Supporters of LITTLE EDEN gathered at St Augustine College on Monday 1 May 2017 for the inaugural Danny and Domitilla Hyams memorial lecture, presented by His Eminence Wilfrid Cardinal Napier OFM, who opened the proceedings by leading the celebration of Holy Mass.
Amongst the guests were delegates from Associazione Domitilla Rota Hyams Onlus in Italy, who presented a replica statue of La Madonna della Cornabusa (Our Lady of Cornabusa) to LITTLE EDEN. The original statue is displayed in the Cornabusa Sanctuary in Italy where in 2014, Cardinal Napier become the second Cardinal to celebrate Holy Mass in the Sanctuary.
The replica statue will be permanently placed at LITTLE EDEN Elvira Rota Village, Bapsfontein on Sunday 7 May 2017 during a small ceremony.
In his address, Cardinal Napier spoke about the way Domitilla Hyams was challenged to define and live the very special missionary vocation which God was gradually revealing to her. And how we can follow Domitilla’s example, by looking at the special needs which Jesus is calling us to address in similar practical and concrete ways.
“In this regard we have been helped enormously by Pope Francis, especially by his challenge at the end of the Year of Mercy,” he explained. “This was to make sure that you carry forward into the future a work of mercy that you had done during the Year of Mercy as testimony that God’s mercy is at work at all times.
“A second challenge which Pope Francis throws at us is in “Laudato Si“, where he asks us to take on some practical and concrete actions, or even better, a systematic programme of actions by which we care of creation wherever we are.
“The third is the most basic and most demanding – that each one undertakes to reform and renew ourselves, our families and our communities, in an effort to reform and renew society as a whole. Our goal must be to reduce or even eliminate the socio-economic and political conditions responsible for impoverishing and marginalising so many people today, even as we offer relief in every way possible.”
LITTLE EDEN sends heartfelt thanks to St Augustine College for sponsoring the venue and for their kind assistance during the preparation of this special event.