Three Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary mark their Silver Jubilee

On Saturday, 3 October next, Sisters Mary Kemjei, Ngozi Okoli and Angela Akeje, originally from Africa, will celebrate the significant milestone of their Silver Jubilee at 11.00am in the Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim, in the Diocese of Kilmore. Founded in Co Cavan, Kilmore 1924 by Bishop Joseph Shanahan, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary‘s mission is to spread the word of God and uplift the lives of women worldwide.

For one of the jubilarians, Sister Kemjei, the journey has been one of gratefully receiving and faithfully responding to God’s gift of vocation.

“I have come to learn that my vocation is a gift of a generous God to an undeserving soul,” she said. “I am like clay in the hands of the potter, which cannot decide how to be used or what to design out of it. I am just praying to be open to be used by God.”

Looking ahead, Sister Kemjei said her hope is rooted in the certainty that “the God who initiated this journey has stayed with me and assures me that he will never leave me alone”.

Bishop Martin Hayes, Bishop of Kilmore, who will celebrate the Jubilee Mass, reflected on the rich missionary heritage that helped inspire the Sisters’ vocations.

“We give thanks for the missionaries from Germany, Britain and Ireland who provided the inspiration to our Sisters in their native Nigeria and Cameroon,” he said. Bishop Hayes highlighted the profound influence these missionaries had on the vocational journeys of the Sisters who are now celebrating their Silver Jubilees.

“The faith of the families of our Silver Jubilarians had its roots in the witness of those European missionaries,” he added. “Our Sisters are now on mission among us.” Bishop Hayes concluded.