Two OLA sisters crossing a river in West Africa, circa 1877. Michelle Robertson
‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to his harvest.’ ~ Matthew 9:37
We are living through the strangest of times, a turning point in human history. I’m sure we all feel it, the world is on the brink of great change.
As we gather, physically separate, yet spiritually together on Vocations Sunday to pray, we reflect on the purpose of this day – A World Day of Prayer for Vocations – whereby we pray to “the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to his harvest.”
Pope Benedict XVI said: “Our life is to be a gift of love to the world. But what will that look like? We must remember that through our Baptism, everyone is called to holiness. Holiness will look different for each individual person because God works uniquely with each soul. God gives each person a particular mission in their vocation. This mission lives in the soul and is waiting to be discovered.”
An Extraordinary Call to an Extraordinary Life
In Ardfoyle Convent, Cork, there lives a generation of extraordinary women who answered an extraordinary call. They are living in isolation right now, part of the group that has been advised by the Irish government to “cocoon” because of the Corona virus that has swept the world. They are an incredibly resilient group of women – one of whom just celebrated her centenary!
When you speak to these Sisters they are humble and unassuming and when one points out that they have lived an extraordinary life, the response is often genuine confusion. This was the call they answered and chose to be obedient to, a call that for some was an easy and almost effortless discovery and for others, a long and arduous search. These women, following in the footsteps of those who came before them, gave up family and friends and left the shores of Ireland to venture to Africa where they worked and lived their calling.
They worked across many disciplines including medicine, education, social studies, justice and developmental work. The heart of their mission lay in the upliftment of the women and children of Africa. They lived and worked among the most vulnerable people, bringing hope by the very witness of their lives.
The need for women missionaries
The story of this Religious order began a long time ago, back in 1876. This too was a time of change. The missions of the SMA (Society of African Missions) had extended across the West African Coast from Ouidah to Lagos and the priests of these fledgling missions were acutely aware that in order to reach the people of Africa, they needed to be able to build relationships with the women. In order to do this they recognised the need for women missionaries.
Father Augustine Planque, co-Founder and Superior general of the SMA was desperately trying to recruit nuns from the existing Religious Congregations. The missions were dangerous and the mortality rate high among the Europeans who ventured to Africa. In fact, the founder of the SMA, Monsignor de Marion Bressillac, and all in his mission group, had succumbed to yellow fever back in 1859.
Fr Augustine, undeterred, and guided by his faith and trust in God, founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, specifically to answer the needs of the African Missions.
This call to mission in West Africa would be answered by only the most audacious; and so in May 1876, in an old house in Lyons, France, nineteen young women met to form this new Religious Congregation. They came from Anjou, Nantes, Coutances, Lyons, Cork and Dublin and were the first women missionaries to venture into the dangerous landscape of West Africa.
With Mary, the Mother of Jesus
These brave young women were filled with the Holy Spirit, and took as their motto the words in the first chapter of Acts of the Apostles, “Cum Maria, Matre Jesu,” with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
The most important thing for the sisters was to make contact with the people and build relationship. To facilitate this building of relationship, they learned the languages and dialects native to the areas in which they worked and then went about opening schools for girls. They cared for the sick and did the works of mercy called for by the great human need they met there. A number of these young women lost their lives to the ravages of the African continent.
Today the OLA sisters continue their work in Africa and other places across the world. The heart of their mission lies in their relationship with people, particularly the women and children of Africa.
The spirit of the OLA congregation is essentially an apostolic one. They speak of a Cenacle spirituality, drawing strength and inspiration from the experience of Our Lady and the Apostles in the ‘Upper Room’, who were filled with the love, joy and energy of their Pentecost experience. They continue to strive to be signs of hope for all people.
The spiritual life of these sisters is characterised by a filial trust in God, devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament, and a deep love for Mary, Queen of Apostles.
So, as we live through this strange time, we pause and pray not only for new vocations, but for those very special Sisters who answered the call so long ago, for the OLA Sisters across the world who continue to live lives of service during these difficult times, and for the extraordinary women cocooned in Ardfoyle.
If you are interested in exploring a vocation with the OLA Sisters, please visit: www.olaireland.ie