THE HISTORY OF SOCIETY OF OUR LADY OF AFRICA (SOLA)
BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR SOCIETY
Our society was founded by Cardinal Charles Lavigerie in Algeria in the North Africa in 1868
OUR FOUNDER CARDINAL CHARLES LAVIGERIE
Born on October 31st, 1825, in Bayonne, in the French Basque Region. he was the eldest of four children. His Parents were: Leon-Phillipe Lavigerie, a custom officer and Loise Laure Latihle. the family encouraged the development of intellectual interests, but it certainly was not the natural cradle of a priestly vocation.
1841 he started his studies for the priesthood in his home diocese of Bayonne, then continued his seminary training in Paris. Aged 24, he was ordained on June 2, 1849, by the archbishop of Parish. 1850 he became Doctor of Letters. he also did research into the history of the early Church, whereby he was particularly struct by the ancient practice of the catechumenate. 1853 he was awarded a doctorate in theology. 1857 he became director of the 'Oeuvre des Ecoles d'Orient' which was an organizaation set up to support religious communities working inthe Near East. 1860 he journeyed to Lebenon and Syria. He was ordained bishop of Nancy on the 10th May 1863 and he took as his coat-of-arms a pelican feeding its young with blood from its chest and underneath he wrote as his motto "Charitas", Charity. Bishop lavigerie accepted from the French government the guardianship of the sanctuary of St. Anne in Jerusalem, the place where the Blessed Virgin May was born. In 1867 the episcopal see of Algiers was proposed to him. he arrived in Algiers on May the 15th. in His Apostolic zeal he soon had his eye on the whole of continent of Africa: "Algeria is an open door to a continent of 200 million souls, to whom we have to bring the Christina message". he was put in-charge of territory of North Africa, the Sahara and the Sudan, now approved to be a "prefecture Apostolic". it was here he was convinced of the necessity of a new Society of Missionaries. history of our society begins from that time (1868). then he founded the society of Missionary sisters in 1869. Then he was made cardianal.
He began anti-slavery campaign in 1889.
He died in Algeria, 26th of Nov. 1892.
FEW SAYINGS OF CHARDINAL LAVIGERIE
"Love the people to whom you are sent. Love Africa. That is teh only sentiment you will find. However variously expressed through these pages. teh Patriarchs loved teh very stones of Sion. in the same way; i have loved everything about our Africa; its past, its future, its mountains, its clear sky, its sun, the great lines of its desert. the blue waves which bathe its shores."
"My dear sons, trial certainly awaits you all. It may not be a quick and bloody martyrdom but rather a long drawn out one of every day, a martyrdom of privation, sickness, earthly death. what will make it even more galling is the fact that, living among a pagan population, you will have to bear a martyrdom of insult and outrage, of base calumny, from those who should support you in your ministry, since they are Christians, at least by their baptism."
BRIEF CRONOLOGY OF OUR SOCIETY
1868 - FOUNDATION
1868 - 18th October, opening of the first Novitiate
1869 - 2nd Feb. Promulgation of the 1st Rule of the Society and the taking of the habit of the first Novices.
1871 - Opening of the first Scholasticate of Theology
1872 - White Fathers take over the direction of Les Attafs (Village of Christian Arab orphans)
1873 - First foundations in Kabylia
1874 - First foundation in Algerian Sahara (Metlili)
1875 - Opening of the first house in Tuninsia (Carthage)
1876 - Attempt at reaching teh Sudan by way of the Sahara. Three Missionaries are massacred.
1878 - Pope Leo XIII entrusts the mission in Equatorail Africa tot eh White Fathers. The first convoy leaves Algeria for Nyanza and Tankanyika (Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire)
1881 - Second attempt to reach the Sudan, another three missionaries are massacred
1882 - Beginning of the work of the Seminary of St. Anne of Jerusalem, and Founding of Scholsticate of theology at Carthage.
1886 - Martyrs of Uganda
1889 - 8th convoy reaches Nyassa (Malawi and Zambia)
1892 - Death of the Foudner, Cardinal Lavigerie, Bishop Livinhac becomes the 1st Superior General of the Society
1894 - Convoy to the Sudan (Upper Volta, Mali, Guinea, Ghana)
1906 - Definitive approbation of the Society by Rome
1944 - Beginnings in Nigeria
1946 - Beginnings in Mozambique and the Lebanon
1967 - Beginnings in Ethiopia
1972 - Beginnings in the Yemen
1973 - Beginnings in Sudan
1975 - Beginnings in Cote D'Ivoire
1976 - Beginnings in South Africa
1977 - Beginnings in Chad
1984 - Expansion to Brazil and Mexico
1985 - Beginnings in Niger, Expansion to Poland.
1992 - Expansion to India / Philiphines
2009 - Beginnings in Togo
what do we do?
OUR FOUNDER CARDINAL CHARLES LAVIGERIE
Born on October 31st, 1825, in Bayonne, in the French Basque Region. he was the eldest of four children. His Parents were: Leon-Phillipe Lavigerie, a custom officer and Loise Laure Latihle. the family encouraged the development of intellectual interests, but it certainly was not the natural cradle of a priestly vocation.
1841 he started his studies for the priesthood in his home diocese of Bayonne, then continued his seminary training in Paris. Aged 24, he was ordained on June 2, 1849, by the archbishop of Parish. 1850 he became Doctor of Letters. he also did research into the history of the early Church, whereby he was particularly struct by the ancient practice of the catechumenate. 1853 he was awarded a doctorate in theology. 1857 he became director of the 'Oeuvre des Ecoles d'Orient' which was an organizaation set up to support religious communities working inthe Near East. 1860 he journeyed to Lebenon and Syria. He was ordained bishop of Nancy on the 10th May 1863 and he took as his coat-of-arms a pelican feeding its young with blood from its chest and underneath he wrote as his motto "Charitas", Charity. Bishop lavigerie accepted from the French government the guardianship of the sanctuary of St. Anne in Jerusalem, the place where the Blessed Virgin May was born. In 1867 the episcopal see of Algiers was proposed to him. he arrived in Algiers on May the 15th. in His Apostolic zeal he soon had his eye on the whole of continent of Africa: "Algeria is an open door to a continent of 200 million souls, to whom we have to bring the Christina message". he was put in-charge of territory of North Africa, the Sahara and the Sudan, now approved to be a "prefecture Apostolic". it was here he was convinced of the necessity of a new Society of Missionaries. history of our society begins from that time (1868). then he founded the society of Missionary sisters in 1869. Then he was made cardianal.
He began anti-slavery campaign in 1889.
He died in Algeria, 26th of Nov. 1892.
FEW SAYINGS OF CHARDINAL LAVIGERIE
"Love the people to whom you are sent. Love Africa. That is teh only sentiment you will find. However variously expressed through these pages. teh Patriarchs loved teh very stones of Sion. in the same way; i have loved everything about our Africa; its past, its future, its mountains, its clear sky, its sun, the great lines of its desert. the blue waves which bathe its shores."
"My dear sons, trial certainly awaits you all. It may not be a quick and bloody martyrdom but rather a long drawn out one of every day, a martyrdom of privation, sickness, earthly death. what will make it even more galling is the fact that, living among a pagan population, you will have to bear a martyrdom of insult and outrage, of base calumny, from those who should support you in your ministry, since they are Christians, at least by their baptism."
BRIEF CRONOLOGY OF OUR SOCIETY
1868 - FOUNDATION
1868 - 18th October, opening of the first Novitiate
1869 - 2nd Feb. Promulgation of the 1st Rule of the Society and the taking of the habit of the first Novices.
1871 - Opening of the first Scholasticate of Theology
1872 - White Fathers take over the direction of Les Attafs (Village of Christian Arab orphans)
1873 - First foundations in Kabylia
1874 - First foundation in Algerian Sahara (Metlili)
1875 - Opening of the first house in Tuninsia (Carthage)
1876 - Attempt at reaching teh Sudan by way of the Sahara. Three Missionaries are massacred.
1878 - Pope Leo XIII entrusts the mission in Equatorail Africa tot eh White Fathers. The first convoy leaves Algeria for Nyanza and Tankanyika (Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire)
1881 - Second attempt to reach the Sudan, another three missionaries are massacred
1882 - Beginning of the work of the Seminary of St. Anne of Jerusalem, and Founding of Scholsticate of theology at Carthage.
1886 - Martyrs of Uganda
1889 - 8th convoy reaches Nyassa (Malawi and Zambia)
1892 - Death of the Foudner, Cardinal Lavigerie, Bishop Livinhac becomes the 1st Superior General of the Society
1894 - Convoy to the Sudan (Upper Volta, Mali, Guinea, Ghana)
1906 - Definitive approbation of the Society by Rome
1944 - Beginnings in Nigeria
1946 - Beginnings in Mozambique and the Lebanon
1967 - Beginnings in Ethiopia
1972 - Beginnings in the Yemen
1973 - Beginnings in Sudan
1975 - Beginnings in Cote D'Ivoire
1976 - Beginnings in South Africa
1977 - Beginnings in Chad
1984 - Expansion to Brazil and Mexico
1985 - Beginnings in Niger, Expansion to Poland.
1992 - Expansion to India / Philiphines
2009 - Beginnings in Togo
what do we do?