Mozambique: "Let us be men and women of reconciliation and peace to build peace"

Father Bernardo Suate – Vatican City

Addressing themselves to Mozambican youth, Sisters Maria do Céu and Amélia Alexandre reaffirmed the need for hope, trust in God, and prayer, especially in times of difficulty, beginning, however, by each doing their part: “First, we must be men and women of peace and reconciliation, so that this peace can also become a reality for our country,” emphasised the Mozambican religious women.

Importance of ongoing formation

The missionaries then spoke about the formation course they were undergoing in Rome, highlighting its importance for both the sisters preparing for final vows and those already with perpetual vows.

For Sister Amélia, a religious with temporary vows, the formation sessions are fundamental because they help in discernment and decision-making about the future: “There are things we are still learning and discerning, and formation is important because it helps us decide whether this is what we want or not,” she explained.

Attentive to the signs of the times

Ongoing formation is equally important for the Missionaries of the Precious Blood Sisters with perpetual vows because “we all need to renew and integrate ourselves, always attentive to the signs of the times,” observes Sister Maria do Céu, who adds the need to live the charism according to the demands of our time: “For us, Missionaries of the Precious Blood, besides integrating into external realities (parishes, people welcoming us...), as a Congregation, we always need to ask ourselves: Does our charism today respond to the needs of our world? And what should we renew in ourselves to better help today’s man and woman?”

To live lives of service

Sister Maria do Céu, Formation Mistress, and Sister Amélia Alexandre are currently living and working in Portugal at a House that the Congregation founded in 1960 in Lisbon for Sisters destined for missionary life in Mozambique and to host Mozambican Sisters who come to Portugal for professional study. It is in this context that Sister Amélia is in Lisbon studying and training in a technical-professional course. She also works in a parish community. At the same time, she is preparing herself for final vows: “I feel happy to be in that Community, and when I finish the course, I will do what our congregation and mission require of me,” the Mozambican religious reiterated to Vatican News.

Thus, leaving the country (where needs are many) and living the mission of her congregation in a distant land is not a waste, as Sister Amélia once again affirms: “The strength I have here, I will use to help the people who need me, and I also help the older Sisters, who always need someone to assist with mobility or other needs,” she said.

Hope and prayer

In conclusion, the two missionary sisters make a plea for hope, especially to the youth of Mozambique, who are currently facing unemployment, violence, crime, and many other challenges and difficulties. “Our message is never give-up despite the challenges we face daily, because hope for a better tomorrow is what builds families and nations. Always trust in God and pray, because prayer is truly the key to tomorrow. But first, we must do our part—namely, to be men and women of reconciliation and peace, carrying within us the same peace we wish for our country,” the religious women underscored.