Remembering a Sister: A Life of Quiet Service

Late Sr Rose Chianakwanam, MSHR (1949 – 2026)

Sr. Rose Chianakwanam spent much of her life caring for others.
As a Missionary Sister of the Holy Rosary, she served as a nurse and midwife, worked in education, supported people living with disabilities and displaced families, and took on leadership responsibilities within her religious community.
Her service took her to different places in Nigeria and brought her into contact with many different people. Those who knew her remember her for the practical care she gave, her sense of responsibility and her life of prayer.

Caring for people through her work

Sr. Rose trained as a nurse and midwife and spent many years working in healthcare.
She also served as Principal of Grimard Nursing School in Anyangba, Nigeria, where she helped establish and develop the school. One former student remembered not only her professional guidance but also the motherly care she showed to those she taught.
Later, at the International Nursery and Primary School in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State in central Nigeria, Sr. Rose became a caring presence for children.
Her nursing skills were also used beyond her regular work. She collaborated with the Red Cross and was willing to help when there was a need.

Reaching people in difficult circumstances

Sr. Rose’s concern for others extended to people living in difficult circumstances.
She worked with people with disabilities in Benue State and supported displaced people living in camps in Makurdi and Guma, an area of the same state.
As her circumstances changed and she could no longer serve in exactly the same way, she continued to look for ways to contribute.
One reflection on her life captured this simply: when she could no longer serve standing, she found a way to serve sitting.
The words speak to her determination to continue giving what she could, even when her circumstances changed.

A woman of prayer

Prayer was an important part of Sr. Rose’s life.
She remembered people in her prayers, especially those who were sick, struggling or grieving. She also prayed for people who had died and offered Masses for their intentions.
She was known as someone who encouraged peace and reconciliation when relationships became difficult. For younger Sisters, she offered guidance and encouragement, often reminding them of their faith and their relationship with Jesus.

Faithfulness in everyday responsibilities

Sr. Rose also took seriously the ordinary responsibilities entrusted to her.
She believed that things placed in her care should be handled properly and accounted for. Even small matters received her attention.
Her years of service included membership of the Congregation’s Regional Council, where she took part in the leadership and life of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary.
She was willing to work with different leaders and to accept guidance, including from Sisters who were younger than herself.

Remembering Sr. Rose

Sr. Rose’s life included many different forms of service.
She was a nurse and midwife.
She was an educator.
She served in leadership.
She supported people living with disabilities and people displaced from their homes.
She was a woman of prayer.
She encouraged peace and offered guidance to others.
These different parts of her life were connected by a willingness to care for people and to serve where she was needed.
For the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, remembering Sr. Rose is an opportunity to give thanks for her life and for the many people she accompanied through her years of service.
Her story is also a reminder that service does not always look the same throughout a person’s life. Sometimes it is caring for a patient or teaching a student. Sometimes it is helping a child, supporting someone in difficult circumstances, offering guidance or simply taking care of a responsibility that has been entrusted to you.
Sr. Rose found different ways to serve throughout her life.
We remember her with gratitude for the people she cared for, the work she gave herself to and the life she shared with others.
May she rest in peace.