THE VINCENTIAN STUDY CENTRE FOR AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR
You may have heard that there is a Vincentian Study Centre springing up in Africa. Yes, you heard right! It is being located at ELEME, the Provincial and Formation House of the Daughters of Charity, Province of Nigeria.
Two Sisters from each of the 8 Provinces of Africa and Madagascar and one Sister from the Region of East Africa, drawn from Sisters who underwent the Intensive Vincentian formation at the Mother House in Paris between 2007 and 2017, with the approval of the Visitatrices and the accompaniment of the General Councillor, Sister Theresa Eke, worked very assiduously to develop the curriculum and to plan different sessions for two years, starting in 2028.
In the process of this reflection, I compared this new venture in Africa to the start of Little Company which I refer to as “the Beautiful, Little but Strong Tree”. It reminded me of my best parable where Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to the Mustard seed which was the smallest of all seeds but grew to become the largest of all trees with the capacity of sheltering all kinds of birds (Matt. 13:31-32).
The beginnings of the Company were small and hardly perceptible, but over the years, God Himself granted the increase. What makes the Company “little” are its core values of humility, simplicity and charity. These virtues have been maintained in the Company since its foundation. For St. Vincent had told the first sisters that, “As long as Charity, humility and simplicity exists among you, you can say, ‘the Company of Daughters of Charity is still alive.” Thanks to God that we witnessed that these virtues are still glowing in the life of the Sisters in Nigeria and those who were gathered for Vincentian Formation Animation Team from Africa and Madagascar.
Being aware of deepening these virtues, the Vincentian Formation Animation Team in Africa and Madagascar hopes to have a pool of Sisters deeply rooted in the Charism through deeper knowledge of the founders, the first sisters and other Vincentian saints and Blessed. This will be a helpful means of planting and spreading the fruits and fragrance of “the Beautiful, Little but Strong Tree” that evolves according to the call of the Church, the signs of the time and the needs of the those who live in poverty. St. Vincent, inspired by the Spirit, knew that the Company would be different from what it was in his time when God perfects His work in it. Indeed, unchangeable is the spirit of the Company! In order to be imbued with the virtues and the spirit of the Founders, the Vincentian Formation Animation Team during the meeting in Nigeria underlined being deeply rooted in Christ Jesus as the key to a more meaningful life and service, following Jesus’ words: “Remain in me, as I remain in you…for, cut off from me, you can do nothing!” (Jn 15: 3-5).
Hence, each member ought to focus on self-formation, deepening her relationship with God, and the spirt of the founders as the basis for forming and relating with others in Community, for Service. The attitude and the strong desire to put on the spirit of Christ (Rom. 13:14) and the virtues of the Company will be the source for its semination throughout the world. We thank especially the Superioress General and her Council for the support received to initiate this Vincentian Formation Animation programme. We thank the Visitatrices for allowing this to begin and we believe that they will be committed to sustaining it. We thank the Sisters in Nigeria for their warm welcome, hospitality and cooperation.
Let us all pray for the success of this programme.
A reflection by Sister Lettemedhin Kidane (Province of Eritrea)