Feb 26, 2023 | NEWS
On the anniversary of the war in Ukraine, February 24, a great prayer for peace and for Ukraine was held at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. The basilica was filled with people who wanted to pray together with Ukrainian representatives for the cessation of this war, as well as so many wars currently being waged in the world. Our community from the Generalate also took part in this joint prayer.
The choir from Ukraine poignantly sang a prayer for peace, the words of which read:
O, great, inimitable God, save our Ukraine!
Spread freedom and light for her with your rays.
With the light of science and knowledge enlighten us, Your children,
In pure love make us grow more and more.
We ask Thee, O One God,
Save our Ukraine, all Thy grace and generosity be to our nation.
Give freedom, give wisdom, give happiness to a good world,
Give serenity to Your people with hope for long life.
Feb 12, 2023 | NEWS
HISTORY OF THE GROUP OF ST. BAKITHA
The group started on 14/09/2022, with two daughters from the same family, Anna and Prisca.
After a few days on 25/09/2022 they increased and reached six young girls.
It is a group that aims to continue the Spirit of our Founder Father John Schneider, with the slogan “Have mercy on the problems of innumerable daughters” It was the order of our Founder Fr. John Schneider.
The intention is to help girls and women to recognize and believe in themselves, to know their worth, not to see themselves as a tool to be used by anyone as they wish.
They learn work skills such as sewing, cooking, and making Rosary and other things in order to rise their status and life style of living, which can help them to be independence and to avoid mentality of some of them to use their bodies for illegal trade.
It is called the group of St. Bakitha because we are comparing the life of slavery she was living St.Bakitha and then be freed to become a Nun and finally Saint, let us help our daughters who are taken as intellectual slaves by being deceived and abused by those who take them as an example of body trade. We teach them various jobs so that they can be independent and liberating them from bad thinking.
So, the group has been officially opened today on 12/02/2023 with 23 members. With their mistress Sr Helena Chialo assiting by Sr. Alyocia Ulanga.
The guest of was Sr. Agnes Mwanajimba, the Regional Superior of Tanzania – Region
Prepared by – Sr. Helena Chialo
Tanzania Region
Jan 29, 2023 | NEWS
Such a greeting is now often heard in Ukraine. But even those who were forced to leave their country need a sense of belonging, of mutual support and help.
This is also the case with those who came to Berlin as refugees soon after the war against Ukraine began in the spring of 2022, and who have found refuge, among other places, on the grounds of the Marienkrankenhaus in Berlin-Lankwitz, which is under the sponsorship of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary v.d.U.E.. These are mainly women with their children. They also try to be together and share their pain, but also their joy.
The Orthodox Christmas, for example, was such an occasion. This time our guests wanted to express their gratitude for the help received and not only spent this special day together with the Sisters of Mary, but also prepared a wonderful feast of traditional Ukrainian dishes.
In order for the benefit received to continue to bear fruit, they do not leave it at gratitude, but organize further help to the best of their ability. As they say, it is also a kind of therapy for them.
May peace reign in our hearts and in the world!
Sr. Natanaela
Dec 30, 2022 | NEWS
“Come into the world to settle accounts of losses,
to take an empty seat among us at the table.
Once again, let us enjoy the child in us…
(from “Carols for the Absent by Z. Preisner)
One of the customs of the Christmas Eve supper is to set an extra plate for an unexpected guest or a lonely person.
In our community in Świnoujście, this symbolic empty place was occupied by three people this year: Mrs. Barbara – a lonely elderly parishioner, and little Viktoria with her grandmother from Ukraine. The girl and her grandmother experienced Christmas Eve for the first time according to the Catholic tradition, i.e. with reading a fragment from the Holy Bible, sharing the wafer and singing carols. Viktoria experienced this meeting all week, asking every morning “when will Saturday be”. Grandma was happy and touched and willingly talked about the Ukrainian supper and tried every prepared Christmas Eve dish with reverence.
Mrs. Barbara also could not control her tears and repeated how happy she was that she was not alone that evening and was celebrating in such a solemn way.
After dinner, there was the moment Viktoria had been waiting for the most – the presents. All the sisters and ladies received gifts, but Viktoria received the most gifts (we know from the post-Christmas report that after coming home she spread everything on the floor and said: “Oh, I don’t know where to start”).
It was a joyful and friendly Christmas Eve. We thank God that this year the “empty seat at the table” was not just a tradition, but became a reality for us; that Jesus was born through love in our hearts.
Sisters from Świnoujście
Dec 24, 2022 | NEWS
The time before Christmas means visiting loved ones, wishing them well and rejoicing together. A community of sisters in the Philippines visited the women’s prison in Manila, where a Polish woman sentenced to life imprisonment there for twelve years has been held. Together with her, there are 106 women in one cell, most sleeping on the floor, without a mattress, one next to the other. The woman has no one in the Philippines and no family or friends come to visit her. In cooperation with the Polish embassy, our sisters visit her bringing not only small gifts, but above all comfort and support. Our pre-Christmas visit to Mrs Barbara caused her great joy and emotion. We brought her Polish Christmas dishes so that she could have at least a substitute for Christmas in prison. However, Mrs Barbara was most happy to receive a rosary and a prayer to Sister Dulcissima. She prays a lot in prison and participates in the religious meetings organised there. Not only for her, but also for us, it was a very important Christmas meeting. Due to the ban on bringing phones and taking photos, we are only publishing a photo from the outside and our passes that we were given.
