An African Journey

By guest blogger Sr. Mary Quinn, President, Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield

A plethora of images surround me as I reflect on my recent trip to visit Sr. Pat Smith in Kenya and Sr. Dorothy Pilkington in Tanzania. The beauty of the countries and of the people stand in sharp contrast to the great poverty that was evident in every village and town I visited.

The most striking images I carry with me, however, are the women and children I met. Kenyan women with Sr. Pat work with displaced persons, and form Base Christian Communities for service to those in need and for prayer to sustain them in their ministry. I attended Mass with hundreds of young women and men in school uniforms who walk miles for the opportunity of an education.

In Tanzania, Sr. Dorothy ministers with the Missionary Benedictine Sisters. She runs an orphanage for twenty-five babies and young children born HIV positive. Along with the medicine they receive, the love and compassion given to them bodes well for a healthy future.

The myriad expressions of faith shown in worship, in dance and in song permeate the lives of the people I met; they inspire and challenge me to renew my commitment to make a difference in some part of our fragile and vulnerable world.

As Nelson Mandela reminds us, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”