Embracing the call
Sr. Theopista Nakamya Mbabazi, in the community of Nairobi South B, Kenya, shares her experience in the slums of Nairobi: in two encounters with women she shares how the transforming love of the Risen Lord called her to be humble and little in order to raise others up… Clementine, from Rwanda, found herself in a stressful situation in Kenya after being tricked by a stranger. She was brought to Kenya in 2017 and she has three daughters: one she left in Rwanda, another she came with to Kenya and another she gave birth to while in Kenya. Clementine had been approached by someone in her village with the offer to take her to Kenya and marry her to a well-to-do man. She agreed and once in Kenya, she was taken to Nyeri (Othaya) and joined a man in a cohabitation relationship. The man spoke a foreign language which she did…
Surronded by smiles
Céline RIHOUX, a young Belgian nurse, volunteered in the community of Gitega, Burundi Bujumbura 9pm: The plane touches down on the tarmac. This is it, after almost a year’s wait, I’ve arrived in Burundi. After a Covid test (does that still exist?!) and the crowds, I meet Sr. Yollande and Roger at the airport. These two formerly virtual friends are now in the real world. After a night’s rest at the PAR (Procure d’Accueil Religieux) and a few zigzagging roads through the magnificent Burundian hills, we arrived in Gitega and more precisely at the home of Srs. Marceline, Maïté, Anastésie and Yollande. As soon as I entered the property, I found myself surrounded by smiles and words of welcome. It was very comforting after a long and tiring journey. Over the next few days, I worked in the dispensary run by the Missionary Sisters of Africa in Gitega. The…
Lavigerie Family in Ouagadougou
Reported by our sister Helene Kavula Lavigerie Family recollection – Ouagadougou Section – Sunday, November 05, 2023 Apostolic zeal and dedication It was around this theme that the “Lavigerie Family” group met in Ouagadougou on Sunday November 05, 2023, for its first recollection since its foundation 15 months ago (August 2022). Led by Father Joseph Maoka, Missionary of Africa. The day began by inviting the members of the Lavigerie family present that day to be attentive to the Lord, who meets us in our daily state of mind, in silence. The Lord visits us in unexpected situations (1R19, 8-13). Apostolic zeal and dedication are rooted in various points developed in the course of the talk. Firstly, the Holy Trinity, through which we become aware that God is communion and has a plan to save mankind. That’s why he sent his Son Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh who reveals…
Migrate or stay… Epiphany collection
We receive and publish from Pierre Diarra, theologian, administrator of “Aide aux Eglises d’Afrique”, Consultor of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue How fortunate a person is to be able to choose to migrate or stay at home! Do Africans who put their lives at risk trying to cross the Sahara and the Mediterranean choose to migrate or to stay? Do they really have a choice? Often crammed into makeshift craft or boats in poor condition, migrants do not always realize that they are putting their lives at risk. Political, economic and religious leaders in Africa and Europe don’t always dare answer the question: why are so many young people risking their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean? People who leave their country often do so against their will. They flee a country at war, unemployment, distress or poverty, in an attempt to “save their skin” or improve their living…
Transition session 2023
The transition session took place in Rome from September 6 to 29, 2023. Three sisters participated (two were unable to obtain their visa). They share some experiences. From Sr. Kordula Weber, community of Karlsruhe, Germany I would like to emphasize the place given in the program activities, to relaxation and friendship. The superior of the community organized an outing for us to the beach. He accompanied us “in the footsteps of Cardinal Lavigerie” to the Church of St Agnès hors les Murs, where he received the hat and his charge as cardinal. Visit of the Generalate of our Congregation. Sisters Leticia Garduño of the General Council, Gloria Sedes, and Magdalena Orczykowska of the juniorate. An outing to Castel Gandolfo allowed us to admire the palace inside and the immense park. The visit to Assisi in the footsteps of St Francis was for us an opportunity to strengthen the…
Rosary prayer
From our sister Fides Mbabarempore, in the Bobo Dioulasso Community. I would like to share with you an experience that touched me deeply and awakened in me a call to renew my relationship with the Virgin Mary, and what she is for me, for the Church and for us as MSOLA. This sharing is very much in line with AMV, another way of living it in and around us. On the eve of this year’s solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the women’s association of our parish of St Vincent de Paul in Bobo-Dioulasso, in Burkina Faso had organized a rosary prayer. The procession began close to our community carrying the statue of the Virgin Mary towards the grotto in front of our church. As a community, we were all present, women among women and also as Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa. We carried lit…
16th Diocesan Youth Days in Bukavu
From our sister Lucile NZIGIRE, in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo I was overjoyed when I arrived for holiday in my family and heard from the Abbot Chaplain to the young people in my home parish that the 16th Diocesan Youth Days (JDJ) for all 42 parishes in Bukavu Archdiocese would be held from 26 to 30 July in Murhessa. I quickly offered to accompany the young people from my parish and I don’t regret taking part in it at all. These diocesan days helped me to get closer to young people, to listen to them, to re-discover some of the challenges facing young people in my country and to share my missionary experience with some young people and some religious sisters and priests from our Archdiocese, especially those who didn’t know me at all. I was staying with the Daughters of Mary Sisters, who had given me the…
Taizé experience – Tlemcen, Algeria
From our sister Valérie Kabore, in Hydra, Algeria Dear Sisters, I am happy to share with you my experience of the Taizé meeting in Tlemcen (western Algeria). On Sunday, 20th August, we set off with a Sister of the Immaculate Conception from Ouagadougou, a Sister of Notre Dame du Lac from Bam, a Missionary of Africa trainee and a young Kenyan student… heading for Dar Essalam, the Focolare Welcome Centre in Tlemcen (a little over 500kms west of Algiers). There we met around sixty young students, most of them religious, and some natives of the country. The atmosphere was festive and serene. This event was initiated 18 years ago to support young students, almost all of whom come from sub-Saharan Africa and receive university scholarships in Algeria. A typical day at the Taizé Community is a busy one. It starts at dawn with the Eucharist (for Catholics), followed by Morning…
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…
Sisters without a habit!
From sister Xaverine Mukatabaza, Malindi Community, Kenya I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26) Sr. Edith and I were invited to Chonyi Parish in Mombasa Diocese. It was a great joy for us as MSOLA to participate in the session of WANA MARIA. These young girls had their retreat of five days and we were invited to give a session on Vocation. What a surprise to see sisters without habits! These young girls are used to seeing sisters with veils, so to see sisters without habits was a great surprise for them. They thought at first that we were members of the Catholic Women’s Association (CWA). One of the women accompanists of the group welcomed us with the following words: It is our…