This celebration of 400 YEARS OF THE INSTITUTE FOUNDING (1609-2009) in Nairobi, Kenya, on 12th September by Sr Seraphine Oweggi, provincial leader and by the guest of honour
Nobel laureate Professor Wangari Maathai.
First the speech by Sr Seraphine Oweggi,
"Today we are gathered here to celebrate Mary Ward, the great English woman of inspiration and courage given to the church by England. Mary Ward was born in 1585 and died in 1645. We mark 400 years since she first began the uncloistered order of women modelled on freedom and mobility which was only practised by men then. As Cardinal Ratzinger said in 1984 “with courage and decisiveness she opened the way in her own time for women to work in a new way in the church” . Mary Ward suffered several persecutions; first, for her religion as a Catholic, secondly because of a world that was not ready for her prophetic mission and vision that ‘men and women are equal’ therefore women too can do great things when given the opportunity and favourable environment.
This year many countries across the world, members of Mary Ward’s congregation, co-workers, thousands of students and friends celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding courage of Mary Ward and her companions who dared to dream this new way of life for women. The fruits of these sufferings and those of her companions are being reaped today, in the lives of many women and men that are touched by the lives and works of the Loreto sisters in five continents.
Mary Ward’s dream started when she was a very young person; “education for girls” This dream has been realised in the Loreto philosophy of education which is centred in God and rooted in Gospel values. Most of you gathered here have been directly or indirectly, part of this dream. I would like to make a special mention of one of the renowned women championing Mary Ward’s dream, not only in her belief in women, but also in the environment Nobel laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, who is here with us, a past student of Loreto Limuru and also as our Guest of Honour.
By championing the preservation of the environment which sustains all of us, Professor Wangari Maathai connects with the process of empowering women. When the earth is devasted and the environment is affected, it is the women who mainly suffer. For instance, when there is no water, they have to walk long distances in search of water in order to sustain their families.
In your own words extracted from your nobel prize ceremony speech in 2004 you stated: “Throughout Africa, women are the primary caretakers, holding significant responsibility for tilling the land and feeding their families. As a result, they are often the first to become aware of environmental damage as resources become scarce and incapable of sustaining their families”. Thank you Professor, Wangari Maathai, for following in Mary Ward’s footsteps and speaking out for the voiceless and pioneering a new dream for women not only in Africa, but also to the entire world. We are proud of you… The belief of Mary Ward is realised when she said “In time to come women will do much”
Mary Ward’s life was built on three values, freedom, justice and sincerity. She desired the same values for all those who would be her companions. These are the same values that guide the Loreto sisters in their lives and in their ministeries today. I believe these values continue to be part of our ethos and belief in a holistic education that we offer. As we celebrate this great woman, our challenge as the wider Mary Ward family is how we live out these values. We need to ask ourselves
- What does it mean to be free, sincere and truthful?
- How can these values be lived in my life, in your life, in my family, community, school, place of work and in our country Kenya?
The answer lies in each ones heart. Reflect on it, and then follow your dream.
Our gathering today is a clear witness of our belief in this great woman: Mary Ward, a woman of vision for 2009 and beyond, a woman of great passion for God, and a woman who dedicated her whole life to God. Thus a woman “wholly God’s”. Indeed, today her dream has come true as we see women in all different apects of life doing great things for God.
During the post election violence and crisis it was the voice of women that woke many of us to the reality of the power that is within each of us. In the midst of chaos in Nairobi, a woman risked her life and interrupted closed door meeting demanding how long the talks were going to take since their families were dying of hunger. That takes courage. And Mary Ward poses this question to us: How long are God’s people going to be enslaved in education, health, employment? Mary Ward challenges us to dream a dream and to strive to make our dreams come true. We are a people of hope called not only to dream but also to reflect and to act. Mary Ward encouraged the persuit of excellence, not in a competitive or perfectionist sense, but through doing ones best and then relying on God to do the rest. Also significant in her educational endeavour were a commitment to social justice, reaching out to social needs, that ensures that the gifts given to women, are used to the full and not limited to avoid cliche used by some men “They are all but women”
Many thanks to you all gathered here today for using your gifts to develop and heal this country in her trying times. Let us continue to make Kenya a place of unity in diversity, a place where children’s laughter can be heard and old men and women smile and share their wisdom. Thank you for your courage, strength endurance and believing in a better Kenya and a better world. Fired by the spirit of Mary Ward let us work and make a positive difference wherever we are as Mary Ward says; “With real strength and courage, do what is seen to be good in all circumstances in which we are placed, not letting ourselves be deterred from this good by any oposition” God Bless you".
On the Occasion of Celebrating 400 Years of the Loreto Sisters by Wangari Maathai
Nobel laureate Professor Wangari Maathi
It is a great honour, privilege and joy to be with you here today to celebrate 400 years of the founding of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Loreto Sisters. It is a great communion with all those who have gone before us and especially with the one who had the great vision, 400 years ago: Mary Ward. We have all come here to thank God for 400 years of dedicated service by generations of Loreto Sisters.
Their work in Kenya has revolved around education. The Loreto Sisters were among the first to pioneer the formal education of the African girl-child. They established the historic Loreto Limuru in 1936 and the teacher training college in Kiambu in 1948. Both institutions have played a significant role in the education and development of our country. I was privileged to be at Loreto Limuru in 1956-9.
Loreto Msongari was initially established for “the white community”, but like all other segregated institutions in Kenya then, was among the first to open doors for African girls after independence and was one of the first schools in Kenya to offer ‘A’ level studies to African girls, the first of who came from Loreto Limuru in 1963. The success rate of Loreto girls in academic, professional and social levels has been truly great.
There is a common vision that seems to unite all Loreto girls, a vision that is captured in three words: Freedom, Justice and Honesty. I do not remember being lectured on this common vision but I know that it is part of my faith, my character and my philosophy in life. After graduating from Loreto Limuru in 1959, I went to America, where I encountered a new culture while thousands of miles away from home. It was the Loreto spirit that kept me on a straight path as another group of great women, the Benedictine Sisters, held me by the hand and led me on.
The Loreto spirit was instilled in the course of training and living. The sisters lived their message. The lived by example. They concentrated not only on the academics but also on the wholeness of the person. They were great role models as we grew up under their guidance. As I reflected in my book, UNBOWED, looking back to those formative years in the hands of the Sisters, I know that it is the way the Sisters taught us both in the classroom and outside it. The training took place everywhere: in the playfield, in the chapel, in the corridors and in the dining halls and in the dormitories.
It was the way they welcomed us back from holidays, and sent us home to our families every three months (which looked like forever!); it was the way they kept the compounds clean and green; they way they taught us to be prayerful and always awake to what is happening around us; it was the way they taught us to always choose the right way, the fair way; to be guided by love and compassion. They trained us to live beyond greed and selfishness, to serve others and to believe in ourselves. They wanted us to do all these things in complete freedom, and not through coercion. So we learnt to stand our ground and argue our case. It was the way they encouraged us to be kind, just and honest in all our dealings with others, to work hard, to visit the sick in hospitals and to be our brothers’ keepers. It was also the way they taught us to raise our own vegetables, keep ourselves and our environment clean, clean our dormitories, make our own beds and keep our compounds clean and well covered with flowers and green grass. They taught us to play games and keep our bodies clean and fit, be self-sufficient and have a sense of self-worth.
People often ask me why I care so much about things that I do not own, things that do not give me money because I cannot sell them. They wonder why I care about things like trees, forests, rivers, wetlands, parks and animals that have no apparent value to me. In responding to all these questions I have often been reminded of the training by the Consolata sisters at Mathari Catholic Mission, the Loreto Sisters at Limuru and the Benedictine Sisters at the Mount Saint Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas (USA). Why did they care about me and others? What was there for them? NOTHING! They were serving a greater Cause. Call it God.
In all my life I have never stopped marveling at all of these women of faith: they were strong and beautiful in their habits, they were like wonderful substitute mothers and sisters. They all had one thing in common: they were committed to their call and they served with devotion, commitment and without looking for rewards except that which would one come when in Heaven. Then I never wondered why they cared? I just assumed that is the way things are supposed to be. It was therefore, a disappointment when I grew up and found out that often thinking like that made me a minority. But now I am old and I know, that it is the only thing that really matters: to serve a greater Cause. Call it God. It may mean walking a lonely path, but it is the only thing worth the pain.
In the course of my life, the one thing that I have come to believe is the greatest gift is the ability and willingness to serve, without expecting instant returns, sometimes not even a simple ‘thank you’.
But Service is not easy. Yet, great people in history, like Mary Ward, have walked lonely paths and have been driven by a force that is not self-seeking. Mary Ward left this world, 400 years ago, but she is still here with us because she dedicated herself to a life beyond self. Her vision has endured for many generations, who continue to serve. The Bible talks of the need for the seed to die, so that it can give a new plant and new seeds! Mary Ward died 400 years ago. So also did many of our teachers. We are their seeds and it is important that when we die, we shall give rise to new seeds and plants.
The spirit of Mary Ward is the “Loreto spirit”, stemming from what the sisters call their CHARISM; that flows from Mary Ward’s inspiration. 400 years ago, when women were taught to see themselves as lesser humans, Mary Ward had a divine inspiration that gave her the clear understanding that before God, we are all equal. But man looks for many reasons to deny others a place at the table; whatever will work for us: colour, faiths, gender, race, tribe and even clans.
Mary Ward had an insight into the dignity of the human person and she established an institute to achieve this through education. The Loreto education focuses on the individual, human dignity and faith in GOD. This gives the young person that sense of self esteem and depth of conviction. Through this approach the Loreto sisters have contributed immensely towards the education of many women and children in our country, and from all races and faiths.
Today we are here to pay special tribute to these Loreto sisters both here in Kenya and wherever they are in the world. As we celebrate Mary Ward and 400 years of her vision, allow me to mention a few of the Loreto past students who so clearly demonstrate the accomplishment of her vision. We find them in every profession and level of society. Each one of us knows somebody who is a past Loreto student. Their contribution is outstanding as many try to bring a sense of justice and sincerity to their work place.
We have reasons to be proud as we call past pupils like Sister Marie Therese Gachambi, foundress of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi, Sister Doctor Ephigenia Gachiri, a great champion against FGM, Muringo Kiere-ini the former head of Nursing and the young ones like Julie Gichuru, who we see on television. I would not be here if it were not for the Loreto sisters.
We are all here because we are very proud daughters of the Kenyan Loreto sisters, proud of 400 years of Loreto heritage. We need to encourage each other for the work yet ahead, and renew our own commitment to work for more justice and freedom in our country. We are grateful that the sisters are continuing the pioneering spirit of Mary Ward and are also working as missionaries in Tanzania and Ghana. We believe that the education they are giving now will continue to impact positively on the future of these countries.
I was given the honour of delivering this message because I am one of the older Loreto girls. I am very proud to be here, joining so many other generations who came after us and in the hope that many more will continue to share in the proud legacy of Mary Ward and the Loreto sisters.
May we continue to be true witnesses to the power of those who dare to dream such as Mary Ward did, and have the courage to carry out their dreams. We are beneficiaries of the dream that Mary Ward had and the courage to see it through, at what must have been a difficult time in the history of the struggle for women liberation. We owe it to her and the Loreto sisters, who shared the legacy with us, to keep it alive as long as we live.
Thank you all very much.
Main Mass Celebrant, Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana a' nzeki
Prof. Wangari Maathai receiving gift from her headmistress Sr. Colomdierre Kelly (1954-1959) assisted by Sr. Caitriona Kelly
