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The General Visit to East Africa Province

T eventThursday, 28 March 2024

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Our Rule of Life as Religious of the Assumption, states that the Superior General visits the Provinces herself or sends a delegate who has the authority that the Superior General delegates to her. The purpose of these visits is to maintain communion, to strengthen religious life and to stimulate apostolates according to the Rule of Life. The East Africa Province, Kenya and Tanzania was blessed to have the physical presence and a face to face encounter with our Superior General, Sr. Rekha M. Chennattu and her General Councilor, Sr. Irene Cecile. The short visit lasted only for ten days, from 8th-18th June 2022.Though short, it was a grace filled moment for our Province.

In my community, the Provincial House, spend some good time preparing, praying as we waited for the visit. We desired and planned to welcome the culturally, according to the Chagga tradition. We had “sale” plant, which is a sacred plant for the local people. It is a sign of good will, communion, and peace for those visiting and reconciliation for individuals or families. Any request made using the sale plant is never rejected.

Personally, I had a waiting experience that I have received as a gift. Waiting is part and parcel of the human experience. I have had several experiences of waiting that I encountered fear, anxiety, shaky hope, fatigue, worry, waste of time, things not clear in my mind and even at times  had unnecessary headache and stress. When it was announced that the Superior General, Sr. Rekha Chennattu and the Sr. Irene Cecile, a General Councilor would visit our Province for ten days, my first reaction was, “it’s too short”. I was very much aware that the General visits are very special moments to the sisters and their mission, a time to be in touch with the Mother House, a time of sharing, encouragement and renewal.

 As the day drew near, I discovered at different moments that my waiting was bringing some insights that opened up as follows;

  • In the waiting, there was  a kind  of value in it, like  longing for God to fulfill His promise no matter how much it would cost me
  • The waiting had a meaning as there was a kind of connection and communication in some moments of my prayer
  • The waiting was purposeful! I felt invited to listen and cooperate.
  • I easily noticed things, events, people, requests and promises that I had overlooked before.
  • The present moment was of great worth, a pearl to own.

 

Yes, the visit was a moment that the fire of our love for God, our Congregation and mission was enkindled. The encounter with our Srs. Rekha and Irene was of sisterly love, concern, attentiveness, appreciation, simplicity, easy to approach and full of motherly understanding.

May the affirmation in our commitment and mission lead us to the new forms” of RA charism. (CGP 2022 - Madrid).

 BY SR. NANCY NYAWIRA