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A
group of young women interested in the missionary life,
follow the Saturday Mission, once a month. |
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Sr.
Cecylia and Sr. Maite with a group of young girls and
their teacher, after visiting the "African museum" |
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The
mission and work of the MSOLA in Poland
Polish
MSOLA sisters in mission:
- Sr.
Danuta, in the arab countries
- Sr.
Cecylia Balchaska, in Nairobi (Kenya)
- Sr.
Malgorzata Fudalej in Kalabankura (Mali)
- Sr.
Celina Natanek in Poland
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| Sr.
Maite with young people interested in Africa. |
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The
meaning of the MSOLA presence in Poland
Africa is very little known in Poland. The presence of the Missionary
Sisters of Our Lady of Africa in this country is to introduce
the Polish population to the African continent, by giving a witness
of its culture and its values, by speaking of the Church in Africa
and by sharing about their missionary experience.
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In the basement
of our house, we have installed a beautiful chapel with African
symbols, and a museum of African art. We use it as much as possible,
and often invite groups of children or youth with their school
catechists. Sr. Cecylia Bachalska (from Poland), gives them an
input and tells them stories about the Africans' creativity, artistic
gifts and sense of beauty. She also speaks about their values
and how they have fashioned us, as we have shared in some of their
history, living close to them and sharing their life.
We are working
on a project to organise an exhibition of African children's paintings
and drawings, from Ghana and Tanzania.
We also want
to produce a CD with African music from Arusha in Tanzania.For
a number of years our community of Lublin has been doing pastoral
work at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL). We take care
of a mission group where different students are very committed.
Together with them and with the Missionaries of Africa, we animate
a missionary Mass once a month in the chapel of the University.
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As for
our collaboration at European level, Sr. Maite participates
in the 'Africa Project'. She has already accompanied young
people to Burkina Faso on two occasions. A third experience
took place in Tanzania. This project usually gathers about
15 young people, girls and boys, wanting to have an experience
of Africa. It is a way for us, MSOLA, to share our Charism
with young people, and it allows them to discover our vocation
in their contact with us, as they share in our daily life
in a community in Africa for some two weeks. These contacts
with Africa and with missionaries in a religious, pluralistic
context, allow them to deepen their faith, and to have an
opportunity for opening out to the world of Islam. After
some time together, the young people are divided into groups
of two or three and they go to live in different communities
The aim of these journeys is to awaken in these young people,
the desire to commit themselves at the service of the Kingdom
of God in Africa or elsewhere.
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Sr.
Maite and Gosia during a visit to BurkinaFaso with some
youths. |
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