Imam’s daughter in Guinea-Bissau makes profession as Catholic religious sister

A daughter of a Bissau-Guinean imam has made her first profession as a Catholic religious sister, describing the milestone as a response to God’s call and a moment of “joy, emotion, and profound gratitude.”

Aicha Settimia Canté, 27, made her temporary profession on Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Spirit (CDS).

The celebration took place in the Diocese of Bissau and was presided over by the bishop emeritus of Bissau, José Câmnate Na Bissign .

“Above all, I want to give thanks to God for calling me, choosing me, and sustaining me until this moment,” Canté said in her thanksgiving speech, adding that her heart “overflows with joy, emotion, and profound gratitude.”

Canté’s religious vocation has particular significance because she comes from a Muslim family. She is the daughter of an imam and originally from Safim. She was baptized at Our Lady of Grace Farim Parish of the Bissau Diocese and received confirmation at St. Anne Mansoa Parish before embarking on her journey to consecrated life.

Her profession highlights the coexistence of different religious traditions in Guinea-Bissau.

‘My…