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…
The Hidden Legacy of Missionary Sisters in Natural Sciences
Sr Gisela Schreyer presents the Scientific Approach of Missionary Sisters: A Forgotten Treasure When Mission Met Scientific Observation Cardinal Charles Lavigerie strongly encouraged his missionaries — Fathers, Brothers, and Sisters — to engage deeply with the countries they were sent to: learning the language, understanding the culture, and documenting anything of interest, including scientific observations. Although the Sisters, unlike the Fathers, did not receive specialized training, some took a great interest in these fields and began to document what they learned from local communities. A Precious Discovery in the Archives Among these documents are preserved collections of medicinal plants and natural dyes, used notably in the crafting of traditional carpets. These rare materials were rediscovered by historian Mme Catherine Marin, who authored a book on Mother Marie Salomé, during one of her visits to Rome. She invited me to present these treasures during a Missionary Documentation Day in…
“Do Not Forget Women”: Pope Francis and the Role of Women in the Catholic Church
From a sharing by Sr. Carmen Sammut The heartfelt plea — “Do not forget women!” — came from the depths of my soul during a private audience with Pope Francis in January 2015. The meeting marked the 50th anniversary of PISAI (Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies) in Rome. Pope Francis had just delivered a moving speech on encounter and dialogue, highlighting the divine beauty and truth present in all religious expressions. The event had nothing to do with women as such, but coming face to face with the Pope, what came out of my heart had all to do with what I was living. The Pope grasped my hand and would not let me leave until he exclaimed:“How can I possibly forget women! The Church is female, Our Lady is too. Without the women, there is no Church.” Women Religious and Their Role in the Church Since my…
Living the Legacy of Our Pioneer Sisters in Uganda
Back: Sr Restitute, Sr Mechtilde, Sr Marie de l’Espérance – Front: Sr Joachim, Mère Ste Foy, Sr Dorothée By Sr. Alice Bangnidong – Bunamwaya Community, Kampala Honouring Our Missionary Roots Warm greetings from Bunamwaya-Kampala, Uganda! It is with deep joy and gratitude that we share the powerful echoes of the missionary journey of our pioneer Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa in Uganda. As we reflect on their legacy, we give thanks for the missionary presence of our Congregation in the Church of Uganda—a presence that has continued to bear fruit through the generations. Though our brothers, the Missionaries of Africa, played a foundational role, today we focus on the lasting impact of our pioneer sisters, who proclaimed the Gospel with courage, compassion, and dedication. A Call to Missionary Identity “I am a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa: wise, dynamic, and dedicated to…
The collaboration of MSOLA with UISG
In the past many of our sisters have collaborated with the International Union of Superiors General, in the past Sr Carmen Sammut as President, and today Sr Angela Kapitingana as a member of the Council and Sr Maamalifar Poreku in the JPIC Commission. The UISG aims to promote a wider and deeper understanding of women’s religious life in all its diversity and complexity. UISG highlights the richness of the different charisms that inspire congregations and demonstrates the diversity that flourishes among members of religious congregations, including differences in cultural backgrounds, perspectives, experiences and skills. It shares stories of the care and tenderness that sisters bring to those around them on a daily basis, often in very demanding contexts. The Talitha Kum network, in which many of our sisters collaborate, was officially founded in 2009 by the International Union of Superiors General, in order to play an active part…
The impact of who we are and what we do
“Our personal encounter with the Risen Lord empowers us to be sent and to live as witnesses.” (Capitular Acts 2023, page 24) Shared by Sr. Redempta Kabahweza, Malindi Community Kenya Malindi Community celebrates 10 years of existence this year 2025. Through these years, we have witnessed God at work in us and around us. Living at the Pope Francis Rescue Center with children who have been sexually abused has been a challenge to us and sometimes we feel helpless and overpowered by the situation. However, just being present to the suffering, even sometimes in silence, means a lot and changes situations. For example, we have had a number of cases where the girls are sexually abused by their own fathers and end up with child. Such girls go through a lot of emotional pain which sometimes leads them to have unpleasant behaviors, for example, rudeness, refusing to eat,…
A precious gift to the Deli Health Center
shared by Sr Nathalie W. Sedogo Our Health Center in Deli is on an easily accessible axis, so we regularly receive multiple supervisions. During the month of December, we received a routine Supervision Team and we worked with them throughout the morning. We had to answer a good number of questions related to SONU activities: (Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care). This activity aims to strengthen the skills of health personnel in order to ensure quality care for the mother, and the newborn, through early screening and prevention as well as adequate treatment of obstetric and neonatal complications. The team focused on our registers and monthly reports to see the consistencies and areas for improvement. After this step, the Supervision Team asked to visit the maternity ward. When they saw our delivery tables, they were disappointed and here is the reaction of one of the team: “You work well overall…
Monique and Mariana
Here’s a nice little video in French featuring our sister Monique Vien, interviewed by one of Quebec’s most popular artists, Mariana Mazza, who is also known for her legendary fieriness! The young comedian, actress and author Mariana has quite a life story! Born in Quebec to a Lebanese mother and Uruguayan father, she also has Italian and Brazilian grandparents and a Quebec father-in-law. A multicultural environment that echoes our congregation, with sisters of 30 different nationalities! Monique Vien, 50 years older than Mariana, and with experience accumulated in her apostolate in Zambia, Malawi and Algeria (among others), stands up to her in a humorous interview that is also full of truth and tenderness.
At the Pan Bila Centre
Shared by Philogène TEBABO LINGANAISO, postulant I would like to share with you my experience at the Pan Bila center of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. I started my apostolate there in June 2024. This center welcomes single mothers or those who have fled a forced marriage. The aim is to reunite them with their families or to study and become responsible and assume their role in society. In our country Burkina Faso, there is a tribe where, according to its culture, if a girl becomes pregnant out of wedlock, her family will chase her away. She cannot meet her father or brothers until she gives birth; if she does it is believed that they will die. At first, it was a little difficult for me to work with these girls because of the language barrier and it was also difficult to gain their trust, so the only…