Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bissau (Agenzia Fides) – On October 11, the Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception opened a new nursery school on the outskirts of Bissau, in the Antula district. According to information sent to Fides from the Curia of Bissau, the structure was built from scratch and can accommodate 95 children. The Sisters have been in the Antula area since 1981. The nursery school in Antula welcomes children of different faiths. In compliance with the Ministry of Education, it will follow the educational guidelines and standards set, and will offer classes in religion and will promote values in the young generations.
The Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception arrived in Guinea Bissau in 1933, carrying out their mission in a girls' boarding school. Present in Bissau since 1942, they founded a school in Bor, which was later confiscated by the state in the years following independence. However, the Sisters' work with the poor on the outskirts of the capital has continued. For Sister Lionidia Bras Fernandes, in Guinea for 45 years, times have changed, but man has needs: "we must always look ahead, being a presence in the community." The sister also said that the action always involves evangelization and human promotion. While at that time, priority was given to catechesis in schools, today their every service continues to be performed in light of the human person in his ultimate goal. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2010)
