Why not Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa?
A double invitation of the Lord resounds in my life: “Follow me” and “Go forth from your country, to the land I will show you.” This call gives me joy and dynamism. I would like to respond to it by joining other young people who like me, choose to give their lives to Christ for his Mission. The call to become a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa may be heard in many ways. Perhaps a Gospel passage invites me to proclaim Jesus Christ beyond all borders, a deep desire to give my life to Jesus, an attraction for Muslim-Christian dialogue, the desire to fight against all kinds of injustice, a commitment to the poor, immigrants in my own country, I can also be attracted by Africa for a long time. Openness to others is important to me because it enriches my way of seeing…
Migrants in the Algerian desert
Already two weeks ago I wanted to write something about a particular adventure – an adventure about migration; an adventure about human encounter. It is still possible to have beautiful encounters, free encounters, transforming encounters. Ghardaia, November 2013, the first hints of rain, little drizzles in the evening. The day is sunny and fresh, otherwise cold! The small desert offers its stones to the sun’s rays as if to suck the heat and keep it for the nights, already difficult to bear without shelter. The Algerian cities have been visited for the past year by unusual people, women and children from the south, begging by day, disappearing at night. At first like the war-refugees from Mali, then recognized as Nigerians, their presence questioned, sometimes disturbing, often leading to compassion. Algerian Associations mobilize quickly to bring them food, especially when cold attacks these scantily clad people. Some newspapers write about them.…
It is possible to live in harmony with our Algerian brothers and sisters
My main work now is welcoming people to the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, three days a week. In fact, having lived so many years in Algeria, since 1959, and knowing several languages (Arabic, German, Italian and French), is a valuable asset to receive and inform visitors to this high point in Algeria. I meet an average of 250 people per day, mostly Algerians who come to pray, because it is their Basilica! It has been completely restored two years ago, and since then, it is not unusual for delegations from the Middle East and other countries to come to visit. Also the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa has become a place of international worship. Many moving testimonies show this, such as that of an old man arriving from Jerusalem who wanted to visit Our Lady of Africa again before he died. He had lived…
For us, difference is a value.
Sisters of differents nationalities and continents present themselves
Learning the language of the people who welcome us
How to reach someone if I do not speak their language? How to get close to them if I do not understand? How to love a people and their culture if I do not understand their language?
This is a gratuitous gift…
“The gift of a religious vocation is a wholly gratuitous gift on Gods’ part, and a miracle of his mercy.” Mother Marie-Salomé Each of us, at one time in her life, experience the Love of God in a special way. Something simple yet wonderful happens to us. This is a totaly gratuitous gift… Someone Divine touches us profoundly and our life is changed ! Jesus Christ becomes for us an irreplaceable friend. He reveals the face of God to us, full of love and tenderness. Conséquently, we have only one desire : to live for him and make him known to other peoples. The God revealed to us by Jesus knows no frontiers : his Salvation is for all. Our free response to the call received is shown by following Jesus in obedience, chastity and poverty for the coming of God’s Kingdom. It is our particular way of living our…
Our family treasure
Since the beginning, Cardinal Lavigerie wanted us to be sent in apostolic international communities. Interculturality is an integral part of our “family treasure”, of our heritage… a heritage to which we hold firmly. “Be of one heart and one soul. Be truly sisters one to the other. To love and help one another are the two pillars of community life. Take with a good spirit whatever your companions do or say.” Mother Marie-Salomé We are not sent alone. It is together that we participate in the mission of Christ. He himself, from the beginning of his public life, surrounded himself with a community of disciples. It was not an international community, but he liked gathering together persons who were very different: by temperament, place of origin, trade or profession, political opinions… Was it not a way of showing how, in Him, all the differences can be harmonised? Thus it…
Can women be Apostles?
“In spite of the zeal of the Missionaries, their efforts will not produce sufficient fruit if they are not seconded by women apostles working with the women. Men cannot give this service themselves, only women have free access to pagan women and are able to maintain charitable relations with them; help them in their trouble and so touch their hearts. This apostolate does not stop with the women, for a woman is a fountainhead because she is mother.” Cardinal Lavigerie underlined the importance of woman’s place in the world and in the Church. He saw her as an agent in the transformation of society through her role as “head” of the family, parallel to that of man. Hers is a ministry of love and of humanity. “Women are destined to be the most effective missionaries of the African peoples” 1871
They do not let themselves be discouraged by these daily sufferings
As I was discovering how Mary personifies hope, I felt the strong link between Mary and the Congolese mamas. I understood why these mamas personify hope for me. MAMA SIFA rapidly comes down the hill. It is 6 am. She goes to Lake Kivu like every morning, with a plastic bag and … her rosary. On the shore, she fills her bag of roughly 50 kg of sand. She puts it on her back and ties it with a braided belt that encircles her forehead. With other mamas, she slowly climbs up the hill, a long calvary of a half hour, an hour or more … Whether the sun shines or the rain falls in torrents, She carries on, head bent. Mama Sifa is young. She can make three trips a day. Her rosary in hand, heart full of hope, she walks; happy to think of…
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands. I admit that it is an exercise resulting in a lot of sweat … But this exercise shows how vital it is to go to the end of life just as the sculptor takes his time to go to the end and give life to his work. I was born in 1934 in Dordogne. In July 1956, I took my first steps in the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa. I was sent to Africa where I had different activities. Since I am retired, I can practice the art of sculpture. In my missionary life, I was able to fulfill several services, thanks to my self-taught training;it is surely a gift from heaven, the greatest gift. Thus I was able to respond to various calls in my religious family. In Algeria, I…