Happy Jubilee at SICO!
From our Sr. Fides Mbabarepore On February 10, the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Ouagadougou celebrated their jubilee of 100 years of existence in the cathedral of Ouagadougou. This celebration closed several activities that the SICOs had carried out over 3 years of preparations and especially during the entire week preceding this wonderful celebration. The SICO, the first indigenous religious congregation in Burkina Faso, founded in 1924 by Monsignor Joanny Thévenoud (M. Afr-White Father) and formed by the MSOLA-White Sisters, including Sr. Delphine Aubazac who today is considered by SICO as co-founder of their institute. As Lavigérie’s family, we are proud to see the growth of this congregation which sends its members to Burkina Faso and to 6 other African countries: Algeria, Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, and Togo and to 2 European countries (Italy and France). This was repeated several times by the Superior General, Mother Pauline…
E bora e kaso, e nana e kaso
“YOU LEFT YOUR HOME AND YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR HOME” “E bora e kaso, e nana e kaso” Bambara Proverb from Mali On October 30 and 31, 2023, the community of Sceaux had the great joy of welcoming 7 delegates from 6 sister congregations that we had helped with formation from their origin. Responding to the call of the bishops of France, they live the mission in 19 communities. We let them speak. “Our presence here, today, at your home and with you, is a very important moment. We want to show our gratitude to you for everything you have done, and continue to do, for our different congregations. Allow me now to introduce our “Fraternity of Our Lady of Africa”. It has just been born. It was April 27, 2023. Its objective is to create a space for fraternal and spiritual meetings of our different…
Cause of Beatification of Cardinal Paul ZOUNGRANA
Launching of the pastoral year 2023-2024 and solemn opening of the Cause of Beatification of Cardinal Paul ZOUNGRANA Pastoral agent in communion with the Christian family, be a witness of Christ This is the theme of this pastoral year 2023-2024. It was launched on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at Ouagadougou Cathedral during the mass presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Philippe OUEDRAOGO, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ouagadougou (who has just been relieved from his service as archbishop). During this celebration there was the solemn opening of the cause for the beatification of Cardinal Paul ZOUNGRANA, one of the first three Burkinabé priests. As part of the march towards the 125th anniversary of evangelization in Burkina Faso (1900-2025), the Church family of Burkina invites each Christian to engage in the Church according to their particular vocation. For the smooth running of this jubilee, we began with the year of…
Jubilee of 100 Years of SICO
This year, the Immaculate Conception Sisters of Ouagadougou (SICO) celebrated their hundred-year jubilee. With joy, Sr. Furaha Kamanyula Jeannette shares with us her experience of the colloquium, held from February 8 to 11, during these celebrations in Ouagadougou. I was amazed and edified by the way the colloquium was organized; the SICO sisters really took time to prepare for this event. Already in October, I received a phone call from Sister Pascaline, SIC whom I did not know. To my great surprise, she sent me a message from Mother Pauline, the mother general, who asked for a service. Astonished and surprised I asked her what this service was. She answered me that it was a question of preparing a conference on the occasion of their jubilee of 100 years of foundation. I then asked Sister Pascaline many questions, telling her that I was in Bobo-Dioulasso in the novitiate, and…
A Look at the Women of Africa
After spending many years in West Africa, and living in several communities in France, Marie-Vincente Brouca is now at the St Charles Retirement Home in Verrières-le-Buisson. With ever sparkling eyes, she tells us about her missionary life in Mali and Burkina Faso. As soon as I arrived in Bamako, I marvelled at the beauty of the Malian women! In the years that followed, I had the chance to work with them, in a Social Center teaching French and embroidery. In fact, they taught me much more than I knew myself. Among them were Muslim women, much freer than in North Africa and some Christian women. Then I was sent to an African Congregation to train young women in religious life. There, although they only had a few rudiments of French, I saw that they knew how to live and express themselves, not to mention their faith which amazed me. Then…
Meeting of the “Our Lady of Africa Family”
In order to consolidate the family spirit among the sister congregations, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA) organized a day of meeting of the MSOLA General Council with the Superiors General of the Family of Our Lady of Africa. This meeting took place on May 7, 2022 in Viale Trentaprile. Some new Superiors participated for the first time. In a time of prayer, each Superior General lit a small candle and we entrusted to Mary: our world, Africa, our Congregations and our meeting; Africans at home or on other continents; all those who do not know Jesus; those who experience abuse; peoples in distress; the apostles of today and young people so that they might hear the call of Christ. In linguistic groups, French and English, and then in plenary, we shared the experiences lived in our Institutes during the Covid 19 pandemic and also the…
How beautiful it is to be together
By Sr Donatira Tusiime, Goma, D.R.C. Warm greetings from the community of Goma. I would like to share with you the joyful experience of living fraternity and communion as a Lavigerie Family “FALA” in the diocese of Goma. The Lavigerie Family is a group composed of 5 very active branches. FAMAG. Family of Missionaries of Africa of Goma “Relatives of sisters and fathers”. FAMA. Fraternity of Former Missionaries of Africa AMA. Friends of Missionaries of Africa Missionaries of Africa and Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa Each group has its own objective to reach but what unites us as FALA is three words of Cardinal Lavigerie; Apostle, Love and Africa. When I see these committed lay people, I am always impressed by the fact that they see themselves as apostles. They try to live this, starting with their families, their neighborhoods as well as their witness in daily life.…
Meeting of the “Our Lady of Africa Family”
On Saturday, May 11th, 2019, when the Plenary Assembly of the UISG (International Union of Superiors General) was finished, the community of Rome welcomed twenty Superiors General of the ‘Family of Our Lady of Africa’. They spent the day working with the General Council, focusing on various points of common interest. Looking back on the UISG meeting, which had as its theme ‘Sowers of Prophetic Hope’, many highlighted the awareness they had gained and the concrete commitments already made. Through these, we were equipped to raise awareness on how we can either take care of the environment or destroy it. Some examples of actions were cited: planting trees and reforestation; educate children in our schools to respect and care for creation; make people aware of how to improve their environment, especially regarding forests; support the projects of those who are working for the same cause and collaborate with them. Dialogue…
22 African Religious Congregations
The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, participated in the founding and formation of 22 African religious congregations. The story of a great adventure ! Historical background: Feminine religious life is not new in Africa. We think for example, of the nuns of the Coptic Church. In the nineteenth century, young women entered the recently established international missionary Institutes (West Africa, Sudan). The novelty in the early twentieth century was the birth of truly indigenous active congregations. That happened as “missions” were established in the new evangelized territories. Religious life in Africa: The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, under the leadership of their founder, Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, collaborated in the formation of 22 new congregations. The first was born in Sumbawanga (now in Tanzania) in 1903. Other foundations followed throughout the twentieth century in: Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Zambia, Burundi, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Mali,…