Sisters Celebrate their Golden and Silver Jubilees of Religious Profession
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Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing
St. Benedict’s Priory Windhoek, Namibia
January- March 2020 WPN 79
Sisters Celebrate their Golden and Silver Jubilees of
Religious Profession
by Aspirants Azariah Ndinondjene, Emilia Lasarus, Randengudis Jeremia, Selma Kangumbe
The beautiful sunshine that brightened St Benedict’s Priory House was one with us on 08 February 2020,
as we celebrated the Jubilees of Profession of our dear Sisters: 60 th – Sr Augusta Kunz, Sr. Gertrud
Akundungila, Sr Anna Maria Franziskus and 25th – Sr Agatha Ipinge.
The Holy Mass which was celebrated by His Grace, Archbishop Liborius Nashenda, OMI with 10 priests
as concelebrants and one Deacon, was well attended by religious Brothers and Sisters from different
Congregations, family members and friends of the Jubilarians. Mother Simon Lee welcomed everyone
in her introductory remarks before the start of the Holy Mass. She also narrated some significant points
on the lives of the Jubilarians.
The chapel was decorated beautifully and the liturgy was lively and joyful. The Archbishop, in his homily,
cited three important things one
needs to carry in one’s spiritual
journey namely: candle - which
symbolizes Jesus as the light, stone
– which symbolizes strong faith in
God, and a slice of bread – which
symbolizes the Body of Christ in the
Eucharist to nourish us. We were
edified by the examples of the Jubilarians. They have served the Lord for many years without regrets,
though we presume, that they have experienced hardship along the way. Can we serve the Lord that
long? Will we manage to spend our whole life in the monastery? After the Holy Mass, we proceeded to
St. Mary’s Hall for a festive lunch. After the meal, there was a programme where Sisters and
Formandees according to stages danced and sang meaningful songs in honour of the Jubilarians. The
Jubilarians expressed their gratitude and appreciation to all for their presence and all those who worked
hard to prepare and organize this day.
Novice Martha Ndala’s Initiation into the Novitiate
by Nov. Martha Ndala
My initiation rite took place in the chapter room on 02 February, the Feast of the Presentation of
Jesus in the Temple. Abbot Justin’s homily emphasized the fact that through our vocation, our
families actually offered our lives to Jesus, just as the boy Jesus was offered to God by his parents
in the temple. It was by the grace of God that made me reach this stage of my formation, that is, the
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Novitiate. That’s why I kept on thanking God during my retreat
which started in the evening of 29 January and ended on 01
February 2020. I was guided by my retreat facilitator, Sr Raphaela
Mlwilo with a theme, “Father, you are the potter and we are the
clay” (Jeremiah 18:13). As my response, I will continuously allow
his hand to shape me according to his will. To conclude, I thank
Mother Simon and all the Sisters for accepting me to this next
stage of my formation. Hope that you, my dear Sisters, still
continue to pray for me as I continue my journey.
Acceptance of Four Observers into Aspirancy
by Aspirants Azariah, Emilia, Randengudis and Selma
Having entered the monastery on 30 January 2020, was like a dream for us.
The Sisters were full of joy and love as they welcomed us like their young
Sisters in the family. When we arrived here we felt we have finally come to
the place where we belong. On Saturday, 01 February 2020, we had a
recollection facilitated by Sr.Felicitas Mufenda, Vocation Diorectress, in
preparation to our official acceptance as Aspirants. Per instruction of Sr
Antonia, we did not do any work, except praying in silence. During our
Acceptance to Aspirancy, Mother Simon welcomed us to our new family to
begin the new chapter of our life. She gave each of us the St. Benedict medal
and entrusted us to our Aspirant Directress, Sr. Antonia Shilunga.
We have observed that the Sisters here are very prayerful. This made us feel good. We give thanks to
God for calling us to this way of life and to Windhoek Priory for accepting us. May the Sisters continue to
pray for us to persevere in our monastic and missionary way of life.
Formandees Celebrate Sts Maur and Placid
by Sr. Grace Kakweno, OSB and Sr. Mercy Gabriel, OSB
On 15 January 2020, the Feastday of the two young disciples of
St. Benedict, Sts Maur and Placid, which by tradition became the
feastday of the formandees, was filled with love, joy and
excitement.
After a delicious lunch, two Formators, Sr. Abraham Kang and Sr
Raphaela Mlwilo and formandees went for an outing at Daan
Viljoen Lodge and National Wildlife Park in Windhoek. We enjoyed
seeing the giraffes, ostriches, warthogs, oryxes, and springboks.
We thank Mother Simon for allowing us to enjoy this day and we
continue asking for the intercession of Sts Maur and Placid for the
grace of perseverance for all Benedictine formandees worldwide.
Priory House Community Celebrates Carnival
by Postulant Mirjam Johannes
The Priory House Community bade a joyful goodbye to Ordinary Time by their colourful and festive
Carnival. In the evening of Fat Tuesday, 25 February 2020, we had a programme after a sumptuous
supper. It was so nice and enjoyable that there was so much fun in seeing many Sisters and
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Formandees wearing clothes of different colours and styles.
Our joy was added by the presentations of different groups
which portrayed varied traditions of the tribes in Namibia. All
these made the closure of Ordinary Time memorable. The
Lenten silence began the next day.
Mother Prioress Simon Lee, OSB Visits Communities
Swakopmund Community
by Sr Angela Bock, OSB
On Saturday, 28 December 2020, Mother Simon Lee, Prioress, accompanied by Sr Elizabeth
Haingura, Subprioress, Sr Marie Johann Lee, Sr Remedios de los Reyes and Sr Patricia Crowley
arrived at the Swakopmund Community’s House. A cordial and hearty welcome was given to all!
On Sunday, Mother Simon and the rest of the guest Sisters were
greeted and recognized by Father John, OMI in the Church.
They have visited our St. Scholastica’s Guest House which is
located in Moringa Street. During free time, they would take a
walk and harvest the figs from the backyard. The rest of the
afternoon was spent reviewing the 20th Priory Chapter Message
and updating the Statutes by cutting and pasting the various
changes into the Priory Statutes. The Swakopmund Community
thanks Mother Simon for her short visit and wish her well in her
future travels. May God bless and reward her abundantly!
Okongo Community
by Sr. Klotilde Nepembe, OSB
On the Feast of St. Agnes, 21 January 2020, we happily welcomed our Prioress, Mother Simon and
her companions for a friendly visit to our Community in Okongo. Each Sister of the Community had
a chance to talk to Mother Simon individually. Together with the visitors, we visited the San people
who reside near the Mission station. Our Sisters from the Kavango Communities came together to
join the discussion of the 20th Priory Chapter Message and pasting of statutory amendments on the
Priory Statutes. We thank God for protecting our visitors and to Mother Simon, who took time in
talking to each one of us as she wished to get to know each Sister.
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R.C. Ongwediva Mission Kindergarten Opens
by Sr. Hildegard Kandjimbi, OSB and Sr. Mary Celestine Ngesheya,OSB
The Kindergarten officially opened on 15 January 2020. Though it
was not yet blessed, we were very happy and excited to start
classes and to welcome Mother Simon and the Sisters who visited
us. As a start, we opened only two classes: Class A and Class B
with 29 children each, totalling 58. Class A is for the 3-year-olds
under the care of Sr. Celestine Ngesheya, and Class B, for the 4
year-olds, handled by Sr.Hildegard Kandjimbi. Sr. Felicitas
Mufenda is our Principal. Hopefully, bigger and more classrooms
will be constructed in the near future.
The words of Jesus: “Let the children come to me” encourage us when we are teaching them every
day. The children are very happy with us, despite their difficulty in pronouncing our names. They call
Sr Hildegard, “Teacher Garden”, and Sr. Celestine, “Teacher Celestus.” Our special thanks to the
parents who have entrusted their children to us.
Ruacana Community Assists in the
Anamulenge Pastorial Region Youth Retreat
by Sr. Mary Placid Joseph, OSB
Theme: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone,
the new is here” (2Cor 5:17)
Ruacana Parish welcomed all the youth of Anamulenge Pastoral Region to an annual retreat on 10-
11 January 2020, where Sr Lucia Gabriel, OSB gave a vocation
talk. Fr. Vitalis Johannes, OMI, the main facilitator, celebrated Holy
Mass and exposed the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration.
The retreat went well which made the youth appreciate Tate
Pandeni, the Parish leader and the organizers for the hospitality
and the love experienced. The retreat concluded with an amazing
Holy Mass where everyone was singing and dancing to their
hearts’ content. May the Lord bless our youth all over the world.
Memorial Service for Sr Leoni Hasler, OSB
By Sr Augusta Kunz, OSB
The memorial service for Sr. Leoni Hasler took place in
Tsumeb on 01 February 2020. It started with a Holy Mass at
9:00 AM. Many people who benefited from the Sr. Leoni Care
Centre were present. The Centre opened in 1998, originally for
HIV orphans, but later, for other orphans and elderly. Anyone
who asked for help was assisted. Sr. Augusta, in her speech
said, “Sr. Leoni took God’s call and words: Love your
neighbour as you love yourself. Give and you will be given.
Share your bread with the hungry. Sr. Leoni was not ashamed
to beg for the poor, the friends of Jesus. Isn’t it amazing how God always finds and calls people to
do what was needed? He called Sr. Leoni and gave her a great helper, Mr. John Britz. Humans come
and go, God’s word is always with us. He finds a helper for his work; he does not forget the children.
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We must have love and courage like Sr.Leoni and be selfless like her, then God will not fail us. We
pray for Sr. Leoni and ask for her intercession and help. With our trust in God we honour her.”
Mr John Britz, who closely assisted at the Centre, and some people shared their memories of Sr
Leoni. Sr Bonifacis Titus, Superior of Tsumeb Community, thanked all the people present and also
all the benefactors and donors of the Centre.
Sr Marie Therese Ameya, OSB
Attends Catechists’ Year Planning Workshop
The Year Planning Workshop for Windhoek Catechists was held in Döbra on 31 January to 03
February 2020. The workshop aimed at revisiting the past school year to find out what they have
done, their strengths and weaknesses so that they could devise a strategic plan for the next school
year. Mr Ben Haingura, the catechists’ coordinator of St Mary’s Cathedral Parish was the facilitator
of 15 participants.
The participants happily shared about their classes the previous year, their meetings with the parents
and the good attendance of the candidates for Confirmation, Baptism, and First Holy Communion. The
challenges they encountered were learning experiences which were very useful in planning out the
activities for the next school year. Sr Marie Therese describes the workshop as enriching and she gained
new insights and deepened her commitment to continue the work of evangelization.
BECOSA Held 29th Annual General Meeting
by Sr. Antonia Shilunga, OSB
Mother Simon Lee, Sr. Remedios de los Reyes and I travelled on the Feast of St. Scholastica to attend
the Benedictine Communities of Southern Africa (BECOSA) Annual General Meeting at Lumko Institute
Retreat Centre in Benoni North, Johannesburg, South Africa, on 10-15 February 2020.
This year’s 29th AGM theme is “THE GOOD ZEAL: The journey towards maturing in
monastic virtues.” The 22 participants were from different communities such as Christ the Word
Monasteries in Zimbabwe, Inkamana Abbey in South Africa (SA), St. Benedict Abbey- Subiaco in
Polokwane, SA, Order of the Holy Cross Anglican Community in Grahamstown, SA; Benedictine
Sisters of St. Alban, SA; Ampleforth Abbey,
England, Christ the King Sisters-Subiaco in
Polokwane, SA, Twasana Sisters, SA,
Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing,
Namibia and Benedictine Sisters of
Oshikuku, Namibia.
The two main speakers for the meeting were
Fr. Mark Butlin, OSB who spoke on
“Gaudete et Exsultate”, the Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father Pope Francis on the Call to Holiness,
and the BECOSA President Fr. Robert Igo, OSB on “The Theology of the Body: A Call to Conversatio
Morum” by Pope St. John Paul II. Each speaker of these two topics were related to our living of the
monastic life. The participants thank Sr. Thandi and the staff of the Lumko Retreat Centre and Fr. Robert
Igo, Coordinator for this enriching meeting.
DEPARTURES
Abbot Justin, OSB
by Aspirant Selma Kangumbe
In the evening of Sunday, 09 February 2020, we gathered in the Priory House Community Room for our
Farewell Programme for Abbot Justin, OSB. The Final Professed Sisters, Junior Sisters, Novices and
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Pre-Novitiate members rendered him our creative thanksgiving and goodbye songs. The whole
Community sang our Blessing Song for him at the conclusion of the programme. Abbot Justin expressed
his gratitude and appreciation with a song. He left for USA on 11 February 2020. We shall miss his
presence, formative homilies, sense of humour, songs and artistic talents. We shall remember him in his
paintings still hoisted on the walls of the Reception, Chapel, Chapter Room and Novitiate classroom.
Sr Abraham Kang, OSB
by Sr. Cherubina Shimuningeni,OSB
It was like a nightmare when we heard that Sr Abraham was returning to Korea for good. The
announcement about her departure shocked
many Juniors. Having experienced her as a
formator and a mother who took good care of us
like taking care of her own children, to some of
us, it was not easy to accept.
On the day of her departure, 27 February 2020,
at about 11:30 AM, we gathered outside the
chapel to sing a blessing song and to pray for
God’s guidance wherever she may be in the days
ahead. Seeing our sad faces, she comforted us by saying, “I am going but you don’t need to worry,
because somebody will come.” It sounded like Jesus who said, “It is better for you that I go for if I do not
go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7). Sr Abby, we will surely
miss you because we love you. May God
bless and reward you.
Sr. Domingas Candimba, OSB
After her four-year mission in Namibia, Sr.
Domingas returned to Angola on 11 March
2020. We shall remember her valuable
service to the Roman Catholic Hospital in
Windhoek and Bunya Health Centre. At
evening recreation on 10 March, the Priory
House Community sang for her a Blessing
song. We are grateful to Sr. Domingas and
to the Region of Angola. May she continue to be a blessing to the people she serves.
CENTENARY ACTIVITIES
1. Oblates’ Formation
As an implementation of our action plan of the Committee on the
Centenary Liturgical Activities, our Oblates and Oblate
Candidates have been joining the Priory House Community at
Midday Prayer after their monthly meeting since the beginning of
the year. They have received an explanation on the meaning of
praying the Psalms, with the Readings and Prayer.
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2. Care for the Sick by Sr. Elizabeth Haingura, OSB
On 04 February 2020 to 13 February 2020, our Roman Catholic Hospital, Windhoek assisted Lukas
Iyambo, 35 years old, our first centenary patient, who came in as an emergency case with the problem
of renal failure, high blood pressure and poor vision under the care of Dr Katjitae. After three days from
admission and treatment, Lukas was declared to have regained his vision and his kidneys properly
functioned. So, on 13 February 2020, he was discharged from the hospital with a medical prescription
for six months.
Four-year-old Pauline Nevaye Domingu was bitten by one of the dogs
of our Tondoro Mission Station one Sunday. She received her first
treatment from Tondoro Health Centre and on 25 February 2020, was
admitted to the RCH. On the following day, 26 February, she underwent
a plastic surgery. The operation was successful and she is staying in one
of the guest rooms of the RCH Community while having her daily
dressing, recovering and waiting for her scheduled next medical
procedure.
3. Care for the Earth
Fifteen (15) members of the St. Mary’s Cathedral
Catholic Men’s Group of Windhoek stayed in the
Priory House for their Recollection on 28 February
to 01 March 2020 with Fr Eusebius Munhu as their
facilitator. It was edifying to see them observe
silence while enjoying the prayerful ambience of the
Priory House.
To each one’s delight at the end of their recollection,
Mother Simon gave each a box containing a planted seedling of the delicious ox heart tree (Custard
apple - Annona reticulate) from the nursery garden of Sr. Theresia Shilongo.
NEWSBRIEFS
The RCH Community and Administration Staff After 18 years
celebrated the 50th birthday of Sr. Eliza Arpon, (2002 -2020) of
OSB on 24 March 2020. We thank God for her faithful service in
gift of life and the Priory
wish her House, Mr. Elias
Willibald, our lay
abundant
worker retires.
blessings in her
Mother Simon, on behalf of the Community gave
tasks as the RCH him a token of appreciation during a simple
Administrator. farewell at the Reception.
We heartily thank him for his commitment at
work and love for the Community.
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permanent residents. The law enforcement
“I asked the Lord to stop the organized to enforce lockdown throughout the
country. The Namibian Catholic Church urged
epidemic: Lord, stop it with the faithful to adhere to the instructions of the
your hand ”- Pope Francis government.
Coronavirus has made a lot of changes in our As a Priory, we pray the rosary and a novena to
daily lives which the whole world is trying to Sr. Reinolda May every day and adoration for
adapt in all possible ways. In Namibia on 14 those who died, the healing and ending of
March 2020, the government has declared a COVID-19, the safety of doctors, medical
personnel and the scientists who are working for
State of Emergency and responded with urgent
a cure of this virus. Through the intercession of
and aggressive measures to contain the
our Mother Mary, Health of the Sick and all the
spread of the novel COVID 19. Internal and Saints, we entrust the whole word in God’s
external travel bans were extended to all mercy and love.
countries around the world for a period of 30
days including the Namibian citizens and
Counting our Countless Blessings - Part II
(History of the Windhoek Priory - in series)
Finding a need for Sisters to work in a mission hospital of the Roman Catholic Church in Windhoek since
the Franciscan Sisters of Nonnenwerth were leaving the place and returning to the United States, the
Motherhouse in Tutzing sent Sisters to work in the hospital in Windhoek. In 1923, the management of
the 60-bed hospital was handed over to the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing. On account of
this, more Sisters from Tutzing were sent to Windhoek to help in the health apostolate. In February 1925,
the hospital had an expansion of a new wing which included five wards and two operating theatres.
The hospital which was formerly named ‘Maria Stern Krankenhaus’, later, ‘Maria Hilf Krankenhaus’, was
ultimately named, ‘Roman Catholic Hospital’ in mid-1930. On 26 June 1926 the Windhoek Priory (St
Benedict) was canonically erected and the Roman Catholic Hospital became its seat. Sometime later,
with due alterations and
modifications, one of its
wings got a second floor
and an x-ray department
was set up. In 1942, the
hospital capacity rose to
90 beds.
Left photo below: first community in Windhoek. Right photo: first group of nurses who worked in the hospital.
From 1989 to 2010, large-scale renovations and constructions were done. The last building
constructed houses with the first private Cardiac Unit in Namibia which also comprises an ICU ward
with ten cubicles, two operating theatres, doctors’ rooms and a three-level parking area. The Roman
Catholic Hospital has been acclaimed as the “State of the Art” in Namibia.
Editorial Team Sr. Remedios de los Reyes, Sr. Stephanie Zamoras, Sr. Antonia Shilunga, Sr. Maurice Mary Kamari
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