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The
Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa
have been in Spain for 50 years.
Most of the Spanish sisters are still in Africa,
and a few are in Spain, mainly at the service of
African immigrants.
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Spanish
MSOLA with Algerian children,
during a holiday camp in Madrid. |
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The work and mission of the MSOLA in Spain:
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Spanish
Sisters in mission
- Sr.
Antonia Agreda, teaching embroidery
- Sr.
Juli Alonso in Kalabankura (Mali)
- Sr.
Amalia Aragon Postigo in Mexico
- Sr.
Isabel Arance: formation in Butare (Rwanda)
- Sr.
Caridad: in Burkina Faso
- Sr.
Inmaculada Cerruti: teaching young women in Kigali (Rwanda)
- Sr.
Dolores Cuadrado: teaching women in Eastern RD Congo
- Sr.
Pilar Delgado with violated women around Kalemie
- Sr.
Herenia Ezquerra: at Bukavu with refugees and displaced
persons
- Sr.
Felisa Garcia Galan: women with AIDS in Gitega
- Sr.Felicidad
Garcia Rodriguez: with women in Bukavu
- Sr.
Carmen Garcia Sedeño: at the service of the congregation
in Western Africa
- Sr.
Conchita Gonzalez: catechesis in Kinshasa
- Sr.
Julia Gonzalez: catechesis in Chad
- Sr.
Esther Leon, catechesis in Kinshasa and missionary animation
in Mexico
- Sr.
Finita Martinez at Kalabankura (Mali)
- Sr.
Begoña Iñarra: working for Justice and Peace
- Sr.
Maite Oiartzun: with young people in Burundi and in Mexico
Sr. Loli Otondo: at the Refugee Camps around Bukavu (DR
Congo)
- Sr.
Julia Inmaculada Rodrigo: catechesis to the youth in Bamako
(Mali)
- Sr.
Montserrat Roset: catechesis in Kalemie (DR Congo)
- Sr.
Gloria Sedes: a nurse and artist at the service of the population
of Deli (Chad)
- Sr.
Ana Maria Ygeño: teaching women and young girls in
Kalabankura (Mali)
- Sr.
Pilar Vigil: catechesis in Kolokani (Mali)
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KARIBU: AT THE SERVICE OF IMMIGRANTS
Sr.
Celsa Jimeno (Navarre) collaborates in the
"Karibu" Centre ("welcome"
in Swahili), which welcomes African immigrants
in Madrid. Different services are offered which
help for a better integration in the Spanish
society. There is a legal service available
to help them to obtain residence permits and
work. The centre organises different courses
and offers free medical advice.
Karibu is also a meeting place for Spanish and
Africans, and for Africans of different countries.
Celebrations are held at the centre on feast
days. This fosters a better mutual acquaintance
and appreciation of culture and culinary aspects
of "the other", since "specialities"
from all countries are offered.
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| Sr.
Celsa (down right) with a group of Spanish volunteers
and an African family. |
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Sr. Maria Josefa
Caballero from
Murcia (Spain). |
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In
the African Information Centre: CIDAF
Sr.
Josefa Caballero - MADRID
"At
my return from Tunis, I was "hooked" by
CIDAF, Centre for African Information and Documentation
managed by the Missionaries of Africa.
I
help the librarian and welcome the readers, most of
whom are Africans and young Spanish students. Some
of them have been "gripped" by Africa.There
are those who are preparing a journey and look for
information; while others who are just curious, come
to the Centre because they are attracted by the masks
and other African Art on display.
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The
CIDAF wants to make Africa and its culture known in Spain.
Exhibits of African art and conferences
are organised. There is also a wide collection of African
music, videos, and all kinds of information on
Africa. A regular bulletin provides the lesser known aspects
of the African reality.
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Logroño community: welcoming the sisters
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| A
group of MSOLA Spanish Sisters on holidays, following
a Seminar at Logroño's community. |
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| Sr.
Dolores Otondo (Navarre), Sr. Amalia Aragon (Cordoba)
and Sr. Milagros Ruperez (Rioja) having a rest during
a Seminar at Logroño. |
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Our
house in Logroño has offered its space, in
these latter years, to welcome the sisters on home
leave, for a rest, also as base for the sisters who
are working for Missionary and Vocation Animation
in the country or the region.
The
mission of the community has been enlarged lately:
it now serves also as community for our elder sisters
for their pre-retirement/retirement. First it has
been Carmen Gonzalez and since last year Dora Zanon
and Casilda Estevez, who had been previously in Madrid
- Ercilla.
Having
these three sisters in view, the Spanish region thought
of organizing a mini-retreat of four days, which would
be open to the rest of the community. Suzy Hadermann
came from Belgium to animate this retreat. Marivi
and Amparo had come from Madrid to take part in it.
The
themes followed during the four days: Come aside and
rest a while. If you knew the Gift of God. A source
wells up within you. The love of God recreates me
anew. I am loved, called and sent. Beloved, if God
so loved us… Bless, for it is for this you have
been called. Magnificat.
We
closed these four days with a prayer of thanksgiving
in our chapel. After the song "Alabado sea mi
Señor" each one expressed her psalm of
thanksgiving for her life and for all the gifts she
had received during these last days, for the gift
of Suzy who transmitted to us a message of love of
hope and of attachment to our vocation.
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After
this prayer each one lit a candle as a symbol of this retreat.
While putting our lights before the Lord we asked him that
we in our turn be enabled to share our faith with others,
to bear the Good News, to bless our life - day after day…
We closed our prayer with the Sancta Maria (an old hymn
to Mary that the congregation sings on special occasions).
The
community of Logroño
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Malaga community, at the service of immigrants
and refugees
The
Malaga community has been since its beginnings at the service
of the immigrants arriving to the town.
The
situation of Malaga, its touristic resources that needs
a big working force at certain seasons of the year, the
existance of a great harbour, and the proximity of Africa
make of Malaga a town where many immigrants gather in search
of work and documents to be able to work.
the
African experience of the MSOLA, their knowledge of the
African culture and languages are some of the human resources
greatly value in that situation. Many diocesan organizations
working with immigrants search the collaboration of the
MSOLA for their facility to approach not onlly the Africans,
but also all those coming from different cultures.
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| Sr.
Pilar Hernandez (on the left) welcomes the new immigrants
arriving to Malaga, and helps them to get their
documents and to learn the whereabouts of the important
services. |
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Welcoming
immigrants at Caritas
Sr.
Pilar Hernandez works at Malaga where
many immigrants from African, Russia and East
Europe arrive.
- She
welcomes the new comers
- She
helps them in the difficulty of corridors to
get teir papers
- She
orientates them to the different services available
to them and helps them in their visits to some
organisms.
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| Sr.
Matilde Fernandez, teaching African immigrants,to
help them to get integrated in their new country. |
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Teaching
Spanish to help
the adaptation of the new comers
Sr.
Matilde Fernandez gives Spanish courses to
different groups of immigrants. As the needs
are different some times the groups are different.
It is important to follow the real needs of
the immigrants.
The
knowledge of the language and the Spanish
culture helps the new comers to get integrated
in what will become their new country.
Sr.
Matilde helps them also to get their papers
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| Many
of the actual immigrants coming to Spain are from
the ex-Soviet Union Republics. Sr. Matilde helps
them to get their papers and teaches them Spanish
and Spanish culture to help their adaptation.
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