“A testimony of dedication”: Archbishop of Luanda on Angolan Catholic Sister’s Golden Jubilee of Religious Life

“I have known Sr. Emiliana since a time when she ventured to write for the newspaper Apostolado. I am talking about the 1970s and something,” he recalled.

According to Archbishop Dias, her early journalistic work demonstrates that her involvement in communication is not a recent development but has accompanied her decades-long participation in the life of the Church.

“The secret of my perseverance”

Reflecting on the source of Sr. Emiliana’s perseverance, Archbishop Dias recalled her own testimony that the foundation of her 50-year journey has been the constant presence of God.

He also thanked her for her witness and dedication, urging her to remain joyful in belonging to Christ and close to both God and people.

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“We want to say thank you for such a beautiful testimony, for your life of dedication,” he said.

“It was the work and faithfulness of God”

Speaking at the conclusion of the Golden Jubilee celebration, during which she renewed her vows, Sr. Emiliana said the anniversary was primarily an opportunity to recognize God’s faithfulness.

“50 years of Consecrated Life represent, above all, the work and faithfulness of God in her life,” she said.

Reflecting on 15 August 1976, when she made her first vows, Sr. Emiliana said God had called her to belong entirely to Him and transformed her life into “an offering and unlimited self-giving.”

She added that God had preserved her throughout the five decades and enabled her to remain faithful despite the challenges of the times.

Sr.  Emiliana said she intends to continue living her Franciscan vocation through simplicity, obedience to God’s will and “total and inclusive love, especially for the poorest,” bringing them what she described as “the tenderness of God that never runs out.”

“The theology of the knees”

Addressing the challenges facing Consecrated Life, Sr. Emiliana underscored the need for constant prayer.

“Let us all learn what we already do, but let us improve the theology of the knees: prayer,” she said.

For her, prayer is what keeps consecrated people “firm, secure and permanently confident in the Lord” amid contemporary challenges.

She also identified the Eucharist as a source of strength for her mission, saying that through daily Eucharistic adoration she rediscovers the strength to embrace the challenges of the times.

Addressing the Sisters of her Congregation, she called them to concrete self-giving to the Church and humanity, describing their mission as a call to be a message of “peace, love, fidelity and profound gratitude.”

Born in August 1954, she made her first vows on 15 August 1976.