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…
World Migrant and Refugee Day
Pope Francis chose as his theme of reflection and prayer: “Migrant minors, vulnerable and voiceless.”. Prayer proposed by the Conference of the Bishops of France: Lord, God of the universe You are the Father of all the children of the earth. You know each one. You look at us not as nameless beings But as persons, with a face, a story. Each one is for you a beloved child! Teach us to look at one another as you look at us. Teach us to dare to look into another’s eyes. Open our eyes to meet You in our brothers and sisters. You have a preference for the little ones. Like Jesus, you turn toward children and youth. We give thanks for their energy And for the hope which they bear. They remind us that the future lies ahead of us: A future to be built together, in…
Peace and non violence, January 1st 2017
Summary of the message of Pope Francis for the World Day of Peace, January 1st 2017 It was Paul VI who initiated the World Day of Peace. It is celebrated every year on the 1st of January. “Non-violence: a style of politics for peace.” This is the title of the Pope’s message for the 50th World Day of Peace on January 1st 2017. According to this message there are two ways to build a society: a choice between violence and peace. If the multiplication of outbreaks of violence, the “third world war fought piecemeal” of which the pope speaks, has very serious social consequences, on the contrary peace has positive social effects and allows real progress. Non-violence, a realistic way Thus Francis’ message encourages us “to do whatever is possible to negotiate paths of peace even if they seem tortuous, even impracticable.” Then, non-violence…
The Crib, more than ever meaningful
A little paper, a little clay to model the characters… Nothing more modest than a crib made with love and patience! However, the memory of this birth is not insignificant. Christmas is always full of meaning. A cave their only shelter! Is it not like to day? At the sharpest time of winter, some people have only one cardboard as a mattress and another as a quilt. They hardly have time to put up a tent when already they have to leave their makeshift shelter and go elsewhere. This cave in its depth, allows us to see these families today, unable to pay their rent, their electricity bills. And we can continue the parallel with Mary and Joseph. They were forced to exile to Egypt, to save the life of Jesus. Today thousands of people are urgently forced to flee their country to escape death. …
Word of Lavigerie : God is light for humanity
1 – God is light for humanity (1856-1857) Extract from a course given by Lavigerie at the Sorbonne during the academic year 1856-1857. “Doubtless, humility is the first and most essential of our virtues. We cannot by ourselves acquire any right to the celestial gifts, but we can nevertheless work with this help from God which never fails to render us less unworthy. If then there are among you some who do not believe yet feel the desire for a faith which you lack, rather than seeking to get hurt instead seek to place your soul in a higher and more serene region. God is light, and it is not in darkness that we must seek. The great men of the early days of the Church have shown us by their example a different path. They teach us that in order to prepare ourselves…
Word of an elder, word of Lavigerie…F. Richard Kuuia Baawobr
From Richard Kuuia Baawobr, M.Afr. Superior General (2010-2016) An African proverb says you can do without the cane of an elder, but you cannot ignore his word. In the book of Sirac the author advises his readers in similar terms when he says to them: “Do not depart from the tales of the elders, for they have learned them from their fathers. It is with them that you will learn to understand, and to have a ready answer when needed.” In the African tradition, the word of an elder, especially the father or mother of a family, always tells us the way of life, which is good for true fulfillment or what could possibly harm him temporarily or forever. That is why in the African tradition we pay attention to what the elders say. One learns the proverbs and one tries to put…
Saint Martin of Tours and Lavigerie’s dream
It was 150 years ago, on 11 November 1866 that the future founder of missionary institutes, Lavigerie, had a prophetic dream at the tomb of St Martin in Tours. Early in 1866, the archbishop of Tours, Mgr Guibert had asked the bishops of France to contribute to the reconstruction of the basilica dedicated to St. Martin. Mgr Lavigerie, then Bishop of Nancy, was not satisfied to simply answer the request with a few lines; he devoted a whole pastoral letter to the apostle of the Gauls. “I had begun,” he writes, “to study for myself the life of this admirable bishop, seeking therein some examples of intrepid faith, patience, charity, which my weakness needs. But as I studied this great figure in the ancient monuments of his history and ours, I felt the desire to place before your eyes the perfect image of…
Uganda: Our Sisters’ dreams come true
For here the Proverb holds true: “One sows, another reaps” (Jn. 4.17). How true this Scripture text is we could witness in Kisubi on the 1st of October when participating in the Centenary Celebrations of St. Theresa’s Girls’ School founded by our Sisters in the year 1915. This celebration came shortly after another celebration on the 27th August when we were invited to join the feast in Lubaga in honor of 60 years existence of St Michael Lubaga Hospital Training Schools established in 1956 with the support of our Sisters. The hospital was one of our first foundations in Uganda. Both institutions are two of our Sisters’ dreams come true. Our Sister’ dreams: The first dream was that many Ugandans might have access to good health care services, and today we can rejoice seeing so many young people well trained, nursing and caring for the sick and at the…
The senoufo language and the wisdom of Nyanyogo
Sister Nicole Robion : What I have learned from the wisdom of a woman of the traditional religion : While learning the Sénoufo language one day this woman Nyanyogo, came to the dispensary. As I had noticed her speaking clearly, I followed her to her home. For years, we had a beautiful friendship and this is what I can share of her wisdom. Welcome : God does not like someone to be sad. If your eye is bitter, your heart is also bitter and everything in you is sad. If people come to you, receive them with both hands. If we honor one another, God will honor us. An Enemy: Someone might hate me but since God who gave me life does not hate her, I cannot make that person my enemy. I laughed with her and she said: “What? You want us to fight? No, laugh…
The missionary heart has no boundaries
AFRICA…and then what? Sister Monique, Belgian Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa, returned from Burkina Faso several years ago. However, back home does not mean “retirement”! Rather, the missionary heart has no boundaries, and spontaneously she found places of work, or rather people to love, particularly the very poor. In mission at Louvain-la-Neuve “Our mission can be lived wherever we are sent,” we read in the MSOLA Constitutions. Upon my arrival in Louvain-la-Neuve, a multicultural city, I discovered that we could live the MSOLA charism in a special way. Africans are everywhere. We meet them while shopping, in parish activities, on the way to school. To share with young people what I have lived in Africa always gives me great joy: The director of a school in Ottignies (section of Louvain-la-Neuve), and a religion teacher, asked me for an animation. In the 39 high school…