New Zealand: In the shade of the palms
The Maori of New Zealand have a sacred vision of nature. Traditional patterns used in their wood carving, tattoos and amulets are often inspired by the natural environment. The Maori were the first settlers of New Zealand. They arrived there on their wakas, wooden boats suitable for sea sailing. The term Maori is used to […]
RD.Congo: Beatification of twenty martyr missionaries on track
Fifty-seven years after their tragic deaths, the Roman Catholic Church of Congo has started the process of beatification of the twenty missionaries assassinated by government soldiers on the 1 January 1962. Last June, the bishop of Kongolo diocesis, in the Tanganyika province, Mgr Oscar Ngoy wa Mpanga announced that he had initiated the process of […]
African Witness: Kenya – Wangari Maathai, Freedom Fighter
Through her Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai mobilised thousands of women to plant millions of trees in Kenya. With this brainchild, she showed that any initiative counts—and it can count a lot—and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. A practising Catholic, she was a member of the Legion of Mary throughout her life. Cancer […]
Herbs & Planta: Brassica oleracea (Cauliflower)
Cauliflower (Family Brassicaceae) is scientifically referred to as Brassica oleracea. Its head resembles that of broccoli and it’s only the white fleshy head (Curd) which is usually eaten. There are many edible Cauliflower types differentiated by the colour of the fleshy head which can be green, purple, light yellow and white. Cauliflower heads can be […]
Uganda/Buganda: The Twins are special children
In Buganda, an ethnic group lives in the Central Region of Uganda; twins are imagined to be special of children; many baganda believe that twins are semi gods while others say that they are spirits in the form of human beings; that is the reason many twins and their parents receive special treatment and respect […]
Burkina Faso: The Church under attack
For some time, the Catholic and Protestant communities have been a target for Islamic groups attempting to destabilise the country. They are also trying to weaken its inter-ethnic and interreligious ties. It was an ordinary Sunday morning in Tanghin, in the northern outskirts of Ouagadougou. The sun, already high in the sky, shone down on a […]
African Witnesses: Uganda – Lukwiya Matthew
“I am ready for anything but, God willing, I should like to be the last one to die of Ebola”. At the beginning of October 2000 at Lacor hospital (Gulu, North Uganda), a great alarm was raised. Ajok Christine, aged 20, a student nurse, was the first one to fall sick and die. The death […]
Five ways to reduce our reliance on plastic
Our daily choices matter: Turn the tide on plastic Plastic is so prevalent in our lives that we don’t even notice it anymore. It is convenient. It is cheap. It is ubiquitous. The unfortunate truth is that more than 70 percent of the plastic we use does not get recycled, and much of this plastic […]
Costa Rica: A Paradise of Renewables
The first country to produce 90% of its energy from green sources. The development of the electricity sector of Costa Rica began in the nineteenth century when, in 1884, the first public service generator, producing 50 KW, was installed to supply the needs of San José. During a process of amalgamation of several private companies, […]
Vocation Story: My work is my message
A ‘spiritual vacuum’ filled by granny’s tears. A parish youth group that offers peace and opens to others. And the decision to plunge into the sea of mission that offers unbelievable joy. A Comboni Missionary, Brother Gaspar Abarca Andrés tells us his story. I was born in 1975 at Chilpancingo, the capital and second-largest city […]
