For seven hours a day, the 34 Dominican sisters in Benguela pray the canonical hours.
They pray for the church and for all of humanity. They live secluded from the world and in poverty, but say, “We are aware of the greatness of our calling. In our enclosure, we offer up our lives to God to magnify His Kingdom and save souls.”
To make a modest living, the sisters bake communion wafers and sew liturgical vestments. They tried their hand at a small pastry shop, but it was not a success. The raw materials were so expensive that the revenue did not even cover the costs and so they were operating at a loss. And misfortune has recently befallen them again: the vegetables they grow in their garden, the maize, the tomatoes and the onions, were afflicted by disease. The sisters were in desperate straits. They did not know how they would be able to go on and prayed to God for help.
At times, God works through other people. And so our benefactors donated 9,000 euros to help the sisters. They were overjoyed when they received the aid. They wrote to us, “It was a great surprise and we are filled with joy at the amount that you have sent us! We are very, very grateful for the generosity of our benefactors. This is a sign of Divine Providence, which always watches over us. We hope that all of our benefactors are blessed with God’s bountiful grace and His mercy and assure you that all of our prayers, our affection and gratitude are yours.”
