Beira, 23 September, 2025 / 3:30 PM
Bishop António Manuel Bogaio Constantino has called upon three members of the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (HMC.) to live radical, courageous, and faithful lives as to become signs of mercy and hope in the contemporary world.
In his homily during the Final Vows of Sr. Ermelinda Carlos, Sr. Patrícia André, and Sr. Argentina Acádio Aníbal, the Auxiliary Bishop of Beira Catholic Archdiocese reminded the Sisters that “Religious Consecration is a luminous sign of the covenant between God and humanity.”
“In a world full of darkness, the sisters must be beacons of hope, resistance, and mercy,” Bishop Bogaio said during the September 21 Eucharistic celebration that was held at Sacred Heart of Jesus Macuti Parish of Beira Archdiocese.
He added, “Today the Lord renews His covenant with humanity through your total surrender, without reservations, without fear, without half measures. You are living signs of God’s mercy in the midst of a people who suffer and who need to see consecrated women walking at their side with courage, faith, and compassion.”
The Mozambican Catholic Bishop warned that Consecrated Life is not “a place of escape from the world” but rather a courageous way of being present and committed to those who suffer.
The Mozambican member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) emphasized that the Mercedarian charism, founded to free captives and promote human dignity, is more relevant than ever.
He challenged the Sisters not only to “wear the clothes” but to live their mission with authenticity.
“Your charism only makes sense if it is lived in the concrete reality of the people, in the places where there is suffering, abandonment, and exclusion. Mission begins on the ground of life, with hands dirtied by reality and hearts made pure by faith,” the Auxiliary Bishop said.
He underscored the importance of community prayer and fraternal life, stressing that without a deep spiritual life, consecration loses meaning.
“If you do not pray, you disappear. It is in prayer that mission is born and reborn,” Bishop Bogaio said.
He cautioned them against letting friendships or relationships divert them from their consecration, reminding them that “the world offers freedom, but Christ offers meaning. Your freedom now is to love God and your brothers and sisters.”
He also underscored the importance of community, obedience, poverty, and prayer, saying, “Living together is a sign of the Kingdom. What you receive is no longer yours, it belongs to the mission. Poverty lived with joy is a powerful prophetic sign. If you do not pray, you disappear. It is in prayer that mission is born and reborn.”
“Today the Church rejoices in your ‘yes’. The world needs witnesses of mercy, of hope, of true joy. Be these strong women, free women, passionate for Christ. Be like Mary at the cross: steadfast, present, available,” Bishop Bogaio said.
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