The JPIC ED Newsletter October 2018
The initiatives for the care of the environment, the interreligious dialogue, our elderly sisters dedicated to the mission wherever they are, the work among the refugees and many other activities of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa in favour of justice, peace and the integrity of creation.
MSOLA network Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation – Encounter and Dialogue
MSOLA in the JPIC-RD network Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation – Encounter and Dialogue The JPIC network of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa was created in 2011 to help the sisters integrate the dimension of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) into all their apostolic commitments. The network helps to intensify the sisters’ commitment to the service of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation and make it the “common thread” that runs through all their missionary commitment. The network promotes communication and collaboration on JPIC issues at all levels of the congregation. In 2015 the JPIC Network also includes the dimension of Encounter and Dialogue with other religions and cultures, which has been lived in the congregation since the beginning and is an essential aspect of our charism. At our 2011 Chapter we reaffirmed that called to be ‘all things to all people, for…
The children on/off the streets looking towards the future with hope
What is Tikondane?
Tikondane is the project of Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa in Lilongwe, Malawi, that works with and for the children on/off the streets. We work with close to 700 children per year of which more than 400 are newcomers on the streets.
We never thought it was happening near us
On 7 February, we held a prayer vigil on the theme of Migration without Human Trafficking. The committee against human trafficking, to which Sr Angela from the Bobo-Dioulasso community in Burkina Faso belongs, reflected on how to raise awareness of the reality of human trafficking in the country and around the world. They invited a young man to tell his story of trafficking in migrants in the region, to show that trafficking is a reality in our region and to call for action to combat it. Issa from Mali and Yao from Côte d’Ivoire shared their experiences of being trafficked, and the suffering and torture they endured in the desert, which were touching and painful. Yao had been offered the chance to sell cocoa and find a better life in Italy. But the money was taken, and he had to work hard, even during the journey. He…
Women with women – victims of human trafficking
After many years spent in Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Mozambique) Sr. Begoña Iñarra Spanish was sent for mission to Paris where she is working with Aux Captifs, la Libération, an organization helping women get out of prostitution. Sister is also a member of RENATE, Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation. A beautiful dream of a good job often becomes a nightmare All together, you have spent more than 20 years in Africa. When you see the growing number of Africans now trying to come to Europe, and when you see how many women end up as traffic victims, what do you think about this? Poor people have always left their countries in search of a better future. But the Africans who leave now are not the poorest. They must have some money to pay the traffickers who organize the migrations. They have to be able to borrow…
Beatification of the martyrs of Algeria
The celebration of the beatification of Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions and martyrs on Algerian soil took place on Saturday 8th December 2018 at the Shrine of Notre Dame de Santa Cruz in Oran, Algeria. Among the beatified, we find Fathers Charles Deckers, Jean Chevillard, Alain Dieulangard et Christian Chessel – our four brothers, Missionaries of Africa, who were assassinated in Tizi Ouzou in 1994, and the monks of Thiberine, who were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996. “They all died because they had chosen, by grace, to remain faithful to those with whom they lived and shared services, and had become neighbors. Their deaths revealed that their life was at the service of all: the poor, women in difficulty, disabled, young, all of them Muslims. (…)These beatifications say that hatred is not the right answer to hate, that there is no inevitable spiral of violence. They want…
An MSOLA in Togo, a novelty, a call!
An open door to Togo: In December 2017, I had the opportunity to go to Atakpamé, in Togo and participate in the ordination of Father Amorain Kwami Welagnon WAYIKPO – one of our brothers of the Missionaries of Africa. At the same time, it was a great opportunity to share with the Togolese people about our charism and our mission. Our Togolese brother Amorain, Missionary of Africa: On December 30, Amorain was ordained a priest in the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul of Kougnohou. It was a very beautiful celebration during which the bishop, Mgr. Nicodemus Anani BARRIGAH-BENISSAN, called him to persevere in his vocation by being faithful to prayer, living in humility, loving the mission and the people among whom he is sent. Our brother Amorain was sent on a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the end of the celebration, I sang the Sancta Maria…
An old leper man: “Thank you so much, may God bless you abundantly!”
Jamani sista waambie: “Asanteni sana, Mungu awabariki!” Please sister, tell them: “Thank you so much, may God bless you abundantly!” Dear readers, people of good will and all those who have been working very hard to raise money for lepers, greetings! The above words of gratitude was said to me by an old leper man, during my visit to their Camp in Bukumbi Mwanza, Tanzania 17th May 2017. I thus feel restless to keep them to myself as they were really said and meant for you. The background: At the beginning of January 2017, our community of Lublin – Poland, received some money from the Capuchin Fathers of Pociekajka. Just as they have been doing, the Fathers/brothers gathered that money around the leper’s day and passed it on to us. The idea was to send that money to those in need and this time, we decided to give it…