Sr Antonietta Papa is the new UISG Migrants Project Manager in Sicily.

Antonietta Papa is a missionary of the Daughters of Mary Missionaries’ Congregation and has lived in Brazil, an experience that has helped her to "see, observe, understand, ask and thus give" her contribution.

She says: "In mid-September, I was appointed as Project Manager and Contact Person for the UISG Migrants Project in Sicily. 

As requested by the Cardinal and two Bishops of Sicily, the projects’ aim is to "be a bridge between the local population and the migrants being engaged in witnessing and raising awareness" in response to Pope Francis' request to the sisters: to leave their comfort zones and serve the people who live on the margins.

In particular, the sisters who live and carry out their mission in Lampedusa are called to live together in order to be a source of communion, witness and Proclamation.
Lampedusa is an international community where customs, traditions and languages meet, and the sisters are a living witness to the Good News for the islanders and migrants arriving from all over.

I have seen with my own eyes the life and mission of the sisters on the island: they welcome, listen, share and celebrate with the islanders and the migrants with no distinction, facilitating (to the extent possible) the exchange of values between our and their cultures, with their differences, each one bearer of meanings, experiences, customs that must meet to allow a serene and peaceful coexistence.

In particular, the sisters, through their lives and commitment, are the first who can initiate that process of women empowerment and respect for their dignity, which is a very important achievement for those arriving in our country, whether woman or man.

My heartfelt thanks go to the UISG leadership that has entrusted me with this mission and to Sister Florence who has carried on this wonderful collaboration during these difficult years. Inevitably doubts, questions and perplexities are at the order of the day, but I am confident that together, with the grace of the Spirit, we will overcome all difficulties."