Twenty-five years ago, four young women, along with some others, made a commitment that would take them into communities, ministries and places they could not yet have imagined.
On Saturday, 3 October, Sr Mary Kemjei, Sr Ngozi Okoli, Sr Angela Akeje and Sr Eucharia Muoegbunam stood together in the Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim in Cavan and renewed that commitment as they celebrated their Silver Jubilees as Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary. It was a day filled with music and joy.
And there was a little surprise too.
The programme for the celebration showed three Jubilarians. But just two days before the Mass, Sr Eucharia arrived in Ireland, beginning a period of sabbatical following her service as Regional Leader in Southern Nigeria. Suddenly, three became four. Welcoming everyone to the celebration, the Congregational Leader spoke of a heart “full of joy” and turned directly to the Jubilarians: “Dear Sisters, this is your day. We rejoice and celebrate with you. Congratulations.”
The people behind the journey
The welcome also recognised something easily forgotten when celebrating a Jubilee: no vocation is lived alone. There were Sisters who had encouraged and nurtured the Jubilarians’ vocations many years ago. There were family members and friends who had supported them along the way. There were co-missionaries, collaborators and friends in mission, as well as people from the communities in which the Sisters have lived and served. Among those welcomed were past pupils of Holy Rosary School in Cameroon who had travelled from the United States to be present for the celebration. There was also a tender remembrance of family members and friends who could no longer be there in person; some, the Congregational Leader said, were watching the joyful occasion “from heaven.”
The Word at the centre
One of the most striking moments of the Jubilee Mass came before the Liturgy of the Word.
Young people from the parish, representing different nationalities, took part in the enthronement of the Word of God, accompanied by song, music and dance as the Book of the Gospels was carried forward. The ritual, common in Cameroon and some parts of Africa, expresses reverence for the Word of God and the central place it holds in Christian life. Rather than simply carrying the Gospel into place, its arrival is announced and celebrated in song and movement before the Scriptures are proclaimed.
In Cavan, the participation of young people from different nationalities gave the tradition another layer of meaning. An African expression of faith was shared within an Irish cathedral by young people from different cultural backgrounds — a simple but powerful expression of a Church enriched by the gifts people bring from many places.
Music remained an important part of the celebration. The African Priests and Religious in Ireland (APRI) Choir joined with the Cathedral Parish Choir, bringing together different voices and traditions throughout the Mass. Their singing was more than accompaniment to the liturgy. The two choirs singing together reflected something at the heart of the day itself: synodality, collaboration and a shared mission.
Renewing the promise
At the heart of the Jubilee was a deeply significant moment. Twenty-five years after first making their profession, Sr Mary, Sr Ngozi, Sr Angela and Sr Eucharia once again renewed their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. It was a public renewal of the commitment that has shaped their lives as Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary. After renewing their vows, the four Sisters sang a song of thanksgiving, a fitting response to a journey they recognise not simply as their own achievement, but as a gift received and lived with God and with others. In the lead-up to the celebration, one of our Jubilarians, Sr Mary, had reflected on this understanding of vocation: “I have come to learn that my vocation is a gift of a generous God to an undeserving soul. The Lord, for reasons known to him, called me and still calls me, enabling me to answer through the ministry he entrusts to me.” She described herself as being like clay in the hands of the potter, learning to remain open to where God might lead. Looking towards the future, she added: “What gives me hope is that the God who initiated this journey has stayed with me and assures me that he will never leave me alone.”
Joy that awakens joy
Celebrating the Jubilee Mass, Bishop Martins Hayes reflected on the missionary vocation and the generations of people whose faith and service have made the journeys of these Sisters possible. One line addressed to the Jubilarians captured something of the spirit of the day: “May your joy in the Lord reawaken our joy.” There was plenty of that joy to be seen throughout the celebration. The Mass took place in Cavan, where the story of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary began more than a century ago. It was here that Bishop Joseph Shanahan founded the Congregation in 1924, and from here the first Sisters prepared to leave for mission.
More than a century later, that missionary story continues to be written in the lives of Sisters from different countries and cultures.
Reception
The celebration continued after Mass with photographs, food, music and time together.
The APRI Choir once again brought music to the gathering, while guests were invited to share something of their own vocation stories. It became an opportunity not only to celebrate four Jubilarians, but also to hear something of the many different ways in which people have responded to God’s call in their lives. There was a particularly warm connection with the Jubilarians’ early years when the Jubilee cake was cut. Leading that moment was a former member of their formation group who had begun the journey alongside them before later following a different path. Now married and living in the United States, she had returned to celebrate with her former companions.
It was one of those moments that seemed to capture the day: lives taking different paths, friendships enduring, and people coming together again with gratitude for the journey they once shared.
The ‘yes’ continues
A Jubilee gives us reason to look back with gratitude, but it is not an ending. For Sr Mary, Sr Ngozi, Sr Angela and Sr Eucharia, the celebration was another moment of saying yes, bringing with them everything the past 25 years have taught them while remaining open to where God may lead next. And Bishop Martin’s reminder was not only for the four women standing before the congregation: “We’re all missionaries.”
So, we give thanks for Sr Mary, Sr Ngozi, Sr Angela and Sr Eucharia; for their families and friends; for the Sisters who nurtured their vocations; and for the communities, co-missionaries and collaborators who have shared their journeys.
From the Word of God welcomed in song and dance, to vows renewed, voices joined in song, vocation stories shared, and old friendships reunited, the Jubilee was a celebration not only of where these four Sisters have been, but of the faith and relationships that continue to carry them forward. May the joy of their Silver Jubilee remain with them as the journey continues.
Author: Sr. Linda Ugwu, MSHR.
Thank you for reaching out to the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary with your
prayer request. Our communities worldwide are presenting your request in our daily prayers.
God bless you.