Franciscan Missionary of Mary

This is a humble attempt to let believers know what the teaching of the Church is on certain tenets of our faith.

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Lessons Learned

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Blessed Mary of the Passion’s words though spoken in the century past teaches us how to be a positive presence in a changing world.

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We Share

SR. LOURTHUMARY MUTHAPPAN - ANGOLA

Sr. Lourdu Mary Muthappan was sent from Mumbai Province to the mission in Angola.

The country and people.

Angola was a Portuguese Colony. In 1961 the war began with Protugal for the Independence and only in 1975 on Nov.11^th she got the freedom, but soon entered into civil war among the three major political parties for the power, which continued until 2002. Though there was much effort made to bring about peace and had the cease –fire in between, the actual war got over only on 4 ^th April 2002. The 40 years of war has caused a lot of destruction in the country and the condition of the people who were returning from the forests to the places of origin was deplorable. In spite of the efforts of the Government, NGOs and the churches to build the country, still there is so much of hunger, poverty and illness. Sleeping sickness and Malaria are the predominant ones among many other types of sicknesses. At present Angola receives a lot of support from the international community.

All through these years the Catholic Church had been playing a very important role in bringing peace during the war and later in the reconstruction of the country.

Population: 14 million - 1% Portuguese and the rest Negroes (according to a 2005 report)

Ethnic Groups: Ambundu, Ovimbundu, Tchocue and Bacongu

Language – Official Language is Portuguese and National languages are Kimbundu, Umbundu, Tchocue, Kicongo, songo, Fiote, Lingala etc.

Area –1,246700Km²

Capital _ Luanda

Religion – Christianity 94% (Catholics 62%, Protestants 15%, others 16%) and traditional religions 5%

Political Parties: Popular movement of Liberation of Angola (MPLA)

National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA)

National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA)

Natural Resources: Petroleum and Diamonds.

Currency: Kuanza

People:

The Situation of the people is slowly improving. Still many die of sickness due to insufficient medical facilities. Thousands of children don’t have the opportunity to study for lack of schools and the non availability of infra structures in the existing schools. The children seemed to have difficulty in grasping as a result they have to repeat the same class more years.

Normal family life is disrupted due to polygamy and licentiousness. The presence of the Catholic Church for more than 500 years in Angola has not been able to do much in this aspect.

Witchcraft and superstition is very common among the people.

At present the Church depends very much on foreign missionaries.

Mission:

I was sent to a small community in one of the Provinces called Malanje. Here in the parish three Franciscan Congregations work together- OFM, IFSJ (Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph) and FMM. The Fathers and the other Sisters are from Brazil. We share the pastoral work in the parish and go together to the distant mission stations and stay over there for about two weeks preparing the people for receiving the Sacraments and training Catechists to administer the Sacraments. There were places where people had not seen a missionary for 20 to 30 years. Thanks to the Catechists who are in mission stations, people’s faith is kept alive. Even today it is hard for the missionaries to travel to these places. The transport facilities are still in a primitive stage, which makes the frequent journey difficult; the roads are in poor condition; bridges are broken hence unable to cross the rivers. But the enthusiastic people walk 70 to 80 KM to reach the centers where the missionaries are; they sing and dance, participate in all the preparations and receive the Sacraments and walk back to their villages. Because of the formation and orientations given by the missionaries to the catechist, they continue the pastoral ministry in those remote areas.

I am here for sometime, for about six months I was only involved in the socio-pastoral work in the villages. Later I was also asked to be responsible of a small parish school up to 4^th class. As we are inserted among the very poor and illiterate people, it demands a lot of patience and dedication. These children who have experienced only war, violence, hatred, hunger and illness have difficulty in choosing the correct way of life. There is a decline of moral and Christian values. We try our best to understand these children and give them all round formation. Besides these I also take English in the Holy Spirit Seminary.

In the community we are four sisters- two Angolans,

one Portuguese and myself Indian. There are

seven aspirants. We share all the household works.

Now I experience the real mission and its risks.

Living My Charism

For me this mission experience has been an act of total surrender to God, allowing myself to the process of transformation within me. Learning a new language- Portuguese, living in an international community, adjusting to the food habits, cultural and social differences…etc. has been an experience of dying to myself. The words of our Mother Foundress, Mother Mary of the Passion “we have only one country that is the whole world” is so true. In the beginning seeing the suffering of these people made me to spend sleepless nights. During those moments reflecting on Mother Mary at the foot of the cross doing nothing but sharing the suffering of her Son became my strength and consolation.

Living in this province amidst very poor people calls for many sacrifices. We have no electricity, at times no communications, we are prone to illnesses like the people, we cannot travel when we need, since we have to depend on the air travel alone, our life style is simple and the postal service is not that efficient at times (I receive letters even after a year).

There are times I feel cut away from my family and friends and feel anxious about them. In all situations it is in trusting in the providence of God and surrendering to Him everything I find peace and maintain my tranquility.

Here I discover many of my own limitations- I cannot do all that I would like to do; due to the new language and the new situation, I need to depend on others for many things. I realize the importance of being rather than doing.

Participation in the celebration of the Eucharist and the Eucharistic Adoration remain as the vital source of energy especially in the ups and downs of my life. The Lord is faithful and unchanging. It is the same Lord I adore and serve whether in India, Angola or anywhere else. I feel the presence of the Lord strongly in my life.

Sr. Lourdu Mary Muthappan fmm

Empowerment of women - this was the one aim of Blessed Mary of the Passion in serving the less fortunate that led her to open educational institutions, health-care services and set up small income-generating works for women. We respond to the cry of the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized, especially the women through the same services today. We work for the integrity of creation through non-violence and eco-justice, sharing God's gifts with all.

Her farsightedness in establishing a printing press in the 19th century itself, to publish The Annals of the Institute as a means of sharing news and views with the wider public has set the trend for us to utilize the potent means of the media to communicate the compassionate face of God to all peoples thereby promoting communion and human relationships.