Fresh on the heels of the New Year s news that Auxiliary Bishop Moses Chikwe, of the Archdiocese of Owerri, Nigeria and his driver Robert Ndubuisi had been released by their kidnappers unharmed, came another report through Fides, the news agency of the Pontifical Mission Societies at the Vatican. On January 8th, armed bandits seized Sister Dachoune Severe, of the Little Sisters of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Through the grace of God and prayers of many, Sister was released two days later and is back safely with her community.
Lest readers think that violence is only perpetrated against official missionaries for living their faith, add to this miserable list the case of Sheeza Maqsood. This sixteen-year-old Christian Pakistani girl was kidnapped at gunpoint from her home by four men. Sheeza was repeated assaulted and tortured for days and forced to marry one of her captors under threats of violence against her family. The brave girl was able to escap