Sister Mary Francis Spreads the Love of Christ in Nigeria

One of our own, Sister Mary Francis Amanfo, was recently highlighted in the Arkansas Catholic newspaper for her mission work in Nigeria.

Sister Mary Francis Amanfo, DDL, has been in Arkansas for seven years as a chaplain at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock. She came to the United States 20 years ago, but has had a connection to the Daughters of Divine Love Charity Home in Enugu, Nigeria, since she became a nun 41 years ago.

The Daughters of Divine Love Charity Home was established in 1989, starting out as just a soup kitchen but growing to a place that houses the most neglected in society — orphans, children with illnesses and disease, widows, the elderly and rape victims who choose not to abort their child, Sister Mary Francis said.

Though many are told there is no room, families wait until the sisters are in prayer and “they come and leave a baby for the sisters like trash. And once you see a baby that way, you can’t say no to God … We took her in, we clothed her, gave her medications, gave her malaria medications, gave her what she needed — she needed love and comfort. After many years she grew up and became somebody. This is just one of the people who come to our charity home.”

Sister Mary Francis said no matter where she lives, her congregation’s motto, “The Love of Christ impels us” (2 Corinthians 5:15), guides her work.

“I can’t just close my eyes and go to St. Vincent and do my work as a chaplain when I know that 65 percent of the people in the world have no shoes. People have 15, 20 pairs of shoes in their closets … I told them God has played tricks on us and only gave us two legs, so you must wear one pair at a time. Even if you buy 60 you can’t wear more than two. So save five pairs of shoes for yourself, the rest belongs to me and my mission.”

Click here to read the full story.

#CHILivingOurMission