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“Be proud of your religious vocation”: Catholic Bishop to Women Religious in Mozambique

By João Vissesse

Nampula, 12 February, 2024 / 9:00 pm (ACI Africa).

The Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo Archdiocese has urged four members of the Missionary Sisters of Saint Anthony Mary Claret (MSAMC) to be joyful and satisfied with their choice to joining Religious Life.

In his homily at the admission to first vows of Novices Tersina Raul Milieke, Joana Augusto Monapeta, Isménia Maurico Pindave and Odete Vicente Manuel, Bishop Osório Citora Afonso urged the new MSAMC members to protect their Religious vocation “jealously”.

“It's important for those who are called to be proud of their vocation. For my sisters I want to emphasize the pride of being Religious; as a prophet, the pride of being a prophet. Be proud of your Religious vocation,” Bishop Osório said during the February 11 Eucharistic celebration at St. Isabel Parish of Nampula Archdiocese.

The Auxiliary Bishop of Mozambique’s Maputo Archdiocese added, “The pride of being African is the pride in being religious.’

“You have reason to be proud, just as we also have reason to be proud of being Priests, of being Religious and of being missionaries,” the Mozambican-born member of the Institute of Consolata Missionaries (IMC) said.  

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He added, “God called me to a mission and if I'm not proud of what I am, I won't protect what I am. Pride makes people unable to protect what they are and what they have.”

“Pride must go hand in hand with protecting one's vocation. If I'm proud of my phone, I'm going to protect it jealously because it's mine and I'm not going to let it be held back by anyone,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader, who was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo Archdiocese on January 28 cautioned against giving into the temptation to be guided by worldly standards, saying, “If you take your vocation lightly, in a very banal way, you will not protect your vocation.”

“God has called you, but God has made Himself part of a project of salvation. This means that you, my sisters, have entered into a project, which is God's project,” Bishop Osório said.

He continued, “Before you were born, God already had a plan for you to be the light; Not just the light here in the neighbourhood, the light in the bosom where the sisters are, but the light for all peoples.”

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“For this reason, entering into the context of a missionary Congregation, you are invited to enter into the project of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, to be available for this call wherever they are,” the Mozambican Catholic Bishop said during the February 11 celebration.

João Vissesse

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate. 

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