Transforming our Identity

Interview to Sr. Maite Sanz de Pablo

Sr. Maite Sanz de Pablo

Sr. Maite is from Spain and at present she is in the community of Mexico City. She works in a parish in the different areas of the pastoral: Bible formation, family, sick…

Linah Siabana: Can you tell me about your best experience with the MSOLA Congregation?. Recall a time when you felt most alive, most involved, spiritually touched, or most excited about your involvement.

Maite: The experience of the encounter of the network 50, which was the most empowering for me. It implied a time of preparation for some years with different steps that we followed. First  of all we introduced ourselves so that we could come to know each other though at a distance, then we reflected on our experiences and shared it, then went on reflecting on the questions and the topics which where actual at the time for us and we wrote about them.

Linah: What made it an exciting experience?

Maite: The whole process of journeying together through what we were writing and sharing which made us feel so near and in communion with one another.

Linah: Who was involved?

Maite: All the sisters who were below 50 years of age at that time, together with the General Council.

Linah: How did you feel?

Maite: I felt a strong sense of belonging and I felt part and parcel of the Congregation. I felt that we were all together building the Congregation. I felt a deep love for our family that keeps moving according to the times and the needs of the mission, and that makes constantly efforts so that sisters participate in the making of who we are.

Linah: What did you do as a result of the experience?

Maite: I remember I felt empowered to express myself in a big group, and I did so with that fire that burns within me because of the love of Christ who called me and keeps calling me to give myself. I always felt availability is an important part of our vow of obedience. Since then, I made it a very conscious part of my gift for the good of the Congregation and the mission entrusted to her. I will always be ready to be sent wherever I am needed as hard as it maybe; it is part of the contribution I make to the life of this our family.

Linah: The things you value most about MSOLA

Maite: I deeply value our spirituality, the care for our formation and growth as persons who are freer so that we can help others on their way to freedom, who I am today, I owe it to the Congregation and the formation combined with sisterly care for one another.

We say we are family, that is different from others and so we are, our living interculturality from the start of our formation makes us open and appreciative of other’s culture and taking differences as values, and this helps us to break barriers, it helps us to be aware of realities that otherwise might  be taken for granted.

Interview with Sister Françoise Laflamme

Sister Françoise Laflamme

Sr. Françoise est Canadienne, elle a vécu au Malawi une grande partie de sa vie missionnaire. Elle est revenue au Canada en 2011 et s est engagée assez vite dans un ministère auprès des gens d’un quartier pauvre de Québec vivant dans la rue.

Cette entrevue a été faite le 22 avril á Beauport Canada alors qu’elle était á l’infirmerie en attente du jour d’une intervention chirurgical. Depuis son opération sa condition de sante est précaire.

Nous voulons porter Françoise dans nos prières dans ce moment difficile pour elle. Nous la remercions pour sa disponibilité-a contribué à cette entrevue.

Adeline Furaha Nkata : Réfléchis sur toute ton expérience avec la Congrégation SMNDA. Rappelle-toi un moment où tu t’es sentie très vivante, très participante, spirituellement touchée, ou le plus enthousiasmée par ton engagement. Raconte-moi cette expérience mémorable que tu as eue avec les SMNDA. Décris l’événement en détail.

Françoise : Toute ma vie SMNDA fut une belle expérience. Je me souviens d’une expérience que je te décris un peu. Dans les années où j’enseignais au Home Craft de Lilongwe, je visitais les étudiantes  (dames mariées et mères de famille).

Un jour je vais en visiter une, pendant que nous étions ensemble, elle reçoit la visite de sa sœur du Nord. Elle m’a présentée. Je croyais qu’elle dirait : «Je te présente Sr Françoise qui m’enseigne ceci et cela au Home Craft.» Mais non, elle a dit : «ces femmes-là ont laissé leur pays et leur famille. Elles ne se connaissaient pas avant. Ici elles vivent ensemble, elles n’ont pas de servantes, elles vont au marché, elles préparent leur repas et s’accordent bien ensemble. Au Home Craft, elles acceptent des femmes de toutes les régions et de n’importe quelle religion. »

Adeline : Qu’est-ce qui en fait une expérience passionnante ?

Françoise : Pour moi, cette dame décrivait sans le savoir le «tout à tous» que nous essayons de vivre et cela me confirmait dans mon désir de voir les gens vivre tous ensemble sur la terre, malgré leurs différences.

Adeline : Qui était impliqué ?

Françoise : La congrégation qui avait commencé ce genre d’apostolat. La dame qui a vu et su apprécié le témoignage de notre vie. Moi et notre communauté SMNDA.

Adeline : Décris comment tu t’es sentie.

Françoise : Cela m’a réjouie de voir comment on peut vivre le « tout à tous» quel que soit notre apostolat.

Adeline : Décris ce que tu as fait suite à l’expérience.

Françoise : Rien de spécial, mais j’ai réalisé que j’avais été préparée pendant notre formation.

Adeline : Maintenant, quelles sont les choses que tu apprécies profondément au sujet des SMNDA ? Quand tu te sens le mieux en tant que SMNDA, qu’est-ce que tu apprécies en toi-même ? Quelle est la contribution la plus importante que les SMNDA ont apportée à ta vie ?

Françoise : La formation pour moi a été importante, d’abord au noviciat. Le juniorat a joué aussi une grande part dans ma formation, il y a aussi le troisième an et la session des 65 ans et plus. Ces temps d’arrêt et de discernement ont été très importants pour moi.

Adeline : D’après toi, quelle est la valeur fondamentale des SMNDA ? Quelles sont les valeurs qui donnent vie à ta Congrégation ? Qu'est-ce qui, si cela n’existait pas, rendrait la Congrégation des SMNDA totalement différente de ce qu'elle est actuellement ?

Françoise : Notre congrégation a commencé et continue par l’inspiration du Saint Esprit. Sans être enracinées en Jésus Christ, nous serions une œuvre ordinaire appelée à mourir. Mais avec Dieu tout est possible. Même si plusieurs de nous sont âgées, il y a des jeunes pousses et la Vie continue…

Interview with Sister Piala John Massawe

 

Sister Piala John Masawe

Sr. Piala is Tanzanian and at present she is in the community of Arusha where she works as the administrator of the Kindergarten.

Vickness Nangogo Muleya: Recall a time when you felt most alive, most involved, spiritually touched, or most excited about your involvement. About memorable experience you have had with MSOLA.

Piala: My best experience is in Gumo (Ghana), when I was appointed to take the administration of Tampe-Kukuo R/C Primary School and Kindergarten in Malshegu. Though I felt not prepared for this kind of apostolate, I chose to accept it as a service asked of me by the Congregation trusting in the Lord’s faithfulness, guidance and providence. I must say that I managed with the sustaining power of God, the support of my sisters and the people I collaborated with. It was stressful at times, but very fruitful and encouraging to see the progress of the children and the change of attitude on the part of some teachers who were not cooperating so well at the beginning.

Vickness: What made it an exciting experience?

Piala: It is an experience where I felt I could live essential aspects of our charism, for example: girl-child and women empowerment through education, Christian and Muslim dialogue, reconciliation, literacy, primary evangelization, health education, justice and peace and integrity of creation. In my position as headmistress I often became voice for the voiceless, for the children whose rights were often violated by irresponsible teachers who sometimes sat under trees chatting instead of teaching. I found myself in a corrupt system where I often needed to stand by my convictions and speak against forms of corruption that were going on in the work place. It also gave me an opportunity to learn so many things in my dealings with the teachers, parents of the pupils, pupils themselves and education officers and other stake holders. I felt that my approach and good relationship with others facilitated our collaboration which improved the quality of our work.

Many times I had to confront teachers’ attitudes and practices that were not enhancing the education of the pupils.

I also realized in many ways as I was learning the language and culture of the people that, I was not the only one to evangelize but I felt being evangelized by the people. I learnt a lot from the simplicity of the ordinary people in the villages who were very welcoming, friendly and very generous despite their low income. I was often reminded of the poor widow who offered the last penny she had out of love. There was always a spirit of sharing, no matter how little they possessed. I learnt to rely on God’s providence.

Vickness: Who was involved?

Piala: My sisters in the school and in community, the parents of our pupils, the school management committee, the teachers, the education officers, the local manager, the church leadership, the pupils and the partners of the school.

Vickness: Describe how you felt?

Piala: Many times I felt happy, energized, humbled, encouraged and motivated to continue as I discovered that my presence and service bore much fruit than I thought at the time I was appointed. I felt more confident as I deeply felt the presence of the Lord in all that I was doing in collaboration with my sisters, teachers, parents, education officers, the Church authority, and , pupils other stake holders. Each day I felt I had food for the journey.

Vickness: What did you do as a result of the experience?

Piala: I made more effort to work in partnership with other head teachers, and consulted the officers more in the matters that seemed complicated or in what I was not sure of.

I took more time to learn the language better and the culture in order to understand the people and the context in which I was working, in view of improving the quality of my services, to better communicate what I desired and bring more life in the lives of the people entrusted to me. I often carried these people and situations in our community and personal prayer.

Vickness: What are the things you value deeply about MSOLA? When you feel best about being a MSOLA, what about yourself do you value? What is the most important thing that MSOLA has contributed to your life?

Piala: Things I value deeply about MSOLA are the simplicity of life and the sisterly love that I often experienced and still experience in our international communities. Our rootedness in Christ, through a life of prayer and service. The gift of our charism which joins my desire to serve the less privileged in their uniqueness without discrimination of culture, background, religion etc. Our cooperation and collaboration at all levels. The freedom and simplicity in our interactions within and with the people outside, gives me a sense of fulfillment in my life as religious. Oneness with the people: I feel that we are very close to ordinary people and live among them.

When I feel best about being a MSOLA is when I am fully involved in the mission entrusted to the Congregation and living fully our community life with its joys and challenges.

What I value about myself is my faith that is a driving force within that energizes me to go on with my journey with the Lord and with others.

What I feel MSOLA has contributed to my life is the solid spiritual formation that serves as a foundation for my spiritual life.

Vickness: What is according to you the core value of MSOLA? What values give life to the Congregation? What is it that, if it did not exist, would make MSOLA totally different than it currently is?

Piala: The core value of MSOLA; I think is the rootedness in Christ and his mission.

The values that give life to the Congregation are sisterly love rooted in Christ’s love, dialogue, commitment, unity and collaboration, reconciliation, simplicity, human dignity, perseverance in facing challenges.

The instability in our apostolic choices and involvement it is something we need to reconsider, we pull out of apostolates when the need is still there. We need enough time to make discernment and prepare people to take over.