THE SPIRIT OF OUR SISTERS ACCOMPANIES US ALWAYS

The spirit of our dear Sisters Maria Justa, Maria del Buen Consejo, Maria Cândida, and Maria Olimpia accompanies us and will always accompany us. Of that, I have no doubt.

On November 23, the Feast of Christ the King, and also the Sunday closest to the feast day of our beloved Martyr Sisters, we witnessed, once again, the wonders of God, with the commitment of 30 young people, including teenagers and children, passionate about the lives of our Martyrs, admirers who follow their spirit of martyrdom: “A complete surrender.” It was a deeply moving moment.

In Luanda, in the Cazenga neighborhood, we have a small group of young people, teenagers, and children who follow the spirituality of our Martyr Sisters of Congo. This group was created in 2014, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of our sisters. This specifically happened in Kalandula, when the novices there, in that year, moved by the Holy Spirit, were inspired to share the life of our sisters, beginning with the group of the Martyrs of the Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Rosary. We also currently have a group in Luanda that is growing rapidly in a parish where we are not even present. It was a young man from Malanje-Kalandula who started the group; the truth is that the young people of this parish are committed and dedicated to its continued growth.

The 23rd was a great day of celebration in which we participated in the ceremony and 30 members of the group made their commitment. Sisters Luzia Barão, Maria Luís, and Rita João, along with novices Ana Miguel and Candona Putungo, were present at the celebration. During the Eucharistic celebration, the priest encouraged the young people to embrace the commitment expressed in the following prayer:

“WITNESS TO CHRIST UNTIL DEATH: Almighty God, Father, you who sent your Son Jesus Christ our Savior into the world, who, through the action of the Holy Spirit, called your servants, MARIA DEL BUEN CONSEJO, MARIA CANDIDA, MARIA JUSTA, and MARIA OLYMPIA, to the vocation of martyrdom, shedding their blood in the lands of Africa and bearing witness to their faith to the point of death, with courage and without fear of losing their lives.

I… commit myself to follow in the footsteps of these courageous women, to proclaim without fear the name of Jesus to all, especially to those who do not yet know Christ and in those places where the Church needs me most, according to the Charism of the Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Rosary. I ask, with the help of God and Mary, our Mother, that I may be faithful every day of my life.” Life. AMEN.”

It was a very moving and heartwarming moment to see the children, teenagers, and young adults swearing fidelity and living their faith with great determination, with strong voices and without fear of following the spirituality of our martyred sisters. We were overjoyed to know that the blood of our sisters was not shed in vain. What happened in 1964, 61 years later, serves as an example and a source of admiration, and above all, a commitment to emulate our sisters through the sacrifices they have made, from their homes, in their neighborhoods, at school, striving for good behavior.