Discipleship of the Canossian Religious Women in Africa
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Date
2001-05
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
It has been a great pleasure for me to Nvri te this paper concerning women discipleship
because the call of women to discipleship is one of the major concerns of today's society. This
long essay is divided into four chapters. The first chapter explains to us the historical
foundation of the discipleship of Canossian women in the 18th and 19th centuries. It gives the
information of how our Mother foundress, St Magdalene of Canossa. started the Congregation
of the Canossian Sisters Daughters of Charity. It tells us about her call to religious life, the
struggles she went through for the service of the poor. It also deals with the political situation of
her time in Italy and the spread of the congregation in other parts of the world and especially in
Africa.
The second chapter introduces the main issue of women discipleship in the Bible. The
main insights of the vocation of women to discipleship are taken from the New Testament. It
helps to understand the call of women to discipleship, the cost, mission and dedication to
discipleship. The last part of the chapter includes the call of the Canossian women to
discipleship in the world of today. Therefore it calls all the disciples of Jesus to make him
known and loved, especially among those who don't know him.
The third chapter gives us the picture of the troubled life situation of the African people.
It underlines the social problems that have come up in Africa due to the rapid social change and
technological development, which is growing faster in the African world today. It expands on
the increase of evil in our African society like: political upheavals, poverty, and an increase of
slum dwellers and sicknesses like Aids.
In order to respond to the needs of the people, the last chapter focuses on the
importance for the religious to have an integral human formation, whereby the whole person is
involved. For the religious to become true disciples of Jesus Christ, they should be able to
acquire profound human and spiritual formation. They should be well informed about the
concrete issues taking place in their society. Therefore the Canossian Sisters are called to
prepare the social ministers, counsellors, and the ecologists to read the sins of the time.
To enable formation to take place in the hearts of those in formation, they should get in
touch with the suffering of people around them. I have concluded that both human and spiritual
development should be the prerequisite in our formation houses.
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Keywords
Disciples, Women, Religion, Canossa