AFRICA - Centenary celebrations for Sisters of St. Augustine who spread Catholic literature and make vestments

Tuesday, 31 January 2006

Rome (Fides Service)- The Sisters of St Augustine who this year are celebrating 100 years since their foundtion this year have been present in Africa since 1960. In Burkina Faso the Sisters have a Catholic Book Shop and a workshop which makes liturgical vestments. In Togo, 31 Sisters all African, run Catholic Book Shops in Lomé (the capital), Togoville and Kpalimé, an Audiovisual Centre, a few workshops where vestments are made and a diocesan library. In Côte d'Ivoire a Sister of St Augustine teaches at Abidjan Higher Institute for Communications.
The last general chapter held in June 2005 seeing the increasing number of African born sisters decided to make these communities more autonomous with regard to the general direction while maintaining the strong ties with the Mother House in Switzerland.
The Congregation of the Sisters of St Augustine was founded in Switzerland on 10 September 1906, almost underground because of a law prohibiting the founding of new religious congregations.
The Mother House is at Saint-Maurice and the charisma of the Congregation is to produce Catholic periodicals and promote the diffusion of Catholic literature through the Work of St Augustine OSA. The first publication was “Le Nouvelliste” edited and printed at Saint-Maurice until 1924. On 22 December 1926 the Sisters founded the “Il Giornale del Popolo”, a daily Catholic paper in Ticino.
This tradition and mission to diffuse Catholic literature continues now in Africa. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 31/1/2006 righe 25 parole 276)


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