Southern Nigeria

Southern Nigeria 

Holy Rosary Retreat and Conference Centre, Nsukka

“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and minds of all who encounter Jesus.  A joy ever new.  A joy that is shared.”  Pope Francis.

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Regional Headquarters: Holy Rosary Convent, Independence Layout, Enugu, Enugu State.
Regional Leader:  Sister Stella Nwosu.  Telephone: 00 234 803 934 3202.  Email: uchestellan@yahoo.com 
Vocation Directress:  Sister Stella Eke, Telephone: 00234 706 675 5029     Email:  stella_eke2003@yahoo.com

About Us
The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, founded by Bishop Joseph Shanahan CSSp for the evangelisation of women in Nigeria, arrived in Nigeria in 1928.  They opened their first school for girls in that same year on October 7th, Feast of the Holy Rosary, in Onitsha.  (See About Us, Our History on the Home Page)
Between that year and 1965, in co-operation with the diocese, the sisters set up a network of primary, secondary and vocational schools and teacher training colleges, as well as hospitals and nurses and midwives training schools.  (See below for a list of Holy Rosary schools and hospitals in Southern Nigeria.)

We remain true to the vision of our founder by our continued commitment to education, and maintain contact with our past Holy Rosary Students who contribute to life in society as wives, mothers, teachers, doctors, nurses and members of other professions, not only in Nigeria but throughout the world.

Ifendu – the Light of Life

Another name for the Kingdom of God is Companionship in Empowerment.  (See Inclusivity, a Gospel Mandate, Diarmuid O’Murchu).  Ifendu envisions a new world of inclusivity in which women and men, girls and boys, relate to each other as equals and have equal opportunity for advancement.  Ifendu works to address poverty and gender based violence against women, due to unemployment and under employment, lack 

of business skills and illiteracy. (Read more about Ifendu in our BLOG, January 2018)  In Ifendu  we follow the spirit of our founder, Bishop Shanahan, who sought always the dignity of women.

Sister Rose Uchem rejoices in the empowerment of Ifendu women.

High Standards in Education

Students of Holy Rosary Girls’ Secondary School, Gwagwalada. Abuja, celebrate their graduation day.

Holy Rosary Girls’ Secondary School, Nsugbe, Onitsha: starting young at the computer.

Bishop Shanahan placed the highest value on the Catholic school.  In the visitors’ book on the occasion of the opening of the first Holy Rosary school he wrote the following:

                 The object of the school is to honour and glorify God by teaching every pupil to know, love and serve him here below, and then to share with him his happiness forever in heaven.
                 May every girl who enters this school reproduce in her life the virtues practiced by Our Lady, …. who was and is the greatest model of Christ Her Divine Son.
                 May the blessing of Jesus Christ ever come upon and remain with every little girl who enters this school.
                 May every girl who enters this school enter one day  the gates of heaven.

In addition to Education, the Region of Southern Nigeria is engaged in health care, pastoral work, vocation fostering, justice and peace,  retreat work, development, and small scale industries.  We are also responsible for the religious formation of our future missionaries in Holy Rosary Novitiate, Enugu.  (See About us, Vocation, and Be Part of Our Mission.)

Young women aspiring to become missionary sisters gather with the professed sisters who will guide their formation.

Profession Day: dancing into the church to offer their lives to Christ and to mission.

Newly professed sisters rejoice with Sister Maureen O’Malley, Congregational leader.

Young Professed Sisters take a day out from their professional studies for prayer and reflection.

The Region of Southern Nigeria is now the main sending region for the congregation, with sisters on mission in most of our other Regions.

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Celebration of Bishop Shanahan Day at Onitsha June 10th 2017  

Bishop Shanahan stepped ashore at Onitsha from the mighty River Niger all those years ago.  Now students and people gather in great number to celebrate his memory.

     Holy Rosary Sisters in Nigeria and all other people of God celebrated Bishop Joseph Shanahan’s day today on Sunday 10th June, 2017 at the Basilica of the Holy Trinity, Onitsha, Anambara State, Nigeria. It was wonderful!  The celebration started with a rosary procession by the faithful at 8 am, followed by a Eucharistic celebration at 10 am. The homilist  said that all the priests were asked to teach about the life of Bishop Shanahan in their parishes for one week, which started the previous Sunday,  Pentecost.  He said that the experienced was so enriching that it has enabled him to read the book of Bishop Shanahan and see the many things he did here on earth especially in the life of lay people of the archdiocese. He encouraged every Christian to  be strong in faith and be serious with evangelization so that the work of  saving souls for God will not stop in their time.

 Development  

Holy Rosary Retreat and Conference Centre, Nsukka, is a popular venue for retreats, seminars, workshops and conferences of various kinds.  Leadership training for functionaries in the nearby secondary schools is also highly valued by participating schools.
Email:  angelaadaogwaogar:gmail.com
Phone: +234 703 4390 090

We also engage in skills training for young women and some young men to enable them to earn their living. To maintain the Centre with its many financial demands we also run some mini-projects, such as the palm oil and palm kernel oil processing seen below.

Palm oil production

Palm kernel oil processed for use in soap making. Residue for animal feed.

Trainees learn soap making, detergents, powders and cosmetics.

Young men and women are employed in the bakery, host-making, tailoring and other departments, where they can learn skills and earn their living.  It is our priority to maintain links with their families, and to guide them to plan for the future when they can set up their own businesses with the skills they have learnt.    

Tailoring, Baking, Making Hosts, Packing bread for sale.

Holy Rosary Schools and Hospitals in Southern Nigeria between 1928 and 1965

First school:  Immaculata Primary School, Onitsha, followed by many other primary schools.  Post Primary schools included:  QRS Onitsha; Owerri Girls High School; Mount Carmel Teachers’ College, Emekuku;  Ozaba Secondary School, Port Harcourt; Diobu Secondary School;  Aba T.C.;  Ehime and Ihiite T.C.s;  Umuna T.C. and Ihioma Secondary School; Awgu Secondary School;  QRS Nsukka;  Loretto T.C., and more, from which young women graduated and went on to contribute in many admirable ways to society.
Hospitals included:  Onitsha Maternity, Borromeo, Emekuku, Ihiala, and Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka.

All these were taken over by the Government at the end of the Biafran war.