Papal Foundation: Investing in Nigeria’s future

On Saturday Pope Benedict met and thanked the Papal foundation for their efforts to support and help the Church in developing nations on his behalf. During the audience, members of the U.S.-based Foundation presented the Pope with $8.5 million to support charitable projects of the Holy Father.

The funds will support 105 programs in nearly 50 nations on four continents. Grants include $500,000 to construct five schools in Egypt and $43,000 for construction of a health care facility and maternity clinic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other projects include a soup kitchen in the Ukraine, the construction of a church in Angola, a health center in Malawi, and a new seminary in Peru. In addition, Saeman Scholarships will support theological studies in Rome for 59 seminarians, priests, religious and lay people from 23 developing nations so they may return to their home nations equipped to teach the faith.
Sr. Francis of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ says she is an example of how investing in the future of one person means investing in the future of an entire nation. Sr. Francis is from Northern Nigeria and she is the recipient of a Saeman Scholarship, founded by Papal Foundation stewards John and Carol Saeman.

Years ago the Saemans asked Pope John Paul II where their donation would be best invested. He replied in the future of developing nations, more specifically in giving young men and women, religious and lay, access to top level education.

“This scholarship has really helped me a lot because I really suffered before”, she told Emer McCarthy. “Actually when I was asked to do this course in psychology I was quite afraid because we don’t have a community in Rome, so I didn’t know where I could live or how I would support myself”.

Sr. Francis says her Congregation, founded by Irish Missionary Charles Heery, focuses on empowering young girls and women in African society, through schools, orphanages, hospitals and clinics. “We train the young children, young girls but also young boys, not just academically but also spiritually to know God”.

“The study of psychology is going to be of immense benefit to us, not just to me particularly, to help my congregation and Church in Nigeria. We have many vocations to religious life in the Congregation…so we need competent hands, somebody who is well informed who will be able to help these young girls in their process of formation. And not just in the formation houses. When I go back to Nigeria, I will also be able to give a hand in the seminaries, in the psychological assessment of the candidates who wish to be priests, because our psychology course here in the Gregorian opens us, gives us many opportunities. And then I could also give help in the parishes in giving family therapy. I have so many areas I can help. This scholarship is going to be a very bigh help to so many others in Nigeria”. Listen: