
Visiting the prison Once a month, Anafrida Biro goes to the prison to accompany the prisoners and pray with them. The prisoners who need someone to talk to wait for her with joy. With the homeless Once a week Ania helps at the Volunteer Center, where a warm meal is given to the homeless, former prisoners and people who are in a difficult situation. On human trafficking We invited a policeman working in the human trafficking department to tell us about human trafficking in our region. It was good because there are few reports on the issue. Ania Wójcik has participated in a training workshop on « Evangelization- street safety rules, dealing with conflict situations » organized by the Bakhita network in Katowice. Migrants and encounter of religions and cultures During one of the Missionary Saturdays meeting for young girls, Anafrida invited 2 Muslim African students of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, to…
Migrants in Hydra, Algers
Sr Valérie participated in the Zoom meeting on sisters’ commitment against human trafficking. It was an enriching experience. She summarized it for the other sisters at the weekly community meeting. This opened up a long discussion on the local situations here in Algeria. We mentioned the situation of some former residents of the Dar Essalem Center, for the most vulnerable migrants, where Sr Hortensia Sizalande is in charge and the “reappearance” of migrants from Niger. In recent months, we have witnessed many scenes of begging in the streets. They are women, teenagers, old men and especially young children reaching out to passers-by and drivers. It’s really pitiful! Where do these people come from, knowing that the borders are closed? Were they there before containment? Where do they stay? We have many questions. We feel powerless in the face of this situation: ignorance of the language (Hausa), painful experiences of expulsion…
The dangers of migration
Mr. Moustapha Dia, a Senegalese, taught at the Diam Ly school where Sr. Victorine Bulangalire works. He was the eldest leader of the Maison du Quartier, and my close collaborator. He left for the Canary Islands, by boat. We have learned that he has died. According to one of his friends who was travelling with him, Moustapha died on the 3rd day of the trip. The boat lost its way and was adrift for 12 days when it was found and rescued by the Canary Islands Red Cross (Spain) who took care of the survivors. But several migrants had already died from lack of water and food or from the heat. Moustapha’s body, like that of the other castaways, was returned to the sea. It was on 17th September that we received the news of his death. The children of the Maison du Quartier wrote messages and drew pictures in tribute to…
Solidarity in Delwende during Covid-19
MSOLA community of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) Sr Vickness Nangongo Muleya, MSOLA. In Delwende (Ouagadougou) Sr Vickness Nangogo Muleya, director of the Delwende Center in Sakoula, asked to stay at the center during the pandemic, in order to accompany the rejected women accused of witchcraft and to ensure their protection against Covid-19. The Delwende center welcomes mostly women, but there is also a few men who have been chased from their villages accused of witchcraft. Sr Vickness shares her experience: « I saw their faces light up and at the same time they were surprised that I came to stay with them at this difficult time. They were surprised to see me there the whole day and night but their faces were shining. In my heart it was like a dream and I was in awe of what was happening. The first night I prayed in the hangar because my room was…
Participating in the life of disadvantaged people
MSOLA Bunamwaya community (Kampala – Uganda) Throughout the year Sr Theopista and the prepostulants have participated regularly in praying the Rosary, the Way of the Cross and in other celebrations and activities in two special plac in our area : at Namugongo Bunamwaya and Lost City (two disadvantaged areas). These are the places where people, especially youth, addicted to drugs and alcohol, live with their families. In collaboration with Mr. Richard Yiga, the leader of laity of the subparish, we aimed at helping them in behavior change. Occasionally one or the other members of the community joined the Group. Only our presence and listening attitude made those people feel accepted, respected and loved. They were proud of having sisters interested in them and participating in celebrations organized by them. At one moment, Theopista participated in the organization of a treatment camp for those who wished to finish with their addictions. It was sponsored by…
Beginning of a transformation at Kinteko
Sr Leocadie Kana, Msola community of Butare (Rwanda) Kinteko, a subparish of the cathedral, is not far from our Butare community. Despite being close to the town, its population is very peripheral, with plenty of unemployed young people and many young single mothers. They are known to be very difficult and very poor materially, humanly and spiritually. Material poverty adds a heavy burden to the difficulties of family life which sometimes becomes hell. The first victims, the children, desert the family home while very young to live adventures in the city, turn to drugs , become criminals and an easy prey of human traffickers. The population of Kinteko is somehow left to itself. No religious was working in that area. Touched by this reality, our community reflected about it, and we decided to do something with the women and young people. Sr Leocadie meets the women and young people in Kinteko..…