Newsletter of Sisters of St. Louis, Nigeria Province

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28 February 2020

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— Madeleine Ohiri, SSL

Every year, reminds all consecratedmen and women of the special daywhen they mark the consecrated

day. It is always marked on the 2nd ofFebruary; but this year's celebration fellon a Sunday thus was celebrated onSaturday, 1 February,2020.

On this day, the Consecrated Personsusually renew their consecration to Godwhom they have come to serve. Thisyear’s celebration was a unique one!

The celebration was held at St.Gabriel’s Catholic Church Parish, Mokola,

Ibadan. It was officiated by Most Rev. DrGabriel Leke Abegunrin, the CatholicArchbishop of Catholic Archdiocese ofIbadan. There were about 1000 of theConsecrated Persons including a fewdiocesan Priests and lay persons whojoined in the celebration.

The ceremony began by 10am withthe blessing of candles by His Grace, MostRev. Dr. Gabriel Abegunrin. This wasfollowed by procession into the Church.The procession of the differentConsecrated Persons in their beautiful

L-R - Sisters Rita Akin-Otiko, Madeleine Ohiri, Anthonia Eneanya & Felicia Ogundana with Archbishop Gabriel Abegunrin

● Feast of Consecrated

Persons in Ibadan

● Celebration of Feast of

Consecrated Persons in

Oyo Diocese

● Réception de notre Sœurs dans le Postulat● A Day of Surprise

● SSL Provincialate Hosts

NCWR, Ibada Area

● Heart of the Matter

● Contact Word Puzzle

● Editorial

In this issue

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habits added colour and beauty to the celebration. Italso reminded us of the life after here, where we shallall be gathered singing praises to our God. The homilist was Rev. Fr. Daniel Aigbona (CSSR) —the Vicar for Religious in the Archdiocese. In his homily,Fr. Dan said that in celebrating the feast of thePresentation of Jesus in the Temple, the ConsecratedPersons also celebrate their unique vocations and thiscelebration finds its essence in the word of God. Goddemands faithfulness even in the proclamation of Hiswords. He further said that some Consecrated Personsface trials today because they seem to cling to so manythings: places, positions, apostolate, etc. He called onall present to personal conversion and to always carryout their responsibilities in love. In conclusion, heencouraged all to pray for the direction of the HolySpirit in all they do.

During the offertory procession, the pupils ofLouisville Nursery and Primary School, Ibadan dancedbeautifully in their various cultural attires with someConsecrated Persons to the altar. The prayer of thefaithful was said by the representatives of variousreligious groups in faith and trust in God. Thethanksgiving was a joyful one as Priests and Religiousdanced joyfully to the altar in appreciation for what Godhas done in their lives.

The Bishop spoke extensively and reminded allConsecrated Persons as well as the diocesan Priests tomake their presence in the diocese felt; to try and fishout any strange group that pretends to be religious; toaim at sustaining the foundation met in the dioceserather than have it destroyed; to be less extravagant;to be firm in their Vow of obedience because it sustainsother Vows. Rectors, and formators should pay moreattention to formation so that those who are formedwould be well equipped to face the future. Hebeaconed on all to sanitise the church. The Religiousand Priests should be neat within and outside theircommunities and parishes; welcoming and generous.He observed that there are many religious groups inthe diocese; yet their effects are not felt. He urged usto make this diocese like a holy city. We should all dothings to please God not humanity.

After the Mass, we had a group photograph withHis Grace and then moved to the second phase of ourcelebration were we all enjoyed the delicious mealsprovided by different congregations. We were alsoentertained by the seminarians and the pupils ofLouisville Nursery and Primary School. After the event,everyone went home joyfully.

It was indeed a colourful, beautiful and amemorable celebration!

L/R: Sisters Christie Udebor & Madeleine Ohiri during candle lightprocession

Sister Anna Obada (middle) with other members of ConsecratedPersons

Sister Rita Akin-Otiko in the mood of celebration with somemembers of Consecrated Persons

L/R: Sisters Felicia Ogundana, Fidelia Amoko & Rita Akin-Otikoduring dancing to the Altar during thanksgiving

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It was a memorable dayat St. John the BaptistCatholic Church Isalu

Iseyin in oyo State, as theConsecrated Persons in thediocese, both men andwomen gathered in theparish to celebrate thefeast of the presentation ofour Lord, a day set asidefor Consecrated Personsfeast day. The Religiouswere all present in theirnumbers from differentcongregations to celebratethemselves and the joy ofserving in the Lord’svineyard. In his homily, thechief shepherd of thediocese, Most Rev.Emmanuel AdetoyeseBadejo encouraged theReligious to continue toreflect Christ in theirapostolate and everyaspect of their lives byletting their light shine forpeople to see, so as to

prevail over the darknessof our troubled world. Inaddition, he urged theyouths to make themselvesavailable for working forthe Lord as Priests orReligious and likewiseparents should help fostervocation in the lives of theirchildren. Moreso, thereligious congregations,seized the opportunity tocreate vocation awarenessin the Parish. Present at thecelebration were thefollowing Congregations:the Franciscans, Claretians,Daughters of the HolySpirit Sisters, SSMA Sisters,Passionist Sisters and thesisters of St. Louis — thehosting community. TheAssociates of St. Louis toograced the occasion. Therewas exchange of giftsamong the sisters to showtheir joy.

Consecrated Persons in Oyo Diocesecelebrate in a Unique Way

— Anne Akinjiola, SSL

L/R: Sisters Anne Akinjiola and Francisca Faluru with members of Associates of St. Louis

L/R: Sisters Felicia Ogundana, Fidelia Amoko & Rita Akin-Otikoduring dancing to the Altar during thanksgiving

Sister Anne Akinjiola (middle) with the Parish Priest & Youthsof St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Isalu, Iseyin

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C'était un jour formidable et inoubliable pournous et un honneur d'avoir reçu la Seour dan laPostulat. Nous nous rappelons de ce jour quand

elle commegca la messe à la paroisse Saint Augustincélébrée par le père Nicodème Balle'. Bougie en mainsnous Sentiames tous dans l'église à 15h30 ! Étaientprésents à cette noble occasion. La responsable sœurAgnès Abba, Seour Agnès OJo Seour PascalinePadonou, monsieur Moise, les neuf anciennes duPostulat et les quatres nouvelles.

Ces venues dernieres ont aidé à la lechene auxchantés et prières d'intercetion. Pendantl'enseignement à cette occasion, Seour Agnès Abba àreçu officiellement les nouvelles Postulats en leurremettant le briviaire avec le livre de compagnie deprières pour les aider à bien prier. La messe prit fin à17h.00 après d'autres étape habituelles.

Après la messe, nous vous retrouvions à la maisonpour continuer les festivités avec la prise de photos,des chants dan dancer. Il s'en est saisoi un petitrafraîchissement avec des distractions. Nous e'tionstoutes joyeuxs. Et heureuses vers la fin demanifestations les responsables ont souisi l'occasion

pour dîne quelques mots et quelques conseits devantnous encourager.

Nous remercions Dieu pour les succès de laréception et vous prions le seigneur qui a commencéce bon travail dans la vie de ces nouvelles Postulats del'accomplir et de leurs accorder la patience pour servirdan cette bonne vocation amen.

—Merci Wakili, Tabitha Jonathan & Rosemary Ometa (Postulants 2nd year)

L/R: Ewelum Ngozi, Ojobo Paulina, Hauwa Lawan and Martina Patrickn (First Year Postulants)

L/R: Merci Wakili, Tabitha Jonathan & Rosemary Ometa (Second Year Postulants)

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Every day comes with a surprise. For us, itstarted from the very day we were givenadmission letter to begin our first stage of

formation in the Institute of the Sisters of St. Louisas Postulants. From that very day, we were surprisedand so our expectations began. We were veryexcited about travelling abroad to meet white peopleand to learn their language. We were longing to seebig and beautiful houses, flashy cars and beautifulenvironment with good roads. However, ourexpectations were not met because there wasnothing different from what we have back at home.

As we were asked to come with writing materials,we thought we were going to learn different subjectslike in a school setting but it was a different set oflearning entirely. We also thought that we werealready Postulants having received the admissionletter (left for us there would be no reception). ButSr. Agnes Abba, our Directress made it clear to usthat until we are received, we remained Aspirants.This also brought more expectations, we waitedeagerly to know how the reception would go; wewere all very anxious. The second year Postulantstried to put us through on how the day would look

like, still our quest was not satiated as we wanted tohave our own experience. We looked forward to thatday-the day we would formally take the first step aswe continue to discern our vocation.

Finally, the long awaited day came, the day of ourreception into the Postulancy. In the morning ofSunday, 2nd February, 2020, the Feast of thePresentation of the Lord, the second year Postulantsattended the usual 6.30am Mass at Sacré Coéur déJesus Catholic Church, Dassa Zoumé, our parish. Westayed back in the house in order to recollect andreflect on the new step we were about to take.During that period, Sr. Agnes, our Directressencouraged us to remain silent and commune withGod. She later asked us to share how the quiet timewas for us. We were convinced in our reflection thatGod is calling us. We all set out for Mass with Sr.Kehinde Ojo and Sr. Pascaline Kpadonou whoarrived earlier from Savé community and Cotonourespectively. Coincidentally, it was Sr. Kehinde’sbirthday — what a double celebration!

The reception took place at St. Augustine CatholicChurch, Aiyetoro, Dassa Zoumé. It was officiated byFr. Nichodème Balle. It begun with a candle lightprocession. The introductory part of the Massencouraged us to have ‘a courageous life lived fromthe centre of deeply rooted life’. It sought ourwillingness to lose our temporal lives in order to gaineternal life. During the homily, Fr. Nichodème saidthat it was not really Jesus that was presented butGod was brought to us — Simeon was representingthe whole human race. Fr. Nichodème encouragedus that just as Jesus willingly submitted Himself tothe Father for us, we too should submit ourselves toGod. One of the new Postulants read an article on‘what it means to be a disciple.’ This called us asreceivers of God’s redemptive love to embody thelove of Christ, to hold Jesus and each other close andto hold confidently.

Thereafter, the reception began proper. Fr.Nichodème blessed the materials for our journeywhich were then presented to us by Sr. Agnes. Sheencouraged us to never fail to pray as this is crucialin our lives. She asked us to hold the Holy Bible dearand make it our guideline. The presentation of thematerials for the journey signified our formalreception as Postulants into the Institute of the

A DAY OF SURPRISE

L/R: Ngozi Ewelum and Martina Patrick (First YearPostulants)

—Patrick Martina & Ewelum Ngozidilichukwu(First year Postulants)

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The Sisters of Louis, Provincialate Community,Kolapo Ishola, Ibadan, hosted members of theNigeria Conference of Women Religious

(NCWR) Ibadan Area on 23 February, 2020 for herfirst business meeting for the year 2020. Themeeting started with the sacrifice of the Holy Masscelebrated by Rev. Fr. Wilfried Kouijzer, SMA. Speaking on the theme of love (Mt 5: 38-48), Fr.Wilfred in his homily said that the instruction fromthe scripture to love, is a life long task, simplybecause love is not a one day affair. It is like a treethat comes up above the soil, develops roots,develops a stem, branches, leaves and startsflowering, and so becomes a refuge and dwellingplace for many. He noted that though the topics fordiscussions among the Women Religious cover awide range of topics, yet the driving force behind allof them is love. Only love can propel someone,people or nation forward. Furthermore, Fr. Wilfried pointed out that everyReligious is driven by the zeal for the salvation ofsouls, yet he/she is usually faced with some

challenges known and known by the individual. Inspite of these challenges, he urged all to keep up thefight against evil, to act as role models to the youngones especially women and girls who are mostlyneglected in the society today. He added that theinequality in the treatment of women and girls ineducation and other other realms of life comparedto their male counterparts is a great opportunity forthe Women Religious to step in and share theirknowledge and expertise in thee area.

As a way of expressing the joy of having theSisters from different Congregations in theProvincialate, Sister Josephine Tiav on behalf of themembers of the Provincial Leadership Team (whocoincidentally were all round for their meeting),welcomed the Sisters led by Sr. Christie Udebor, thePresident of the Association for Ibadan Area to theProvincial House. Sister Josephine thanked theSisters for making it a point of duty to be present atthe meeting, noting that rotation of the venue formeetings of an association like that of the NCWRaffords members the good opportunity to know

SSL PROVINCIALATE PLAYS HOST TOTHE WOMEN RELIGIOUS IN IBADAN

Members of NCWR - Ibadan Area at Kolapo-Ishola GRA - Sisters Lucy Abuh (third to the left (squatting,Christie Udebor (2nd roll, fourth to the left & Madeleine Ohiri (second to the right, 2nd roll)

—Anthonia Eneanya, SSL

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where other members of the Association reside. Shewished the association a good stay and fruitful

deliberation in their meeting while also asking thatthe members of PLT be excused from the meetingas they also would be having their own meeting.

After the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, themembers gathered in the hall for the day’s meeting.Upcoming activities for the year were deliberatedupon. It was also an opportunity for the body toappreciate past executive who served the body from2017 to 2019 with gifts. According to one of theparticipants who gave the vote of thanks at the endof the meeting, the day’s agenda was welldeliberated upon. The speaker confirmed that therewas full participation on the part of members whilemembers of the executive were also appreciated forgood coordination of the meeting. Members wereencouraged improve on their attendance.

Sisters of St. Louis. We were Lawan Hauwa, OjoboPaulina, Patrick Martina and EwelumNgozidilichukwu. At that point our joy knew nobounds.

Sr. Pascaline who anchored the programmecongratulated us on behalf of the Sisters. Sherequested the Sisters and the second year Postulantsto bid us warm and blissful welcome. This wasfollowed by music, dancing and rejoicing. It was ajoyful event. After the reception of the HolyCommunion, Fr. Nichodème prayed specially for Sr.Kehinde as she marked her birthday.

Furthermore, one of us read a ‘Reflection’ onbeing created by God, having a divine mission andcalled to have trust in God to achieve that. A songwas presented by the newly received Postulantstitled ‘Boundless Love.’ After Mass, Fr. Nichodèmeinvited us over to the parish house where we had adelicious meal and some joyful moments. Fr. alsopresented us with some food items and we werevery grateful for his kind gesture.

On getting home from the church, we met aformal, social and colourful reception organised forus with designed activities such as pick and act, chairdance, blank and guess, drama on good liturgy, fooddrama teaching on selflessness and unity, laughterdrama and, riddles and jokes. The second yearPostulants made a presentation titled ‘Surrender

your heart to Jesus.’ The new Postulants also madea presentation titled ‘Take me deeper in love withyou Jesus.’ Amidst all these was a birthday cheeringand songs to Sr. Kehinde. We prayed for her, forGod’s guidance and protection as she journeyseveryday with God and to find fulfilment in hervocation. She gave us some words of advice,encouraging us to be open to formation. Sr.Pascaline advised us to work as a team andencourage one another in the journey. We, the firstyear Postulants responded by thanking the entirecommunity for making the day a joyful one for us. We are most grateful to God for leading us thusfar, entrusting our lives in His hands as we discernour vocation, may He see us through to the end. Wealso thank Sr. Agnes and Sr. Rachael Ojo ourDirectresses for their prayers, guidance and forleaving no stone unturned to ensure the success ofour reception. We are grateful to Sr. Kehinde and Sr.Pascaline who came to celebrate with us. We thankour dear Sisters, the second year Postulants forputting in their best to ensure we had a happy dayand a nice time. We pray that the good Lord mayabundantly bless, favour and protect us all and seeus through to the end. May His will be done in ourlives. The day came to an end with the closing prayerled by Tabitha Jonathan, one of the second yearPostulants. The day could not have been better.

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A DAY OF SURPRISE

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This year the Lord grants us, once again, afavourable time to prepare to celebrate withrenewed hearts the great mystery of the death

and resurrection of Jesus, the cornerstone of ourpersonal and communal Christian life. We mustcontinually return to this mystery in mind and heart,for it will continue to grow within us in the measurethat we are open to its spiritual power and respondwith freedom and generosity.

1. The paschal mystery as the basis ofconversion

Christian joy flows from listening to, and accepting,the Good News of the death and resurrection ofJesus. This kerygma sums up the mystery of a love“so real, so true, so concrete, that it invites us to arelationship of openness and fruitful dialogue”(Christus Vivit, 117). Whoever believes this messagerejects the lie that our life is ours to do with as wewill. Rather, life is born of the love of God our Father,from his desire to grant us life in abundance (cf. Jn10:10). If we listen instead to the tempting voice ofthe “father of lies” (Jn 8:44), we risk sinking into theabyss of absurdity, and experiencing hell here on

earth, as all too many tragic events in the personaland collective human experience sadly bear witness.

In this Lent of 2020, I would like to share with everyChristian what I wrote to young people in theApostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit: “Keep your eyesfixed on the outstretched arms of Christ crucified,let yourself be saved over and over again. And whenyou go to confess your sins, believe firmly in hismercy which frees you of your guilt. Contemplate hisblood poured out with such great love, and letyourself be cleansed by it. In this way, you can bereborn ever anew” (No. 123). Jesus’ Pasch is not apast event; rather, through the power of the HolySpirit it is ever present, enabling us to see and touchwith faith the flesh of Christ in those who suffer.

2. The urgency of conversion

It is good to contemplate more deeply the paschalmystery through which God’s mercy has beenbestowed upon us. Indeed, the experience of mercyis only possible in a “face to face” relationship withthe crucified and risen Lord “who loved me and gavehimself for me” (Gal 2:20), in a heartfelt dialoguebetween friends. That is why prayer is so importantin Lent. Even more than a duty, prayer is anexpression of our need to respond to God’s love

“We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20)

Pope’s Messagefor Lent 2020

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which always precedes and sustains us. Christianspray in the knowledge that, although unworthy, weare still loved. Prayer can take any number ofdifferent forms, but what truly matters in God’s eyesis that it penetrates deep within us and chips awayat our hardness of heart, in order to convert us evermore fully to God and to his will.

In this favourable season, then, may we allowourselves to be led like Israel into the desert (cf. Hos2:14), so that we can at last hear our Spouse’s voiceand allow it to resound ever more deeply within us.The more fully we are engaged with his word, themore we will experience the mercy he freely givesus. May we not let this time of grace pass in vain, inthe foolish illusion that we can control the times andmeans of our conversion to him.

3. God’s passionate will to dialogue with hischildren

The fact that the Lord once again offers us afavourable time for our conversion should never betaken for granted. This new opportunity ought toawaken in us a sense of gratitude and stir us fromour sloth. Despite the sometimes tragic presence ofevil in our lives, and in the life of the Church and theworld, this opportunity to change our courseexpresses God’s unwavering will not to interrupt hisdialogue of salvation with us. In the crucified Jesus,who knew no sin, yet for our sake was made to besin (cf. 2 Cor 5:21), this saving will led the Father toburden his Son with the weight of our sins, thus, inthe expression of Pope Benedict XVI, “turning of Godagainst himself” (Deus Caritas Est, 12). For God alsoloves his enemies (cf. Mt 5:43-48).

The dialogue that God wishes to establish with eachof us through the paschal mystery of his Son hasnothing to do with empty chatter, like that attributedto the ancient inhabitants of Athens, who “spenttheir time in nothing except telling or hearingsomething new” (Acts 17:21). Such chatter,determined by an empty and superficial curiosity,characterizes worldliness in every age; in our ownday, it can also result in improper use of the media.

4. A richness to be shared, not kept for oneself

Putting the paschal mystery at the centre of our livesmeans feeling compassion towards the wounds ofthe crucified Christ present in the many innocentvictims of wars, in attacks on life, from that of theunborn to that of the elderly, and various forms of

violence. They are likewise present in environmentaldisasters, the unequal distribution of the earth’sgoods, human trafficking in all its forms, and theunbridled thirst for profit, which is a form of idolatry.

Today too, there is a need to appeal to men andwomen of good will to share, by almsgiving, theirgoods with those most in need, as a means ofpersonally participating in the building of a betterworld. Charitable giving makes us more human,whereas hoarding risks making us less human,imprisoned by our own selfishness. We can and mustgo even further, and consider the structural aspectsof our economic life. For this reason, in the midst ofLent this year, from 26 to 28 March, I have conveneda meeting in Assisi with young economists,entrepreneurs and change-makers, with the aim ofshaping a more just and inclusive economy. As theChurch’s magisterium has often repeated, politicallife represents an eminent form of charity (cf. PiusXI, Address to the Italian Federation of CatholicUniversity Students, 18 December 1927). The sameholds true for economic life, which can beapproached in the same evangelical spirit, the spiritof the Beatitudes.

I ask Mary Most Holy to pray that our Lentencelebration will open our hearts to hear God’s call tobe reconciled to himself, to fix our gaze on thepaschal mystery, and to be converted to an open andsincere dialogue with him. In this way, we willbecome what Christ asks his disciples to be: the saltof the earth and the light of the world (cf. Mt 5:13-14).

— FRANCIS.

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In this favourable season, then, may weallow ourselves to be led like Israel intothe desert (cf. Hos 2:14), so that we canat last hear our Spouse’s voice and allowit to resound ever more deeply within us.The more fully we are engaged with hisword, the more we will experience themercy he freely gives us. May we not letthis time of grace pass in vain, in thefoolish illusion that we can control thetimes and means of our conversion tohim.

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by Rita Akin-Otiko, SSL

FEATURE

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Sint Unum andMultiethnic-MultiageCommunity Living

Coming from the western part of Nigeria, aYoruba by tribe, my first community, Ikere-Ekiti, provided me with a unique

opportunity to share life with sisters from Irelandand the eastern part of Nigeria. We were five innumber – two from Ireland and two from Ibo land.I was the youngest. The Irish sisters were in theirfifties, one of the Ibo sisters was in her late 30swhen I arrived in the community; while the otherIbo sister was in her mid-twenties – a few yearsahead of me; and I was 22 years old. I was in thecommunity for two years. As I write this article, Iam filled with nostalgia of those days. They weretwo interesting years.

Looking back now, I recollect that I never heardIrish or Ibo spoken in our community. Right fromthe formation house, we were encouraged tocommunicate in English language especially whenthere were people who were not privy to particularlocal languages. All the other communities I livedin afterwards had no international flavour. I havehad the opportunity of living with sisters from thenorth, east, south, and west of Nigeria. Thelanguage situation has been different in all theother communities. While, more often than not,there is a sensitivity to the presence of diversetongues, and a need for inclusion, many-a-time,we switch codes from English language to ournative languages before realizing how thissingular act could exclude other sisters from publicconversations.

In those days, our meals in Ikere-Ekiti were apotpourri of Irish and Nigerian cuisines. Theywere usually delicious and daintily served with allthe cutlery and dishes well-laid out. Hmmmm! Ialways looked forward to meal times especially

lunch and supper. There were no boundaries forus, so we could move from scrambled eggs to eforiro (locally prepared spinach with dried fish,tomatoes, pepper, onions, cray fish etc.), althoughI never observe any of the Irish sisters crossingover to the local food “stall”. The laughter, stories,frowns etc. added to the whole eating enterprise.Today, our meals have a different variety pack.More varied in complexity, but essentiallyNigerian in choice. A lot of spices, and oils - redoil, groundnut oil, vegetable oils, olive oil, coconutoil, name it. Plenty of green vegetables, fruits andheavy stuff like pounded yam, green plantainflour/ corn flour/ cassava flour/ wheat flourpuddings with different soups ranging from okroto palm-kernel soup. Fish, snail,goat/beef/mutton/chicken/turkey meats areavailable at different times. The interesting partof it is that while sisters in the south find snail adelicacy, it is a “taboo” for most sisters from thenorth. As sisters grow older and begin to cut downon oil, salt, sugar etc. the younger ones arewondering what their problem is.

The huge disparity in age between the oldest threesisters and the two of us who were the youngestin Ikere-Ekiti sometimes felt like east to west kindof. I used to think the Irish sisters were very oldback then. I actually perceived them to be as oldas my paternal grandmother. I was amazed whenI met one of them in Ireland about 13 years ago.She was looking so well and youthful she couldwell pass for my youngest maternal aunty. Backthen, age was not a major factor for peacefulcommunity living among Sisters of St. Louis.Everyone was “Sister”. Today, age is a major factoramong sisters in Nigerian multiethniccommunities. Respect is more of a one-way custom

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FEATURE

BAUTAINBREKCOLMARFRANCEIRELANDJUILLYLOUISLOUISEMADELEINEMAINZONENESSRATISBONNESACREDHEARTSIMPLICITY

STRASBOURGTHEODORETURKEINSTENUNITY

A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms;

the first is full of raging fires;the second, assassins with loaded guns;

and the third, lions who haven’t eaten in years.

Which room is the safest?(Kindly send us your reply)

rather than a mutual convention. Younger sistersare expected to respect older ones, while older onescan get away with less respectful attitudestowards the younger sisters. This is, however,being addressed as we grow more in ourunderstanding and living of Sint Unum. Also, withmore exposure, and increase in the number offinally professed sisters, we are becoming moreaware of the reciprocal nature of authentic respect.

Talking about diversity, I remember the diversityworkshop which took place in Ireland in 2007. Iwas privileged to attend it at the invitation of Sr.Isabel Mann, who was on the CLT then. One of

the questions we addressed was “Which cultureshould we imbibe and live out?” Without muchthought, I suggested the Biblical early Christianculture of sharing everything together and livingas family. As a student, I remember respondingthat diversity meant wealth when my Culture andAnthropology professor asked us to write a wordthat aptly described diversity for each of us. Overthe years, I have come to appreciate the joys,beauty, and richness, of a multiethnic andmultiage community. It is a gift, a blessing and anopportunity to experience Sint Unum at its best.

Blessed Lenten season to us all!

CONTACT WORD PUZZLEHere is word search for our leisure. Let these words remind us of some familiar persons, placesand values. Enjoy your break time while still exercising your brain with this Crossword Puzzle.

Remember Lent.Remember, the best

way to fast is tofast from Sin!

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Newsletter of Sisters of St. Louis, Nigeria Province

’Pelumi O’Dunsin,Chief Editorpelumi.dunsin@yahoo.com+234 (0)706 204 7492

Anthonia Eneanya SSLAssistant Chief Editortoniauc@yahoo.com+234 (0)703 792 9969

The Communications Office now has a corporate email,sslcomm.ng@gmail.com. Expect to get Contact andupdates via the mail address regularly. Write to us too.

CORPORATE EMAIL

Word to Live By

28 February 2020

Editorial

Dear Sisters & Friends,

The season of Grace is here once again! Lent is here again!The season God calls us all to a deeper relationship with Him.,to give up and take up values that will help change our livesfor good. This is the season we give up what can distract usfrom responding to God’s love and take up practices thatground us in, realign us, and increase our attention to God’svoice. Pope Francis in this year’s Lenten message calls on us allnot to let this Lenten season of grace pass in vain. He invitesus to prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind andheart renewed. May we all find this season of grace a renewedone! We bring to you another edition of our Contact Newsletter.We hope you will find it enriching. Thank you for yourreadership; we eagerly await your comments.

Remember to invoke the spirit of prayer, fasting andalms-giving these days of Lent!

God bless us all!

“Charitablegiving makes usmore human,whereas hoardingrisks making usless human,imprisoned byour ownselfishness.”

— Pope Francis

Anthonia Eneanya

Inspirational

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1st Sr. Maria Agada Birthday

3rd Sr. Mary Okewola Birthday

7th Sr. Perpetua Oloba Feastday

17th Sr. Patricia Ojo Feastday

17th Sr. Patricia Ebegbulem Feastday

Message for Lent 2020

Reason of Grace

Lent is a time to take time to let the powerof our faith story take hold of us,

a time to let the events get upand walk around in us,

a time to intensify our living unto Christ,a time to hover over the thoughts of our

hearts,a time to place our feet in the streets ofJerusalem or to walk along the sea and

listen to his Word,a time to touch his robe

and feel the healing surge through us,a time to ponder and a time to wonder….

Lent is a time to allowa fresh new taste of God!

Perhaps we’re afraid to have time to think,for thoughts come unbidden.

Perhaps we’re afraid to face our futureknowing our past.

Give us courage, O God,to hear your Word

and to read our living into it.Give us the trust to know we’re forgiven

and give us the faithto take up our lives and walk.

—Ann Weems

Lent