News archive

Workshop on safeguarding

From 29 October to 9 November, the delegates for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults were invited to a training workshop. Some had already participated in the first workshop last year and therefore only participated in the second week. But the “new ones” had to be upgraded first during the first week to be able to follow the deepening session with the others. Below you will see a picture of the first group and a short report from Jean Lamonde, delegate for our community in Rome. And below, the group photo of almost all the delegates. Indeed, Joseph Makoka, suffering from mild malaria, had become the centre of attraction for the apprentice doctors of a university hospital in Rome.

Seven confreres participated in the session on Integrity of the Ministry and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons in Rome. During the week, several topics were discussed. The first few days were devoted to the different concepts and definitions of sexual abuse, minors and vulnerable persons. Attention was then turned to the victims, their suffering and the perpetrators of sexual abuse. The reflection also focused on the attitude to follow in order to accompany, listen to and support victims. The company’s policy and the role of the Child Protection Officer have been well described and explained. Finally, the different procedures to be followed in the event of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable person were presented.

This is a brief description of the first initiation given to the new delegates for the protection of minors. This initiation will certainly be most useful and as it is also intended to provide participants with a minimum of material to continue their own training once they return to their different positions.

Jean Lamonde

Lucienne Brousse, R.I.P.

The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa
invite you to share their hope and pray for

Sister Lucienne BROUSSE (Joseph Sarto)

She entered Life on November 8, 2018
in Ste Monique, Paris (France).
Originally from the diocese of Montauban,
she was 88 years old,
including 65 years of religious missionary life
in Algeria and France.

Hermann-Josef Hinkelmann, R.I.P.

Father Rudi Pint, Provincial Delegate of the sector of Germany,
informs you of the return to the Lord of Father

Hermann-Josef Hinkelmann

on Thursday 8th November 2018 at Haigerloch (Germany)
at the age of 84 years, of which 54 years of missionary life
in Mozambico, in Mali and in Germany.

Let us pray for him and for his loved ones.

Download here the announcement of Father Hermann-Josef Hinkelmann Continue reading “Hermann-Josef Hinkelmann, R.I.P.”

Drama of sexual abuse, in the footsteps of Pope Francis

The “Documentation Catholique” asked Father Stéphane Joulain, a Missionary of Africa and psychotherapist, to put into perspective Pope François’ approach to sexual abuse in the Church, “to try to bring out a little of the hermeneutical universe of the Holy Father and to be able to see what he wishes to put in place at the pastoral level”. Indeed, Pope Francis’ Letter to the People of God, dated August 20, 2018, follows on from two other important letters, those he wrote on May 17, 2018 to the Chilean bishops who came to meet him in Rome and those of May 30, 2018 to the People of God who are walking in Chile.

Read in French the article from the newspaper La Croix of November 8, 2018

Lavigerie, his vision, his personality… new insights

Father Frank Nolan has reviewed the Society’s archives and comes with new insights about Cardinal Lavigerie, his vision, his personality.

Two of the participants at this Conference, which is part of a cycle of Roman Conferences in view of the Jubilee Celebrations, have given these testimonies at the end of the conference :

“Students need this vision! I have been giving the talks in the Novitiate about Lavigerie but this is a very good corrective to some of the stuff I was giving, putting the stress on the strong hand of Lavigerie, which of course is there, but you are showing that it is not the full picture.” (D. Sullivan, M.Afr.)

“I just want to thank you for this vision. I think it is confirmed by the relationship Lavigerie had with our Mother Salome because it is true that he considered his will to be the will of God and as much as she entered into this vision, at the same time, though pretty shy, Mother Salome could challenge Lavigerie… who took it well and listened to her.” (G. Schreyer, msola)

Here after, the conference of Frank Nolan (in English) and then the two photos he is speaking about at the beginning of the conference.

News from Rémi Caucanas

Dear friends, White Fathers and friends of the Society of Missionaries of Africa,

I would like to draw your attention to the latest issue of the journal Etudes (November 2018, n°4254) in which the text from my speech at the Generalate of the Society in Rome last year, was published.

The article is entitled “Meeting Muslims. The singular contribution of the Society of Missionaries of Africa” (pp. 67-80). You will find the figures of Henri Marchal, Jacques Lanfry and Etienne Renaud.

I look forward to reading your comments and hearing from you.

PS/ For those of you who know him, Paolo, who is also a great friend of the Society, celebrated his third birthday yesterday.

Rémi CAUCANAS

Rémi resides in Kenya where his wife is an Italian government diplomat to the Kenyan government.

Sister Marie Cloutier, msola

The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa
invite you to share in their hope and to pray for

Sister Marie Cloutier (Sr. Jean de Dieu)

who entered into eternal Life on November 1st 2018
at the infirmary of the Generalate
of the Sisters of Charity of Quebec (Beauport).

She was 80 years old and in the 58th year of religious missionary life.

Gabriel Chevalier, R.I.P.

Father Patrick Bataille, Provincial Delegate of the sector of France,
informs you of the return to the Lord of Father

Gabriel Chevalier

on Sunday the 4th November 2018 at Pau Billère (France)
at the age of 97 years, of which 70 years of missionary life
in Tanzania and in France.

Let us pray for him and for his loved ones.

Download here the announcement of Fr. Gabriel Chevalier’s death Continue reading “Gabriel Chevalier, R.I.P.”

Meditation on the Our Father

Text: Churches Week of Action on Food, 15 – 22 October 2018

Presentation: MAfr Coordination of JPIC-ED, Rome October 2018

Download the PDF

Mgr Willy Ngumbi at the Synod on the Youth

At the Generalate on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, our confrere, Bishop Willy Ngumbi, shared with us his experience as a participant in the Synod of Bishops on Youth, which has just ended in the Vatican. (in French)