Sr. Victorine Dorkenoo, SMMC, shares her encounter and advocacy.
In many parts of Ghana and beyond, the plight of widows continues to be a silent cry buried under cultural norms, superstitions, and family practices. Sr. Victorine A. A. Dorkenoo, SMMC, a retired teacher and a member of the Institute of the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (SMMC), is one of the few voices courageously speaking out against these inhumane treatments.
Drawing from her deep personal encounters and spiritual apostolate, Sr. Victorine makes a passionate call for change and compassion.
“Widows and widowers abound in every community we find ourselves,” she. states. “We find them in our churches, in our communities, and even at our workplaces. But I focus more on widows, for they are more vulnerable due to the dehumanizing treatments they are subjected to after the loss of their husbands.”
Through her many years of service as a teacher, Sr. Victorine encountered numerous orphans whose dire conditions led her beyond the classroom into the very homes of the bereaved. There, she met widows struggling with grief, rejection, poverty, and fear. This close contact opened her eyes to the spiritual, psychological, and emotional scars left behind by harmful widowhood rites and cultural pressures.
She recalls how these widows began to confide in her as trust grew. Her consistent visits, prayers, and encouragement gave them a sense of hope. “They see me as a ray of hope in their trying moments,” she says. “And while I focus more on the spiritual and counselling aspects, I also encourage some affluent individuals to support these women, as well as teachers I’ve worked with who are empathetic to their cause.”
One particularly disturbing pattern Sr. Victorine highlights is how fear is deliberately instilled in widows by the families of their late husbands. Many are made to believe that the ghost of their spouse would harm them if they fail to follow oppressive customs, a form of manipulation that leaves them both terrified and isolated. In such times, spiritual support and compassionate counselling become vital lifelines.
Her ministry has not only brought hope and healing but also spiritual renewal. “It is imperative to state,” that two of such vulnerable widows converted to Catholicism without compulsion,” she affirms. Their choice reflects the comfort and dignity they found through her presence and the Church’s embrace.
Sr. Victorine’s story is a strong reminder of the urgent need to address the systemic injustices faced by widows. It calls on religious communities, educators, and civil society to rise in defense of the voiceless and restore dignity to those whose pain is often hidden behind closed doors.
Source: Sr. Agnes Mercy Nyatsoe, SMMC (Sr. Communicator)
