News archive

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)

Jan Bruijns, R.I.P.

Father Jozef de Bekker, Provincial Delegate of the sector of the Netherlands,
informs you of the return to the Lord of Father

Jan Bruijns

on Wednesday the 31st October 2018 at Heythuysen (The Netherlands)
at the age of 78 years, of which 53 years of missionary life
in Mali and in the Netherlands.

Let us pray for him and for his loved ones.

Download here the annoucement of Father Jan Bruijns’ death Continue reading “Jan Bruijns, R.I.P.”

Inquiry Mapeera & Amans

Here are two documents relative to the solemn closing session of the diocesan inquiry for the beatification of Mapeera & Amans in Uganda.

Document 1, with the story.

Document 2, with the photos.

To know more, please visit the website of Mapeera-Nabunnya Pilgrimage Centre.

Testimony of Sr Vicky Chiharhula

Vicky Chiharhula, msola, shares with us her experience as a pastoral agent for migrants in Sicily. Below, you will find the audio recording of his sharing (in french), as well as an article published by Bernard Ugeux on his blog (in french).

 
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Les « sœurs du monde » :
une équipe internationale de consacrées sur le terrain

Le pape François a demandé l’an dernier aux religieux de s’engager dans l’accueil des migrants. Les missionnaires d’Afrique en ont accueillis dans leur Maison Généralice à Rome. Les jésuites ont un important centre d’accueil au Vatican. A la demande de l’Union des Supérieurs Majeures, des congrégations féminines comme les Sœur Missionnaires de Notre-Dame d’Afrique (Sœurs Blanches) ont décidé de participer à une équipe inter-congrégationnelle et internationale en vue d’accueillir les migrants qui débarquant en Sicile. Ces migrants arrivent aussi de l’Afrique et, pour eux, être accueillis par une religieuse africaine qui peut mieux comprendre leur drame est un précieux soulagement.

Vicky Chiharhula SMNDA, Conglaise, partage les premiers pas de cette équipe.
Mission auprès des migrants en Sicile.
Nous sommes arrivées en Sicile le 14/12/2015, de cinq Congrégations de nationalités différentes : Argentine, Erythrée, Inde, Pologne et République Démocratique du Congo. Nous étions très bien accueillies de tous dans le diocèse d’Agrigento et au-delà. Dès le début, le cardinal Francesco Montenegro, archevêque d’Agrigento a voulu une communauté qui, par sa vie, puisse témoigner que c’est possible de vivre heureuses tout en étant différentes. « Le plus important n’est pas ce que vous ferez, mais le témoignage d’une vie commune heureuse » disait-il. En vivant unies malgré nos différences (cultures, charismes/spiritualités, races, langues), nous cherchons à bâtir des ponts entre la population sicilienne qui nous accueille et les migrants qui viennent des diverses cultures, races, religions, langues et nations. Plusieurs personnes nous appellent « les sœurs du monde »
Nous sommes encore à nos premiers pas dans l’effort de la connaissance mutuelle en communauté ainsi que celui de la connaissance de la culture sicilienne qui nous est totalement inconnue et différente des nôtres. Nous vivons dans notre chair ce que signifie « être migrant », comme le vivent ceux qui sont venus des différents coins du monde. L’unique et grande différence est que nous, nous l’avons librement choisi pour le Christ et sa mission.    
Notre vie communautaire est en quelque sorte une mission en soi. Nous souhaitons bâtir une communauté qui reflète la beauté de la fraternité universelle dans la différence. Cela n’est va pas de soi…
Tous ceux qui viennent nous voient ou qui entendent parler de notre expérience disent que c’est un signe de l’Esprit pour l’avenir de la vie religieuse. Nous sentons un appel pressent d’obéir à l’Esprit de Dieu et de le laisser accomplir en nous l’œuvre du Père. Nous cherchons encore la meilleure manière de nous engager concrètement, pour bâtir des ponts solides entre nous et avec tant d’autres.
Pendant que nous découvrons le milieu et sa réalité, nous faisons de petites choses : présence au port à l’arrivée des migrants, formation pour l’écoute et stage dans les centres d’écoute du diocèse, visites des migrants hospitalisés et sur la rue, etc..
Même si dans notre groupe il y a plusieurs langues, l’Italien reste un grand défi. Nous devons bien le connaître pour pouvoir faciliter la communication entre les uns et les autres. Il nous faut fournir beaucoup d’effort à cet effet.
Nous sommes très reconnaissantes envers toutes les personnes qui nous soutiennent de diverses manières. Puisse le Seigneur nous accorder la grâce de mettre en commun la richesse de nos cultures et de nos charismes, pour être un signe visible de son règne d’amour, d’unité et de miséricorde sur cette terre sicilienne !

Bernard Ugeux sur son Blog :

La Vie – Lettres d’Afrique – Un regard bienveillant et exigeant sur une Afrique qui souffre et se déploie

Martyrs of their work

“In the eyes of men, they were punished but by their hope, they already had immortality”; Wisdom 3:4. This is an excerpt from the first reading for the solemnity of Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr, patron saint of North Africa.

Indeed, by their hope, the martyrs already possess immortality because “the life of the righteous is in the hand of God, no torment has taken over them”. (Wisdom 3:1)

This year, the feast of St. Cyprian coincided in some way with the joyful announcement of the beatification of our 19 new martyrs of the Church in Algeria (Bishop Claverie and his 19 Companions) which will take place in Santa Cruz, in Oran on December 8, 2018.

Like St. Cyprian, their departure from this world was seen as a misfortune (for those who do not think and those who have no hope). Some died, shot to death, others slit their throats like sheep, others stabbed coming back from Mass, others in explosions… When they left us, we thought they were destroyed,… (Wisdom 3:3). Nevertheless, since the blood of the martyrs is a seed of Christians,” said Tertullian, dying out of love and fidelity for this people and this country they loved so much, they are still bearing fruit!

My greatest surprise as a witness to their works and abundant fruits was on 16 September 2018, the very day of the feast of St. Cyprian. We had planned to make registrations for school support courses in English and French as every year for all levels (from primary school to university). Every year the number increases because we have become “victims of our success”. We knew there would be people on registration day because we have limited space, but not as much! At 7:48 am, after the lauds, I opened the portal in order to prepare for the registration to start at 8:30 am. Surprise! Surprise! 83 people already in front of the entrance gate, not to mention those who had passed through the small door of the library! Overwhelmed by the number, everything had to be turned upside down; no breakfast, a late lunch and no nap all week long, beating the record even on the waiting list! Most of those who came were heard saying “the Fathers have reopened the language school”, others “there is no better place than the White Fathers of Tizi”….others still saying “I have not slept to get there first and there have I found other parents already because you are the best”… So, meditating on all this, I said to myself, if so many people trust us for everything we do, it is not only because of us, but because of our predecessors who were at the origin of this seed. Dying, they were still bearing fruit; they became martyrs of their good works. Truly, they sparkle like a fire running through the straw. (Wisdom 3:7)

Indeed, “if the grain of wheat that has fallen to the ground does not die, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24), the gospel of the solemnity of St. Cyprian. After my meditation, I came to tell you… We, who were inspired by our martyred predecessors, through their works, may we pray that the Lord will help us to put more of our trust in him.

Vincent Kyererezi, M.Afr.
Tizi Ouzou