FSP in Nigeria & Ghana
Blessed James Alberione,
Founder
Venerable Tecla Merlo,
Co-Foundress
Blessed Alberione’s First Contact with Africa!
It happened in a simple but significant way, at the airport of Dakar, Senegal. Fr Alberione and Sr Thecla Merlo were travelling back from Argentina and stopped in Dakar. He desired to celebrate Mass and asked if somebody could help. A young man approached him, took from his pocket a medal and a crucifix to show him that he was a Catholic. Fr Alberione embraced him with joy. The young African took his small suitcase, and accompanied him to a small room where he could celebrate Mass. Afterwards, he accompanied them back to the main passengers’ lounge. Fr Alberione thanked him for his kindness and hugged him tenderly. This was the first ‘physical’ contact Alberione had with “Africa”. He had been dreaming about the possibility of being a missionary in Africa since his early years, now he ‘touched’ the African soil and met ‘Africa’ in that young man. A moment of grace!
FSP – Nigeria
On 15 September 1964, the Archbishop of Lagos, L.H. Taylor, issued the document authorising the Daughters of St Paul to establish their new Community in his Archdiocese. The Church of Nigeria was really prepared to receive the Daughters of St Paul who, on the example of their father, St Paul, were eager to reach out to yet another African nation, through their apostolate of social communication.
FSP in Lagos, 1970
The development in the apostolate, favoured by the fact of having become the “sole distributor” of some specific titles of ‘Chapman Publishers’: general, catechetical and school publications, which increased the selection of the books available; strengthened apostolic service; improved diffusion and greater appreciation from the people.
Opening of the First Book Centre
Later, not without difficulty, the Sisters were able to move the Paulines Bookshop to the city centre of Lagos. Archbishop Aggey offered the Sisters a small piece of land, close to the Holy Cross Cathedral. A new blessing!
The Pioneers Sisters
The Sisters were animated by the apostolic zeal of the Apostle Paul. They desired to help people on their journey of faith and dedicated all their energies to the mission, often travelling long distances, even to places affected by tribal and/or religious conflicts, to bring to all the light of the Christian message, and to strengthen them in their Christian commitment and service in the community and society.
“Putting Out into the Deep…”
Beside all the activities that the Sisters were already committed to, the Apostolic Nuncio had also asked them to take up the management of the diocesan printing press in Ibadan. They evaluated seriously the proposal and its impact on their life. The present concrete situation of the community could not assume this new responsibility.
Nigeria
(1964 and 1994)
A wood carving of Mary Queen of Apostles
Paulines Books and Media Centre inaugurated on 31 October 1998
8th of September 2017: The official opening date for the community of Kumasi