The Southern Zone of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI) has held its Lenten recollection at the St. Andrew’s Cathedral Church Wa, Upper West Region on March 15, 2025, attended by 33 Sisters.
Rev. Fr. Elvis Aayel, a Canon Lawyer of the Catholic Church, a teacher, and a Chaplain of St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary Wa, facilitated the recollection under the theme: “The cross, the way of holiness to eternity.” 
The Sisters of Mary Immaculate’s presence and mission in the Diocese of Wa is the largest in terms of the number of convents and personnel. Therefore, the Diocese is divided into two zones, the Northern and Southern zone Districts.
The Southern zone District comprises twelve (12) communities: namely; Divine Providence Generalate, Assumption, St. Francis Xavier, Daffiama Mother House, Pre-Novitiate, Daffiama parish community, Nadowli Parish, Queen of Peace SHS community, Kaleo, Tumu, Mother of Mercy and Kparsega Novitiate community.
In his reflection on the theme, Fr. Aayel explained to the Sisters that the cross was the sign of their salvation and one of the ancient symbols of the Catholic faith together with other gestures and other postures that are usually made during religious activities or ceremonies.
This he said, explained “our faith, when we make the sign of the cross, when we look at the cross, when we kneel, when we genuflect, when we sit, when we prostrate.”
He, further, explained that this is a sign that “we believe in Jesus Christ who died on the cross and for our salvation.”
Fr. emphasised that as Catholics especially as Religious they must begin and end all their prayers with the sign of the cross not an option, but an obligation.
“We are all called to holiness through the virtue of our baptism,” he added.
At what angle do we see the cross as the way of holiness and salvation? Do we believe that the cross truly saves? he asked.
The cross, he noted was embedded in our souls and cannot be removed from us.
He admonished Sisters to keep the cross alive in works of salvation by saving others in the spirit of Jesus.
He encouraged Sisters to let the yoke of the cross of Christ be their source of inspiration and encouragement.
“Be firm but gentle, be wise but prudent, and be innovative but sensitive,” he admonished.
A Holy Mass was held to conclude the recollection and presided over by Fr. Elvis, who indicated that there were rules and regulations that are followed as a church and as a congregation.
“As a church, we belong to the larger Christian community to follow this status and ordinances not for our own good, but for the good of the community that we may be united and enjoy this unity together,” he stated.
He therefore advised the Sisters never to disobey these regulations, saying that the more they disobey, they more they punished the mother church and decreased their congregation, urging them to obey their rules with an open heart, spirit, and mind.
The District Superior, Sr. Agnes Adongo, thanked Fr. Aayel for facilitating the recollection.
By Sr. Gloria Duongnaa SMI (Sister Communicator)
