Apostolates

“Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:)

The passion for justice and the ardent longing for peace and non-violence are essential to life according to the Gospel. It is not an optional extra in our religious lives but it is integral to our prophetic witness and influences all we are and do in community and in ministry.

While injustices are many, we, as OLA Sisters, renew our particular commitment to women, youth and children amid the many new situations in which these suffer in Ireland and Europe today and wherever we are.

“For the Kingdom of God is …. Justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

Visit the Justice area of our site.

As women apostles we feel called to deeper reflection on the unfolding mystery of the Creation Story and our place in it, and to allow it to enrich our Spirituality and all our Ministries.

 “It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose.  It was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.

From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know has been groaning in one great act of giving birth.”   (Romans 8:22)

In light of the urgent reality of global warming, we need to be more attentive to how our planet is groaning due to years of exploitation.  By taking small steps daily we can fulfil more faithfully our God-given responsibility to be stewards of creation and missionaries of communion, sent to bring ‘all creation back to God’.

 

 

“As prophetic religious women, we want to make a difference in the world today by the way we live, the way we interact with people, the way we witness to God’s reign on earth.” ~ Sr Felicia Harry, OLA Superior General

In situations of primary and new evangelisation, where people have lost faith and hope, we commit ourselves to the proclamation of the Gospel, always remembering that the proclamation of the Gospel is made primarily through the witness of our personal faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Since our beginnings the OLA have always paid special attention to the care of women and children. This is an essential part of our OLA identity.

In the course of our work, many of our Sisters encounter instances of gender-based violence. We offer care, support and counselling to women suffering from the ill effects of such violence. Some of our Sisters are engaged with groups working directly for justice for victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

The work undertaken by our Sisters covers a range of areas and services always seeking to empower and uplift women and girls.. We are engaged in our own projects and works as well as collaborations with various, like minded organisations.

 

In our missions, the OLA Sisters offer quality healthcare to patients in all sectors of society through dispensaries, clinics and hospitals, particularly where medical services are not yet adequate.

There is always a strong emphasis on ensuring that the poorest and most vulnerable in society have access to healthcare.  In rural areas, our small maternity clinics/hospitals provide a vital service.  Through mobile clinics we take some of the benefits of basic healthcare to remote villages and rural areas where no such services exist.

 

The OLA Sisters have been involved in education in Africa since 1873, even before the official foundation of the Congregation and quickly established a reputation for offering high quality education from primary through tertiary level.

Understanding the vital role of education in empowering people, we continue  to seek opportunities for active involvement in formal education in schools – from nursery to university level.

We seek to ensure that the poorer members of society have access to education:

• by opening schools in more remote areas where other groups are not providing education;
• by offering scholarships to students who could not otherwise afford to attend school;
• by subsidizing some students in need of sponsorship.

We also participate in the initial and on-going religious formation of Sisters and Priests, as well as on-going empowerment and leadership training of other groups within the communities in which we live and work.

 

The Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles are involved in interfaith dialogue in many parts of the world, in diverse ways according to their diverse circumstances.

We seek to establish relationships of mutual respect and together seek a common basis for constructive collaboration. We keep the channels of communication open with our brothers and sisters of diverse Christian backgrounds, as well as with the faithful of Islam and other religions.

The Interfaith Forum of Muslim and Christian Women’s Associations, also known as Women’s Interfaith Council (WIC), was established in Kaduna, Nigeria, by Kathleen McGarvey OLA. This brings together the Muslim and Christian women leaders and helps women to be proactive in the peacebuilding process in this troubled region.

 

The OLA Sisters affirm that every baptised person is called to be a missionary and hence Mission and Vocation Animation is a priority in our mission of evangelization.      

We believe passionately in:

• The OLA missionary Charism and the need to share this special call with others.
• Religious Life as a radical and valuable option to which young people have a right to be  invited.

Some ways of which we are actively engaged in Mission and Vocation Animation are through the:

• Lay Mission Movement,
• Crown Fund,
• Mite Boxes
• Volunteering in Africa,
• Our Benefactors – spiritual and material,
• Promotion material.