OPERAMisericorde at Work in Ngoya, Cameroon
Sister Maria Angelita tells us about OPERA M’s journey in Cameroon
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.”(Jn 3:16) Truly, God’s love is so real unto us. Even after 2,024 years of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, our Lord who had once lived in this world as our “Big Brother”, with the Father continues to make real His Presence upon us in the midst of our ever-changing world.
In spite of many tribulations and struggles that we experienced day by day, our world “so loved by God” continues to mature in its life of faith responding to the Greatest Love and Eternal mercy of God.
The Holy Spirit guides and help us to renew and affirm our faith inducing us to be in solidarity with the suffering humanity. The Church, which is the living sacrament of the salvific presence of God, continue to perpetuate the acts of mercy, which Jesus Himself had practised and had exhorted firmly His disciples.
Our “Atelier” serving the poor
OPERA M is one of the living witness of this real presence of God’s loving mercy in the world. Spazio Spadoni who promoted this project continues to extend his vision and mission of “reEvolution of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy” of our Divine Merciful Lord to all ends of the earth. We, the Sisters Oblates of the Holy Spirit of Ngoya-Cameroon, are one of its agents, missionary volunteers of OPERAMisericorde through the “Atelier,” where we serve needs through making uniforms and school clothes for poor children and through making sacred vestments for priests and religious seminarians. We have also started making scarves and small shoulder bags.
Children of Misericordia
We were able to gain enough from the first semester of activity since August 2023 to support our pastoral work with “Les Enfants de Misericorde” by feeding them occasionally not only with corporal food but also with spiritual food through animation, deepening the Gospel values of Sunday Mass, and soon with catechism.
The recent Pentecost brought them to the knowledge of the Holy Spirit with its seven gifts and twelve fruits. Each chose an image of tongues of fire where the different gifts (Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and holy fear) and fruits (Spirit of love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, patience, meekness, faithfulness, generosity, chastity, modesty and self-control) of the Holy Spirit were written. They were urged to keep these images they received. The children promised to pray always, every day and try to put these gifts and fruits into practice both in the family and at school, wherever they are.
Living conditions in the village of Ngoya
It takes a lot of effort and patience to follow-up the formation of these poor children of Ngoya who are typically children of polygamous family. They have to struggle for their living and studies and much more to take part in their family work of living such as farming which often times hinders them to have the just and proper time for studies and recreation. Many of them go to school with their dirty and torn clothes, which is the only one they have for the five school days. We are still hoping and looking forward to upgrade our atelier service in order to meet the needs of these our poor little brothers and sisters of Ngoya.
As of the moment, we have acquired a new manual sewing machine which we can use during electric power failure which is so much disturbing our operation. Being located in the poor village, often times we experience these power failures especially during rainy season. We are foreseeing praying through the intercession of our patron St. Joseph to have a solar system, which can supply the energy in time of electric power failure.
The teachings of Blessed Elena Guerra
Our Mother Foundress Blessed Elena Guerra had taught us to work always for mercy collaborating in the action of the Holy Spirit, the Eternal Mercy of God saying: “Work much for the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will work for you.”- (Rebirth in the Holy Spirit #697).
She assured us that we can truly collaborate with the Holy Spirit because He is always with us and helping us to pray with these words: “May our thoughts be merciful; may we judge all well and sympathize with the defects of others. May our hearts be merciful; may we feel the miseries of our brethren and move our will to help them. May our glance be merciful and turn kindly to those who are suffering. May our tongue be merciful and keep far from offending, but instead console and comfort the neighbour. Let us therefore be merciful in everything and with everyone and God will be always merciful to us. (Rebirth in the Holy Spirit # 102).
As the motto of spazio+spadoni goes, “God’s mercy is in action.”
Sister Maria Angelita Jacobe
Oblates of the Holy Spirit