The Sisters of St. Joseph in the mission of Tanzania met at Msalaba Mkuu on October 15 to celebrate the foundation day of the Congregation.
We gathered for a Eucharistic celebration at 11 am in the Church of Msalaba Mkuu (Church of the Cross) together with community leaders. The celebration had a tone of simplicity and familiarity. Fr. Cosmos mMwhagama is an expression of simplicity and with his presence the atmosphere was created. In the homily, he invited us to speak about the significance of the gathering. Each of us spoke about the experience of being a Sister of St. Joseph; the people present also spoke of their experience and the importance of being among us. A student who was with us from the beginning of his school life and who has now graduated spoke significantly of the presence of Sr. Malathi Vasohowda in his entire life: an edifying testimony. After the celebration, those present, joined us for lunch at our home.
On October 17, the Holy Mass was celebrated at the St. Joseph centre by three priests, two of whom came from distant dioceses and were very happy to be with us. As part of our celebration of 370th Anniversary of foundation we decided to help 61 youth in their studies.We thanked God these 12 young girls who finished their high school. The parents and the coordinators of the centre, praised the role of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in the educational process of these young women.
The young girls introduced themselves spontaneously and those who did well among them were rewarded. “Agnes Aidhan Kagoma scored 100 in all subjects. Many of those present spoke, emphasizing the importance of the place in the development of young women in the region.We conclude our celebration with a sumptuous dinner and presentation of beautiful dances to Tanzanian music, organized together by Sr. Nilza Rodrigues. It was a meaningful and rewarding afternoon for the Sisters, especially as we had the presence of the General Councilor Sr. Mariaelena Aceti who was visiting our mission.The testimony of these celebrations confirms the relevance of the charism of 370 years of our existence. The seed of the small Project remains vigorous.
By: Sr. Valesca Orsi
