Meet Our Sisters: Sr. Philomena Roche, OSB

(Meet Our Sisters will be a Blog Series to get to know our Sisters from the Missionary Benedictine Sisters in Norfolk, NE. Each month we will feature a new Sister and her journey to become a Missionary Benedictine Sister.)

Born November 17^th 1931, Christchurch, New Zealand.

First Profession: December 8^th 1949

Final profession: December 8^th 1952.

Feast Day: August 11^th
Mission Experience: Philippines, Australia, Winnebago, Norfolk

Religious Journey:

I entered the enclosed Contemplative Benedictines in Sydney, Australia at the age of 16. I was there from 1948 till 1970 when I changed to the Benedictine Missionary Sisters in New Norcia, West Australia. These mainly Spanish Sisters had 2 orphanages, one for girls and one for boys. They returned to Spain in 1974 and Sr. Veronica Willaway and I went to Spain. We both helped in Casa del Nino for children of working mothers. When more help was needed where 3 of the Spanish Sisters had remained, Sr. Veronica and I went back to Australia to help there. I was put in charge of the Kindergarten, took the weather reports for the Perth Meteorological station (transmitted via radio), I had care of the poultry (ducks and fouls); I helped with the religious instruction in the government school there. I was in Kalumburu for 8 years (1978-1986). In 1982 we all transferred to the Tutzing Missionary Benedictine Sisters.

In 1986, I was assigned to Marikina in the Philippines for two years as one of the 4 helpers to the librarian in the grad school library. I was also the sacristan (with a good helper) for the chapel where there were many masses (weekly) for the 6,000 students. Some masses were held in the gymnasium.

In 1988 I was assigned to Baguio where more help was needed for the aged Sisters. I was in charge of the laundry and gave weekly religious instruction to the many domestic helpers. July 16 1990 was the big Baguio earthquake and the guest area was badly damaged, so not much work for the laundry. More help was needed in Kalumburu, West Australia and I was asked if I was willing to return there. So I was back there from 1990 until 1995 when I came here to Norfolk.

I was in Winnebago from 1996 till 2003 when I was diagnosed to have cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) so I needed to do less work. I came back here to Norfolk where I visit the sick and ageing and write letters to prisoners. I thank God for all these missionary experiences.

Abby in the Abbey: "Forever" Vows

Whew!  It has been a long time since I sat down to write something to everyone.  This past week-end I was sooo busy helping the Sisters because two of my bestest friends, Sr. Fidelis Marie and Sr. Madeleine made their “forever” vows.  That means they will stay here forever and gosh does that make me happy!  There were so many friends here and I tried hard not to bark and to be on my best behavior.  After all of this I just got to thinking….

How many people in this world can just say “yes” to doing something forever?  I think there is a word called “commitment” that people use.  I really don’t know what that means, but Sr. K says it means that when you say you’ll do something that you stick with it and don’t give up when things get hard.  That is something difficult for me to understand because us dogs just move on when things don’t work out for us.  For people it is different because they are supposed to know what commitment means. 

In the meantime as Sr. K says, “stay the course, keep your eyes on God and have faith that everything will work out” because God will never let any of us down.

130th Jubilee of the Congregation and the Year of Consecrated Life: Nairobi Priory

 In 2015, we look back upon 130 years of our history, with more than 1300 women living as Missionary Benedictine Sisters. Over the coming months of the Year of Consecrated Life we will bring to you the histories of our Priories and Sisters across the World.

 

 

In 1973 Peramiho Priory had already planted a little corn into Kenyan soil in the Kerio valley with Sr. Ruth Greubel, domestic teacher, and Sr. Margret Maria Arnold, nurse and midwife. They started the community of the Child Jesus in Chesongoch. We owe it to their missionary zeal, their courage, and loving perseverance that the community grew roots amidst the wild thorn bushes and an army of goats.

In 1976 the two sisters were called back to Peramiho and replaced by Sr. Wilgard Lumpp, cook (died at Karen in 2007 as the senior of our Priory); Sr. Heriberta Erhard, domestic teacher (by now retired in Haus St. Benedikt in Tutzing), and Sr. Maria Uhl, nurse and midwife (still in Nairobi-Ruaraka). Other sisters joined them during the next years for short periods.

In 1980 a second small seed was planted, this time in Nairobi with Sr. Irmtrud Wagner and Sr. Chantal Gerster (became then Regional Superior and followed as 2. Prioress). They prepared the ground for further expansion by learning the language, starting a garden and a convent building.

On February 10, 1981 the sisters’ convent at Nairobi-Ruaraka could be blessed as formation house by our late Card.  Otunga with Sr. Chantal as Regional Superior, Sr. Irmtrud, responsible for house and garden, Sr. Magdalena Eberhard, kindergarten teacher, and Sr. Ramira Uy,    physician. The community of Chesongoch was added and Nairobi became a region.

Nairobi finally came to birth as priory on February 10, 1987 at Karen with Sr. Christiane Spannheimer as first prioress. The communities in Ruaraka and Chesongoch became dependent houses. In the same year another community was added in Endo, which had already been mainly furnished by the Chesongoch community.

Since its beginning Ruaraka has grown enormously. The sisters run by now a Primary School with more than 1 000 students and a dormitory for about 300 children who mainly come from the nearby Mathare Valley. They also serve in a big dispensary with a maternity, which is constantly short of beds with daily about 15 deliveries. Also our student sisters find there a loving home.

 

In the Kerio valley the facilities were improved for present day needs: in Chesongoch was built in 2011 a small hospital with operating theatre and the kindergarten was extended. In Endo the Health Centre received more examination rooms and a maternity, which were blessed in 2015. The sisters also avail themselves for pastoral and social needs.

In the early years our sisters who worked in the Kerio valley were always welcome in the so-called “Procure” of the Benedictine Fathers in Eldoret. They were finally able to buy in the year 2000 2/3 of the land together with the former procure.

 

The house was remodeled, repaired and extended and in March 2003 the first convent with three sisters could canonically be erected. This convent serves the sisters of Chesongoch and Endo as home during their business visits in Eldoret and on their way to and from Nairobi. The sisters also take care of the sick in a nearby hospital, teach in a Secondary School, welcome retreatants and never missing guests, and have recently a hostel for students and young women studying or working in the town.

 

In 2007 in nearby Kimumu a piece of land was purchased. The sisters worked hard to build and establish the St. Gertrud Community. By now they already have a growing Primary School, which still is being built up to 8th grade. Their main concern in the school is peace building among the once warring tribes of this part of Kenya.

 

Also the Priory House in Karen could radiate its activities though having as its main task the formation of young women wanting to become Missionary Benedictine Sisters. These come not only from Kenya, but also from Uganda, Tanzania and of late the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The sisters established a retreat and guest house, they run a dispensary and train their young missionaries in taking care of nature in their vast garden and husbandry. The formandees also teach in a nearby school and respond to the many pastoral ad social needs of the area, like attending to the Small Christian Communities, taking care of needy students and old people.

In all our houses the sisters take care of the needy through pastoral care and social activities.

 

As already in the early not yet stabilized Church the followers of Christ went out to other countries, so also from our still young priory sisters went out and serve in the Generalate, Peramiho, Ndanda, Norfolk, Manila, Namibia and next in Olinda and Portugal.