Pastoral Ministry
The Soma Community Engages the Parishioners of Mary, Mother of God Parish
Soma, The Gambia — The Gambia is the smallest country in West Africa surrounded by Senegal with its capital at Banjul. The Gambia is traditionally very tolerant of all religious creeds and beliefs and has a population of 2,416,688, predominantly Muslims up to 90%, Christians 9% and 1% who practice traditional religion. The Gambia has only one diocese, the Catholic Diocese of Banjul with twenty (20) parishes.
School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) have been living and serving God’s people in Soma for the past twenty-five years as they continue to respond to God’s call to proclaim the Good News in the Catholic Diocese of Banjul. Apart from sisters engagement in formal education, they in collaboration with Father Anthony William Lippo, CSSp, the parish priest are fully involved in pastoral ministry in Mary Mother of God Parish Jarra Soma and in its three outstations: Divine Mercy Christian community, Bureng-Jabang and St. Joseph’s Christian community, Jarren.
The duties of pastoral ministry are shared among the sisters and the parish priest. They take turns to offer the spiritual needs and other forms of support to the Catholic Christians in Soma and its environs. For example, sisters lead communion service in the outstations on Sundays and in the parish whenever the priest is absent for another assignment. Also in the main parish, the sisters are responsible for the sacristy; they work with the Pontifical Missionary Childhood; they are part of the Parish Council and give catechism classes to individuals preparing for First Communion and Confirmation. The sisters also deliberately create time to visit with families and Christians in their neighborhood.
The sisters in Soma feel at home in The Gambia and with joy offer their services to the people as they provide holistic education and cater for the spiritual needs. May the Triune God continue to guide and lead them in their ministry.
Soma, The Gambia — The Gambia is the smallest country in West Africa surrounded by Senegal with its capital at Banjul. The Gambia is traditionally very tolerant of all religious creeds and beliefs and has a population of 2,416,688, predominantly Muslims up to 90%, Christians 9% and 1% who practice traditional religion. The Gambia has only one diocese, the Catholic Diocese of Banjul with twenty (20) parishes.
School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) have been living and serving God’s people in Soma for the past twenty-five years as they continue to respond to God’s call to proclaim the Good News in the Catholic Diocese of Banjul. Apart from sisters engagement in formal education, they in collaboration with Father Anthony William Lippo, CSSp, the parish priest are fully involved in pastoral ministry in Mary Mother of God Parish Jarra Soma and in its three outstations: Divine Mercy Christian community, Bureng-Jabang and St. Joseph’s Christian community, Jarren.
The duties of pastoral ministry are shared among the sisters and the parish priest. They take turns to offer the spiritual needs and other forms of support to the Catholic Christians in Soma and its environs. For example, sisters lead communion service in the outstations on Sundays and in the parish whenever the priest is absent for another assignment. Also in the main parish, the sisters are responsible for the sacristy; they work with the Pontifical Missionary Childhood; they are part of the Parish Council and give catechism classes to individuals preparing for First Communion and Confirmation. The sisters also deliberately create time to visit with families and Christians in their neighborhood.
The sisters in Soma feel at home in The Gambia and with joy offer their services to the people as they provide holistic education and cater to the spiritual needs. May the Triune God continue to guide and lead them in their ministry.