Educational Media Reviews Online

Catholic missionaries work all over the world, doing their best to both evangelize and alleviate human suffering. The conditions under which they do so are at best difficult, and at worst dangerous. This film examines their work in two African nations, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Sudan.

The Sudan has suffered through many years of civil war between the Muslim Northerners and the mostly Christian Southerners. The Northerners have invaded and devastated the South, causing much misery and death. The Southerners have come off worst in this contest, because they are less well armed and equipped than their adversaries. In the southern village of Marial Lou, many people have taken refuge from the war and the Northerner’s attempts to forcibly convert them to Islam. Though the villagers are relatively safe from the war there, they still face poverty and disease. Sister Dorinda ministers to them, and tries to ease their suffering. In the DRC similar conditions exist. A civil war has destroyed much of the country, the people are extremely poor, and political violence is still an ever present danger. Roads and bridges have either fallen into disrepair or have been sabotaged by the various combatants, making the transport of medicine and other goods very difficult. Congolese politicians promise a better life and an end to suffering, but many are skeptical of what they say. This group includes Father Alfredo, who ministers to the people of the village of Dondo. He does not know if the politician’s promises will be kept, but whether they are or not he sees as being irrelevant. He teaches his parishioners to find peace of mind through their devotion to God, and not through politics. Father Alfredo, Sister Dorinda and the other Catholic missionaries in these two countries work to bring hope to their war torn and impoverished populations. They do this not only by preaching the gospel, but by building hospitals and showing the people new ways to sustain themselves. They also try to discourage traditions that they see as destructive or counter-productive, such as inter-tribal conflicts or patriarchal attitudes that devalue women.

The picture and sound qualities of this film are good, and it is provided with an effective narration. It demonstrates the terrible problems the missionaries face and how they deal with them, and does so in a compelling way. It is intends, by showing the determination and dedication of the individuals involved, to encourage others to join them. It suggests in a none too subtle way that the viewer take up the missionary enterprise, and warns that if he or she does not that Christianity will be overtaken by the proselytizing efforts of Islam. The sacrifices of missionaries past and present are praised, as is their mission to both preach the gospel and “civilize” their charges. However, the use of the word “civilize” demonstrates the films limitations! Most of the people of Africa are grateful for the charitable work of the missionaries, but they already feel “civilized”. They too often feel patronized by missionaries, and frequently complain that their preaching undermines indigenous culture. They also feel that the missionaries of the past (that the film praises) were little better than agents of their former European colonial masters, and as such were dedicated to their political subjugation. Some believe that this is also true of their modern counterparts! These feelings, be they right or wrong, the film fails to address, and as a result it becomes little more than a promotional piece for Catholic missionaries world-wide. It is not an objective examination of the problems of the peoples of the Sudan and the DRC, and the efforts being made to address them. It should only be purchased by those interested in recruiting Catholic missionaries, or those interesting in examining their work in Africa.