View the photos of the celebration
March 10 is for us, Religious, laity and friends of the Assumption, a special day because of the solemn celebration of St. Marie Eugenie, our Foundress.
This year, in the Province of Rwanda-Chad, this feast turned out to be very special. In addition to the usual celebration, we had the joy of giving thanks to God with Sisters Marya Dativa and Mariya Ludovika who celebrated their 60 years of religious life and for the first vows of 6 young ladies, 4 of whom are from the Province of Rwanda-Chad: Sister Claire, Sister Emilienne Marie, Sister Marie Beata, Sister Yvonne Marie Eugenie and 2 others, Evaline Raphael and Catherine from the Province of East Africa who made their novitiate in Rwanda.
The community of Kabuye welcomed us very warmly since Sunday March 8. The first to arrive was the delegation from Kenya and Tanzania. They were: Sr. Honoratha, the Provincial of the East African Province, plus other Sisters of her Province, priests, parents and relatives of our two Kenyan Sisters who were going to make their first profession. Their arrival and their presence among us is a grace for the whole Province. They give us the opportunity to live in an international community, which made the feast even more enjoyable. Different languages were heard everywhere, in the conversations and especially in the liturgy. Throughout their stay, we were living inter-culturality (Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania) in all areas: the way of celebrating and congratulating the young Sisters and the jubilarians, the meals, the gifts, the songs, the dances... We say thank you to Sr. Honoratha and the Province of East Africa who, by sending young people to the novitiate in Rwanda, strengthen the collaboration between the two Provinces and mutual enrichment. In the Novitiate, the songs in Swahili and English sung on a regular basis, the meals like Capati and Mukimu and so many other well-acquired habits, bear witness to this.
The Novitiate community and the young in formation at all levels also arrived early to prepare for the feast. They animated the liturgy with great creativity helping us inculturate ourselves especially through songs in different languages and through symbols. In his homily the main celebrant, Father John of God Uwamungu, representative of the Archbishop of Kigali, invited us not to be afraid to give to Him Who gave us everything, a word addressed to all those who commit themselves to following Christ and to the parents who were invited to accompany and encourage their children in their vocation. Addressing the young ladies who were going to make their first vows, he said: Seeing the elders, like those celebrating the jubilee of 60 years of religious life, we must say to ourselves that although this life is demanding, it is beautiful and possible.
After Mass we had time for sharing and just being together. It was also the time to express, by words and gestures, the joy of all: the young ladies who had made their profession, the jubilarians, the parents, and the Congregation represented by Sister Illuminata and Sister Honoratha, the Provincial Superiors of our two provinces: Rwanda-Chad and East Africa. Songs, poems, games and dances enlivened this good moment and continued up till the evening.
We give thanks to God for this joy shared in the Province and in communion with our Sisters and their relatives in East Africa. We thank all of you for your support, especially through prayer, which allowed us to live this event to the full.