Sr. Joan Mumaw, IHM, joins CWCIT's Stan Chu Ilo to talk about her advocacy work for South Sudan, especially through the nonprofit that she directs, Friends in Solidarity. They discuss the nonprofit's many accomplishments, the various violent situations and challenges that women religious face in South Sudan, and how the Church can aid in the complex political situation with de-escalation efforts and reconciliation. Wrapping up the podcast, Sr. Joan shares some lessons she learned while working with the poor in conflict zones, as well as her hopes for the future of South Sudan.  

Friends in Solidarity is a collaborative nonprofit ministry initiated by Institutes of Women and Men Religious in the U.S. and supporting the people of Africa, especially South Sudan, through capacity building initiatives that include the training of teachers, health care professionals and pastoral teams. Learn more about it at http://www.FriendsInSolidarity.org.

Ministry and Advocacy in South Sudan: An Interview with Sr. Joan Mumaw, IHM

A CWCIT interview with Fr. Bernhard Udelhoven, MAfr, a longtime missionary in Zambia. Fr. Udelhoven holds an MA in social anthropology (SOAS University of London) and has 20 years' experience in mediating witchcraft-related disputes in Zambia. 

For CWCIT's 2018-19 Spiritual Works of Mercy lecture series, Fr. Udelhoven gave a talk at DePaul University on the topic of this podcast's title. In the West, witchcraft and demons are typically the stuff of fiction. But in Zambia, these are real issues that affect real people. Those who have occult experiences, feel afflicted by demons, or stand accused of witchcraft are ostracized, even by their own families, often with threats to their very lives. Fr. Udelhoven's "Fingers of Thomas" support group offers them comfort. Its culturally-sensitive approach takes seriously people's fears yet also pursues justice for those who are victims of moral panics and minority demonization.
(Learn more about the "Fingers of Thomas" here: https://www.fenza.org/fingers-of-thomas.html)

Comforting the Afflicted—Witchcraft & Demons in a World of Plural Beliefs (Bernhard Udelhoven, MAfr)

Conversations with journalists, pastoral leaders, activists, theologians, and scholars from across the globe who are working on the forefront of issues affecting the Catholic Church in the southern hemisphere—Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Based at DePaul University, the Center for World Catholicism & Intercultural Theology (CWCIT) is a leading center of research and reflection on the Church in the global South; it hosts visiting scholars each year, publishes the Studies in World Catholicism book series, and collaborates internationally with institutions such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the St. Vincent School of Theology in Manila, and the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations in Nairobi.

Ministry and Advocacy in South Sudan: An Interview with Sr. Joan Mumaw, IHM

Near and Far (a world Catholicism podcast series)

Related tracks