By Sr. Grace Phiri, RSHS, Monze CNCS Hub
The Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit have celebrated the perpetual profession of two Sisters and the silver and golden jubilees of four others during a thanksgiving Mass held at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Monze.
The celebration, held under the theme “Crafted in the Potter’s Hands: We Embrace Openness and Gratitude,” recognised the perpetual profession of Sisters Regina Nyambe and Mercy Mwenda, the silver jubilees of Sisters Christerbel Mwaaba and Ronah Mbweda and the golden jubilees of Sisters Christine Mwanza and Evan Kachakwale.
Vicar General Fr. Brian Chibuluma, who presided over the Mass, said gratitude is the greatest gift every Christian should embrace, describing thanksgiving as the foundation of a faithful vocation.
He said the Sisters had demonstrated the importance of returning to God with grateful hearts after years of responding faithfully to His call.
And he said every vocation is marked by moments of joy and challenges, both of which require gratitude to God.
Fr. Chibuluma urged the Sisters to continue thanking God in pleasant moments as well as during difficult experiences in religious life.
Meanwhile, Sr. Rosalia Sakayombo, Superior General of the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit, thanked the jubilarians and the perpetually professed Sisters for their generous response to God’s call.
She said the celebration’s theme reflected God’s continuous work in shaping the lives of those who dedicate themselves to religious life.
“When I think of the theme of the potter, my mind goes back to childhood. Many of us played with clay. Before the clay could become anything, we had to work with it and make it firm. The clay never argued with us because we, the makers, knew exactly what we wanted it to become. That is how God, the Divine Potter, works with us,” she said.
Sr. Sakayombo said God sometimes allows His people to be pressed, softened or broken through life’s experiences in order to shape them according to His purpose.
“We only saw the breaking; He saw the masterpiece,” she said.
She congratulated the Sisters celebrating the milestones and encouraged them to remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit so that God could continue moulding them throughout their vocation.
One of the perpetually professed Sisters, Sr. Mercy Mwenda, described the occasion as a significant milestone in her religious journey.
She said years of prayer, reflection and the support of fellow Sisters, other religious congregations and family members had strengthened her vocation.
“The day made me feel small before the presence of God, yet the Lord is still choosing me as a great gift He desires to use. I feel my life continues being crafted in the Potter’s hands,” she said.
Meanwhile, one of the silver jubilarians, Sr. Ronah Mbweda, said celebrating 25 years of religious life was a moment of deep gratitude and renewed commitment to serving God.
She said prayer, community life, ongoing formation and service had sustained her vocation over the years despite the challenges she encountered.
Sr. Mbweda encouraged young women discerning religious life to remain open to God’s call, seek spiritual guidance and trust the discernment process.