Babelfish
Translation 
FOR
RNDMs, Associates, Friends and Sponsors
+++ Share Christ, share Jubilee, this Christmas +++
December, 2000
RNDM Mission Solidarity News is published four times each year – March, June, September and December.
RNDM Mission Solidarity is the RNDM office that promotes mission solidarity in communications and in funding
For the missionary works of the 900 Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in 20 countries world wide.
ALL are invited to contribute to our RNDM mission solidarity funds.
Donation Reports - THANKS
This month we present two reports on special events held by RNDMs to raise solidarity funds for our missions works. These are just two of many initiatives organised by our Sisters this year ; perhaps in future editions of the newsletter we can present reports of other fundraising activities for the missions.
Bazaar at Lyons, FranceWe planned to hold a ‘bazaar’ to raise funds for the missions. For months the Sisters made things or looked for items for the tombola raffles or the mystery enveloppes or the ‘fishing’… The Vietnamese Sisters carefully planned a national menu and other Vietnamese dishes for sale – specialties appreciated by everyone. Volunteers came to help too.
On the day, in spite of the difficult access to our convent in Lyons, very many friends came to take part in the meal. They crowded around the stands and the children shuffled with impatience to win the prizes and to catch their ‘fish’. The Solidarity Fund was well supplemented that day.
We felt there were three benefits from this event – we helped our missions ; we met our friends, and we displayed the universality of the Church, thanks to the different nationalities of our Sisters.
This was a Millennium event, held at two
venues, to celebrate the creativity of the Sisters. It was both exhibition and sale, and
the variety of the handicrafts was just wonderful. The items which arrived for the
exhibition included poetry, painting, embroidery, crotchet, knitting, quilting,
calligraphy, greetings cards for all occasions, covered cushions, toys, dolls dressed for
every event.and many other items. Many items were sold and raffles were also organised for the occasion. <Sister Margaret Molloy,
Port Glasgow, The total raised was just over US$3000. with their parish Millennium
banner.>
[Editor’s comment : Warmest congratulations to all who helped make these events
such a success and so productive for the missions.]
<Sister
Marie with the Kagua catechists outside their new training centre.>
Report from Kagua, Papua-New Guinea <from Sister Marie Lawlor>
The Church in Papua New Guinea is not yet 50 years old. In the early days the mission work in Kagua – a remote rural area of the Southern Highlands, was human development in the area of farming. Then in 1999 some unused farm buildings were remodelled for a catechist centre for the deanery of Kagua. Classes are of two weeks duration in each month and at other times the facilities are used for training literacy teachers, and for courses for Justice Peace and Development, or Family Life, or Legion of Mary or other parish needs. This mission is the responsibility of the Franciscan [Capuchin] Fathers and is funded by Propaganda Fide and other American agencies. Sister Marie is Director of the Catechist Centre and works with other pastoral assistants and the priests.
+++ God in becoming powerless, shows himself no longer omnipotent except in loving +++
Report from
Senegal
Photo left <Sister Anne dressing
a nasty wound>
Photo left <Part
of the crowd waiting for dispensary attention at Mboro>
During the past year Senegal has been home for two young Sisters – Anne and Felista from Kenya. They have had to learn French as well as Woolof, the local dialect for their work. Language learning continues to be part of their everyday life. Felista works in Ndondol while Anne works alongside Yvonne in the Sisters’ dispensary at Mboro.
The dispensary was begun by the pioneer Sisters in Mboro in 1971 in two small rooms at the end of the presbytery. From that first day the need for this work was very obvious, and today, in a large modern building staffed by several experienced Senegalese and the two Sisters, the needs of up to 250 people each day are professionally met.
Anne, from a very different part of Africa, fits very well into her new world and is broadening her experience of tropical illnesses. This international experience is an essential part of the training of our young Sisters today.
Photo left <A
tailoring graduate ready to start out on her own>
Report from Amalapuram, South India <from the Community Newsletter>
Amalapuram is situated in central Kerala, amongst Syro-Malabar rite Christians. There are 5 villages in the parish ; the people are poor and over 50% are Harijans. Very few have their own fields so they must find work in the rubber plantations or the quarries.
Education is a great need in this area so the Sisters conduct tailoring classes for the dropouts and unemployed women so that they can get jobs or work on their own. Some are helped to raise a loan to purchase their own sewing machines. The Sisters organize a programme for the women of the parish – seminars, workshops and discussions – and help them to start their own saving schemes to become more independent. And in the evening the Sisters run homework classes to help the poor children whose parents are unable to help with their education.
There are 11 Basic Christian Communities in the parish and the Sisters are involved with their activites as well as with teaching Catechism and organising other parish activities. A number of young women live and work with the Sisters while they consider a vocation to religious life.
Photo left <Free school for poor
children in Luxmibazar, Dhaka>
Report from Dhaka, Bangladesh
Wherever they have feepaying schools the Sisters run a free school in the afternoon for children of the poor – day laboureres or unemployed.
The staff and students of Green Herald International School teach in, and raise funds for the free school in their building. Elsewhere the Sisters provide for this free education which often includes school materials, food and clothing for the students.
Donations for RNDM mission works can be handed to
any Sister of Our Lady of the Missions.
For further information contact :
COORDINATOR RNDM MISSION SOLIDARITY
Sister Mary Rose Holderness,
4 Rue du President Kennedy 94220 Charenton FRANCE
Fax/phone 00331 41 79 32 82 Convent 00331 43 76 17 41
Email : RNDMfundraiser@worldonline.fr