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Kingdom Yet to Come: Two Sisters of Charity Find Hope in Africa
February 19, 2007
LEAVENWORTH — “I gained
a new awareness of Africa,” said Sister Therese Bangert, SCL, upon her
return from two international gatherings in Nairobi, Kenya, “ and the
belief that another world is possible.
“Call it hope in the
kingdom yet to come.”
Sister Therese, social
justice coordinator for the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, joined
Sister Melissa Camardo, director of mission at Exempla Saint Joseph
Hospital, Denver, Colo. in representing their religious community and
the wider Charity Federation at the World Forum on Theology and
Liberation from Jan. 16 -19 and the World Social Forum from Jan. 20 to
25.
While there, the Sisters
also took the opportunity to meet with Vincentian Volunteers in Africa,
and later traveled to Arusha, Tanzania to meet with hospital staff with
whom Sister Melissa has ministry connections.
Theology Forum
Theologians, researchers and Christian grass-roots organizations from
around the world were represented at the first forum, which was hosted
by the Carmelite Fathers Center in Langata, a suburb of Nairobi.
A significant part of
the theology forum, said Sister Melissa, focused on African spirituality
and the reality of social issues that the continent faces, including
unemployment and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“The Gospel is being
lived in the lives of the poor in Africa,” she said. “We have so much to
learn from the practical experiences of these people.”
Among other guest
speakers was Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, former archbishop of the
Anglican Church of Southern Africa and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Sister
Therese said he urged the attendees not to preach “pie in the sky
theology,” but to instead act on God’s behalf now for justice and peace.
Social Forum
The World Social Forum (WSF) that followed provided a place for some
70,000 participants to engage in democratic debate and an open exchange
of ideas on globalization, imperialism etc., as well as a place to form
a network for effective action. This was the seventh annual WSF.
The opening ceremony was
representative of the spirit and vibrancy that characterized the forum.
Thousands gathered on the outskirts of the slums of the city, then
walked for over an hour into the heart of Nairobi carrying banners and
accompanied by drums. Thousands more watched from hillsides overlooking
the procession, dancing and singing along the route.
Debt cancellation and
relief for the world’s poorest nations were among major topics of
discussion. The two Sisters of Charity attended sessions relevant to
their ministries and the focus of their religious community. Those
included sessions on water and the environment, mining, women and
children.
Each two-and-a-half-hour
session was facilitated by panel members from around the world. Both
presenters and participants shared their experiences, discussed the
range of challenges and suggested possible solutions.
“I felt as though I was
part of a torrential downpour of knowledge and spirit,” Sister Therese
said.
Sister Melissa said the
forum brought her to the realization that many social issues are
multi-faceted and international in scope; for example, fair trade and
gender inequity.
“There is an
interconnectedness of social movements, and all people are impacted by
this on a daily basis,” she said.
“The experience of the
forum was emotionally draining and, at the same time, paradoxically
uplifting,” she added. “There was a positive energy present and a
celebrative spirit as we shared cultures and dialogued about issues.”
Sister Melissa noted
that an issue like climate exchange that is just becoming mainstream in
the United States was of tremendous interest at the forum. The Sisters
heard presentations by three women who have been recipients of the Nobel
Peace Prize, including Wangari Maathai, alumna of Mount St. Scholastica
College (now Benedictine College, Atchison, Kan.).
Postscript to the Journey
Both Sisters have been sharing stories of their journey to Africa —
Sister Melissa with staff at her hospital and Sister Therese, with her
partners in social justice. Sister Therese is also determining how to
incorporate the experience into the social justice ministry of the
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
“For certain, grace was
moving during the social forum,” Sister Therese recalled. “I could feel
it almost tangibly.”
How to sustain the
dialogue and bridge continents, cultures and concerns will be the next
leg of the journey of these two Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
Contemporary Youth
Stories from Nairobi, Kenya: The Impact of AIDS in Their Lives
Notes Compiled by Sister Therese Bangert, SCL
Onyango is a 13-year-old
boy. He and his five brothers and sisters are orphans. AIDS took away
both Dad and Mum. They are now staying with their grandmother who is
sickly and old. “Everyday I have to wake up early to go and sell sukuma
wiki at the little market not far from our hut. At times I would like to
sleep, but then I think that grandma needs to eat some nutritious food,
and my younger brothers and sisters have to take something to school,
and so I go. I do not know what my future life will be, but I am happy
in my own way, because I see myself as useful to my family.”
Wangira is 11-years-old.
“I am always very tired in the evening,” she says. “In fact, when I come
back from school, I find the house in a mess and have to sweat to tidy
it up. Mum is sick and has no strength to do the house chores, and my
brothers and sisters are just too small, though they try to help. When
at last everyone is in bed at night, I can breathe more easily. I kneel
down on my mat and pray an ‘Our Father’ and know that God has been with
me and given me the strength to do all I did. Then I curl up on the
small mattress near my sister Joyce and fall asleep peacefully.”
Other Faces of Christ:
Jeff works as a foreman in the Vincentian furniture shop. He has a wife
and three children. Before he came to work with the Vincentians, he
would hope to work at construction sites. If he got to work he would
receive for his day’s work 190 shillings or approximately $2.75 in
dollars. ( A small one bedroom apartment in Nairobi is $100.) Jeff told
Brother Jim that his family can make it on 800 shillings a week.
Sister Melissa Camardo, SCL, with
students from St. Vincent's School in Kibera slum, Nairobi.
Sister Therese Bangert with children in
classroom.
Charity Federation delegation from left
to right: Sisters Irene Leger, NDSC; Melissa Camardo, SCL; Therese
Bangert, SCL; Agnes Leger, NDSC
Youth performance at Theology
Conference highlighting the African issues related to youth and society.
Parade during World Social Forum.
Nigerian Women sharing their songs and
experiences of social change in their communities.
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