Final vows of Vickness Muleya and Linah Siabana
On April 8, 2018 at the parish of Kabwata, Lusaka, 9 Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa from different countries Africans joined family members, Missionaries of Africa and diocesan priests in the joyous procession with song and dance, to accompany our sisters Linah Siabana and Vickness Muleya. During the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Archbishop Mpundu of Lusaka, the two sisters pronounced their perpetual vows. In his homily, the bishop expressed his deep concern for missionary vocations. He stressed the need for missionaries and encouraged the whole community to continue to promote and support missionary vocations. During the celebration, traditional dances were performed to accompany our sisters to the altar. As a sign of the sisters’ maturity and their willingness to fulfill the mission in trust in God, the women smeared their foreheads with flour. Sr. Florence Mwamba, canonical authority of our entity, representing our Superior General, prepared…
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…
Encounters and places that changed my life
To announce Jesus is urgent.” Such is the cry, the call always being renewed by Sr. Finita Martinez Canovas, a Spanish Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa. In her testimony, she shares her journey of encounters and her inner journey where the difference between cultures and religions forces her to stay awake. My thanksgiving becomes more concrete and explicit through this reality of the Encounter. Yes, that is what I lived: invigorating energizing encounters, full of light that launched me onto new paths. The Meeting with Jesus: It was at the age of 18, it upset my life filling it with meaning, consolation and orienting it to new horizons: first my Christian vocation, then the call to religious-missionary life. What a beautiful experience! The encounter with other peoples, cultures, religions through the people around me: First it was the great Congo-Zaire. What brave people, open, frank. With this people…
“Thank you for loving us! Thank you for learning luganda!”
Give thanks in all circumstances – the spirit of gratitude of the Baganda people Rejoice always; pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances: For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5, 16-18) Hearing these words of Saint Paul on the third Sunday of Advent, I could not help but think with admiration of the Baganda people, among whom I have the grace to live and serve. As soon as I started to learn the local language, luganda and with it, the culture of the milieu, I was struck by that wonderful spirit of gratitude that dominates almost all the conversations in luganda. First, in any of the greetings we cannot fail to thank for the work done, whatever it is. After we finish eating, we thank the person who prepared the meal and in response we hear: “Thanks for eating!” Because there are those…
Juniorat 2017, let’s go !
Preparation for final commitment for the Sisters Vickness Muleya, Marie-Ange Ndayishimiye, Franceline Hien, Linah Siabana, Thérèse Namakoma Nyarukanyi and their animators, Sisters Ingrid Hager and Hélène Mbuyamba For us, this well in the drawing represents the Word of God. It invites us to listen to Jesus who speaks through events.
Un unsung HERO: “MSOLA”
The story tells how MSOLA – Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa- keeps close to her heart the cause of the woman in the world; she wants to make a difference in the life of the one who brings to life; the one who carries life in a secret place and brings it as a gift to this world; male and female; slave and task master; rich and poor, king and prince. MSOLA cares for humanity because the woman she cares for is at the center of human life. On her mission to serve the woman, MSOLA knows no boundaries. The mountains so high, the ocean so deep, the wilderness so dense would not prevent her from responding to the cry of a woman in despair. In this amazing story, our unsung HERO “MSOLA” has brought a special touch to the lives of vulnerable mothers and their babies in…
A logo as a sign of Hope !
General Chapter 2017: The logo designed by Sr. Gosia Popławska and here is the explanation she gives: The hand: The hand symbolizes that as “bearers of hope”, we are called to bring the light of hope, of a new life, to people but in reality it is God who is making this gesture towards his people. We are like the lamp; we are instruments in God’s hand. We are called to be channels of peace, reconciliation and hope. We are made of clay – we recognize our fragility. We can also be sure of God’s fidelity to us; he is always with us, in our history, in the present and in the future, because we are always in his hands! The lamp: The lamp is open at the top, ready to be filled with oil, so that it can function. We desire to…
Wonders of the Lord in Senoufo land!
René met Jesus. In 1971 I became acquainted with René and with his wife Adele and their children. They were the only baptized people in this Senoufo village. In the evenings in front of the door of their house, a group of children would rush to listen to Bible stories which Rene joyfully recounted with conviction. It was during his training in agricultural school that René first learned about Jesus. Since then, great was his faith in his Lord! Everything became an opportunity for him to praise him and make him known! Yet there were threats on the part of the villagers: “René, do not send your children to school without having offered the customary sacrifices!” “René, the custom of our village forbids you to start a new culture!” Yet René sent his children to school and he planted onions in the land of his…
Final commitment of sr Lucy Nabweteme
Lucy committing herself as a religious missionary sister ! Final commitment of Sr . Lucy Nabweteme on 15th January 2017 in Naama parish kiyinda mityana diocese Uganda . She committed herself for life as a Missionary sister of our Lady of Africa. “I wish to share a few words about Lucy’s final vows. We had a simple and meaningful feast with the people of her parishioners about two and a half hours drive from Kampala.Lucy was accompanied by her parents, family and our sisters from the entity participated and this was supportive. The missionaries of Africa came to the feast , the Gogonya generate community all came apart from the superior and for the people it was touching, something they had never experienced in life. It was a good witness that I believe awakened the Missionary spirit in the…