The 36th International Youth Festival 2025 in Međugorje
By Sr. Lucy Nabweteme, Lublin Community, Poland I was entrusted by the Congregation with the mission of Missionary Vocation Animation (MVA) during my pilgrimage to Međugorje, on the occasion of the 36th International Youth Festival 2025, held from 4th to 8th August. Preparing for the Pilgrimage to Međugorje During the preparation for the pilgrimage, I experienced complications with travel documents and some fear about the mission ahead. However, I was deeply supported by my sisters in the community. On the 1st of August, at 3:30 am, we prayed together in our community chapel. The sisters blessed me, and we went to Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Lublin, where a special Mass was organized for all the pilgrims. The theme of the pilgrimage was: “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps 122:1). The Journey: A Time of Sharing and Prayer Once we boarded the bus and…
My Perpetual Commitment: An Offering of Life to the Lord
From Sister Kandongo Kibole Yollande, on mission in Chad With a heart full of gratitude, I share the profound joy I experienced on the day of my perpetual profession. My life, received as a gift, I have offered to the Lord, the Master of all. In trust and serenity, I approached his altar, ready to hand over my entire existence to him. Yes, I can truly affirm: there is more joy in giving than in receiving. The grace of this unique moment was granted to me. Everything unfolded in peace and in deep fraternal communion. I felt carried by your prayers, your encouragement, and your affection. As our ritual of vows highlights, I leaned on the unconditional love of God and on the support of my sisters. With this certainty, I made my commitment in full awareness, convinced that I do not walk this path alone. This definitive…
I commit myself
Sr. Suzy Hadermann, CHS St Joseph – Evere, Belgium When I saw the theme proposed for this issue of Sharing Trentaprile, this sentence came to me spontaneously. You surely recognize it… It is a sentence from our vow formula, in n° 26 of our Constitutions: “I commit myself to collaborate totally in God’s work to proclaim his Kingdom in Africa” I find, summarized there, the commitment of our whole life for the Mission… our whole life, whatever our age, our state of health, our way of life, the place where we are sent… Collaborating totally… this means that no part of our day is outside this reality: our whole life is consecrated for the Mission. In everything we live, we are at work with God, we collaborate in his work, to proclaim his Kingdom in Africa. Collaborating totally means that God uses everything we experience, even the…
Missionary Vocation Animation in Gitega, Burundi
Sr. Victoire Niyonzima from our Gitega community, shares the work of the Missionary Vocation Animation in Burundi We have been blessed with young aspirants who came to follow two vocational discernment seminars. We divided them into two groups: the first for those who came first and had not yet reached their final year of studies plus those who still have one year remaining to finish their secondary education. The second group was made up of those who, during this academic year, have finished their studies and have taken the State Examination plus those who have finished their studies a while back. The first group of 13, were there from 24th to 27th July 2024. The second group of 22 was with us from 6th to 10th August 2024. For all these seminars we are grateful to God who enabled us to organize and carry out this project. Being…
“God will do it again”
Srs. Maite, Marie Ange and Victoire with some students Sr. Marie Ange, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, has gone back to Burundi for a holiday with the family. While in Gitega she joined Srs. Maite and Victoire, who are there on mission, for some missionary vocation animation (MVA) in schools. Here is the report of her activities. During my leave in February 2024 I joined my sisters in Gitega to do MVA activities in the secondary schools. Sometimes we had about 1000 pupils in a large hall, girls and boys of all religions together and we always started with a song “God will do it again”, composed by Tchouva, that says “God will work miracles, he heals the sick, he raises the dead, he is powerful to save, he does not change … he sustains all things by his Powerful Word, more effective than a two-edged sword. Lord, say only…
The vocation group at the parish of Nouakchott
From our sister Mia Dombrecht, in Nouakchott, Mauritania This pastoral year, the parish vocational group chose “Burning Hearts, Walking Feet” as the theme for Mission Sunday in October 2023. At the start of the pastoral year, we met to listen to the young people’s interests and the topics they would like to cover throughout the year. A meditation on the call of young Samuel opened the year. In November, we organized a recollection by the sea to share on the year’s theme and on the Gospel of the Emmaus pilgrims. We tackled the subject of the missionary vocation. A diocesan priest and sisters from three missionary congregations were present to mentor around ten young people. In December, through sketches linked to the mystery of the Incarnation, the young people presented different texts from the Gospel. At the end, each one of them shared in a very moving way…
A Journey for Searching
Sister Eunice Kyohairwe, in Lilongwe, Malawi, shares her experience of a Vocation Sunday In Lilongwe Diocese, Vocation Sunday was celebrated in Mlale, one of the Parishes in the diocese. This place is a bit on the periphery in terms of transportation but the youth managed to reach there in search of their vocation. I felt encouraged by their openness in asking me different questions such as: dressing, apostolate, levels of education for entry into our congregation, etc. At the end, they expressed their appreciation for being enlightened. They also shared their fear of approaching religious sisters because we don’t have time for them. From this interaction I discovered that the youth are still interested in religious life if we are available for them. I can say that our simple life style and readiness to adapt to their culture in our way of dressing is what is attracting many.…
Mission Saturdays – doors open ever wider….
From our Sister Iwona Cholewinska, in Lublin, Poland The monthly missionary meetings at our house in Lublin’s Sławinek have a long history of over twenty years. Initially, they were intended only for girls interested in the missions in Africa or who were discerning their vocation. Each meeting began with singing in African languages and a brief introduction of each participant. This was followed by an introduction to Ignatian prayer, a meditation and a sharing of the fruits of our prayer. After a short break, there was a testimony by a missionary, mostly Sisters and Fathers of the Missionaries of Africa, but also lay missionaries with missionary experience in Africa, followed by Holy Mass in an African setting and a shared meal of sandwiches and tea (which had a unique taste!). I attended these meetings as a student and as a candidate and I remember them as a time…
Good Shepherd Sunday in Arusha
The parish priest lit the candle of each child who then made a promise Our Arusha Community celebrates Vocation Day in the St. Simon the Apostle Parish, in Arusha, Tanzania “I am the good Shepherd, I know my own and my own knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for them Jn 10, 11-18” It was a tremendous and beautiful morning of Good Shepherd Sunday for our community and the Vocation Club ‘Chama cha miito’ which was begun by our postulants in previous years. We had been preparing how we could make the day colorful since it is Vocation Day. So we and the vocation club shortlisted our suggestions such as having a thanksgiving Mass, a meal together, entertainment, a fashion show, and having all the members of the club make a promise during Mass. At the beginning of the Mass, we…