Mission Appeal 2023 : The Franciscan Sisters of Tshumbe
On the weekend of July 29-30, we will welcome back Father Albert Shuyaka to our parish. He has been the voice between us and the Franciscan Sisters of the Diocese of Tshumbe whose mission work we have been supporting throughout the years. Fr. Albert did not come for the last two years, but he is coming with the updates regarding the works that our parish has helped the sisters accomplish. The Franciscan Sisters of the Diocese of Tshumbe, amounting to 250 professed members, serve the impoverished people of God in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a religious order with many vocations and counts about 256 professed members.
The Sisters work in a landlocked and isolated area in the center of the D.R. Congo. The Sisters of Tshumbe take care of most of the vulnerable people in the area. Most people cannot afford to live with one dollar a day. The DRC has the world’s second highest maternal and infant mortality rate. This heartbreaking situation came about mostly due to an atrocious war that claimed, according to the UN report, more than six million lives. The DR Congo war is rightly called the “African World War” since it is the deadliest war since World War II. Many of these people live HIV/AIDS, malaria, and various diseases.
After building a Women Center, they are asking for our help to build the convent. The center needs their presence so they can provide care for the families.
It is for the sake of these suffering members of the body of Christ that Father Shuyaka, asks us to prayerfully consider how we can contribute to the completion of this noble project undertaken by the Sisters of Tshumbe. Thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your willingness to make a difference.