It was a hilarious day for the Novices of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary (MSHR) Congregation at Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, as they welcomed Formators at various stages of MSHR Formation from different Countries, to the Novitiate.
For the Formators, the 1-day visit was an opportunity to interact with the Novices and also reconnect with the environment that had once formed them.
The July 11, 2026 visit happened within the context of the MSHR Formation Meeting at the Holy Rosary Retreat and Conference Centre, Nsukka.
The Sisters received a thunderous welcome from the Novices, right from the gate, as they processed in song and dance around the compound.
They presented welcome songs in different languages and cultures, including Tiv, Ideoma, Igbo, Igala, and Hausa, all in Nigeria, Mbo and Lambso in Cameroon, Swahili in Kenya and Amharic in Ethiopia, depicting their cultural diversity. There was self-introduction by all present, to facilitate the interactions.
Other activities featured during the historic visit were, Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Christian Nwekeh, CRS, Postulant Master of the Somascan Fathers at Enugu, and beautifully animated by the Novices. There was also a walk around the Novitiate compound, led by Sr. Nkiru Egbo, the Novice Mistress.
According to her, the purpose of the walk was to give the formators the opportunity to reconnect with what had once been their home, and allow the environment to welcome them.
The walk was made even more exciting by the eating of fresh maize and plums from the Novitiate farm, among other snacks, as they paid a visit to the poultry, rabbits/grass cutters’cage, the dogs, fish pond, vegetable garden, kitchen, among other sights. All these structures, she maintained, are part of the experiential learning of the Novices, and helps them to connect with nature. The Sisters also had lunch with the Novices, spiced with various cultural dances, speeches, poem recital, amongst others, by the Novices.
Sr. Bernadette Nyam, the Congregational Councillor for Formation, speaking on behalf of the Formators, could not conceal her joy for all the wonderful performances witnessed from the Novices, depicting the richness of internationality and inter-culturality, amongst others. She celebrated their “energy, exuberance, joy, love and enthusiasm” of the Novices.
Sr. Nyam further appreciated the seeming love that existed amongst the novices, evident in their ability to live and work collaboratively, and encouraged them to keep up with the spirit, and continue to internalise all what they are learning in the Novitiate; both the theory and the experiential, even as they interact with the living things on the compound, and to transfer the learnings to the Communities when they eventually profess and move in to join other Sisters.
The Formation Councilor left the Novices with the challenging and soul-searching question: “When somebody sees you, does the person meet Jesus/Shanahan?
In other words, challenging them to be Christ-like, just as it was said of the Founder of MSHR, Bishop Joseph Shanahan, CSSp.
Sr. Workinesh, Adamasu, one of the young and in-coming Formators from Ethiopia, encouraged the Novices to make good use of their time as Novices, and transmit the learnings acquired into the Communities when they leave.
Sr. Workinesh, who is getting ready for her Perpetual Vows in a few months, lauded the efforts of the Novitiate Formation Team in providing a conducive and tension-free environment, suitable for formation and integration, as evident in the free manner in which the Novices interacted with one another and with the Sisters.
Sr. Nkiru Egbo, the Novice Mistress, expressed immense gratitude to God for a very successful day, and to the Formators for making out the time to come and spend the day with them. She and her team had returned a day before from the Meeting, to prepare for the memorable visit.
For her, the visit of the Formators to the Novitiate was “a beautiful reunion” as the Sisters returned to their roots.
She further encouraged the Novices to be the light both in and out of Novitiate and out in the communities, so that they can help other Sisters to live their Religious life, even better.
Member Nyorior, the Head of the Novitiate (HON) as at the time of the visit, on behalf of the Novices rendered deep appreciation to the Sisters for choosing to visit no other place but the Novitiate.
The duty of HON rotates after every two months, to give each Novice the opportunity to gain some leadership skills.
She touched on some of the learnings they are gaining from the Novitiate, ranging from theoretical study on Religious Life, the Vows, MSHR Constitutions, the Life of the Founder, among others, which according to her, are being integrated in their day-to-day living, coupled with their daily interaction with nature and living things such as the rabbits, dogs, grass cutters, which bring them closer to nature and aid them in their reflections.
The Formators were joined for the visit to the Novitiate by two members of the Congregational Leadership Team: Sr. Ruth Chetambe, Councillor for Development and Safeguarding and Sr. Bernadette Nyam, Councillor for Formation. Four Regional Leaders were also present, namely: Sr. Helen Nwagwu (Zambia), Sr. Nkechi Caroline Oraebosi (Ghana), Sr. Charity Gathungu (Ethiopia) and Sr. Elizabeth Onoja (Kenya).
Also present was Sr. Adeline Eronini, from the Mission House Community, Enugu, who had come to stay with the Novices in the absence of their Formators.
Sr. Adeline will be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee (60 years) in the Congregation in the coming month, and requested for prayers from the Novices and Formators. The Congregational Leader, Sr. Franca Onyibor, together with the Congregational Vicaress and Councillor for Education and Mission, who were also in Nigeria for the Formation Meeting, were unavoidably absent.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (Catholic Sister Communicators Network, Ghana CASCON-GH)
