Instruments of God for the care of creation! Gorongosa, Mozambique

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The Sisters of Notre Dame arrived in Mozambique in 1993 and began to carry out their apostolic mission in the Diocese of Chimoio. In 2018, at the request of the Archbishop of Beira, the Sisters accepted responsibility for the management and administration of the boys and girls boarding schools as well as the administration of the Cristo Rei Secondary School in Gorongosa. The boarding schools and the Secondary School, which belong to the Archdiocese of Beira, are located in the Cristo Rei Mission compound which also includes the church, the Sister´s residence and the Fathers´ residence.

Unfortunately, the buildings and the infrastructure of these venues were in precarious conditions. The land was little cultivated, good health conditions were lacking everywhere, the water supply was insufficient and the financial situation was bad. Creation cried out for CARE!

Under such circumstances, a radical change was needed! We started to dream with and work towards a harmonious environment, looking for alternative income sources, providing nutritious meals to the boarders, keeping the yard clean, cultivating flowers in the gardens, ensuring healthy housing, decent classrooms, and clean, abundant water for all. Therefore, it was urgent to intensify our actions regarding the care of life and the care of environment.

Immediately, we rolled up our sleeves and got down to work! Several improvement projects have already been carried out, always relying on the loving and provident care of God, manifested through our benefactors. The drilling of a water well for the school, financed with a grant from the ND Congregational Fund, brought innumerable benefits, such as the possibility to cultivate vegetables, corn, flowers and, medicinal plants, to name a few.

The local people are grateful for the education they have received and they recognize the strong motivation behind it: a commitment to the integrity of Creation. And we, as Sisters of Notre Dame, embrace the grace of being able to share life with this community and contribute that “all may have life and have it to the full.” (Jn 10,10)