Sisters of the Sacred Heart: A lifeline for South Sudanese refugees
By Sr. Paola Moggi, CMS – South Sudan
In Sudan’s overcrowded refugee camps, where violence and scarcity are everyday challenges, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SHS) offer crucial support to fellow refugees.
The South Sudanese congregation, living in camps like Al Kashafa, provides spiritual care, trauma counseling, and practical aid to the thousands displaced by decades of conflict.
Providing spiritual care and practical support in Al Kashafa
The sisters’ presence is vital in White Nile State, serving refugees in Al Kashafa and neighboring camps such as Gemeyia and Jorry. They run catechesis programs, visit the sick, and offer solace to those suffering from hunger, abuse, and the emotional toll of displacement.
“Our main service is to listen to them,” said Sr. Georgina Victor Nyarat, who has worked in Al Kashafa since December 2023. “People are really suffering.”
From displacement to service
The SHS congregation, founded in 1954 by Bishop Sixtus Mazzoldi in South Sudan, has experienced war and displacement firsthand.
After fleeing the First Sudan Civil War in 1964, the sisters sought refuge in Uganda before returning to South Sudan, only to be forced to flee again when the Second Sudan Civil War erupted in 1983. Since then, they have remained with their people, crossing borders to continue their mission.
In 2016, after violence escalated in South Sudan, Bishop Daniel Adwok Kur of Khartoum invited the sisters to pastoral care to refugees in Sudan’s White Nile region. They set up residence in Al Kashafa, a camp hosting over 150,000 South Sudanese.
The sisters’ residence, constructed from plastic sheeting, is a humble structure, but their presence has been a lifeline for the displaced.
Facing discrimination and meeting immediate needs
The sisters serve not only as caregivers but also as mediators in a tense environment where host communities often mistreat refugees.
Sr. Mary Achwany George, who has worked in Al Kashafa since 2016, noted that South Sudanese refugees face discrimination, including restrictions on collecting firewood and water.
“Many are threatened with rape and abuse when they leave the camp,” she said. Despite these challenges, the sisters offer refuge and hope through prayer and solidarity.
The sisters also provide critical support as food rations run low. The World Food Programme (WFP) offers some relief, but shortages persist, forcing refugees to work as day laborers with little compensation.
“Stress and frustration can become so unbearable, especially for the young ones, that they often fall sick,” said Sr. Mary.
Sharing faith and hope
Amid these hardships, the SHS sisters’ presence helps refugees deepen their faith and endure.
“At the beginning, the people were not close to the Church,” recalled Sr. Georgina. “Now they like to pray with us.” Each year, Bishop Daniel Adwok visits the camps to administer the sacrament of Confirmation and provide pastoral care.
Sr. Mary emphasized the resilience of the refugees, who share the little they have with new arrivals from Sudan.
“With the little they have, the South Sudanese refugees offer assistance even to the displaced Sudanese coming to the camps. They tell us: ‘God is there, sisters, and one day we will go home.’”
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