St. Hannibal

A Charism from the Heart of Jesus

St. Hannibal got so surprised when finally he found the inspiration he already had received during adoration, right in the words of Jesus:
“The harvest is great, but the laborers are few! Pray (in latin Rogate) therefore the owner of the harvest, so that he will send laborers into his harvest” (Mt. 9, 37-38; Lk 10,2).

St. Hannibal

The meeting with Zancone

As a young priest, St. Hannibal met Zancone, a young beggar, half blind, and asked him “Do you know the things of God?”. He answered: “And who will teach that to me?”. St. Hannibal said: “I’ll be visiting you”. Zancone lived in Avignone, a very poor area, and from that time on, St. Hannibal started going there continuously.

Africa

PR8: AFRICA, Nyanza, Poor Children

In the “Centre St. Antoine”, in Nyanza, Rwanda, the Rogationist Fathers take care of orphans, abandoned children and street kids, since 1988.

In the African country of a thousand hills, Rwanda, in the town of Nyanza, 90 km south of the capital city Kigali, you can find Saint Anthony Center.

It is a shelter for underprivileged minors, male and female: orphans, abandoned children, children found on the street.

Since 1988, our religious family of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, founded in 1897 by Saint Hannibal Mary Di Francia, has been taking care of the integral education of hundreds of boys and girls who have found their home here.

Some of them have been abandoned by their parents, and others, despite having a family, have left their homes because of poverty or some conflicts in the family, preferring to live on the streets.

Saint Anthony Center has always tried to guarantee all of the children everything that is necessary for their healthy growth so that after so much suffering, these boys and girls can become mature people, capable of accepting their limits and discovering their potential, knowing the rights and duties of a dignified life.

Our Center pays for everything that these children need: food, housing, medical assistance, clothing, education, etc.

We certainly cannot replace their parents, however, with God’s help, we try to create an environment that helps them lighten their difficult life so they can grow in love for God and their neighbors.

The charitable activity of Saint Anthony Center is not provided only for resident boys and girls. It is also aimed at poor families, in particular by providing scholastic support for their children since otherwise they could be excluded because they lack financial means. We also support the sick and the elderly who have been left alone.

Inside the Center there is also a nursery school for local children and the Social Office, where the needs of many disadvantaged people can be met.

Fulfilling this mission requires constant commitment on the part of our team of priests, educators and social workers, as well as the material help of so many good and generous people without whose spiritual and financial support, we could not make it.

Rogationist fathers of Nyanza

Contact info:

Centre Saint Antoine

Pères Rogationnistes

BP 15 Nyanza,

Rwanda (Afrique)