Leadership Magazine – SISTERS DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CHARISM,VISION, MISSION AS THEY CELEBRATE GOLDEN JUBILEE

SISTERS DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CHARISM,VISION, MISSION AS THEY CELEBRATE GOLDEN JUBILEE

Feb 24, 2022 Irene Lamunu Mission 0

The Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (MSMMC), have concluded their Golden Jubilee celebrations after more than a year’s disruption by the Covid-19 pandemic. The jubilee celebrations which kicked off with renewal programmes for all the members in 2019 delved more into the charism, vision and mission of the Institute. It also deeply covered the life history of the Founder, Bishop Caesar Asili and his dream for the sisters.
The celebrations were initially scheduled to climax on 12th November 2020 but were disrupted by the relentless pandemic that resulted into prolonged
lockdowns. The Institute’s General Council specifically chose the above date (12th November) as it marks the date on which the Prefect for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL) at the Vatican granted the faculty for its (the Institute’s)
erection. The celebrations which were combined with the final profession and silver jubilee celebrations of some members eventually took place at the Institute’s Mother House at Ngetta in Lira Diocese on 1st January 2022.
The Communication and Publicity Committee for the MSMMC Golden
Jubilee celebrations published a souvenir magazine to mark the occasion. Excerpts from a write up by Sr. Margaret Uraa in the Souvenir magazine highlights the identity of a Missionary Sister of Mary Mother of the Church with clear links to the Founder. Speaking about the Founder, Sr. Margaret believes Asili lived the fundamental objective of his priestly formation by keeping his gaze on Christ, imitating Him, and being deeply immersed in
Him, all of which seemed to have been influenced by his Episcopal motto ‘Pax Christ Et Reignum Us’,” meaning ‘The Peace of Christ and his Kingdom.’ And he likewise gave a similar motto “Christ Must Reign! everywhere,” to his newly founded Institute of the MSMMC. Bishop Asili continued to experience the peace of Christ amidst turmoil but his humble attitude of listening was a sign of love for Christ and real prayer from the heart. Nobody can dispute his deep spirit of prayer, which was witnessed by the clergy, religious and the laity, wherever he went. He thus encouraged his daughters, the MSMMC to do the same and in his own words: “Now dearly beloved daughters in Christ Jesus, prayer is most essential to Religious of active life too, for how can they succeed in their active life for the glory of God without divine assistance. Prayer is also most essential because of the
many dangers in the world and because of the sacrifices, demanded of you.” Sr. Margaret further explained the need for the sacred identity of the sisters to be nurtured, nourished and guarded jealously. “Our Mission
and Charism give us our unique identity in the Catholic Church and distinguishes us from other religious Institutes.” She added that the foundation of the Institute of MSMMC in this modern time was possible because of its “Missionary Identity.” She went on to state the mission of
the MSMMC as thus: “To continue the redemptive work begun by Christ towards the building up of the Church of God through effective prayer and evangelisation in order to promote the spiritual and temporal welfare and radiate Christ’s image and likeness to humanity.” She said the sisters in trying to live their consecrated life have zealously participated in the
universal mission of the Church which is missionary by its very nature. “As an Institute, we have been readily available and receptive to be sent even to the hardest parts of the world,” she said. In preparing the members for
this mission, she said emphasis is being put on praying with the heart through the scripture right from formation with a focus on mission and personal sanctification. These, she said are then linked with the aim and the charism of the Institute, all of which form part of the patrimony. So, as the sisters take up their mission, they do so trusting that it is the Lord leading them and that He will protect and guide them in the mission He entrusts to them. One such testimony documented in the Jubilee Magazine is of Sr. Susan Clare Buziru who served in South Sudan for 18 years. The nun experienced two violent road ambushes, the first of which happened just after less than half a year of her arrival. In one of the ambushes, she was robbed and stripped naked, while in the other, one person got killed with two others seriously injured. In all, the sisters at St. Bakhita Girls primary school in Narus where she lived with her sisters were constantly in a state of trauma and tension as they had to keep the girls safe from bomb attacks, protect them from early marriages as well as provide for their material needs and healing of the past. During this time too, the sisters serving in different missions both within and outside Uganda also shared their rich experiences from the mission, enriched by their charism, which is, “Christ’s
all-consuming missionary love to establish the kingdom of divine love in the hearts of Humanity (Founder’s Letter pg 7, Jn. 19:25-57). Sister Margaret explained that it was love which consumed Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity and Mary Mother of the Church, and that it was the same love which moved Bishop Asili to found the Institute. “Our Beloved Founder
was moved by this love and took the risk to found this Missionary
Institute at that particular moment in the history of the Church in its
context,” she said. And she added: “The Founder’s particular life experience takes on a special relevance in the Church and hence, we are invited as members of the Institute to follow Christ within the Charism of our Institute.” And filled with this love, the sisters can truly become spiritual mothers and compassionate to God’s people.