Account of the Medical Missionaries of Mary

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— 5 — From the letter of Mgr. Riberi: DEAR REV. MOTHER, This is the first letter I write you in your capacity of Foundressand Superioress of the new Congregation of Mary's Medical Missionaries. Let me, therefore, begin by expressing my warmest congratulations for having so quickly secured from the Holy See such an enthusiastic approval of the new Missionary Congregation. No doubt, this wonderful way of giving you an approval that comes so promptly and wholeheartedly from the Holy See has its meaning. It means, besides the ordinary approval of something which is good in itself, the supreme importance which is attached to your undertaking — nay, the pressing urgency of your intended work. It has already been my pleasant duty, after consultation with the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, to urge on the Superiors General of various Missionary Congregations working in this Delegation the necessity of having Sisters who are fully qualified Doctors. During my tours in Africa, I have been privileged to see how much they can do in the Mission In caritate radacti 2021-11-30/234 A Brief Account of the Society of the Medical Missionaries of Mary field. So let me hope that you will be able to prepare many Sister Doctors. But, meanwhile, the Irish Missionaries, although working everywhere with wonderful enthusiasm, and in some places with a great measure of success, in many parts they are severely handicapped by two principal factors: having come late to the field and being deprived of Medical Missionaries. You intend, dear Rev. Mother, with generous heart, to make up for this latter deficiency. Let me, therefore, wish you every success in your very timely undertaking. I will not conclude this letter, however, without addressing an earnest appeal to those Irish girls, full of zeal and faith, who, were they to know the wonderful possibilities awaiting them in Mary's Medical Missionaries, would gladly join them. Hoping that this appeal will have a favourable response, I remain, dear Mother Mary, with renewed congratulations, Yours sincerely in Christ, ANT. RIBERI, Archbishop of Dara, Apostolic Delegate.