A commitment to Africa

By Fr. James McGuire, S.F.M.
October 2005

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Fr. Jacques de L’Eprevier is a Missionary of Africa (White Father). He recently returned to his native France after 50 years of dedicated missionary activity in Africa. I had the privilege of living with Jacques in Mzuzu, Malawi, during the last three months of his stay here. He was a real inspiration to everyone, typical of his missionary community’s unwavering commitment to Africa over the past century and a half.

Thousands of Missionaries of Africa have given their lives to serve in this great continent since they were founded in France in 1868. Probably no other religious group has had such a profound influence on the development of Africa and its people.

When they arrived in Nyasaland (now Malawi) in 1889 there were some Christian communities established mainly by Anglican and Presbyterian missionaries. David Livingstone, the famed Scottish missionary explorer had worked tirelessly to open up the vast interior to commerce and evangelization. At the same time he passionately opposed the thriving slave trade. The new wave of missionaries built on this foundation. Today Africa, while still struggling to find its place in the world, has a thriving Christian presence, sending its own missionaries to Europe, Canada, the United States and beyond.

Fr. Jacques came to Nyasaland in 1955; it was then a British colony with 2.5 million inhabitants. Nyasaland became Malawi when it gained independence in July 1964; it now has a population of 11 million people.

Today, there is mutual respect and collaboration among the various Christian denominations, as well as with other religions. Scarboro missioners were invited here in 1996 and lay missioners Ray and Beverley Vantomme were the first to arrive, along with Mary Rowlands who was assigned to neighbouring Zambia. They worked closely with the Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception from Montreal and with the local Church in Mzuzu Diocese.

Now we are six Scarboro missioners here in Malawi. The others are Betty Ann Martin, Mary Olenick and Barbara Michie. We are present with Malawians in their long struggle for freedom, convinced that the Gospel lived has the power to transform the world. We feel that this is the greatest contribution we can make to Africa today.

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