KENYA: “See Blessed Carola an example of Missionary Worth Emulating,” Says Cardinal Kambanda to Christians
Sr. Maria Carola
Sr. Henriette Anne (FSSA)
His Eminence Antoine Cardinal Kambanda of Rwanda’s Kigali Archdiocese, the Papal delegate who presided over the Beatification of Sr. Maria Carola on Saturday, November 5, called upon Christians to see in Blessed Carola an example of missionary zeal worth emulating.
Blessed Maria Carola “had an absolute trust in the loving care of God and came in this land to be a witness to this so that we can also acquire the same faith and trust that frees us from all fear and calls to us to faithfulness to God,” the Rwandan Catholic Church leader said.
In his homily during the celebration at Kinoru Stadium in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Meru, the Papal delegate acknowledged the many risks and sacrifices Blessed Carola made during her missionary work in Kenya.
“Blessed Sr. Maria Carola represents the holiness of so many missionaries in those days who accepted to endure all sorts of sacrifices and risks to bring the salvation of God to us,” he said and continued, “It is the best act of charity that one can do to make the others know the love of Christ.”
In a celebration that was graced by several dignitaries, Cardinal Kambanda noted that Blessed Carola had “spent her missionary life for the kingdom of God to come here and for God’s name to be praised in this land. The joy of the faith is the fruit of this missionary work done in this land.”
He further described the Catholic Nun who was born on 3 April 1877 in Cittadella (Padua, Italy) and died on 13 November 1925 aboard a ship on the Red Sea as she traveled from Kenya back to her native country for treatment as a nun who had “absolute trust in the loving care of God and came in this land to be a witness to this so that we can also acquire the same faith and trust that frees us from all fear and calls to us to faithfulness to God.”
The Archbishop of Kigali said that the root cause of many problems in our families is selfish love, which he termed as “fake love” explaining that the pre – occupation of what benefit can I get, from my wife, from my husband, what will he/she do for me is self – centered mind that can be confused with love.
He advocated for true love in families saying “True love of the gospel when applied within the family should be based on “what good I am going to do for my husband, wife, parent, children, brothers and sisters in the community,” Cardinal Kambanda said, adding, “This is the testimony blessed Maria Carola gives us.”
The cardinal added that “Sr. Carola gave us an example to follow in our lifetime; today is our turn to carry on this missionary life in our world today, which needs it most, she spent her life in this land giving great honor to God and to the Church.”
The beatification ceremony of Blessed Sr. Carola is the second such celebration in the Kenya after that of Sr. Irene Stefani (Nyaatha) in May 2015.
On 11th October 1925, with Sr. Crescentina, she bid the mission goodbye. However, on 13th November 1925, she died on the ship during the return voyage to Turin and was buried in the depths of the Red Sea.
