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Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing

April - June 2020 WPN 80

St. Benedict’s Priory

Windhoek, Namibia

FOUR NOVICES MAKE

FIRST PROFESSION OF VOWS

by Sr. Michael Marie Kudumo, OSB, Sr. Mary Aloysie Matias, OSB, Sr.

Mary Justin Hairwa, OSB and Sr. Mary Rose Sirongo, OSB

Our retreat began on 15 May 2020, with Sr. Patricia Crowley, OSB, a Benedictine Sister of Chicago, USA, who is a prudent Spiritual Director. She said, “When we are making Profession, we always say yes, without knowing what is ahead of us. But we only have to trust. Religious life is a journey of trust.”

The Mandatum took place on the evening of

Friday, 22 May. While all were silent early next

morning, our First Profession Day, the beautiful

voices of the Sisters singing outside our rooms

awakened us. The day was filled with joy and

gratitude although our family members could not

come due to COVID-19.

We were not so much disappointed to celebrate

without our family because we have now

embraced our new family, the Missionary

Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing. We thank God

who called us and kept the Spirit of discipleship

alive in us.

Jesus is the final” yes” of God to us. We pray that what God had begun in us, He may bring it to completion. Our vote of thanks goes to Mother Simon Lee, OSB, our Formators and Teachers, Fr. Abbot Godfrey Sieber, OSB, Sr. Patricia Crowley, all the Sisters of the whole Priory and our family members who journeyed with us and made this day so special. God bless you all.

EASTER CELEBRATION IN THE PRIORY HOUSE

by Novice Martha Ndala

Life goes on in spite of COVID-19. We walked

with the suffering Christ in Lent while the

pandemic cases and deaths all over the world

were rapidly adding in number. As we are going

through this hard time, we greet each other using

our elbows or feet to avoid spreading this

pandemic.

Easter is the gift of our salvation. All, including

our elderly Sisters, took part in the preparation of

our Easter liturgy and celebration. During the

evening program, we had general questions

about Easter and games with prizes. Each group

presented a number to share their Easter joy and

happiness.

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST

HOLY BODY AND

BLOOD OF JESUS

CHRIST

Procession of the Blessed Sacrament with Abbot Godfrey,

the Sisters and Formandees in the Priory House.

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MOTHER SIMON THANKS COMMUNITY FOR THE INTERCUTURAL FEASTDAY PROGRAM

On 29 June, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, we celebrated the first feastday of Mother Simon as our

Prioress. The evening intercultural program presented eight different cultures and languages of the

Sisters and Formandees - Oshiwambo, Okavango, Korean, Nigerian, Afrikaans, Kiswahili, Filipino and

English – which were creatively performed in a dance, song and musical dialogue. Mother Simon

expressed her sincere gratitude and appreciation for the colourful and creative numbers which she

and the community enjoyed.

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SR. SOPHIA SHAVUKA, OSB CELEBRATES 103rd

BIRTHDAY

by Sr. Emma Aindongo, OSB

On 19 April, the Second Sunday of Easter, we

celebrated the 103rd birthday of Sr. (kuku)

Sophia. It is indeed wonderful to have Kuku

Sophia among us. She is a source of our joy and

laughter. We surprised her with a well-prepared,

joyful Eucharistic Celebration where she enjoyed

clapping her hands while following the drums and

rhythm of every song. During breakfast, Kuku

Sophia was delighted by a big birthday cake,

candies, cards, flowers, songs and dances. It

was a memorable and a blessed day for all of us.

We thank God for giving us “Kuku Sophy” in our

Priory. She is our example and inspiration to

persevere in our vocation.

MAKING FACE MASKS

Since the COVID-19 cases increased rapidly in

Namibia, the government declared that wearing

the face masks is compulsory. Our Sisters

volunteered to make face masks in our sewing

room.

ARRIVAL OF OUR THREE INTENSIFIERS

On the 23rd of May 2020, Sr. Bernita

Shilikomwenyo, Sr. Mary John Paul Hosea and

Sr. Gabriella Pangeni arrived safely in Windhoek

from the Pan-African Intensification Program in

Tanzania. They were quarantined at Gross

Barmen Resort in Okahandja for fourteen days.

We are so grateful to the Peramiho Priory for

hosting and organizing the Intensification

Program from December 2019 to May 2020.

COMMUNITIES COPE

WITH COVID-19

RCH COMMUNITY

by Sr. Augusta Kunz, OSB Since March, we tried to get something good out of having more time. There was a Chrism Mass in the Cathedral in Holy Week because the holy oils had to be sent to the missions, and the Archbishop invited 4 priests from different areas and 5 Sisters from the Catholic Hill. Not more; it gives a bad example when the Church does not follow the rules. The Archbishop celebrated the Good Friday Service and on Easter Sunday, a Holy Mass by Fr. Mathias, the parish priest. In June, the restrictions are more lenient and the hospital is well-occupied. Up to now, we had no COVID-19 positive patient. One of our ongoing pastoral work began in 2015, when we came to know an 84-year-old woman from the newspaper, who had one hut and about 15 children. Sr. Oranna with some other Sisters went to see her. The late Br. Manfred Pietsch, OMI gave money to build a second hut for her. But she needed continuous help for food and wood for cooking. She cannot read or write, only pray. Sr. Eveline agreed to give them left-over clean food from the hospital and Sr. Oranna started collecting wood for her from fallen branches of trees in the town. Later on, Sr. Erwina and Sr. Augusta teamed up with Sr. Oranna. Often people ask us: what do you need the wood for? This is an opportunity to give witness that the Church also cares for poor people. The Lord gives us happiness and strength and perseverance to this very special "mission".

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BETHANIE COMMUNITY by Sr. Beate Schroeter,OSB and Community

Our monastic and missionary life was not

affected by COVID-19. Fortunately, Fr. Eugene Badtke, OSB celebrated daily holy mass with us in our chapel. We were able to follow our daily schedule. During Vespers, the

prayer on COVID-19 is said and each

Sister adds her private petition. We listen to the

radio and watch television to be updated on the coronavirus situation in the country and be informed about the rules and regulations. Following them, we were able to reach out to our parishioners who were in need.

BUNYA COMMUNITY by Sr. Thekla Haita,OSB and Community

The Community plus

Bunya Health

Centre put into

place the following

measures to

promote prevention

of transmission.

1. Acquisition of masks and hand sanitizers.

Everybody who visited the Community and the

Health Centre washed their hands and used

sanitizer. All the departments were issued with

hand soap, sanitizer, disposable gloves and

disposable napkins. A temporary hand washing

tap was installed using a 25-litre container fitted

with a tap. Later on, the Centre was able to

install a tip tap 2.5 litter containers of soap and

water.

2. Creation of awareness

The Centre embarked on giving health education

on COVID-19, on symptoms mode of

transmission and what to do in case one

exhibited related symptoms to all the staff and

patients who visited daily.

3. Implementation of social distance

Measure of triangle was indicated to enhance

social distance. The patients on chronic

medication were given enough for at least 2-3

months depending on their condition. To avoid

overcrowding in our small OPD, only 5 patients

at a time were served.

4. Creation of COVID-19 Team The Team consisted of 1 registered nurse and 2 enrolled nurses, one health assistant nurse and one cleaner. Their task was to identify a separate room with the help of a Senior Registered nurse and to update the Centre on matters related to COVID-19. One of us in the Community decided to wash the imported apples properly with dishwashing soap which made us all laugh; nevertheless, we were all afraid of this new pandemic.

About holy mass, our elderly Father Joseph

Michael, OMI well known as “Mandjomboro” was

having terrible flu and cough on the first

lockdown. So this made us to run away from

the church thinking that he was having the virus.

We decided to have only Communion Service in

our chapel for the whole week because Father

could not stop shaking hands during the sign of

peace. He said that corona will not enter in his

holy mass; he is representing Jesus Christ.

Despite the lock down, some of the parishioners

were able to come to church for Adoration and

personal prayers on the pandemic.

The Sisters had daily Adoration after Vespers

concluding with a prayer on the pandemic.

We continued caring for God’s creations by

planting 75 fruit trees and 162 seedlings which

we shared and sold.

Continued on p.5

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Bunya Community. . . from page 4

We thank God for blessing us with good rain this

year, therefore, it was easy for us to make our

new garden just for papayas.

NAMUNTUNTU COMMUNITY

by Sr. Venantia Kavindja, OSB We responded to one the recommendations of our 20th Priory Chapter, that is, to pray for urgent issues or emergency situation. We prayed the rosary for the pandemic to end with families or work places every day. We gave copies of the novena prayer on the pandemic to some villagers and other people including the Namibian Police and explained to them how they are going to use this prayer individually, by group or family. The people were very happy for the spiritual assistance and cooperation.

OKONGO COMMUNITY by Sr. Sylvia Shingwada, OSB

The voice like that of

Rachel weeping for her

innocent children is

resounding in the world.

Our faith is challenged

and tested. But there is

nothing we can do

rather than to kneel

down and pray and to

take up precautions. If

God is for us, who can be against us? It is high

time for us to set aside time for God and to go

out of our comfort zone, and this is what we are

doing as a community by reciting the prayers for

COVID-19 during Holy Mass, Adoration and

Vespers. We also recite the holy rosary to seek

the assistance of our Blessed Mother. We

responded to the National Prayer Day on April 8,

2020, with chain adoration from 12:00 noon to

6:30 p.m. that started by the ringing of the church

bell at exactly 12:00 noon.

Our daily remedy is to encourage and to help

one another to support and boost up our immune

system with suitable vegetables, fruits and drinks

and to gargle salt.

With the help of generous persons, we helped the San people with a little meal which we prepare for them every Saturday. Since alcohol is moderated by the government, we are grateful that they now have more time to be at home to build their traditional shacks

and to help one another. The Sisters teaching in the Kindergarten are also involved in a feeding programme for the children which aims to sustain them during the period of lock down donated by Roger Federer under Women’s Action for Development Foundation. May the Lord continue to heal all the nations.

ONGHA COMMUNITY by Sr. Agatha Ipinge, OSB, Sr. Anna Jakob OSB

It was new to us to celebrate Easter alone

without the parishioners. Holy Thursday Mass

started at 6:00 p.m. followed by a One Hour-

Adoration. On Good Friday we started with the

Way of the Cross where Fr Jose carried the

cross, Sr Agatha and Sr Julitta carried the

candles and Fr Danish led the prayers. On Holy

Saturday, there was no fire outside but we

lighted the Easter candle in front of the Church

and proceeded inside while singing the “Light of

Christ”. We divided all the readings among

ourselves. On Easter Sunday, we had Holy

Mass in the big church.

We continue to cultivate our field and garden.

Even though the people were told to stay home,

it did not stop them from coming to the mission

for the hammer machine which grinds their

mahangu. By God's grace, everything will go

well soon which is our daily prayer.

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Ongha Community . . . from page 5

On 02 March 2020, the Sisters, some parents

and some members of the school board visited

the family of little Rejoice who survived the attack

of her uncle.

Rejoice’s uncle killed his mother and brother with

a “panga”, an African tool like machete, but,

Rejoice was left with

injuries and her one leg

cut off. As a school, we

decided to show our

solidarity with them.

Parents and friends

donated a lot of goods

such as food, clothes,

blankets and more items

for Rejoice’s family.

When we reached there,

we were shown the

panga which was used

to kill her grandmother and uncle. We thank God

for saving this angel who is more important to us

especially to her mother who has lost her whole

family and Rejoice is just a big comfort. Let us

continue praying for them and assisting them.

ONGWEDIVA COMMUNITY

by Sr. Felicitas Mufenda, OSB and Community

President Hage Geingob declared a state of emergency in Namibia with stages of restrictions to combat the pandemic.

Stage 1 We thank God that we have holy mass every

day. The lockdown affected us very much being

new members in Ongwediva. We just started the

Kindergarten two months ago when it was the

time to know our parishioners and immediately,

we cut off from them.

Stage 2

It was worse when we were not allowed to move

to other regions divided in zones. This time, we

have enough time to pray. We have daily

Adoration in our chapel to pray for the ending of

COVID 19. We also do needle work, make

masks and work in our small garden. People

have developed great fear and are really affected

economically, financially, socially and

psychologically.

Stage 3

In stage 3, people are moving a bit free but

wearing face masks in public. Only Grades 11

and 12 learners have returned to school due to

the forthcoming national examinations. The

church was cleaned properly and sanitized

before it reopened on the 07 June 2020 and had

3 Holy Masses on Sunday. Before entering the

church, a team of Catholic nurses and our

Sisters see to it that each parishioner applies a

hand sanitizer, his/her temperature is checked,

wears face masks and writes his/her name. After

every Holy Mass the Church is sanitized before

the other group comes in. The Sisters and

parents are worried how it will work when Grade

0-3 will reopen. Let us continue to pray for the

whole world.

RUACANA COMMUNITY by Sr. Lucia Gabriel, OSB and Community

Indeed, our thoughts are not God’s thoughts and

our ways not His ways!

We started Holy Week with Palm Sunday without

Holy Mass and no blessed palms. We simply

went around our house while singing Hosanna

songs, then we went into the chapel for

Communion Service. We celebrated our Easter

Vigil without a priest to bless our Easter fire, but

luckily, on Easter Sunday Fr. Vitalis Johannes,

OMI came to say Mass. We scheduled a baptism

for 45 adults on Easter Sunday but this was

cancelled, too. We missed the noise of the

children in our Kindergarten and they missed us

because some were often asking us by phone

when the school will open. We keep on praying

for deliverance from this dread disease. That in

all things God maybe glorified.

SHAMBYU COMMUNITY

by Sr. Imelda Shimbenda, OSB and Community

The workers and learners were sent home when we heard the news about this pandemic. Continued on page 7

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Shambyu community . . . from page 6

We thank Mother Simon for sending us the

masks and prayer to combat the pandemic.

We are praying for the end of this pandemic

before the Final Blessing of the morning Mass,

during the Rosary of Divine Mercy in our Chapel

at 3:00 p.m. and before Vespers.

TONDORO COMMUNITY by Sr. Marianne Sindimba and Community

We encourage each other, our workers and the people around us to practice hygiene and avoid being infected with COVID 19. We pray a lot for the whole world every day. We have managed in our Apostolate. A container of water for handwashing is provided at the main gate of the mission. We have been planting trees, like mangoes, pawpaw, lemons, guavas, chilis and dates. From those trees, we shared some with our Sisters in Namuntuntu, Ongwediva, nearby people and some were sold. We planted more trees in our field. We have received seedlings from the Priory House and other communities.

SWAKOPMUND COMMUNITY by Sr. Angela Bock, OSB and Community

Due to lockdown, we informed our worker to stay

home and the elderly in the Nursing Homes that

we will not minister Holy Communion until the

situation allows us. We have a weekly hour of

Adoration and prayers after Vespers for the

COVID-19 intentions. When there is no Mass we

are able to integrate Holy Communion at Lauds.

We, the various Congregations of Sisters within our vicinity, bearing in mind the limiting number for gathering, had the Mass for Palm Sunday in the chapel in our house with a palm procession going around with palm branches within the confines of the chapel. The evening Mass for Easter Vigil was celebrated in the Church with a fire in the vestibule and then procession with the Easter Candle to the altar with the Sisters in attendance. The Holy Mass on Easter Sunday, Ascension, Pentecost and evening Mass for Corpus Christi were held in the Church and live-streamed for the parishioners. The Morning Mass for Corpus Christi was held in our chapel incorporated with the renewal of temporary vows of our Sister Maria Clementine Ndara, OSB.

Due to the rapid increase of cases in our neigbouring town, Walvis Bay, our Erongo Region is on strict lockdown until today. It’s not possible to plant trees anytime with the cold weather of Swakopmund. However, we have been caring for the two gardens at our Guest House in Ocean View three times a week. The garden in our backyard at our house in town is always being renewed.

Catechetical Workshop in Döbra Mission,

Windhoek, Namibia

by Sr. Marie Therese Ameya, OSB On March 6th-8th and 13th -15th 2020, I have

facilitated a catechetical workshop for two groups

of Catechists (Teachers of Catholic Faith) from

different Regions: North Western Deanery,

Rundu Vicariate, Keetmanshoop Diocese,

Omaheke Deanery, Central Deanery and

Windhoek Diocese. The first group had 77

participants and the second group had 70

participants. The youngest was 21 years of age

and the oldest was 75 years old. It was a

moment of joy, expectations and new

challenging.

The first session by Br. Sydney OFM. started at

8:30 a.m. It was on actual lesson on how to

teach Holy Communion candidates using the

new teaching Models: Book 1 and Book 2. The

second session, a PowerPoint Presentation on

Scheme of Work and Lesson plan was presented

by Sr. Marie Therese OSB.

The Namibian Catholic Bishops Conference

(NCBC) Catechetical Desk decided to write and

compiled new Catechism Manuals:

Continued on p.8

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Catechetical Workshop … from page 7

Holy Communion and Confirmation for Learners

and Teachers that are now used in Windhoek

Diocese, Keetmanshoop Diocese and Rundu

Vicariate. All the Catechists were taught and

given a sample of how to scheme and plan their

teaching lessons in their different Parishes.

Brother Sydney and I, facilitators, pray hard for

strength upon us to continue with the work of

Evangelization. We ended our catechetical

workshop with the Holy Mass. The Catechists

requested to have a WhatsApp Group for the

announcements regarding Catechism. We all left

the mission in the spirit of joy and looking forward

to meeting again after Covid19. I am very

grateful to God, NCBC Management,

Catechetical desk, our Windhoek Priory and to

the people I have met in the workshop.

CENTENARY YEAR ACTIVITY

Sr. Beate, OSB, Superior of Bethanie Community

recommended the mother of Martin Basson, who

is a faithful helper of their

Community, for surgery at

the Roman Catholic

Hospital in Windhoek.

Our Priory Centenary

Charity Fund sponsored

his mother’s medical

treatment. It is our joy to

hear from Martin that his

mother is no longer living

in severe pain and in a

few months’ time, she will

walk normally again.

Martin wrote Mother Simon, “On behalf of my

family, I would like to thank you a million times. I

really do not find words to thank you enough.

May the good Lord reward and bless you and all

the Sisters abundantly. I promise I will give my

100% to the work I am doing and do a good job

for the Sisters in Bethanie.”

COUNTING COUNTLESS BLESSINGS –

Part 3

Indeed, the Congregation has attracted many vocations. Yet, on 29 August 1999, after the canonical probation period which started on 14 June 1996, fifty-eight (58) Namibian Benedictine Sisters of Oshikuku were integrated into our Congregation and incorporated into the Windhoek Priory. Considering that the seat of the Priory was at the heart of the city of Windhoek where real silence and recollection could hardly be observed, thus, an absence of monastic ambiance, the Priory Government led by Mother Pia Lansang, OSB, Prioress, thought of transferring the seat of the Priory to another place. The new Priory House was constructed in Nubuamis, a 15-minute drive from the main town. On 15 July 2000, a new Priory House in Nubuamis, Windhoek was blessed.

St. Benedict Priory has currently fourteen (14) communities engaged in different apostolates -health care, education, pastoral and social work, prayer apostolate, spirituality centre, guesthouse, farming and livestock raising.

Special Prayer during our Centenary Year

Dear Lord, thank you for sustaining us with your faithfulness and love. We ask you through the intercession of all our pioneer and deceased Sisters, to bestow your saving graces on the whole world during this pandemic crisis. Please protect all peoples especially our Congregation and all missionaries. Amen.

Some years later, our Sisters helped establish the Congregation of the Benedictine Sisters of Oshikuku.

Editorial Team:

Sr. Remedios de los Reyes, OSB Sr. Stephanie Zamoras, OSB Sr. Antonia Shilunga, OSB

Sr. Maurice Mary Kamari, OSB

Sisters and Formandees dancing during the laying of the

Foundation of the new St. Benedict’s Priory House in

Nubuamis, Windhoek