EUROPE/ITALY - Evangelisation, education and formation for women: missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles commemorate Founder on the centenary of his death

Thursday, 22 March 2007

Rome (Fides Service) - “Our spirituality is essentially apostolic, marked by the simplicity of our Founder: ‘to know and love God and to make Him known and loved - Superior General Eileen Curran of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles told Fides -. Faithful to our motto ‘With Mary, the Mother of Jesus, we strive to imitate Mary, her humility and strength, her hope and readiness to do the will of God. Our mission is evangelisation, especially in Africa and we focus on education and formation for women”.
The year 2007 is a special year for the missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles who are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the death of their Founder Fr. Augustin Planque, Society of African Missions (1826-1907) who founded this institute of sisters in 1876 to work with the Fathers of his congregation who were evangelisers in Africa. He saw the need for Sisters to educate and improve the situation of women and girls. Today there are 800 Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles originally from America, Europe, Middle East and 11 countries in Africa, present in 19 nations on four continents. “We have a lively group of African sisters on mission in other African countries” says Sr. Curran. “We give priority to evangelisation, going where the needs are greatest” the Superior General continued, so our Sisters are in remote rural areas and in the outlying districts of great cities assisting extremely poor displaced persons and refugees. Primary, secondary and technical schools appear wherever the sisters go: education helps women develop their potential and become responsible for mothers: “through these women, human, social and Gospel values seep into the family home enriching the quality of family life and contributing to society”.
“Our mission also includes care of the sick and the lonely through primary health care, clinics, hospitals and home visitation. Always ready to read the signs of the times, the OLA Sisters move to where there is urgent need: today the Sisters care for street children, HIV/AIDS sufferers and their families in our health centres. Concerned about the injustice in society today, Our Sisters work with national and international groups trying to build a better world where justice, equality and care for the environment are respected.”
“Inter-religious dialogue is lived in our education and healthcare centres where all religious beliefs are valued and respected. Christian, Muslims, Druze and in places Hindu pupils sit side by side in class-rooms, play in the same play-grounds. This is true of all our institutions of learning although in some places there is a more heightened awareness of differences. From the beginning Fr. Planque encouraged the Sisters to study the local language and culture so as to communicate with the people in a language they could understand. He advised the Sisters to listen to dialogue, and to remain close to the local people and parish community and avoid at all costs imposing their own western culture on the African women. The word inculturation, not part of the vocabulary at the time, was lived consistently through presence, respect for difference and through the apostolic activities ”. The Superior General concludes recalling that the Sisters are supported in their missionary activity with the prayer and contemplation of elderly European Sisters “an attitude of contemplation is most necessary in the world today driven by the economic dominance of a globalised world, its attendant stress and strain and a certain forgetfulness of God. Only a life of closeness to Christ, renewed throughout the day by moments of quiet prayer and contemplation will keep the salt from losing its flavour ”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 22/3/2007; righe 44, parole 609)


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