Sister Maria Elena, an Italian nun was honored for her service to counter hatred, injustice, and war-related horrors, working in war-torn parts of Africa. She was honored by the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage award ceremony at the Dean Acheson Auditorium in Washington and was appreciated for her service to the poor and to internally displaced persons.
Sister Maria Elena Berini, a Catholic nun from Italy who serves with the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne Anthide Thouret, was born in 1944. She developed a deep sense of compassion and service from a young age when she left school at 15 to work in a textile factory to help support her family. Berini entered novitiate at age 19 and began delving into religious and educational training. After voicing her desire to serve in Africa, she was sent to Chad in 1972 to teach in rural areas, often under the threat of violence and war. Despite the horrors and injustices she witnessed first-hand, Berini came to love the African people and their culture. In 2007, she was transferred to a Catholic mission in Bocaranga, Central African Republic, where she has been working with internally displaced persons who are seeking refuge from conflict.
Berini was one among ten honorees at the International Women of Courage ceremony. Berini, now 74, still works in CAR with those displaced by the war and remains hopeful for peace within the region. The International Women of Courage award ceremony is now in its 12th year. It focuses on recognizing “women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk and sacrifice,” according to the U.S. Department of State.
Source: CNA
