Sr. Irini is an Egyptian national. Trained as medical docteur, she worked in hospital set up in most of her missionary appointment in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Lebanon and Egypt. She also worked in the administration as provincial leader of the OLA in Egypt and general councilor. Sharing her many years of rich experiences, she said:
“I have been lucky to work with other religious congregations, to have attended, all alone as a woman, spokesperson at some meetings of the Catholic’s hierarchy (with bishops) and to have been over eight years the Catholic representative of the Ecumenical Council team of Middle East Churches, Health sector (Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria …). Attending Roman days in Rome has been for me a channel of discovery of the universal Church, the Churches of the Maghreb and that of Mashreq. Coming from an old Oriental Church old of 2000 years, I have lived mission, the wealth of local churches: young and full of life, I have learned others’ culture, their mentality as well as their traditions and how to respect them. I have equally learned their sense of celebration and sharing, I have acquired new ways of looking at the sick and the suffering. I did learn how to be efficient with little resources, and this solely based on listening and loving patients under our care, giving them our time, touching them treating with respect.
Sr. Irini is the current archivist of the OLA generalate in Rome. She will talk about the unicity of mission by developing the topic
SMA-NDA: One mission, different roles. Diversity of gifts, ministries, tasks and a large family.
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