Diocese: Machakos
Pioneers: Sisters Wilma Rego, Reshma D’Souza and Ranitha Claudiet
The Ursuline Franciscan Sisters of Mysore Province serving at Machakos, Kenya having perceived the need for additional zealous and committed missionaries in the area petitioned to Sr Jyothi Fernandes, Provincial Superior and her team to attend to the necessity. The petition was placed before the Provincial Chapter held in December 2012; as a result, on June 16, 2013 a second house was inaugurated at Kithimani. More people were involved actively in realizing the vision of this new establishment. They were, Sisters Veena Mascarenhas, Regional Superior of Tanzania and Edilburga Monteiro who had undertaken groundwork of the new mission, Sr Apoline Cordeiro, Provincial Superior and her team who attended to details of the establishment, the parish priest of Kithimani parish who motivated the parishioners to build a house for the Sisters, and the bishop of Machakos Diocese, Martin Kivuva who invited and welcomed the Sisters in the Diocese of Machakos. He also inaugurated and blessed the new house of the Sisters, which was gifted to them by the large- hearted Kithimanis.
Sisters Wilma Rego, Reshma D’Souza and Ranitha Claudiet, pioneers at St Angela Convent have begun their apostolate right away. Holy Spirit Catholic Church at Kithimani consists of nineteen substations. As most of these are at a distant area, it is impossible for (three) priests in the parish to be present personally to celebrate Eucharist at each substation every Sunday. Hence, the Eucharist is celebrated in three stations each only, on Sunday. On request from the parish priest, the Sisters join him in celebrating Eucharist in the substations. Further, the Sisters assist on Fridays and Sundays in following associations of the parish and sub-stations: Pastoral Programme Instructions (PPT) in Holy Spirit Academy School, Holy Ghost Missionary Primary School and Holy Ghost Missionary Secondary School; Alter Servers Association, Pontifical Missionary Youth Association (PMUA), Pontifical Missionary Children Association (PMCA), Legion of Mary and YCS. They also catechize in alternative months in the following schools: HGMS Secondary School, St Mary Yatta, Kambi ya ndeke, Kalukuni, Great Genius, Kaumoni, Kwakitema. Sr Wilma serves as head teacher in the Holy Spirit Academy Primary School at Kithimani; it is administered by the parish. Sr Ranitha is teaching in the Public (government) School sponsored by the Catholic Church namely Holy Ghost Missionary Secondary School. Sr Reshma administers and renders her service in the dispensary of ‘Our Lady of Consolation’. It was inaugurated on June 17, 2013. The dispensary is located in a substation called Kalukuni, which is 12 kilometres away from Kithimani.
In the words of the Sisters, they are happy in their mission, people are supportive and appreciative of their presence, they experience contentment in their work and that they are eager to receive additional zealous and committed Sisters into African Mission who are willing to strive towards restoring the divested dignity of people. They underline this note in the form of an appeal in the details they send regarding their mission in Kenya: “The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few; hence, we wait with open arms to receive more labourers. For, there is joy and fulfilment in dedicating oneself at the service of the Lord in and through the service to the least, last and the lost”. They wait and watch to see who will heed to this supplication.
