Support Religious Sisters in Chad
Friday, November 20, 2009

Project Code: 155-05-39

"The sisters and mothers of Africa carry our continent on their backs and in their hearts," said Sister Elisa Kidané from Eritrea. She was speaking in October to the bishops at the special Synod for Africa in Rome. The "sisters and mothers of Africa," of course, include all the religious women who work throughout the continent, binding up the physical and spiritual wounds of the people, caring for the sick, mothering the orphans, sharing the little they themselves have with the hungry; living and teaching the Word of God, lovingly preparing the soil so that the seed of the Gospel can grow, and sharing and bearing the burdens of the people with a smile. They work in the schools and in the homes, teach the women to read and write and show them how to provide for their families; they train catechists, instruct the faithful and prepare them to receive the Sacraments; they comfort, console, encourage, and quietly work for justice and peace.

All this work is part of the mission of the 32 religious sisters who are currently serving God and their fellow men in the Diocese of Sarh in the south of Chad. They belong to several different religious communities. The Catholic Church in Chad is still young, since the first Catholic missionary did not reach here until 1929. In 1957, the first native-born priest was ordained, while the second was not until 13 years later. At 56%, Muslims make up the largest religious community in the country. This fact is evident everywhere: even where there are only two or three houses together, there is still a mosque. Nevertheless, the proportion of Catholics has now reached over 20%. It is not easy to find female religious vocations, however, given that most girls do not have any formal schooling and it is taken for granted that they will later marry.

Sister Flavia, of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, wrote to us: "The people love and respect as and give us a feeling of being members of one single family, despite the differences of culture, conditions and languages." Sadly, she also describes how conflicts flare up regularly between the farmers and cattle herders and remarks that there seems to be "no discernible sign of justice about it." What prevails is the rule of ‘might makes right,’ and the strongest go unchallenged by anyone. The people are dispirited and passive, she relates. Then there are the times of hunger, caused by drought or by the destructive, deluge-like rains. As a result of the poverty, most children do not attend school. Instead, they spend their time herding cattle, which results in a vicious spiral, with poverty leading to inadequate education and inadequate education leading in turn to poverty.

The sisters are striving to make people aware of this situation, but it is not easy. Most people are deeply rooted in their traditions and suspicious of new ideas. The sisters have a lot of work in front of them in order to educate the people on how to improve their lives, especially since Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world, with some 80% of the population living below the poverty line. Bishop Edmond Djitangar of Sarh himself hardly knows where to turn to find the resources he needs for his priests and catechists and the other necessities of his diocese. He can do little to help the sisters, and so he has asked for our support. We have promised him $8,600. Will you support these religious women, who in Chad likewise "bear the African continent on their backs and in their hearts," so that they may continue to be able to serve God and their people with vigor, love and devotion? 

Progress: 8% Raised: $ 661     Goal: $ 8600

Return to Projects in Need