Province of Saint Bernard

On Friday, 24 June 2025, the Janua Coeli community in Kananga, capital of Kasai Central in the Democratic Republic of Congo, celebrated a major event that has marked the history of our Congregation since 14 April 2025. That was the elevation of our Founder, Peter Joseph Triest, to the rank of Venerable by Pope Francis, a week before his death, in our Catholic Church.

In communion with the Generalate and all our sisters throughout the world, we prepared the celebration of this day in the most beautiful way.

The community prepared the Mass, to which a few collaborators, widowed mothers and other vulnerable people were invited. The parish priest reminded us of the importance of the role of the Church in our world. Without much fanfare, some of us have charisms that make Christ’s love vibrate and bear witness faith and hope in a special way. This is the case of Father Peter Joseph Triest, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Vincent de Paul ... who marked the history of their times, each bearing witness to their love for the vulnerable. They were convinced that they were touching and serving Christ through the poor. The parish priest invited us to go and do the same in order to bear witness to the primacy of love.

During this Eucharist, our junior sisters, Sister Ether Bakaji, Sister Marie Tshituka and Sister Anastasie Tuende renewed their vows.

The Mass was animated by the young choristers of the parish. The congregation participated very actively, dancing and cheering to express their joy at all the wonders of which we are both actors and beneficiaries in our mission as Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary. A fraternal meal was offered to our guests before we parted.

The media broadcast our meditation so that it could be widely disseminated.

It was an eventful day. At 6:30 p.m., we had the privilege of welcoming for the first time since their appointment, the Provincial Superior, Mother Arlette Lusukamu, and Sister Agnes Ntumba, Provincial Councillor, who came on a canonical visit. The welcome was warm and there was great joy in being together.

The atmosphere was almost the same in each of the communities of the province.

In Mikalayi, the first mission of evangelisation in Greater Kasai, the community offered a meal to orphaned children.

The Peter Joseph Triest community in Kambote also shared with the widows of the region. This event will be celebrated with great pomp on 4 November with the students during the school year.

Rehabilitation and re-education centre for people with physical disabilities Nzo a Salasani in Matadi

On 24 June 2025, as the cold weather set in, the rehabilitation and re-education centre for people with physical disabilities, together with its collaborators and all people with mental and physical disabilities, gathered around the Eucharistic table to give thanks to God on the occasion of the 189th anniversary of the death of Father Peter Joseph Triest, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, and the progress of the process of his beatification. The Mass began at 8:15 a.m. and ended at 9:15 a.m., celebrated by Father André Mingedi and animated by the sisters and people living with disabilities.

In his homily, the celebrant reminded us that every living person has a disability in one way or another. He recalled the importance of the compassion that dwelled in Father Joseph Triest and which led him to found this great institution. Today, through its works of charity, the Congregation bears witness to the primacy of Christ’s love and his presence.

After Mass, we shared a fraternal moment with the children, people with disabilities, hospitalised patients, carers and all the staff.

Sisters Julienne Elameji and Mathilde Ilongo

Region of Mali

The Region of Mali celebrated the elevation of our founder Peter Joseph Triest to the rank of Venerable on Saturday, 28 June 2025, on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with our collaborators and vulnerable people. The day began with the Eucharistic celebration which took place at the Peter Joseph Triest community at 11:30 a.m. All the sisters of the Region were present, as well as the collaborators and employees of our respective communities. The Mass was presided over by Father Albert DENA, parish priest of Notre-Dame de Lourdes parish. We began with an entrance procession with a photo of Venerable Father Triest and the novices, followed by our collaborators and their wives, the sisters and Father Albert.

After the opening of the celebration, Sister Edith Kamate said a few words of introduction and presented to our collaborators, in the local language, the history of our dear Congregation and its charism, its presence in the world, the life of our Founder, Peter Joseph Triest, and our various works. She also explained why the Congregation wanted to mark the Church’s official recognition of the virtues of our Founder, Peter Joseph Triest, which earned him the title of ‘Venerable’. She invited the assembly to continue to offer prayers for our Founder until he is proclaimed a saint.

The liturgy was festive, sung in several languages and adapted to the occasion. In his homily, the celebrant highlighted three main points on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: a heart without stain, without sin and pure. From there, he invited us to have a pure heart like Mary, like our Founder. To have a pure heart, he evoked the three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity. He placed greater emphasis on charity, which is an important point for us SCJM, because it is charity that brings us closer to one another and reflects the image of our religious family. He invited us to manifest this pure heart through our actions and our way of serving, which will enable us to make the person of our Founder known to the world and especially to the most vulnerable, whom he cared for.

At the end of the Eucharist, Sister Marie-Madeleine Kabwiz and Sister Monique Mutshiaudi took turns to thank all those who had responded to our invitation, recommending that they recite daily the prayer written on the back of the picture of Venerable Peter Joseph Triest which will be given to them at the end of the ceremony.

As for the young women in formation, they were edified by this celebration and by the devotion to Venerable Peter Joseph Triest. After Mass, we shared a fraternal meal with our collaborators, the poor, our novices, postulant and some young girls from the home, in joy and simplicity. The atmosphere was wonderful.

Sisters Marie-Madeleine Kabwiz and Cécile Ndaya