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TRUE
STORIES
the MSOLA discover during their ministry
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In
our missionary life we have witnessed real stories that have evangelized
and transform us.
We
share some of them with you.
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Mesfin
meets his beloved after 14 years of exile
Mesfin
ran for his life out of Ethiopia. I met him in Kakuma refugee camp,
in the north of Kenya, in 1993. My heart went out to him; sickly,
terribly thin, desperate, and not much to live for. He joined a
few other refugees to help me build the tiny "counselling centre"
(a hut, really) and as part of his therapy, I offered him a guardian
job at the centre. Life was indeed very hard in that harsh climate.
When I left the camp, he begged me not to forget him. How I wished
I had a magic wand!…
Back in Canada a few years later, I contacted the Sisters of Jesus-Marie:
ever since the Major Superiors were requested to help stranded Ethiopians
in Rome, those Sisters have not stopped giving a country to those
in need. Mesfin's name was added to their list and a long process
started to have him migrate. It took the Sisters several years of
patient work, prayer and money, and finally two years ago, Mesfin
joined his new family, the Sisters of Jesus-Marie and the Ethiopians
adopted by them.
The miracle did not stop there. Mesfin was able to re-connect with
the one he loved and had lived with for 4 years, prior to his escape
from Ethiopia. She had gone to Lebanon, in search of a job, and
hoping, waited for the miracle to happen. Again, the Sisters accepted
to sponsor her, but the re-unification "process" of families
is a much easier one. Since March, they are in Montreal, happy and
exceptionally grateful. Mesfin has vivid experiences of everything,
absolutely everything, being a GIFT FROM GOD. Both have a very touching
faith.
So now, they are re-united as a couple after 14 years of distressful
separation. Berke, the wife, told us the other day, in her beautiful
childlike French: "J'ai faim Mesfin!" They are beautiful
people! Mesfin found a job from the start and lives in a bachelor
while studying French, which Berke has undertaken also. No doubt
a child will soon force them into a larger apartment.
Colette Joubert (rue Guy G4)
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Bana
Chomba, a widow's Magnificat!
In
May 1999, when our Archbishop celebrated his Silver
Jubilee as Bishop (of Kasama/Zambia), two ladies from
Germany were present . They made many friends and
among those there were two Grade 11 student-girls
from our Girls' High School.
They
must have talked about the difficulties of their mothers
being widows, to pay the school fees... The
ladies decided to send some money, through the Archbishop's
Office, to help the families and lighten the burden
of school fees.
The
money arrived in August, so we could already pay for
the new school term.Some days later, the mother of
one of the girls came to express her gratitude. The
words of Praise she used, were like a Magnificat!
I am still full of joy as I think of this wonderful
woman.
I
will try to repeat her words...
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"I
praise God, who has never abandoned me, who now has shown me again
how much He loves and cares for me and my family.
I
praise God, the Creator, who made those two ladies in Germany,
who made them come so far to Zambia to meet my daughter.
'If
I were a dog, I would wag my tail!' (Bemba Proverb)
How
much God helps me! My husband died three years ago. He left me
seven children. He was so good to me - he never beat me! He was
like a father and brother to me! Sometimes when
I came late from selling in the market, he would prepare
the food .
He
would call, 'Come and taste my food.'
At
times he would iron the clothes, or clean the kitchen after he
had sent us to Sunday Mass, he himself going to a later Mass.
Oh,
my husband! He still prays for me!
I
could never have married again! I was told to marry my husbands
brother, but I refused. I just accepted the 'bulungu' (beads tied
around the wrist to chase away evil spirits). How could I have
married again, for I had had such a good husband! How could I
have married my husband's brother? He himself has to care for
eight children. I could not forget my husband, my father, my brother!
My
first-born daughter got pregnant in Grade 9. Now I have eight
children to look after. Children are a gift from the Lord! How
much I have to thank God for!
'If
I were a dog, I would wag my tail!'"
Story
reported by Sr. Hildegunde Schmidt, MSOLA (Kasama community -
Zambia)
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Charles, an AIDS patient says " yes " to life
A
few months ago, I discovered" Charles", an AIDs
patient who in some days had lost his wife and one of his
children. When I met him he was bedded and very sick. He
was quite discouraged and he even refused to eat, and to
take medicine. He just wanted to let himself die.
The team who takes care of the AIDS patients, we returned
to visit him every day. We passed long moments with him
encouraging him to take care of himself, to eat in order
to recover his strength and to continue to live for his
three children. Little by little the categorical refusal
of the beginning, diminished and the desire to live started
to grow. A smile appeared on his face from time to time,
and the he started expressing gratitude towards the people
who visited him. After some months Charles even began to
make projects for his future, and he decided to take up
a job.
In this world where all can be bought and sold, we add and
where nearly all buys itself and pays itself, I see the
value of the devotion more, of the exemption from payment.
It is there that I see my mission : to be smells like toward
the most resourceless, have the Christ, to show them my
affection, to free them of their fears and to encourages
them in order to make grow in them the,
Sr.
Felisa Garcia Galán
Gitega - Burundi
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El
hamdullah ! You gave me the taste for life !
During one of my visits to the patients of the hospital
where I work as volunteer, I arrive in a room where a patient
is quite shrivelled up on his bed. It was a Moslem arrived
from Algeria three days before to be taken care of an evolutionary
chronic arthritis. He had been kept during 10 years on tablets..
I smile at hem and say that I had worked in Algeria and
that I knew his country well. And then as a miracle the
ice was broken! He told me his story, the poor welcome he
had received on arrival.
The
morrow, I made a surprise visit to wish him a good feast
of "Aïd Kebir ". I brought him a plate of
cakes, offered by some Algerian friends. A large smile illuminates
his face, and he stretches his arms towards me to embrace
me: " Thanks, sister, thanks! My hears is becoming
big. "
A nurse entered at that moment, and she askes me : "
Did you know one another before? " Then he tells her
about our meeting and tells her that I worked in Algeria.
At my next visit, he tells me : "the personnel is much
kinder to me now. They change my sheets more often, it is
thanks to you"
After
some time he was sent for physiotherapy. When he came back
to the hospital for a control ; he walked right on his crutches
! In two jumps he came close to me, and told me: "
Look sister! I am standing, I can stand straight and my
hands can hold the crutches. Thank you sister!, your visits
gave me back my courage to hold on the treatment. far from
my young ones and their mother. May God bless you! You gave
me back the wish to live, the taste for life. El hamdullah
!
Sr. Edmée Sibioude
Marseille - France
My
mother, Martine, was right…
"I
am Fr Emmanuel Felemou from the diocese of N'Zérékoré
in Guinea. I have been in Rome for four years and have just
completed a doctorate in Spiritual Theology. Before returning
to Guinea, where the MSOLA sisters served between 1956 and
1967, when I was a little boy, I should like to thank you
for the work you did there. We are the fruits of your Congregation…"
Sr Marie McDonald answered immediately this e-mail, inviting
Fr. Felemou to come for a meal and speak about Guinea. He
was very happy to accept. On Wednesday 3 March, the whole
community welcomed him. After he had spoken briefly with
Sr Marie, we all gathered round for a meal with him. At
the end of the meal, he shared his thoughts with the whole
community.
How
did you find our Generalate house, Fr. Felemou ?
I have spent four years studying in Rome and I have often
been to the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) to use
their library. But it is only now, when I am on the point
of returning to my homeland, that I have managed to fulfill
my wish to meet you. I found your website with your Rome
address on the Internet and lost no time in contacting you.
Who
are you, Fr. Felemou ?
I was born on 24 December 1960 at Gouécké
in the Guinean forest, in the diocese of N'zérékoré.
My late father, Matthieu Felemou, was a catechist at Samoé
when the White Fathers were working among us. He served
several villages. He spoke to me a lot about the work of
those missionaries. Above all, he showed me the importance
of inculturating the message of the Gospel. Cardinal Lavigerie
told you, "You will eat their food, speak their language,
and wear their clothes". That is one of the reasons
for the success of your evangelising work. The people were
immediately able to pray in their own language, close to
their life and traditions. That wasn't achieved without
suffering. The missionaries followed the humble example
of Christ, who assumed our entire human condition.
The new Christians also suffered for their faith. Guinea
knew one of those witnesses to the faith, the martyr Gobu-Yaza,
whose blood was shed in 1927, because he said 'Yes' to Christ
in the first hours of the evangelisation conducted by the
missionaries of Cardinal Lavigerie in the Kabiéta
forest. An annual pilgrimage authorised by Pope Paul VI
attracts thousands of people who testify to having received
real spiritual help from Gobu-Yaza.
During
the time of persecution under Sekou Touré, the catechists
kept the Church alive, thanks to the strength of their faith.
My mother, Martine, who is still alive, has also told me
about your sisters and all they did for the sick, the children,
the women, etc, at Samoé, just as at Siguiri and
N'zérékoré. She still remembers the
names of several of them. Your houses, which were left empty
after your forced departure, are still in use. The government's
buildings collapsed but those of the missionaries never
crumbled. The communist regime itself crumbled and everything
collapsed like a pack of cards. But the Church in Guinea
is quite lively and there are many vocations to the priesthood
and religious life.
As
for yourself, Fr. Emmanuel, where has your journey taken
you ?
After my Philosophy and Theology studies in the Ivory Coast,
I was ordained at N'zérékoré on 29
November 1989. Following a period as Assistant Director
and Teacher in the St Eugène Seminary of Samoé,
I was appointed curate in the parish of Our Lady of the
Nativity in Gouécké, while still giving some
courses and being confessor to the Noviciate of our diocesan
congregation, "The Servants of Mary, Virgin and Mother".
I became parish priest of the parish and a member of the
Council of the Catholic Organisation for Human promotion.
I was sent to the Catholic University of West Africa at
Abidjan, where I obtained a Master's degree and a certificate
entitling me to undertake the Doctorate in Sacred Scripture.
I pursued these studies in Rome and finished with a Doctoral
Diploma in Spiritual Theology "summa cum laude".
We are very happy about this meeting, Fr. Emmanuel. We sense
your joy in your priesthood and your missionary desire and
we are moved by the way you express your appreciation of
the missionaries who planted the Church in Guinea and worked
to develop it. We are grateful to accept the copy of your
doctoral thesis which you have been kind enough to offer
to us with this inscription : "In tribute to the Missionary
Sisters of Our Lady of Africa for the work of formation
carried out in my diocese of N'zérékoré
in Guinea". The theme of Fr. Felemou's thesis is "'Duc
in altum' (Lk 5.4) : The Church in the Light of the 'Dawn
of the New Millennium'. Fr. Emmanuel is very happy to have
met us and has taken a photograph of the community to give
to his mother who, he told us, "was right to speak
well of your Congregation". He added, "May God
continue to bless you each day and make fruitful your work
both here and elsewhere". Fr. E. Felemou will be coming
to see us again before he leaves for Guinea towards the
end of this year.
Sr.
Marie-Vincente Brouca, Maison généralice -
Rome
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