In prayer, we seek Divine intervention: “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labour; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Ps. 126 [127]: 1)
“While some are enrolled under the flag of mercy and fraternal solidarity, taking the arms and ready to go for the battle, we who are staying behind must call on the name of the Lord (cf. Ps 20: 7), and go up to the mountain to raise up our hands together towards heaven.” (Card. Lavigerie)
Let our prayer for JPIC-ED be a continuous reminder of the urgency of our commitment as individuals, communities, and of the Lavigerie Family wherever we are.
Missionaries of Africa and Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa
Loving Father and Creator of all we come to you today deeply grateful for your creation. As we look around us, we are amazed at the greatness and majesty of all that you have made. Nature around us speaks of your greatness – the vast expanse of the sky, the mountains, trees, lakes and streams speak of your great design. You have given us such beauty in the colours of the rainbow, the beauty of flowers and fields. Words cannot adequately express the magnificence of all you have created. We join in praise with the writer of the psalms when he says, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” May we show our love and reverence to you, our Lord, by caring for all that you have created. We humbly give you praise and thanks. Amen
Month: December 2014
In prayer, we seek Divine intervention: “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labour; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Ps. 126 [127]: 1)
“While some are enrolled under the flag of mercy and fraternal solidarity, taking the arms and ready to go for the battle, we who are staying behind must call on the name of the Lord (cf. Ps 20: 7), and go up to the mountain to raise up our hands together towards heaven.” (Card. Lavigerie)
Let our prayer for JPIC-ED be a continuous reminder of the urgency of our commitment as individuals, communities, and of the Lavigerie Family wherever we are.
Missionaries of Africa and Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa
Loving Father and Creator of all we come to you today deeply grateful for your creation. As we look around us, we are amazed at the greatness and majesty of all that you have made. Nature around us speaks of your greatness – the vast expanse of the sky, the mountains, trees, lakes and streams speak of your great design. You have given us such beauty in the colours of the rainbow, the beauty of flowers and fields. Words cannot adequately express the magnificence of all you have created. We join in praise with the writer of the psalms when he says, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” May we show our love and reverence to you, our Lord, by caring for all that you have created. We humbly give you praise and thanks. Amen
Chères sœurs et chers amis,
Au sein du puissant battement mondial de cette année,
le cœur de notre communauté fait écho à l’inimitable battement de gratitude pour chacun de vous, très chères sœurs et chers amis, pour votre présence dans nos vies, pour la beauté et la bonté du Seigneur qui nous sont parvenues grâce à vous.
Que les ondes de notre battement zambien vous apportent toute bénédiction!
Venant de loin, un son de flûte solennel franchit la lumière du crépuscule. Au loin, avec nos yeux intérieurs, nous voyons de jeunes garçons dans les rues jouer au football, prétendant être Messi, Ronaldo, Katongo, les grands footballeurs. Au loin nous voyons avec nos yeux de l’esprit, les petites filles suivre leur mère pour aller chercher de l’eau et du bois pour la fabrication de la munkoyo (bière douce). Les hommes, jeunes et vieux, nettoient leurs filets après une capture dans le Luapula. Le grand poisson aigle glisse au-dessus du majestueux fleuve Zambèze, attentif au moindre mouvement de l’eau, et après une plongée éclair, il plonge à nouveau, s’élevant dans le ciel chaud africain louant le Créateur pour un double cadeau : son dîner et une douche rafraîchissante bienvenue, car, c’est vrai, il a fait très chaud cette année.
FULL TEXT ON PDF FILE
By Phelim Malumo, M.Afr
Dear Confrere,
Greetings from the Philippines. I received your email with pleasure and wonderful memories. I took a few moment of recollection remembering God’s Love for me and the rest of Humanity as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s Incarnation. I felt encouraged, and indeed, strengthened after repeatedly going through your short, deep and touching letter.
Yes, I am settling well here in Masbate: living, listening, sharing and discovering so many things each day: one -day -at- a- time. Today afternoon I am giving formation class on the Holy Spirit for those preparing to become Lay Missionaries/Volunteers in the Future. Next week I shall teach about Mission to the Boys/Girls. This evening I shall have confessions and another Mass at the girl’s farm. A mission/task requiring compassion, Reaching out and listening and giving direction/guidance to so many boys and girls, some under aged and too young to understand and discern about their lives and what to do. They have so many unanswered questions. My presence is seen and experienced, by most of them, as God’s will and intervention in their life “…The Lord has visited his people”; the troubled, downtrodden, suffering and addicted and those who have lost HOPE in life’s purpose.
FULL TEXT IN PDF FILE
Our dear confrere Sébastien Kalengwe learned computer design recently in Kampala. He is sending to us all two beautiful Christmas Cards. His health is improving by the day. We wish him good recovering hoping to see him soon again in our SAP Province.
Please, feel free to send us your own Christmas Cards.
30/11/2014
The declaration by Pope Francis that a Year of Consecrated Life be celebrated throughout the world starting today, the first Sunday of advent, has been described as “timely and important” by Zambia’s Bishop Patrick Chisanga. Bishop Chisanga is the Bishop of Mansa Diocese. Before becoming a Bishop, early this year, he was a formator in his congregation, the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals.
The Year of Consecrated Life will close on 2 February 2016, the World Day of Consecrated Life.
In an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio’s English Service for Africa, Bishop Chisanga said the declaration of a Year of Consecrated Life coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council document, Perfectæ Caritatis. This document promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965 is the “Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life.” It deals with institutes of consecrated life in Church.
Zambian Bishops: Patrick Chisanga, OFM Conv. (R) with Evans Chinyemba OMI (l)
According to Bishop Chisanga, this period should be used by the religious to revisit their call to religious life. ”It is an important moment of introspection. Every religious institution in Africa needs to re-examine and ask itself where they are as an institution, where they are coming from and where they are going. In other words, in this moment in time, what is their place and role in the Church?” asks Bishop Chisanga.
The Bishop was however keen to underline the fact that the year is not exclusively for the religious. “It is not exclusively a year for the religious only. It is a year in which the Church as a whole reflects on the charisms of the religious in the context of new evangelization and in the context of the importance of the family in Africa and in the Church. We must never forget that the men and women in religious life come from families.” Bishop Chisanga emphasised. Asked about what he sees as the contribution of the religious to the Church in Zambia, Bishop Chisanga says, “The religious and the history of the Church in Zambia are intertwined. We cannot talk about the establishment of the Catholic Church in Zambia without thinking of the religious.” The Bishop says, the religious in Zambia continue to play a significant role in the life of the Church. He adds, “When you talk about quality health care and education in Zambia, you will find that these are always associated with the Church. In great part, we thank the religious sisters and brothers for this. This is the richness of the Church in Zambia and in Africa.” Bishop Chisanga said. “While all these apostolates are important, we cannot reduce the value of religious life to these external apostolic ministries. More importantly, this special year gives to the religious institution an opportunity to bring out that which prompts them to give quality health care to remote outposts in rural areas. What motivates them as religious people to go to these places? In order to make this introspection, the religious need to go back to their spiritual foundations.” Said Bishop Chisanga. Bishop Chisanga is also aware of the many challenges facing religious life today in Africa. He is convinced that religious life cannot pretend to be spared of these challenges. He cites the changing times and the consequent secularisation of society as a big challenge. He says, “In a world where faith is pushed aside and spiritual matters are pushed aside, people today are looking for solutions everywhere else other than in the spiritual realm.” Other challenges he notes, include a Church in Africa which now has to look to itself for both material and human resources. Further still there is the ever-present danger of individualism. “While religious men and women vow to live in poverty or without property, there is a huge temptation that a religious person could easily fall into: This is the world of materialism.” Bishop Chisanga underlines. In the end, what is really essential is that during this year, the religious continue to witness to that spirit which prompted most of their founders to “leave everything in order to gain everything.” The Bishop concludes. (Fr. Paul Samasumo)
You may remember the first report put on SAP Blog on March 19 about the construction of a health centre in DRCongo supported by our confreres Faustin who has moved from Zambia to South Africa. See today few pictures showing the progress made. This is remarkable. But, much needs to be done. See also below the new report written in French and the call for help.
Par le Père Faustin Kerumbe, M.Afr
Mon cher Serge, je prends le courage de t’envoyer les dernières photos que j’ai reçues hier d’un des membres du comité. Petit à petit, on dirait que l’oiseau est en train de faire son nid. Je continue toujours à apprécier les efforts de la communauté locale. Sur une des photos tu trouveras un groupe de mamans. Elles venaient de faire leur réunion qui a pour but de voir à quel niveau et peuvent contribuer pour que commence aussi, dans leur langage, la construction de leur maternité. Les étapes qui suivent sont plus éxigeantes d’autant plus qu’elles dépassent largement nos capacités financières. Il nous faut au moins 300 sacs de ciment pour le crépissage et le pavement. À part ceci, il nous faut y mettre du plafond et fixer les portes et les fenêtres. Nous restons à l’éveil de ce que Washington Developpment Office va décider. A part cela, j’essaie de frapper aux portes des confrères pour demander assistance, de quelle nature et quantité qu’elle puisse être, pour nous faire avancer dans la réalisation dudit projet. Nous avons reçu il y a quelques jours 200£ d’un confrère pour acheter 10 sacs de ciment. Pour l’heure j’essaie de faire, sans pour autant forcer, appel à la générosité des confrères, amis et de toute personne de bonne volonté en vue de faire aboutir notre projet. Nous espérons toujours que Dieu bénira nos efforts et notre projet. Mon cher Serge, pense à nous dans tes prières! Je prie sans cesse pour la réussite de ce projet à caractère communautaire et sanitaire! Et si tu connais quelques amis qui peuvent aider, prière aussi de parler de notre projet auprès d’eux! Dieu peut toujours nous bénir à travers la bienveillance et la générosité de nos frères et soeurs! Merci infiniment pour tout ce que nous apporte comme attention et conseil! Bonne nuit! Je te souhaite un bon et fructueux temps de l’Avent! Union de prière!
Aujourd’hui, les Missionnaires d’Afrique de l’Ouest vous proposent de visiter de nouvelles pages sur leur site www.mafrwestafrica.net :
Dans la rubrique « Actualités » :
« Anniversaire de la mort du Cardinal Lavigerie » : c’est le 26 novembre 1892 que le cardinal Lavigerie, fondateur de la Société des Missionnaires d’Afrique, s’éteignait à Alger. (lire la suite )
« Statistiques de l’Eglise catholique » telles qu’elles ont été publiées le 19 octobre 2014, qui était aussi le « dimanche des missions ». (lire la suite)
« Le Pape François et l’Europe », un article publié sur le site de l’ARCRE suite à la visite du pape à Strasbourg auprès du Parlement européen et du Conseil de l’Europe, le 25 novembre 2014 (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« Quel avenir pour le Nigéria ? » ce pays qui a de grandes possibilités, mais qui est soumis à une grande instabilité du fait des exactions de Boko Haram. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :
« Conférence au CFR » le Père Adrien Sawadogo, originaire du Burkina, a donné une conférence au Centre Foi et Rencontre sur l’apport des religions traditionnelles à la foi chrétienne, où il partage sa propre expérience de converti de l’Islam (lire la suite)
« Identité, conversion, laïcité » ces termes sont d’une brûlante actualité dans notre monde où la tolérance, l’acceptation de l’autre et la connaissance de soi-même sont de moins en moins évidentes (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :
« Le charisme des Missionnaires d’Afrique » un texte du père Francis Nolan, texte d’une conférence donnée en février 2014 en Ouganda et traduite récemment en français. (lire la suite) « Mon ami de Jéricho », c’est en ces termes que le Père Marcel Boivin partage ce que l’épisode de l’aveugle guéri par Jésus dans cette ville signifie pour lui (lire la suite) « Les Missionnaires d’Afrique au Niger » : un grand merci au Père Josep Frigola qui retrace l’histoire de notre Société Missionnaire depuis ses débuts dans ce pays, et donnant les noms de tous ceux qui y ont participé (lire la suite)