JPIC in daily life at the Delwende Centre
From our sister Vickness N. Muleya, community of St. Julien, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Social exclusion due to allegations of witchcraft is violence against women, and the phenomenon is still rife, especially on the Mossi plateau. More than five hundred women are dispersed across the Mossi Plateau in shelters or precarious homes in insecure areas, because they are accused of being “soul eaters”. The women arrive stripped of all their possessions and dignity, beaten, wounded, their homes burnt down, and forbidden to see their children and families. Many die on the road, while others attempt suicide. These are common occurrences, and many victims die tragically without any help. In general, it’s the elderly, and particularly women, who are the first to take the blame when death or other dramatic events occur in a family. At present at the Centre Delwende, we have 178 residents, including 7 men; 70%…
Knock and it will be opened to you!
The experience of our sister Béatrix Dagras The door of room 506 of the “Résidence de Bon Secours” in Paris is accustomed to discreet and unexpected knocks: questions, services requested or rendered, information… are all occasions for friendly encounters, bringing the pleasure of their balms. Even at night, a joker or a person suffering from insomnia may knock on the door a couple of times. No need to open the door: by the time you get up to see who’s there, they’ve gone! In our residence a parish-initiated reflection group was set up, for the reading of the New Testament. I took part along with other residents. When this parish activity came to an end, the comment was made: “We don’t know the Old Testament!” The group then became an in-house group, called “Biblical”, and they entrusted me with the task of leading it… Since last year,…
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2024
Go and invite everyone to the banquet (cf. Mt 22:9) MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2024 20 October 2024 Dear brothers and sisters! The theme I have chosen for this year’s World Mission Day is taken from the Gospel parable of the wedding banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14). After the guests refused his invitation, the king, the main character in the story, tells his servants: “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find” (v. 9). Reflecting on this key passage in the context of the parable and of Jesus’ own life, we can discern several important aspects of evangelization. These appear particularly timely for all of us, as missionary disciples of Christ, during this final stage of the synodal journey that, in the words of its motto, “Communion, Participation, Mission”, seeks to refocus the Church on her primary task, which is…
February 8, 2024 – St. Bakhita Day
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND AWARENESS AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING INTERFAITH PRAYER VIGIL FEBRUARY 8, 2024 – ST. BAKHITA DAY THEME FOR THE YEAR 2024: JOURNEYING IN DIGNITY: LISTEN, DREAM, ACT This interfaith prayer of this year’s International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking is an invitation to integrate the journeying for dignity centered on the four elements of nature. We can offer prayers, reflections, and rituals that honor and connect with the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and metal in listening, dreaming, and taking action in combating human trafficking. For this year’s Vigil of Prayer, we are invited to listen, dream, and act to journey with each person with dignity. We know everything is interrelated and exploitation of people cannot be tackled without a respectful relationship with all creation. Hence, we invite you to reflect on the realities of human trafficking and the five elements of…
Talitha Kum International launched the “Walking in Dignity” application
Sr. Abby Avelino, MM, International Coordinator of Talitha Kum On January 30th, 2024, in the presence of about 300 people, including ambassadors, people from institutions, religious and young people, Talitha Kum International launched the “Walking in Dignity” application. DOWNLOAD THE APP Sr. Abby Avelino, MM, International Coordinator of Talitha Kum, opened the online and onsite event by presenting the goal and features of the app, a project that Talitha Kum members, embassies to the Holy See, and many volunteers have been working on for over a year and a half. The idea is to walk together, especially for and with young people, and engage against human trafficking by feeling involved in prevention, care of persons and empowerment of survivors. The Irish Ambassador to the Holy See, H.E. Frances Collins, emphasized the importance of synergy between the networks and different organizations: Working through networking, with different departments and states, is crucial because this…
An apostolic tour looking to the future!
Sunday September 17, 2023, Spéciosa, Celina and Cécile left early in the morning for a 195 km drive. This little one-day trip was born first of all from the desire to share with Celina what our community experiences with Muslim women in the city of Kef. Also, we felt certain about something, without really knowing why and what awaited us: the certainty was that it was God who called us to take this path. Driven by this inner conviction shared as a community, we hit the road. We entrusted it to Mary through hymns and prayers, then we listened to this text: “Transformation involves listening to our deepest longings and greatest aspirations to create a new vision for the future. It requires letting go of what is no longer true, real or life-giving and listening to God’s call to new life. It is an organic, emergent, and continually itinerant…
Let Justice and Peace flow
From the Rome community, Italy The Season of Creation runs annually from September 1 through October 4. It unites the global Christian family around one shared purpose, that of caring for the Planet. It invites us to celebrating prayer services and engaging in a variety of actions to care for creation. This year’s theme is inspired by the Prophet Amos. He cries out: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24) And so we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity. In this sense, many of us MSOLA in Rome, General Council, generalate community and juniors participated in two activities. On 9th September we prayed with our brothers, the Missionaries of Africa, the brothers…
Safeguarding of minors
Safeguarding of minors is a crucial aspect in our apostolates. Earlier this year, Sr. Justine Akampamya obtained a Safeguarding Diploma from the Gregorian University in Rome. The 5 months course gave her an introduction to the many issues in diverse fields which touch on this topic of safeguarding. She also learned how to apply practically the newly gained competencies and drew up an action plan for the cultural background in Chad. Sr. Justine shares on this. I am glad to have had a training on safeguarding of minors. As daughters of Lavigerie, we are passionate about Justice, peace and integrity of creation. Today, my personal analysis integrates the safety of a human being in “the integrity of creation”. We are a unique creation. The children of this universe are to be raised in an integral manner to facilitate their holistic development. As an educator who spends most of my…
Embracing the call
Sr. Theopista Nakamya Mbabazi, in the community of Nairobi South B, Kenya, shares her experience in the slums of Nairobi: in two encounters with women she shares how the transforming love of the Risen Lord called her to be humble and little in order to raise others up… Clementine, from Rwanda, found herself in a stressful situation in Kenya after being tricked by a stranger. She was brought to Kenya in 2017 and she has three daughters: one she left in Rwanda, another she came with to Kenya and another she gave birth to while in Kenya. Clementine had been approached by someone in her village with the offer to take her to Kenya and marry her to a well-to-do man. She agreed and once in Kenya, she was taken to Nyeri (Othaya) and joined a man in a cohabitation relationship. The man spoke a foreign language which she did…
Surronded by smiles
Céline RIHOUX, a young Belgian nurse, volunteered in the community of Gitega, Burundi Bujumbura 9pm: The plane touches down on the tarmac. This is it, after almost a year’s wait, I’ve arrived in Burundi. After a Covid test (does that still exist?!) and the crowds, I meet Sr. Yollande and Roger at the airport. These two formerly virtual friends are now in the real world. After a night’s rest at the PAR (Procure d’Accueil Religieux) and a few zigzagging roads through the magnificent Burundian hills, we arrived in Gitega and more precisely at the home of Srs. Marceline, Maïté, Anastésie and Yollande. As soon as I entered the property, I found myself surrounded by smiles and words of welcome. It was very comforting after a long and tiring journey. Over the next few days, I worked in the dispensary run by the Missionary Sisters of Africa in Gitega. The…