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Our Daughter Foundation in Nigeria |
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Great Bend Dominican Sisters’ Mission in Nigeria, Africa ¨ Great Bend Dominican Sisters’ Journey to Africa: The Era 1952 to 1973 Sr Rita Schwarzenberger’s Current Ministry in Nigeria, Africa with Hope for the Village Child ¨ Ministry in Nigeria, 1997 to 2001 |
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Our daughter congregation, the Dominican Sisters of St Catherine of Siena of Gusau, Nigeria, became an independent congregation of diocesan status, April 19, 2007, at Holy Family Cathedral, 39 Ahmadu Bello Way, in the Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria. This momentous occasion has been over 25 years in the making.
Following a letter from Rome, the Most Rev Dr Kevin J Aje, Bishop of Sokoto, issued the decree establishing them as a diocesan congregation with their motherhouse in Gusau.
The congregation may be of “independent” status, but this does not sever the relationship of the Dominican Sisters of Great Bend and the Dominican Sisters of Gusau. Our congregation will continue our close ties, always attentive to ways we can assist the indigenous congregation with financial and advisory help for their life, growth, and ministry.
Sr Lorena Bolte, Prioress, and Sr Rene Weeks, Assistant Prioress, represented us as the founding congregation. Sr Rita Schwarzenberger, a Great Bend Dominican who ministers in Nigeria, was also in attendance.
The Mass of celebration in the Cathedral was two hours in the 115 degree heat of the Nigerian hot season. Most of the 55-plus professed members of the congregation as well as the eight novices and two postulants attended the celebration.
The heat did not wilt any of the enthusiasm of this truly Nigerian and Dominican celebration. In attendance was Father Ignatius, Provincial of the Ghana-Nigeria Dominican men’s province, many priests of Sokoto Diocese, Dominican Laity, and parishioners. Drums and native instruments accompanied the singing in Hausa and English, reflecting the culture of the people as well as the worldwide Dominican Family.
In the 800th anniversary year of the Dominican Family, this new congregation is a new gift to the Family. At this moment in the story of the growth of the worldwide Dominican Family, the Nigerian sisters renewed their vows into the hands of Sr Faustina Jimoh, second Prioress of their congregation. Later, Sisters Lorena and Rene presented them with gifts, a letter from the nuns at Regensburg Germany (their great-grand-mother congregation) and one from Amityville NY (their grandmother congregation).
The Amityville congregation also gave them a small statue of Mary from Regensburg. Our gifts included a large icon of Mary Magdalene, Patroness of the Dominican Family, and a small copy of the icon as a prayer card for each of the Nigerian sisters, as well as a packet of greetings from all of the sisters back in Great Bend.
At the Mass, Sr Faustina thanked Sr Franka Igweilo (the first Prioress), Bishop Aje, our congregation—especially Sisters Lorena and Rene, Fr Ignatius, and all of the priests and sisters who were there. |
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Gusau, Nigeria 2007 Congregation Receives Diocesan Status: Sisters Celebrate ‘Daughter’ Community’s Independence
By Sr Elaine Osborne |
