FOREVER YOURS LORD
BY SR. TRYNESS MULUBWA Three Sisters from the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters) have pronounced their lifelong commitment to be Christ’s brides eternally until death, marking a significant milestone in their lives. The three Sisters, Sr. Hellen Kalesu, Sr. Fridah Longolongo, and Sr. Christine Mukonde, pledged to continue serving the Lord and working towards the salvation of young people, especially the underprivileged, aiming to guide them to become virtuous Christians and upright citizens. Mass was held at St. James Parish Chimese in Mansa and was celebrated by Rt. Rev. Patrick Chisanga OFM.CONV, Bishop of Mansa. In his inspiring homily, Bishop Chisanga reminded the Sisters that God’s love is unconditional, irrespective of the actions of the Sisters, quoting, “God says I knew you before you were born, meaning before you did anything good or bad.” He also encouraged the Sisters to trust and obey their Superiors’ decisions, even when they may not fully comprehend them, and to have faith in the Lord who called them to this vocation. Furthermore, Bishop Chisanga urged the Sisters to cultivate discernment in their lives, cautioning them about the devil’s ability to disguise himself in various forms, such as fellow Sisters, Priests, or modern gadgets. He also stressed the importance of constructive criticism among the Sisters and the need to adapt their communities to accommodate one another. Additionally, he advised parents to be mindful of the information they share with their daughters.
SR. PRISCILLA MWANZA (DOR) HAILED
The Daughters of the Redeemer gathered in Mt. Zion on Thursday, 3 October,2024 put to rest Sr. Priscilla Mwanza who passed on Monday, 30 September,2024, at the Cancer Disease Hospital in Lusaka. Speaking when he delivered his homily, Very Reverend Fr. Andrew Simpasa SJ Vicar General for Lusaka Archdiocese urged all Christians to be energized with the spirit of our Lord Jesus and be at the service of God and others. This fragile life of ours must be disposed at the service of others. Let our Lord Jesus Christ be at the center of our lives so that we use our talents for the service of God and the gospel. Fr. Simpasa. He encouraged the Christians to put their trust in Jesus who is the resurrection and the life. “The mystery is that Jesus is the owner of time and space. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ has eternal life. Fr. Simpasa. And when giving their tributes, Sr. Odilia Chilombo one of the companions in formation described Sr. Priscilla as prayerful, dependable, respectful and a light hearted friend who valued the opinions and boundaries of others. You stood firm in your Faith through community prayer, Charismatic prayers and devotion to Our lady of Kibeho. You showed us that the best stories are told through raw, unfiltered realities. No matter the circumstances, you gave yourself fully and whole heartedly. Sr. Odilia. Dr. Gracilia Mukumba, a Charismatic member honoured Sr. Priscilla as a companion in the work of evangelisation in the Parish missions and a mentor who helped the group to grow spiritually. Dr. also appreciated the Daughters of the Redeemer for pouring their love and care to Sr. Priscilla when she was being nursed. In addition, Reverend Fr. Steve Likucha, a representative from Malawi praised Sr. Priscilla for her motherly heart and example of total commitment to the church in her apostolate when she served in Zomba Diocese in Malawi. She interacted very well with everybody and was ever present for the church and Jesus’ mission. She was very loving, supportive and generous to all of us at the Bishops’ office. Fr. Steve. Fr. Leonard Namuhumba, the Secretary for Education of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), described Sr. Priscilla during the vigil mass as a Sister who did small simple acts with love and commitment. Sr. Priscilla Mwanza was born on 4th April, 1958 and was put to rest at the Flower Garden of Jesus the Redeemer burial site in Mt. Zion.
DAUGHTERS OF THE REDEEMER (DOR) TOAST DUAL CELEBRATIONS
The Daughters of the Redeemer (DOR) sisters had a mutual celebration of the feast of “the Exaltation of the cross” as well as the Silver Jubilee for Sr. Martha Doreen Kaseba on Saturday 14 September in Mt. Zion. The Mass was celebrated by the Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Simpasa SJ, the Vicar General of Archdiocese of Lusaka. In his homily, Fr. Simpasa said that the feast of the cross reminded us of the love of God for humanity. He encouraged the Christians to continue trusting in the Lord Jesus who is the ultimate victor and always walks with us in all our trials. Whatever we go through in life, be it trials or temptations, God has the final say. We never walk alone. If we preserver in doing good works, we will see the light of day. Fr. Simpasa. Fr. Simpasa reiterated that for Christians to be true disciples, they need to pick up their cross and follow the Lord. If we deny to carry our cross, we are not worthy to be his disciples. Jesus transformed the cross which was a symbol of terror and fear into a symbol of life. Fr. Simpasa. He urged all to continue serving the Lord with love in their life. In giving the reflection of her life, Sr. Kaseba presented a symbol of the praying hands and a candle signifying the presence of God in her life who always listened to her prayers whenever she called upon him. She summarised her faith journey as one of surrender and gratitude to the Almighty God. Sr. Martha has served the Church as a lecturer at the Catholic University in Kalulushi and currently Heads Mpelembe Secondary School in Kitwe. In her vote of thanks, the Superior General, Rev Sr. Prisca Matenga thanked the parents of Sr. Martha for allowing her to become a religious sister. She also recognized Sr. Martha’s giftedness to the Congregation and appreciated all who took part in making the celebration very colourful. Among those present were many Christians from Lusaka Archdiocese, Ndola Archdiocese and Kabwe diocese where Sr. Martha hails from. Others were the Daughters candidates, aspirants, Postulants and novices. The Daughters of the Redeemer celebrate the “Exaltation of the cross “as the feast day of the Congregation.
NOTHING IS TOO LITTLE TO SHARE
“When I have some time free from work, I walk to Shoprite to talk and listen to their stories… By Sr. Martha Chanda The streets of Mansa in Luapula Province are not exempt from the presence of street children. In the vicinity of Shoprite, one can observe numerous children wandering, often hungry and begging for food and money. Their plight plainly highlights the realities of hunger and poverty within our society. Sr. Patricia Mubanga Mulenga is a Religious Sister from the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy who has dedicated herself to the service of street children in Mansa. Inspired by her Congregation’s charism of compassion and the example given by the Founder Archbishop James Mwewa Spaita, who loved the homeless, coupled with her professional counselling skills, Sr. Patricia is able to interact with these children with competence and compassion. During her free time, she often walks to Shoprite to talk and listen to the children. She believes every child, regardless of their circumstances, is a child of God deserving of a better life. Sr. Patricia says she is inspired to lend a helping hand by the resilience of some of the children, who despite the numerous challenges on the streets are fending for their families. When I see them hungry and whenever I have something, I am compelled to give, not only food but in other ways as well. Sometimes my community and I go out of our way and share what we have from our table and sometimes from well-wishers. I find joy in cooking nice food for them to eat even if it is only one meal for a small group. The story of the five loaves and two fish in the bible always charges me on. Nothing is too little to share. Sr. Patricia. Sr. Patricia says she desires to establish a skills center were these children can be empowered with different practical skills rather than being on the streets. She is appealing to people of goodwill to partner with her in changing the lives of these children by empowering them with the needed skills, shelter and love.
GOLDEN AND SILVER JUBILEE
By Sr. Tryness Mulubwa The Congregation of the Daughters of the Mary Help of Christian also known as the Salesian Sisters, celebrated the golden and silver Jubilees of three of their Sisters, who have totally dedicated their lives to the Lord by serving the souls of the young people in the missions entrusted to them. The three Sisters are; Sr. Ryszard Piejko who was celebrating her golden Jubilee (50 years) while Sr. Florence Mulenga and Sr. Stella Chilupula celebrated their silver jubilees (25 years). Sr. Ryszard piejko who celebrated her 50 years is a pioneer who was among the first missionary sisters who brought the Salesian way of life in Zambia. The jubilee celebration was held at City of Hope in Makeni at Mornese Retreat Centre. Mass was celebrated by Fr. Tresford Chisanga SDB who encouraged the Sister to begin their lives anew and to leave the 50 and 25 years behind. In addition, Fr. Chisanga encouraged the Sisters to continue clinging to the Lord who has journeyed with them throughout their lives. Meanwhile, Fr. Chisanga challenged the Sisters to inspire people with their lives and not to be bitter. He said their yes should be like that of mother Mary, who never gave up on her yes despite all the challenges she went through.