Tag Archives: Lavigerie

At the symposium held at Tangaza University in Nairobi on 20 September 2025 to celebrate the bicentenary of Cardinal Lavigerie, Sr Hélène Mbuyamba, MSOLA, gave a presentation highlighting the cardinal’s role in the creation of women’s congregations   Here is an abstract from the conference of Sr Hélène Mbuyamba, MSOLA   At a time when the role of women was limited to domestic and family tasks, Cardinal Lavigerie made clear that for him the apostolate of women was an indispensable complement to the apostolate of men. As a man of faith, broad-minded and endowed with extraordinary vision and foresight, he understood the importance of women’s apostolate among women and recognized their vital role in transforming society. Even women who rarely left their homes were still at the heart of their households and it is in the home that women shape the society of tomorrow. Sisters could reach them and help…

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  In this video we have a thoughtful presentation of the vision and work of Cardinal Lavigerie, by the Missionaries of Africa, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa and members of the Lavigerie family      

 Celebration in Malindi   Report by Sr Redempta Kabahweza, from Malindi, Kenya   For the bicentenary of the birth of our dear Founder Cardinal Charles Lavigerie many events were programmed in our communities and I am grateful to God for having given me opportunity to attend a number of them. In November 2024, we had the launching of bicentenary here in Malindi diocese at our brothers, the Missionaries of Africa’s Parish in Tarasaa. As we did not have a chance to travel to Nairobi for the same function, we were happy as a community to have the launching of the bicentenary here in Malindi. In December 2024 I was invited by our brothers to give sessions to the parish youth on Child Protection (including risk of sexual abuse, early marriages and early pregnancies). The youth were happy with the sessions though some of them were emotionally down as they were reminded…

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  A testimony from Burundi highlights the enduring charism of Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, showing how his spirit continues to grow and inspire generation after generation.   In this first video the celebratory Mass for the closing ceremony of a year of events that have brought together all the faithfuls in Burundi.     Here is the text of the prayer in the video     In this second video an hymn to Cardinal Lavigerie engagement in Africa sung by the pré-postulants of the Gitega community.      

For Lavigerie’s bicentenary, celebrate his legacy of faith and commitment to the African peoples by drawing inspiration from his missionary zeal, courage and faith, and focusing on his legacy of human dignity. The theme for the bicentenary year was For a passionate and renewed commitment to the African peoples’    

On the 26 of November 1892, Cardinal Lavigerie dies in Algers. In 1964 his body was translated in his final resting place, the Generalate House of the Missionaries of Africa in Rome   In the evening of life when, after long years of work and suffering, your tired hands will hand on to others the tools of your work… you will thank God for having used your weakness to carry out His plan. (Thoughts of Cardinal Lavigerie, 451, 26)   Death would only be frightening if it was not followed by the resurrection. Our Lord manifested His power much more after His Resurrection than before His death and not only did He not avoid death, but He sought and desired it, because He knew that it was according to His Father’s plan. (Thoughts of Cardinal Lavigerie, 454, 203)

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