Who are we?
Catholic women, Missionaries, and Religious Sisters.
Founded in 1924 in Killeshandra, CO. Cavan, Ireland by Bishop Joseph Shanahan to bring the gospel to the women of Southern Nigeria, we now number over 300 sisters on mission in Africa, South America, Ireland/United Kingdom, and the US. Visit us in any one of our thirteen Regions. Learn more by going to About Us where you will also find our Contact Addresses.
In the joy of the Resurrection Jesus says:
“Go out to the whole world!
Go out to my people
Everywhere!
Draw them into God’s life.
In the name of the Father,
the Son the Holy Spirit.
Bring them into the heart of God’s family.
I am with you.
Yes, always, to the end of the world!”
And we say:
“Here I am Lord, is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you send me,
I will hold your people in my heart.”
(Isaiah 6:8; Hymn Daniel Schulte)
“This is a place of prayer for everybody. Come here to praise your God and pray for each other. Pray too for the kind person whose gift made the building possible.” So spoke the Bishop to the people of all faiths who had gathered for the opening of the new chapel on October 1st 2020. And as he walked round blessing the chapel and led the procession inside, loud Hosannas filled the air!
Since 2018 when the Holy Rosary Sisters came, St Mary’s Primary School, Sagure, has been attracting more and more children of all faiths, in an area where education has never been a priority. And now they have a chapel, and the whole population turned out to rejoice.
Many people spoke words of appreciation at the end of Mass and the Bishop thanked the Sisters for bringing the chapel into being. The Wareda, the local Government administrator, himself a Muslim, said, “This is my first time to stand in a Christian church, and now I have seen that the Catholic Church is for everybody!”
Sagure, a village in south-eastern Ethiopia, is an hour’s drive from the parish centre and the Sisters have Mass once a week, on Sundays. But now they have a worthy place of prayer. “The movement out of the old and dilapidated dunk-stick chapel where we used to pray to the newly constructed block-chapel remains an unforgettable experience,” says Sister Ruth, our reporter the day.
To read more about our Ethiopia missions in Addis, Wonji and Sagure, go to our Ethiopia page in Regions.
Click on the pictures below to enlarge
Our new chapel in Sagure, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Coffee Ritual
St Mary's School, Sagure
The Bishop explains to the people
Sister Franca, Congregational Leader, with the Sisters
