Pope Leo XIV Tells Augustinian Religious Sisters in Algieria "Your presence here means a lot" on a Private Visit

At the end of the first day of his historic visit to Algeria, Pope Leo XIV travelled to Bab El Oued, in the province of Algiers, to visit the Welcome and Friendship Center run by the Augustinian Missionary Sisters. There he paid homage to their fellow nuns who were killed on October 23, 1994, during the civil war. "Your presence here means a lot," he said, emphasizing that from St. Augustine we learn to "promote respect for the dignity of each person" and to "value differences."

 He had already been here when he was Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, in 2004 and 2009. The sisters remember him well: always cordial, a man of few words, yet so close to them. An Augustinian brother, and therefore one of the family. The Pontiff came to pay homage to the memory of Sister Esther Paniagua and Sister Caridad Álvarez Martín Alonso, the two Augustinians who lived here and were murdered during the civil war on October 23, 1994, while on their way to Mass. The nuns are among the 19 martyrs of Algeria, beatified in Oran, in the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Santa Cruz, on May 8, 2018.

At the Center, where numerous activities are held for children, youth, and adults, and where women can participate in sewing, crochet, and painting classes, as well as jewelry-making workshops, the six nuns from the two Augustinian communities of Algiers, Notre Dame d'Afrique and Dar El Beïda, gathered for the occasion. After a moment of prayer with the nuns and a greeting from Sister Lourdes Miguélez, a fellow nun of the two murdered Augustinians, the Pope addressed the Augustinians, recalling "the story of the two martyrs, and of the other martyrs," the Holy See Press Office reported on its Telegram channel.

In the municipality of Bab El Oued, the Welcome and Friendship Center, where school support is now offered, language courses are held, and women learn to sew, work...

The Pontiff emphasized that the 19 martyrs of Algeria are "a precious presence in this land" that has allowed him "to discover a dimension inscribed at the heart of what Augustinian life in the world should be: bearing witness, martyrdom." "Your presence here means a great deal," said Leo XIV, recalling a previous visit to Bab El Oued. Continuing his conversation with the Augustinian sisters, the Pope emphasized the "gift" of Saint Augustine "in this part of the world": "promoting respect for the dignity of each person." The Bishop of Hippo still says today "that it is possible to live in peace, valuing differences." The Pontiff also thanked the nuns and urged them to move forward, recalling that the feast of the 19 martyrs of Algeria falls on May 8, the day of his election to the papal throne.

Ten women who frequent the facility also met Leo XIV at the Sisters' Center. Together with the nuns, they presented the Pope with a small rosary with a medallion depicting Sister Esther and Sister Caridad, and a stole with the Augustinian emblem—a book and a heart pierced by an arrow, symbolizing the experience of Saint Augustine's conversion—on one side and the Arabic inscription "God is love" on the other, emphasizing the message of fraternity that Leo XIV wanted to relaunch from Algeria.

Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/papa/news/2026-04/papa-suore-missionarie-agostiniane-testimonianza-pace-dignita.html