Sr Catherine Prendergast, Provincial has recently returned from a visit to Kenya - with photographs!  While she was there the first four Kenyan Seminary Sisters were ‘Sent on Mission'; two new houses were opened and a further five young Kenyan women were incorporated into the Seminary.

The Sending on Mission ceremony took place on 14 December 2009 in the Seminary followed by the Celebration of the Eucharist in Chanzo chapel.  This was a very historic occasion as it was the first Sending on Mission to take place in Kenya.  With these first young Kenyan sisters taking up their mission in the local community houses the implantation of the Daughters of Charity in Kenya is an eagerly awaited reality.  See the pictures.

The additional sisters ready and willing for mission enables the community to respond to invitations to serve in new areas of great need.  As a consequence two new houses were also opened.  One of these in Kitale,  was opened on 18 December 2009.  This house is the last stop on the way to Chepnyal and will be a welcome resting place for those who need to undertake the journey.  The other house in Mwingi in the diocese of Kitui almost 200km East of Nairobi was opened on 30 December 2009.

Having celebrated Christmas and the New Year in Kenya Sr Catherine, before returning to Ireland, received the five postulants into the Community as Seminary Sisters in Chanzo.  The five new Seminary Sisters now join Esther who is beginning her second year of Seminary formation.  She will be an indispensable companion to the new arrivals!  See the pictures.

During her time in Kenya Sr Catherine was joined by Sr Joyce Wheller from the Province of the West (USA) and some of those involved with her in the Daughters of Charity Foundation.  They had come to see the situation first hand and explore possible ways that they could support the mission.

With the expansion of the mission in Kenya we will keep all of you in our thoughts and prayers.