‘A day of walking in fraternity”: Sister Maria Rita took part in a group walk organised by the Migrant Ministry of the diocese of Nice for Lent 2025.
And she wanted to share her experience of “walking together in hope”:
‘I heard from a volunteer at the Fourneau Economique in Nice, where our community works, that it was possible to walk on Sunday 2nd March in the area around the Alpes-Maritimes region, with a group organised by the Pastoral Care of Migrants of the Diocese. What a great opportunity to combine the desire to walk and discover the beauty of nature and the inhabitants of these places!
There were in fact 25 of us, aged between 8 and 83, from very different backgrounds: members of the Ivory Coast Migrant Ministry team, asylum seekers from the Congo and South Sudan, host couples and friends. And this time the group was very small, as Ramadan began that day and many were unable to participate.
To help the group get to know each other as we arrived at the meeting place, a few kilometres from Nice, a small friendly café allowed us to get to know the new arrivals and have a chat with the regulars. The sense of brotherhood was clear to see in the smiles, the welcoming greetings and the attentive way everyone was treated.
We then set off on an excursion in the woods, easy and accessible to all, illuminated by a timid sunlight that nevertheless clears the sky of the previous clouds and promises to offer us a magnificent panorama as we gradually gain altitude.
Once we reach a large open space, we are invited to rest and, above all, to introduce ourselves by name and country of origin, to help everyone get to know each other. ‘Brothers and sisters who today flee from situations of misery and violence, in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones’ (1), Pope Francis reminds us in his Lenten homily.
And, immediately after the words and behind the words spoken, hidden sufferings are revealed, unexpected life paths, ‘incredible’ violence, trust that is strengthened, dreams revealed, hopes that grow because the encounter made of listening, respect, solidarity…. in a word: of deep, gratuitous and unconditional love, helps us to trust, to move forward and to walk through life.
Then we resume our journey with, in our hearts, the echo of these fragmented, broken lives which, when shared more widely, are gradually rebuilt, step by step.
And the excursion continues and reaches its peak in the shared meal, where we allow ourselves the pleasure of tasting a small dish of what each person has brought to eat or drink… and the conviviality continues through the sharing of the host families: their difficulties, their doubts, their joys and discoveries, the need for them to be accompanied, with the support of the Pastoral Care of Migrants.
But we have to think about returning, so we have to get up, open the circle that has brought us together for the meal, listening and sharing, and set off along another path that takes us near a teaching farm where goats, sheep, donkeys and horses are reared. We admire the beauty of Creation and the ability of the people who take care of these places with respect for Nature. This stage is also appreciated by walkers: young and… old!
In this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis has given us a beautiful message for Lent entitled ‘Walking Together in Hope’ and on this fraternal journey I have met men and women who are searching for a better life and also for a humanity that wants to believe that goodness and joy still have a place in our world that is sometimes so lacking in hope.
Sister Maria Rita Siboni
Community of Nice
