By Sr. Sheila Campbell, MMM Ireland 11.11.2026
Recently I came across a Statement made by Irish Missionary Societies on the Nigerian Civil War back in 1969. To be honest, I was taken aback. Take out the bit about “Nigerian Civil War” and it is a good guiding principle for the work of all missionaries in any time of conflict. And yes, the world has many conflict situations today!! Let me share part of it:
“As missionaries we are committed to serving the spiritual and human needs of all our people. At this tragic moment the emphasis in the distressed areas must be on human service – feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, providing for the orphans and homeless. In this work we co-operate to the fullest extent with local, state, national and international humanitarian agencies.
We appeal for prayers that a just and lasting peace may soon return.
We appeal for continued and increased aid for the alleviation of hunger, distress and suffering in all parts.
While reaffirming that we, as missionaries, neither wish nor consider it our function to pass political judgement on the present complex situation, we appeal to our fellow Christians and all others, in the interest of the people we serve, to show a proper respect for truth.
We acknowledge the responsibility of the Church for moral guidance, a responsibility shared by the local hierarchy, and indeed by all the local religious leaders. Therefore, we appeal most urgently and earnestly to all sides, in the name of our common humanity and our vocation to Christian service, to take some immediate and practical steps towards peace and reconciliation.”
“Some practical and immediate steps” – I love that. It bypasses all the social media pressure and political grandstanding. Let’s bring it on – for peace in our world today!
by Nadia Ramoutar, MMM Communications Coordinator Ireland 07.11.2026
Recently, my mother died.
I know that is a loaded sentence and while concise and short it is very heavy. I have heard grief referred to as a wet blanket. Something that is much heavier than it would normally be. Many people who have already lost their mother can empathise with my experience. Many people who have not yet lost their mother’s may dread this. Then there are also people who never had a relationship with their mother. We all have different stories and different paths to walk in life.
What we do know though and do not like to admit is that all of our lives are on a path to death. As such, death is inevitable, no matter who we are.
I was fortunate to spend three hours with my mother in the afternoon before she died in her sleep. She was comfortable and literally died on new plush cushions I had just bought. But not everyone gets to die in such a peaceful way. Many suffer brutally and have nothing but concrete below them when they die.
While I was visiting the MMM Missions in Tanzania, I was amazed at the devotion of our MMM Sisters and staff there. We spent a day with Dr/Sr. Marian Scena, visiting patients who were in palliative care. It was so moving to see how patient she was with the patients, and how much compassion she showed them too. Many were in difficult situations and when they saw Dr/Sr. Marian entering their homes, they were illuminated with relief. She and the staff member with her brought medical supplies, medication and other resources when needed. But more than anything they brought dignity and a sense of comfort at a time when someone really needed it.
I recall specifically a grandmother who was dying and her grandchildren and her sons were coming to her and asking her for things. It was as if they were not really willing to see the huge pain and discomfort the woman was in at the end of her life. The family, as many do, wanted to act like everything was normal and death was not a reality to accept. It was business as usual.
The MMM sisters and staff in many remote and isolated places in the world bring a massive amount of relief to people in their hour of need – especially when hope of treatment is over and death is near. I will never forget witnessing the way in which I saw people held in kindness, care and compassion in Tanzania.
It really helped me put all my concerns and personal worries aside to attend to my own mother. It made me a better person. I am grateful to have been mentored in such an unintentional way. The help and support that we get from caring people allow the MMM Sisters to continue to be there in people’s darkest hours. We could not do it without such generosity.
by Ingrid Dalton USA 04.11.2026
What if the world was a better place?
What if humanity woke up to its destruction and rose to its potential?
Civilizations rise and fall. They fall because of their arrogance, supremacy or abuse of power.
One would think that this millennium would prove us to have more civility and humanity; especially with better education and travel. One would think that more diversity and a better world view accompany modern man. One would think that what humanity experienced with atrocities throughout millennia would result in a better world. Instead, wars have become more brutal, with sophisticated weaponry led by so-called First World Countries. It is about greed and power.
What I find very disturbing is when people bring God, or better said religion, into the equation to justify their deeds. They speak of God’s punishments for all sorts of occurrences; on one side people speak of God as Love and on the other side as a God of wrath. In my humble opinion it is exactly this kind of rhetoric that provides division and unrest. If I, as a Christian, for example, believe in a loving God, then how can I agree to a God that punishes me? Isn’t it us who create our own punishments; when we knowingly and consciously commit a mistake and suffer the consequences, it is not God or a Higher Power that punishes us, it is we who by our actions pay for it. Maybe it’s because some Christians refer more to the Old Testament, which if not put in context is a rather dim scripture; where the New Testament when put in the right context is a scripture of hope.
And this is what is happening in the United States of America at this crucial crossroads in history. A radical right-wing (or fascist) government that supports atrocities, without consideration, in the name of God. For example, interfering in voting rights, racial discrimination, entering into wars without reason, interfering in other countries’ governments, dismantling alliances, destruction of the environment, still adhering to the death penalty and now adding a firing squad as a form of execution and streaming it for viewing. That is a barbaric display.
One could argue that inhabitants of a third world country are in worse shape than people in a first world country; it could be the opposite. It seems the more a civilization rises, the chance of a demise is inevitable. Not because a loving God or Creator is punishing man, but because of man’s chosen deeds that are incomprehensible.
What if mankind would practice more compassion, kindness, forgiveness, love and peace, what if we follow the Golden Rule – as you wish that others would do to you, do so do them? The world would be a better place to live.
Ingrid Dalton is a widow and retired. She lives with her two cats in Georgia, USA, and enjoys writing, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
by Sr. Sheila Campbell, MMM Ireland 31.10.2026
I grew up in a newly developed suburb of Belfast in the 1950s. Looking back on it now, we had no idea that Northern Ireland would be plunged into so many years of “The Troubles” when tensions between the two distinct communities would flare up.
My memory of Halloween involves the setting of a small bonfire and running around the street with a sparkler in my hand. It was for both religious traditions and all the kids in my street enjoyed it together. My father, or one of the other responsible fathers, was responsible for setting off the other types of fireworks. I remember my brother pleading anxiously to be a part of that kind of fun. Nowadays, of course, fireworks are mostly illegal unless with a special permit.
Halloween is a very Irish festival. The name evolved because it was the evening before All Hallows, or All Saints. But the roots are deep in Celtic tradition. The Celts celebrated Samhain to mark the end of the harvest and the start of winter. The juggle between life (summer, growth) and winter (dead, bleak) was most apparent at this time.
There was no tradition of witches or pumpkin lanterns: I think that might have been a later American addition. Trick or treat was also not invented at that time.
Of course, as I child all these traditions were beyond my understanding. I loved Halloween because of the fireworks and because my mother always baked a large apple dumpling pudding with coins added (carefully wrapped in greaseproof paper) .
To get one of these coins on Halloween was a winner!
As Halloween comes around again, I just hope that children can get great joy in the small things of life, enjoy the company of other children and learn to build community.
All the Saints, show us how to live!
by Sr. Sheila Devane, MMM Ireland 28.10.2026
When MMM was founded in 1937 safe birth for mothers was at the heart of our vocation and mission and ever since we have worked to ensure this across many countries and cultures. In May 2024, a campaign called “Safebirth4all” was launched in Dublin to focus on the global prevention of obstetric fistulae. MMM are partners in the venture and in this way advocating for an aspect of specialist care of mother and child in which we are clearly experienced.
We have some remarkable stories of enabling safe births but let me share one among many of a maternity call that happened over forty years ago in Loolera, Masailand, Tanzania. The MMM mission there started on Pentecost Sunday, 1984, when a team of two sisters and ten men set out to build a prefabricated house and dispensary in a 4-week schedule. This followed an extended period of visiting, meeting the people, surveying their needs, and agreeing to offer a community-based primary health care service with their collaboration.
Three sisters were assigned to Loolera and, early on, a maternity emergency call came. A Masai warrior arrived at dawn one Sunday morning armed with his spears and sweating from running. With the help of their driver/interpreter, the sisters understood that a mother was in labour for a long time and having difficulty delivering her baby. They very quickly gathered the delivery kit and two of them set out in the Land Rover with the driver and the Masai warrior. After about five kilometres, or so, they had to abandon the vehicle as there was no road and a lot of bush and scrub which made it impossible to drive. The Masai men slashed the undergrowth as they walked quickly through it and when the sisters timidly asked now and again: “how far?” the warrior always answered: “we are very near.” The sun was now shining and the heat was increasing as the sisters plodded on and on. One can imagine their thoughts of what might lie ahead: perhaps an obstructed labour, a twin pregnancy, a very young mother, a transverse lie and so many more possibilities? Although they were told they were extremely near, they realised that this was relative for a tribe who often walk as much as fifty kms. a day without batting an eyelid.
About midday they heard voices in the distance – what a relief! They saw a clearance ahead and the Masai bomas, or dwellings, came into view. They heard children’s voices, saw a few goats scampering about and, on reflection later, didn’t see any women – something which, with more experience, might have been a warning sign. With gusto they were directed to one of the bomas and beside it there was an open space fenced around with thorn branches. A few young boys called out “here, here” in the Maa language. The sister doctor proceeded first through the opening in the hedge to assist the mother. There she was, tied to a tree with a leather belt, moaning loudly, surrounded by what seemed like about twenty young men who were collectively positioning her upside down and back again – a mother cow!
The stunned sisters were now standing with their driver-interpreter who spoke to the group as the sisters were quickly escorted back through the hedge to a boma where the women folk welcomed them. What to do? Here was their first test and had they failed? The cow was precious and to lose her and her calf would be a huge loss for a tribe where cattle were greatly prized. They explained to the women that they do maternity care but only of humans. The women were glad to know this as the men had insisted that their skills would also work for cows! Fortified with food and milk they returned on the long, hot journey to the land rover – their first maternity call of very many was almost over.
There was much to consider and even more than obstetrics to learn and practice among a nomadic tribe in a new mission – all part of the extraordinary MMM adventure!
MMM Publications 1944 Ireland 24.10.2026
Nigeria: Today I must tell you about Jimmy – our pet of pets.
He was a “fruit-eating civet cat.” He was a beautiful little creature about the size of a squirrel and having an enormously ling furry tail over a yard long. He had a coat of beautiful light grey fur with two dark spots in the middle of his back. He had fur on the back of his paws, but the front part of his paws had soft cool pads. He could grasp things like a monkey.
He had lost his mother before he was able to look after himself. I tried to feed him with milk from a pipette, but he refused, so I was obliged to look for a foster mother. Our dog Kumba had had the misfortune to lose her pups and Jimmy filled the aching corner in her mother’s heart. She took to him at once and gave him all her attention and fed him. He liked being fed and being cuddled and kept warm by his new mother but like most young animals he hated being washed.
But Kumba was a good mother and did not believe in spoiling children so she used her paw firmly on the long tail and would lick him all over, paying no attention to his angry squeaks.
Soon Jimmy was able to get around everywhere and sad to relate he developed an insatiable curiosity. It was his habit to climb on to the table and poke his nose into everything. If it was eatable, invariably he sampled it. One day he found a bottle of quinine tablets. Quietly he had the bottle on its side and the cork pulled out in no time. Then he shook out some of the quinine tablets and took a big bite. The next minute he was tearing around the room spitting as hard as he could in the vain hope of getting rid of the quinine.
He was a very affectionate little creature and would come when he was called. He ate almost any kind of food but was not destructive. He loved small pieces of meat, fruit or cockroaches. The African cockroaches are enormous beetles about four times the size of the ones in Ireland and they are great pests. They get into drawers and cupboards and seem to eat anything softer than cast iron. Jimmy was a great asset at keeping them down. He would pounce on them and crunch them up with gusto!
by Nadia Ramoutar, MMM Communications Coordinator Ireland 21. 10.2026
A recent report from UNICEF alarmingly indicates that intimate partner violence starts early in the lives of girls. Globally, nearly 30 per cent of adolescent girls aged 15–19 years are estimated to have experienced intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lives. This is about 43 million girls worldwide. There are more details of this report available for you to review if you would like.
I have worked for MMM for over five years now and my work in dealing with issues for girls and women has been very meaningful to me. I am fortunate to work in a matriarchal structure in which I feel valued and appreciated. The MMMs will celebrate the 90th anniversary of being founded next year in 2027. While I appreciate all the efforts we are making, I think that looking at this statistical report from UNICEF there is something staringly obvious and wrong here. What concerns me is the “who” of this report? The girls are being abused by someone.
Much of the efforts around girls and violence frequently include ways in which girls can avoid being victims of crime – but the truth is so little effort seems to go into actually breaking these cycles by focusing on the true issue here – how can we raise less violent boys and men?
I am the mother of two males. I know that raising a boy is not always easy in ways that can be challenging. No parenting is easy – but when you a mother raising boys into men you have to be very careful that you get your messaging right. At an early age I started to talk to my sons about concepts like “consent” – what does it mean, how does is impact them. Recently my youngest son found himself challenged when he lost his temper and raised his voice when frustrated in losing an online video game. Teaching boys how to deal with frustration and to be able to lose graciously is not an easy thing to do.
Many boys now lack positive male role models in their lives for several reasons and this is a global issue that we can see worldwide. It is important that boys get a clear understanding of what it means to grow up into responsible, compassionate and reasonable adults. They will not be able to get their way all the time. They cannot use their size and strength to overpower others. Girls are not lesser than them in anyway because they may be smaller or less able to defend themselves.
It is all our responsibility as communities to help raise secure, confident, responsible and decent men. Very bad things happen in our world when this does not happen. We need to find new ways to address an age old problem – what can we do to raise strong men who do not continue to perpetuate old and harmful ways in our world.
By Sr. Christina Gill, MMM Ireland 17.10.2026
Many years ago, I worked in Fuka, Northern Nigeria. It was a small rural village surrounded by nomadic herdsmen. We had a busy clinic. Shola our chief nurse would open the gates wide on a Monday morning for the patients arriving, usually walking or by bicycle.
This Monday was an extra busy day. We had a new group of infant vaccinations to organise, another group to continue their vaccinations and at the same time we has a group of pregnant mothers to be screened and cared for. Often, we had the problem of men not allowing further treatment for their wives. But Shona, our nurse was used to handling these cases, so when Fatima, a small woman with a large baby, presented needing referral to a larger institution, Shona sat down with Bola, the future father, to get him to agree with a referral for treatment. At first, he had been resistant. “There is no hospital bigger than Fuka!”, he exclaimed, seeing the bustle all around him. But Shona insisted and he agreed.
The clinics lasted long past lunchtime, and I was tired and decided to take a nap. No sooner had I stretched out on the bed than there was a persistent knocking on the window. It was Zach, Father’s houseboy. The priest was in difficulty and sent a note looking for help. “Father fallen in river, come help!” Zach insisted. What could I do? I was a new driver myself and knew nothing about cars or trucks. But after being encouraged to get a rope, I went with Zach to the river side in the clinic station wagon. There indeed was Father stranded in the middle of the shallow river, unable to drive forward or backward. Zach didn’t know how to attach the rope, so a local man from the village came to help and tied the rope, axle to axle. I was panicking, but Zach was insistent and confident. “Sister can do it!”, he kept saying.
Slowly I edged the car forward until the rope became taut. I put my foot on the accelerator and slowly the priest’s car was pulled out of the river. But where to get it fixed? I ended up towing Father past two villages until we reached the town of Minna. All the other cars were hooting and jeering – to see Sister towing Father, and not the Sister behind as is fitting for a woman!!
Listening to the world news at present, one could be forgiven for choosing not to read a short article with this title! However, let me reassure you that this could be titled simply as “Not My Turn”. This was something I was all too familiar with feeling, especially as a child, when asked to do some little household duty out of turn, or when I believed a sibling should really be doing it!By Sister Margaret Anne Meyer MMM USA 10.10.2026
At that time, in the early ninety’s, HIV/AIDS, was considered an East African Disease. The Minister of Health said that there were a few cases of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Few people believed it. I started to look for it. This was the same attitude as I found in Tanzania, other countries had it, but not us. After a few months, a doctor in Ikom asked me to see a patient who had Kaposi Sarcoma. She was found to be HIV positive. Her husband was a teacher and often visited villages in Cameroon. Ikom was close to that border. A doctor, from the Ministry of Health, was working in Calabar and told me she would test specimens brought to her lab. Because of what I had learned about clinically diagnosing HIV/AIDS in Tanzania, nearly all the specimens were positive for the virus. I began doing Health Education in the schools. Sister Jacinta Roche invited me to give a workshop on HIV/AIDS IN Mafoluku. It was well attended and the people were extremely interested in the subject.
Sr. Maura O’Donohue gave my name to speak at an AIDS Seminar in Jos and from there I was invited to many places. In 1994, an American organization gave me money to give a workshop on AIDS. Sr. Therese Jane Oguh was a guest speaker because she had gone abroad at the Bishops’ request to learn about HIV /AIDS. She gave an exceptionally good presentation. Sr. Uche Oluoha from Obudu, also helped with the organization and visits to the outlying villages. At that time, we were seeing a steady increase in patients suffering from HIV/AIDS. We were able to send one of our Staff Nurses for training in AIDS Counseling and he helped many patients to deal with their condition. Sr. Doctor Leonie Mc Sweeney gave courses in behaviour change. Another of our Staff Nurses went for this training and was able to train about eight high school students in behaviour change methods. One of them continued to give talks at her University. We had courses for those who wanted to attend six weekly sessions, and they received a certificate of training afterwards. Over one hundred and fifty people were trained in HIV/AIDS counseling. Over the years it was heartbreaking to see so many parents grieve for their young adult children dying of AIDS. At that time, antiviral medicines were extremely expensive, and few could afford them. Now they are much more available for the people to obtain.
We also took advantage of all the natural herbal remedies which were advertised in the journals. The branch of the frangipani flower exuded a milk like substance which took away the pain and itch of a herpes zoster rash. Kola nut boiled in water with an onion and honey eased a hacking cough. Boiled guava leaf soothed the itch of a fungal rash. Iodine was added to a bland ointment to cure a fungal rash when we had no Whitfield Ointment. It was surprising how much natural remedies could help these suffering people. God was with us and with them, too.
