IMAM’S DAUGHTER ORDAINED CATHOLIC REV. SISTER
Aicha Settimia Canté, the 27-year-old daughter of a Muslim prayer leader in Guinea-Bissau, has made her temporary profession as a Catholic nun.
She took her first religious vows with the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Spirit on August 15, during the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The ceremony, held in the Catholic Diocese of Bissau, was presided over by the Bishop Emeritus of Bissau, José Câmnate Na Bissign.
Describing the occasion as a moment of joy, emotion and profound gratitude, Sister Aicha thanked God for calling her into religious life and sustaining her throughout her journey.
“Above all, I want to give thanks to God for calling me, choosing me and sustaining me until this moment,” she said.
For her first profession, she chose the words of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus as her motto: “In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love.”
Born into a Muslim family in Safim and raised by an Imam, Sister Aicha was baptized at Our Lady of Grace Farim Parish in the Diocese of Bissau. She later received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Anne Mansoa Parish.
According to her testimony, she responded “yes” after discerning God’s call to religious life.
Her journey has been described as a remarkable testimony of faith and personal conviction. It also reflects the peaceful coexistence of different religious traditions in Guinea-Bissau.
Sister Aicha’s first vows represent an important stage in her journey toward full religious profession and a life devoted to prayer, service and the Catholic Church.
IMAM’S DAUGHTER ORDAINED CATHOLIC REV. SISTER
