Pre-candidates of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of our Lady of the Holy Rosary (MSHR), Ghana Region, were urged during their March 28, 2026 Lenten Recollection at the Sisters Convent at Asikasu – Donkorkrom, in the Kwahu Afram Plains, North District, Eastern Region of Ghana, to be icons of Prayer.
The call was made by Rev. Fr. Solomon Gbeglo Amedorme, Priest of Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate, working at the Alfons Merten’s Centre, Donkorkrom, who facilitated the Pre-candidates’ Recollection.
Presenting a Talk on the theme: “Be an Icon of Prayer,” the Priest urged the young women beginning their journey into the Religious life, to be persons of Prayer, maintaining that Prayer is the fuel for every authentic Christian, and it puts people on the right direction towards God.
“Dear sisters in Christ, being an icon or a symbol of prayer means, you must make conscious efforts to make prayer a part of you. You must be identified as a person of prayer at all times, even in difficult moments,” he buttressed, adding that without prayer the human soul is nothing and weightless before God.
Fr. Gbeglo implored the Pre-candidates to pray always, without becoming weary (Luke. 18:1) surrendering their wills to God. They are also to offer their Prayers in humility like the Biblical tax collector in Luke. 18:9-14.
He described Prayer as “Communication, Communion, or dialogue with God; the human response to God’s revelation and activity in the world”. “Prayer is a way of life,” he underlined.
To him, a Recollection therefore, is a spiritual exercise which invites those involved to call to mind the essentials of life during a particular moment or period, in view of surrendering themselves to God and neighbour.
The Recollection master made reference to some Scriptural passages where God revealed Himself to humanity, like in the case of Moses and the Burning Bush, where Moses was able to speak with God face-to-face (Deut. 34:10”. There, he even dared to argue with and challenge God, citing Yahweh’s own words and questioning God’s justice (Numbers 11: 11-15, 22-22).
Further alluding to the wrestle between Jacob and the Angel in Gen.32:24-31, Fr. Gbeglo underscored that such moments of wrestling with unknown opponents are symbolic of struggles that could happen in prayer, which must not deter the ones praying but rather encourage them to remain steadfast.
Buttressing on faithfulness in prayer, the Priest drew the attention of the formees to the fact that Prayer is based on the faithfulness of God (1Cor. 1:9) and the riches God wants to share with humanity, in Christ (Phil. 4:19), and not so much on human power, maintaining that they are able to pray because of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in them, who frees them and empowers them to address God as Father.
“It is the Spirit of God which perfects our prayers (Rom. 8:26-27),” he underpinned.
Drawing inspiration from the Old Testament, where turning to God in prayer seems to be “a normal and natural human activity,” the Priest further emphasized the need for the Sisters-in-the-making to pray incessantly, highlighting various forms of Prayer which could be “private or public, spontaneous or planned, voiced or mute, intensely personal or highly ritualized”.
Touching on the New Testament, he pointed out to the continuation and fulfilment of prayer in the life of Jesus Christ, who also addressed issues of “how to pray” by teaching His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Mt.6:9-13, Lk.11:1-4).
According to him, Jesus’ teaching on prayer buttresses on seeking first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all other things will be added (Matt. 6:33).
“Prayer is not a matter of informing God of our needs. God is our loving father who knows our needs,” he reminded, urging them to approach Prayer with confidence in God’s loving care and self-surrender.
“Our prayer must be animated by faith and trust and free of anxiety,” he opined.
Other activities featured during the Lenten Recollection included: Stations of the Cross, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Confessions, and climaxed by the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
The Pre-candidates were joined for the Stations of the Cross and the Recollection Mass by the Sisters in the community.
The Pre-candidacy Stage of the MSHR Formation, which comes right after the Aspirancy, is a period of at least one year, during which the interested Aspirant, having completed her Secondary education, and met the academic requirements, is helped and encouraged to have work experience and more exposure to life. During this time, the young woman visits a specific MSHR community every month to share in the life of the Sisters.
The current Pre-candidates of MSHR, Ghana Region, work at Holy Rosary School, Donkorkrom.
Following the Pre-candidacy stage of MSHR Formation is the Candidacy stage. This is a two-year programme where the interested Candidate lives in the community with other young women, where they are helped by the Candidates’ Directress to deepen their Catholic Faith, self-awareness and are introduced to the Charism and Spirituality of the Congregation. Those accepted into this programme are generally within the ages of 19 to 30 years, and the Formation programme takes place in Cameroon, for those from West Africa, and Kenya, for the East Africans.
The Candidates from the two countries then proceed to the Novitiate in Nigeria; a period of two years, during which they enter into a deep spiritual experience, developing a close personal relationship with Jesus, through Prayer, study, community living, apostolic work, and sharing in the daily life and mission of the Sisters. At the end of this stage, they make their First Profession of the Vows of Evangelical Poverty, Consecrated Chastity and Apostolic Obedience, lived in community.
Perpetual or Final Profession is made between five and nine years after First Profession, when the Sister has gained a missionary and cross-cultural experience of Religious Life, adequate experience of Community life and completed her tertiary studies.
MSHR is international Congregation of Catholic Religious Sisters founded in Ireland in 1924, by Bishop Joseph Ignatius Shanahan, CSSp, Servant of God, and their Charism is Mission, expressed in their readiness to be sent beyond the borders of their own countries and cultures, sharing the Good News with those in any kind of need, especially the poor, oppressed and exploited.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (Catholic Sister Communicators Network, Ghana – CASCON-GH).
