My calling as a Chadian Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus impels me to embrace the challenge of being a Christian prophet — proclaiming God's message of love and inclusion, especially during times of conflict.
In the midst of fear, uncertainty and persecution under a nefarious dictatorship, we try to continue to announce, with our lives, the presence of Jesus, who is also a witness of this very harsh reality.
Since civil war erupted in April, only four Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco remain in Sudan. "By being with the people of Sudan, all their troubles and suffering are mine too; when they cry, I cry with them," one explains.
The sacrifice of our ancestors has strengthened our faith, showing that our suffering also has meaning. And in this bloody war, truth will surely prevail.
In the last few years, the Medical Missionaries of Mary in Nigeria have found themselves entangled in a web of violent attacks by bandits. They have been living in fear and danger, unsure of what happens next.
Sr. Rita Schwarzenberger helps communities resolve conflict through training. With another sister's help, she also runs a nonprofit to improve health in rural communities. The sisters have survived being targeted by bandits.
To bring healing to South Sudan, Sacred Heart Sr. Mary Atimango and other sisters have gone out to provide training in nonviolence to different groups of people, including gang members.
Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena minister in Gusau in Zamfara state, Nigeria. Amid growing attacks in the region from armed gangs, the sisters live in fear. But they take precautions and focus on prayer.
Fleeing terrorist attacks at home, Nigerians living in camps for internally displaced persons receive psychosocial counseling, skills-based workshops and drug treatment from Medical Missionaries of Mary.
