Born in 1944 in Sondrio, Italy, and a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Jeanne Antide Thouret, Sr. Maria Elena Berini received the International Women of Courage Award 2018 from the hands of American First Lady, Melania Trump. One of the 10 women chosen each year from all over the world to receive this honor, her name was proposed by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See after it was informed of her praiseworthy activities to counter hatred, injustice and war-related horrors in the Central African Republic.
From 1972-2007, Sr. Maria Elena was a missionary in Chad, after which she was sent to the Central African Republic, where she works as a teacher in an area bordering Chad and Cameroon. She was awarded the prize due to her courage and, above all, her ability to be a woman of hope in the very difficult context of Bocaranga, a zone marked by ongoing clashes, violence and episodes of guerrilla warfare. When rebels of the “Three R’s” movement invaded the area, she opened Church facilities to provide refuge to people fleeing the conflict.
“In spite of everything,” she said at the reception ceremony, “we continue to hope that peace is pos-sible. The prayers and support of many people close to us give us the strength to offer our solidarity to our friends in Central Africa. We do not know what the future holds, but we know that God is quietly with us.”
We offer Sr. Maria Elena our congratulations for this prestigious award, which gives recognition to the work of all women religious.
