By Fr. Methuli Lanele Moyo
On Saturday, the 18th of May 2024, Mary Ward Sisters celebrated their silver Jubilee anniversary as an independent region in Zimbabwe.
Gathered at Mary Ward primary in Mbizo, Kwekwe, were scores of the laity together with Bishop Rudolf Nyandoro, the Bishop of Gweru, members of the clergy, students from St. Ignatius College, Mary Ward primary and High schools, and representatives of the Mary Ward congregation from Rome.
The Regional Superior of the Mary Ward Sisters in Zimbabwe, Sr. Maria Goretti Mudhovozi, gave a welcome speech in which she narrated the history of the Congregation and its founding in Zimbabwe.
“We are Congregatio Jesu (Mary Ward Sisters) an international congregation founded in 1609 by Venerable Mary Ward, who prophesied that, ‘Women in times to come will do much’.
This has become a reality in our time, when women’s contribution in the Church is significant everywhere.” To date, the Mary Ward sisters’ congregation is found in 24 countries on 4 continents, with a total of about 1400 members.
Pioneers of the Congregation of Jesus, Mary Ward Sisters in Zimbabwe, arrived in the country, the then Rhodesia, in 1951 from Germany, led by the then Superior General of Germany, Sr. Edelburga.
They established themselves at Serima High School in the Diocese of Gweru as well as at Msiso School and Hospital.
They then moved to St. Ignatius College in Chishawasha in 1968 upon invitation by the Jesuits.
Later, they moved to Kwekwe, where they opened a Novitiate, a Children’s Home, and a pre-school in Amaveni.
In 2021, the Congregation celebrated seventy years of its existence in Zimbabwe. Sr. Maria Goretti related, “For the first 47 years, we were under Mainz, the founding province.
On 16 April 1998, we became a Region consisting of 28 professed members”.
Sr Xavier Bachmann was the first Regional superior, followed by Sr. Hildegardis Chimhanda.
Sr. Goretti acknowledged the presence of her predecessors, Sr. Salome Mateko, who took over from Sr. Hildegardis, and Sr. Mercy Shumbamhini, whom she took over from.
Over the years, the Congregation has grown and spread its tentacles to various parts of the country.
In 2011, the congregation established a community at Nesigwe Mission, Gokwe Diocese, in response to the invitation of the late Bishop Angel Floro.
In 2013, the Sisters opened a clinic in Norton at the invitation of the Archbishop of Harare, his Grace, Archbishop Robert Ndlovu.
In the same year, they built a convent near St. Joseph’s clinic in Chishawasha to make themselves available and more visible at the clinic and school that the Jesuits handed over to them in 1994.
In 2020, the congregation opened doors for the enrolment of high school students at the school they had just built in the growing high-density suburb of Mbizo in Kwekwe.
“In 2022, we moved out of our comfort zone in our mother country following an invitation by the Jesuits to collaborate at a school and clinic in Mozambique”, said Sr. Goretti.
She concluded by thanking Bishop Nyandoro and the Diocese of Gweru for collaborating and working together.
She also thanked all the Bishops and Dioceses in which the congregation is housed, the Congregation of Major Superiors, friends, partners, benefactors, and members of the congregation for all their work.
On behalf of Sr. Veronica Fuhrmann, the General Superior, and the General leadership of the congregation, Sr. Pinto Pratima thanked all present for supporting the work of the Mary Ward Sisters in Zimbabwe and elsewhere.
“I turn my heart in thanksgiving to God in letting us see this day”, she said.
“I also take this opportunity to thank all Bishops, both present and the past, the religious congregations, especially the Jesuits both in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, all our collaborators and friends of Mary Ward who have helped and supported our Sisters and supported our missions”.
In the Holy Mass, Fr. Von Nidda (SJ) gave a homily that hinged upon Mary Ward’s courage, exceptional selflessness, and love.
He called all to participate in the Mission of the Church guided by Christ, in bringing healing, peace and harmony into a world now ravaged by corruption and selfishness.
To the Mary Ward Sisters, he said, “A lot of people have lost a sense of sacredness.
It is your duty and ours too to draw them back”. Fr Von Nidda bemoaned the young who have wasted their life in drugs and substance abuse.
He challenged the youth to examine their lives and see if it would be worthy of celebration in years to come.
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, Reverend Fr. Simon Mavhiya, the Vica General of Gweru, addressed the congregants on behalf of Bishop Nyandoro.
He thanked all present for supporting the Mary Ward Sisters and all the work that the congregation does for the people of God.
Complementing the flexibility of the Mary Ward Sisters in responding positively to invitations, Fr. Mavhiya expressed a further invitation to the Sisters from the Bishop to take up missions in other areas of the Diocese which still have need.
He stated, “As a diocese, we adopted many other schools from municipalities and local government.
These schools also need to be cared for; therefore, we invite you to collaborate with the Bishop and the whole Diocese in this cause”.
Before the final blessing, Bishop Nyandoro expressed delight over the work of the Sisters.
He wished them well and further invited them to more visibility in the Diocese that is home to their first footprints in the Land of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe Region currently has 33 finally professed Sisters, 13 Junior Sisters, 1 novice and 2 candidates.
The Region is already in collaborative ministry with Mozambique, which in principle makes it known as the Zimbabwe-Mozambique Region.
An establishment of collaboration with Cuba is ongoing.
The congregation (Internationally) is in the process of Joining together with the Loretto Sisters and becoming one congregation because they share the same foundress. This process is nearing completion in its final stage in Rome.
