In the New Schoenstatt Center in Quarten, Switzerland, in a festive setting, the award of the Sarganserland Women’s Working Group– Prix-Fags–was bestowed. This award honors the life’s work of the Schoenstatt Sister of Mary M. Emmanuela Ghioldi.
After a three year hiatus, in the presence of well-known representatives of the Church and civil authorities, including a member of the cantonal government, the Prix Fags–endowed monetarily with CHF 4,000–was finally presented at a ceremony. Every two years, this prize honors the exceptional commitment of an outstanding person from the Sarganserland region for the benefit of the general public. The three-year break was due to the fact that Sister M. Emmanuela Ghioldi rarely travels to Switzerland for a visit.
Purposeful missionary work
The six-piece “Ensemble am See” provided a sensitive, festive, and cheerful backdrop to the event. On behalf of the municipality of Quarten, the mayor congratulated the guests and introduced the municipality in a humorous way. However, he focused on the commitment of Sister M. Emmanuela. In this context, he described the presentation of the Prix-Fag as an “honor with interest far beyond the Sarganserland region.”
While Elvira Ghioldi Thüring, the elder sister of the honoree, recalled the family career of her youngest sister with photos from the family album, Sister Renata-Maria Becchio paid tribute to her career as a Schoenstatt Sister of Mary. Elisabeth Ghioldi became Sister Maria Emmanuela Ghioldi with her investiture in 1984. The trained nurseworked in geriatric care in Weesen, as a community nurse in Quarten, and also with visually impaired people. From the very beginning, she single-mindedly pursued her desire to be there for the poor and sick in missionary work.
Impressive facts
With photos and facts from her second home in Burundi (Central Africa), the award winner herself vividly presented her work at the health center in Mutumba. Since 1996, she has lived and worked there. It became clear how important this work is to her and what problems she is confronted with. Joy at the successes, but also sympathy for the suffering of those affected, shone through clearly. Part of the prize money will be used to replace the electrical source for the region that was buried by a landslide. Sister M. Emmanuela was visibly pleased to report that an aid organization had promised the health care center solar panels.
A solar house
As a special work of art, the prizewinner was presented with a small house of pottery that had the warming rays of the sun. This house is symbolic of the help and security that the award winner, and especially the health center in Mutumba, offers, explained the artist. The painted flowers and scratch marks symbolize the visible growth and vulnerability of life. The roof of this house is removable so that it can be used as a one-of-a-kind container.
Of course, there was plenty of room for personal encounters with the award winner afterwards during the fine aperitif from the center’s kitchen.