‘Sense of belonging and responsibility’ was the theme of the usual session of young sisters from different congregations in Cameroon, who met from 10 to 13 April 2025 at the guest house in Garoua *
Father Ferdinand, from the Oblate province, led this session of 36 young professed sisters and 3 accompanying sisters from the dioceses of Garoua, Maroua, Yagoua, Ngaoundéré and Yaoundé in Cameroon and Pala in Chad.
The session began with a Chrism Mass in the parish of Saint Pierre, presided over by Mgr Faustin, archbishop of Garoua, followed by an introduction by Sister Agnès DABAYA, FSE and head of the young professed sisters of the ecclesiastical province of Garoua. She invited us to dispose our hearts to benefit from the graces of this session.
Father Ferdinand’s main objective was to enable us to reflect on the sense of belonging to our respective congregations and to be more responsible in our communities and in society.
The discussions were so interesting that we were able to ask questions and share our community and missionary experiences. Father Ferdinand insisted on the realities of community life, making us understand that the sense of belonging, responsibility and love are inseparable and develop progressively over time. He also invited us to get to know and love our sisters in community even more, with all their limitations, to immerse ourselves in the charism and spirituality of our congregations, and to be proud of them, because there is no such thing as an ideal congregation. He summed up the meaning of belonging in three words: Involvement, Participation and Contribution.
This session was an opportunity for us young professed sisters not only to get together, but above all to share our experiences openly and to strengthen our sense of belonging, our faith, and our commitment to our responsibilities. It also enabled us to forge links between the different dioceses and countries represented. We are delighted with this session, which was so rich and edifying, and which enabled us to reflect on how we understand our choice of life in community, in the Church and in society.
We would like to express our gratitude and thanks to the Conference of Major Superiors of the ecclesiastical province of Garoua, to the speakers, to the companions and to all the people who help us to bear witness to Christ daily.
Sister Christine MAÏDOKLE, Touroua community. . Published on 18 April 2025
*Procure des Oblats de Marie Immaculée run by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit.
