Dilexi te and Cardinal Lavigerie
A reflection from Sister Mia Dombrecht, Nouakchott Community To prepare this article, I went to the Atlantic coast to reflect and pray. Believe it or not, at the beginning of my first prayer time, a flight of five pelicans passed before my eyes in the sky…this symbol that Cardinal Lavigerie himself chose to express what became for him “his way of conceiving life, his way of living it” (Dilexi te 1), no. 120): CARITAS. Indeed, Lavigerie, having chosen this episcopal motto, made it a reality in his life choices and made “Christian love penetrate the most hidden corners of society.” (DT no. 120). As Bishop of Nancy, he had a particular concern for the poor of his diocese. “In a rectory where he was dining, he noticed that a splendid feast was being prepared… This was contrary to the diocesan regulations which stipulated that only three different…
The Story Behind the Canonization of the Uganda Martyrs
The relics are taken on procession in the celebrations of 3rd June This article was composed with information taken from our archives et from the website of the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugogo On the 3rd of June we celebrate the Ugandan martyrs, a group of Christians who were killed because of their faith between 1885 and 1887 under the orders of King Mwanga of Buganda. In particular we remember the Namugongo Holocaust, that broke out on 25th May 1886 and lasted until the 3rd of June 1886, on the feast of the ascension, where martyrs were tortured and burned. Their remains were long left unburied by the King’s orders as they were considered traitors. Six months later, three Christians, amid fears of being charged with treason, in cover of the night went to Namugongo and collected some remains. The relics were hidden by the White Fathers and…
Zero trafficking in Burkina-Faso
From Sr Pascaline Katungu of the Cathédral, Ouagadou, community For a Lasting Peace : The role of women in restoring human dignity On 8 February, we commemorate Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of the Talitha Kum network, ‘Young Girl, Arise’. It is a Day of Prayer and Reflection against human trafficking. We have included in our prayers the men, women and children who are victims of modern slavery, of all kinds of abuse and exploitation, and who are treated as tools for labour or pleasure and are often tortured and mutilated. This is an active network in Burkina Faso. It brings together all those concerned to be the voice of those whose dignity has been trampled upon. Our cathedral community is part of this network and is represented by Sister Pascaline (in the photo), who works actively within it alongside other lay and consecrated persons. Since July 2025, we…
10 Actions You Can Take on Laudato Si’ week
Hope would have us recognize that there is always a way out… that we can always do something.” Laudato Si’, 61 Laudato Si’ Week is a global moment when Catholics turn hope into action for our common home. Whether you are an individual, parish, school, religious community, or institution, you are invited to take one concrete step for integral ecology and make it count through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Choose one action that fits your context and begin this week! Responding to the Cry of the Earth 1. Reduce your community’s energy use this week Identify one immediate way to reduce energy consumption. Examples: • Turn off unnecessary lighting in unused spaces • Adjust heating or cooling slightly • Launch a commitment to reduce electricity use for the next month Parishes, schools, and institutions can begin reviewing energy usage and setting a reduction goal. 2. Restore local…
Celebrate the Pentecost
What is Pentecost? Pentecost 2026 falls on Sunday, May 24. In the Catholic Church, Pentecost is one of the great solemnities of the liturgical year and marks the close of the Easter season. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek pentekostē, meaning “fiftieth day” as it is celebrated 50 days after Easter. It’s often called the “Birthday of the Church” because it marks the start of the Church’s mission, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the Virgin Mary fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Pentecost is important because it reveals the Holy Spirit’s mission in the life of the Church. Jesus did not leave his disciples to carry out the gospel by their own strength. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide, sanctify, strengthen, and unite them. The first Pentecost The event is described in Acts 2. The Apostles, along with Mary…
Activities at the Worldhouse
By Marina Van Dalen, SMNDA Coordinator – Netherlands The four Dutch sisters based in Boxtel are involved in the activities at the Worldhouse, sharing their vision of a life lived out in mission every day. Iftar meal for everyone This year, Ramadan and Lent began on the same day, namely Ash Wednesday, 18 February, and we thought it would be a good idea to organise an Iftar meal for all residents during this period. Most of the Muslim residents at the Worldhouse are of Moroccan or Turkish origin; the others are Dutch or Indonesian, and they usually eat their meals separately. Two ladies from the Muslim community promised to prepare a simple Ramadan meal suitable for the older residents, not all of whom are used to Arabic cuisine. Before the meal, we gave a presentation on Christian fasting during the 40 days of Lent and another on fasting…
A tree for each child
By the community of Nouakchott in Mauritania In the Sahel, the region south of the Sahara Desert, the advancement of desert sands is threatening homes and farming fields. A big Pan African Plan has been promoted to fight the desertification and residents all over the region are planting a “Great Green Wall” hoping to slow down the process. The project started in 2007 and all neighboring countries are engaged in this great challenge. By 2024, around 30 million hectares had been restored, representing 30% of the target set. This large-scale project faces numerous challenges, such as a lack of funding and locust swarms, but also, and this has been the most worrying development in recent times, terrorist threats and a lack of political leadership. To know more you can visit the Wikipedia link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Green_Wall_(Africa) In Mauritania our sisters have been planting trees for many years now, in…
My mission goes on…
Top row from left: Francine Maas, Martha Grageda, Marie Heintz and Lucille Pilotte Bottom row from left: Regina Ramos, Mary Rita Kelley and Felicia Nowak ONCE A MISSIONARY ALWAYS A MISSIONARY By Sr. Francine Maas in Winoosky community, Vermont-USA After 43 happy years of ministering in Tanzania and at our General Headquarters in Rome, I returned definitively to my home country, the USA, in September 2021. After settling-in, I was soon busy with helping my sisters in whatever their needs were. At that time, we were a community of 10 sisters, living in a small care home with about 35 elderly residents, but today we MSOLA number only 7. As 4 ½ years have now passed, the details of my ministry have changed but the main areas remained the same. It is my hope that in this short article I can show you…
Meditation in memory of our Algerian martyrs
A total of 19 men and women religious, priests and a bishop, were slain in Algeria between 1994 and 1996 during the Algerian Civil War. They were declared martyrs by Pope Francis and beatified on 8 December 2018 in Oran. To facilitate the prayer for tomorrow we share a meditation prepared by the White Fathers in memory of our brothers murdered on the 27th December 1994 in Tizi Ouzou. Link to download the Meditation for the blessed martyrs of Algeria
What is my response?
The Lilongwe community with Sr. Monique Vien By Sr. Anafrida Biro, Lilongwe community in Malawi While reading our last Sharing Trentaprile, 2026 – 1, page 30 (human suffering experienced by people in the refugee camp), I felt pushed to stop and ponder over the words “They teach us not to ask “why?”, but rather, “what is my response?” I was immediately enabled to connect to what I was experiencing with my Sisters in the community, thanks to our Sister Monique Vien from Canada, who after our congregation meeting in Dar es Salaam, came for some weeks to our community in Lilongwe Malawi, to visit her cherished Country and friends encountered through many years of her missionary life there. I had sufficient time to listen to Sr. Monique and realised that, she was blessed to work in different countries and in different places in Malawi itself such as…