Jan 27, 2021 | NEWS
First of all, it is better to know the background.
What is the Christian community?
It is the connection and solidarity that families share in order to help each other in any way of life such as their problems, joy, love, peace, and humility in their Christian life in the church (Act 2:42-47)
The church in Africa, especially the countries of AMECEA (Southern and Eastern countries), have a system to simplify evangelization. Namely, to invite the Christian near by the apostolic activities and to share the ministries of the church. This begins with small communities and even individual families.
When we speak about the needs of small, Roman Catholic communities, we include the sacraments and other needs as Roman Catholics. There are some orders to follow: first, they should contact the leaders of the small community of his or her local zone to see if there are any needs; second, they offer a letter of introduction to the parish priest and other local, church leaders. That is the standard way of getting to know the community, leaders, and its needs.
So, the catechist and the priest are those who confirm if the correct order has been followed, if the faith and regulations of the church has been followed, and simply, if the relationship is beneficial to the local community. If this is indeed the case, the distribution and reception of sacraments and other important services, should begin. This is a good evangelizing model for the People of God.
According to my experience of evangelization, this small community model is a good way to help the all the People of God, the local parish and also trains students trained teach the sacraments. Happily, a good example of this occurred in 2020-21. We had 110 students receive their first Holy communion.
Prepared by Sr Teresia Mgwilanga
Jan 26, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
“And Enoch lived in intimacy with God. Then he disappeared because God took him. ” (Genesis 5:24).
The literal translation of this text is: “Enoch walked with God, and then he was gone, because God took him.” “… walked with God …” that’s right. But what does that actually mean to me?
Well, recently this short phrase has become the basis of my relationship with Jesus, because I discover the beauty of being constantly in His presence. It seems to be obvious for a nun, but I must honestly admit that it was not always like that for me. I mean, of course, the awareness of his constant presence, not on the basis of fear and the feeling of being trapped. On the contrary – on the basis of freedom and an awakened desire to “live abundantly”. This “walking with God” is characterized by simplicity of expression, simple gestures. For me, staying in His presence means, for example, not dividing my time during the day into pieces such as: now it’s time for work, now for prayer, and now “for myself”, etc. If my life were to be cut, I risked that I would not want to invite Him everywhere … Because I find that some part of my world is not “holy” enough to accept His presence. But it is He who sanctifies with His PRESENCE. And I don’t want to share this anymore. And most of all, I am aware that He does not want it. He, on the other hand, wants to share every time with me… literally.
On this occasion, I will reveal my, maybe a little funny, habit of drinking tea. When the circumstance causes me to do it myself (which I generally dislike), I put two mugs on top and invite Jesus. Sometimes we drink in silence, but most of the time He just listens… and that’s enough. It may be strange or banal, but such a gesture helps me a lot to remind myself that time belongs to Him. And if I would spare 15 minutes for Him now over a cup of tea, what will I do with Him for all eternity?
The feeling of being constantly before God’s face helps when temptations come. It is easier and faster to reflect then and ask Jesus: “Do you like what I did?”
“Walking with God” is also the basis of a mindful and simple life, living in the present. If I walk “by the hand” with God, I am focused on the signs of His presence in my life, in the world around me. Then I don’t need a lot of things, experiences, crowds of people around me. On the contrary – I can “settle for little”, because I have HIM with me… so I have everything (I do not try to feed myself with just anything when I have SENS with me). And I live in the present, because God is in it (not in dwelling on the past and not in worrying about tomorrow).
Every now and then I ask myself a question that verifies and sets me up spiritually: do you see that my heart is really already occupied? (i.e. am I really the bride? Is it known that I am already “walking” with Someone? Is there a recognizable sign of being a “woman of God” in me apart from my habit?). My answers are painful, but they help us return to the trodden path with Him.
“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he would not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him. Before he was taken away, however, he received a testimony that he was pleasing to God. ” (Hebrews 11: 5)
Oh, how much I would like to receive such a testimony from God …
Sr. Franciszka Jarnot
Jan 23, 2021 | NEWS
Unity, love, harmony in our community of 3 sisters. We live in unity, each of us caring for each other, as one family we are united by the words of our founder (Be united if you want to thank me and do acts of compassion in my name)
In the 2 years I have lived in this community, I have learned many good things from my colleagues, who received me with love and were willing to teach me what they are doing for the mission of our congregation. Despite the difficulties of language but the language of love was uniting us more than the language of words, in our community each one opens her heart for others and each is responsive to the other. When one offends another we immediately apologize before the sun sets. We have time to pray and adoration every day, eat together, have recreation and meditate together, we also visit homeless people on the streets and we talk to them and they are very happy when they see sisters visiting and talking to them. Also here at home we have women and children and we talk to them and celebrate together the birthdays and holidays of each of us and sometimes we pray Holy mass with them in our small chapel here at home. Because of our unity we feel that the parents and relatives of one of us are brothers and sisters.
Dear sisters, let us live together in love and peace.
Sr .M. Helena Chialo
Jan 20, 2021 | NEWS
Testimony from a Tanzanian sister in Germany
When I came to Germany 8 years ago, I was very happy because I wanted to help my fellow sisters. But first I had to learn or get to know a lot: the language, the culture, the people … The beginning was very difficult. But gradually it got better. So I could e.g. I don’t speak German, but with a lot of patience and practice I can speak now. I am very grateful for that, especially for the help and patience that I received from the sisters and many people here in Germany.
Many sisters here in Germany are old and many some of them are sick in despite of their old age, so they need help and support. But the sisters still try very hard to do a lot themselves or to help. I can learn from my fellow sisters here in Germany that my vocation is still there in old age – or has deepened and strengthened through life. So the sisters get up every morning and come to the chapel even though their health is not so good. They love community life and hold on to it for as long as possible. This gives me the courage and strength to have time for the sisters, to listen to them, to treat them with appreciation and respect and to help them wherever I can.
I thank all the sisters for the love they showed me. God bless us all.
Sister Bakhita.
Jan 14, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
God decided to go to Jaszkotle. Again, it was different than what I thought or planned. Namely, after working at our Nursing Home in Żerniki, I asked God to save the Nysa from a pandemic. It was a purely selfish thought because the DPS in Nysa is dear to me and I remember working there with joyful heart. However, I knew that when Samuel’s sister, the current Director of this House, called, I would not refuse to help and I already knew what this work was about. And it happened. Sister Samuel called … And because I was already a bit ready and prepared for such information, I knew what to do. I only agreed with My Superior Sister that I would go to the Sisters’ house in Nysa earlier, and then I would start working in the DPS. What a joy I met when I received information on the spot in Nysa that Sister Dominika is also packing and she will be with me. I was calm. There will be Dominika, there is Samuel’s sister, Anna’s sister, I know the house, I know the children, … I breathed even more when the next day, Samuel’s sister announced that they had made it, our help in working with sick boys was no longer needed. On the same day, in the evening, the phone rang. From the Provincial Sister … OOO my first thought: “where else do we have DPS?” Not DPS but ZOL in Jaszkotle. A short communication message only to sister Dominika – “Are we going?” “We drive”!
God wanted it … We were sure of that … But always for something … Why?
We went how we could do, we did and we came back. The space is only a dozen or so days … And so much has happened … Especially in me! In my heart, in my conscience, in my perception …
God wanted so, “chose …” so that I could “choose …” always for something, ultimately for me … I received a hundred times more.
So what could God give me for such a short stay among children? Children who are very sick and at the same time very happy. Suffering and yet smiling. Wounded, yet full of trust …
Sometimes, when I had a free time after work, I would take a child in my arms and walk with him, talking to them without much sense. But often, too, I would just hug these children and think about their parents. I thought differently … sometimes only with reproach … I looked into their eyes … How I would like to photograph them … keep in mind … leave it …
I got back home. I asked for a moment just for me. I wanted to rest… But it was not only about rest, as it turned out. I met myself. I heard it softly, and then loudly and louder and louder … Why do they not want them … I want Jaś, Mateusz … etc. I WANT! It’s not that God. They don’t want… for a million different reasons. And I…
Motherhood is one of the most wonderful Gifts of God … it is some form of Divinity in a fragile human being. I gave up… gave away… I chose… several years ago. What could I know about this when I was twenty. Theoretically only. The real choice did not come – just now. Choosing Life for Life … These sick little creatures are left for me today … They are my motherhood and prayer for me today. They are … like pearls for the world.
The house in Jaszkotle, the house in Żenikach, Nysa and all our other houses, where we have sick people, left behind and devoted to us, are enclaves of good in this world where “choice, not prohibition” sounds different to me.
S.M. Daniela Gumienna
Jan 11, 2021 | NEWS
“How beautiful it would be if each of us could say in the evening: today I made a gesture of love towards the other”
Pope Francis
While the world is engulfed in a pandemic, where we constantly hear about restrictions and the statistics break new records, I decided to appeal to my friends on the social networking site Facebook and invite them to the “A cup full of sweets” campaign. For many years I have been working in the Nursing Home in Racibórz, where 170 mentally and nervously ill people live. From February, residents are forbidden to leave the house, and visiting their relatives is also difficult. In November, our home “visited” Covid. It made my head come up with the idea that this “SWEET MUG” would make Christmas more enjoyable, sweeten life, bring a lot of joy and show the residents that someone remembers about them in such difficult pandemic times.
The action was received with great interest in the first days and I was sure that it would have a happy ending. In the second week of Advent, we already had our first cups – and even Christmas packages. I was touched that so many people joined the action, from children from kindergarten and school, through students, parish groups, office workers and simply our friends. It was with great emotion that we received two large packages from our Center in Klenica as well as from Sisters and Friends from Wrocław – Żerniki. None of us expected such a result, so we collected 748 cups! The kindness and devotion was so great that we shared the cups with other institutions:
SPOKOJNA PRZYSTAŃ – The Baborowie Nursing Home
- Mother’s House “Maja” in Racibórz – Miedonia
- Nursing Home in Gorzyce through contact with P. Sylvia from Pstrążna,
- Association of the Friends of Men “Tęcza”
- Open Heart Association for Children in Kuźnia Raciborska, Samborowice, Cyprzanów
- Ziarenko Community Center in Branice
- Nursing Home run by the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Kietrz
- Multifunctional Care and Educational Center in Pogrzebień
I would also like to thank my Community, and especially Sr Particia, for their commitment and support for this great field of goodness.
It was possible to see emotion in the eyes of the residents that there was someone who remembered them. In the second half of January, a Mass will be celebrated. for the benefactors of our Advent adventure …
Sr. Joanna
