Lesotho Province
Today the General Chapter message 2019 calls us to be rooted in Christ in order to be a transforming presence. As Holy Cross Sisters in the Province of Lesotho, how do we respond to this call? Following in the footsteps of Mother Bernarda who wrote “I do not rely on my own merits, but I trust in God’s mercy and the merits of Jesus Christ,” we too rely on Jesus Christ who strengthens us daily in the Eucharist. Through individual and communion prayers, reflection on the Word of God as well as community sharing, we are being rooted in Christ and transformed so that we are able to be a transforming presence to humanity through our different apostolates.
Even though we are not infected by Covid 19, the reality remains that we are highly affected by the pandemic. Therefore, our response is to join the whole world through prayer whereby we are committed to daily prayer for the cure for Covid 19, Sunday Holy Hour and perpetual adoration on Thursdays with trust in God, the healer of all illnesses. We are working on ourselves towards forgiveness as the Holy Father is encouraging us to do in order to be a transforming presence in the world that is hurt by unforgiveness and injustice.
As the Lesotho province, we are engaged in schools, clinics, social work and self-reliance. We work hard to be transforming presence in our schools through our holistic approach, the schools curriculums do not include Catechism and ecology, and therefore we have decided to include these two topics in our schools as part of learning because we are convinced that it is a way of transforming our society. We also talk about ecology even to the society at large. It is a way to have a nation that cares for the environment and that believes in God the creator of all things that exist.
We spend more time with our patients in the clinics to find the cause of their sickness and give them hope. Therapeutic use of self is one of the strategies applied by sisters in our health centers in management of patients especially those infected with HIV as they are faced with many difficulties and are vulnerable. Patients are also enriched spiritually. For example, once a year on the World day of the sick all patients gather for celebration of Holy Mass and receive Sacrament of healing. We as the Holy Cross in the province of Lesotho work among the poor to be a transforming presence with our motherly love and care especially vulnerable children. Almost every month children are admitted at the Camillus orphanage center who have experienced all sorts of abuses. We try by all means to provide a home for them there at the center and give them hope.
Through activities of self-reliance, we work to meet the sisters’ needs and supporting our apostolates. St Albert Liturgical Sewing Center, Bee-keeping projects and (bottom right) Gloria Bakery are main activities of self-reliance.
(upper left) We produce liturgical vestments at the sewing center and sell them.
(upper right) We also keep bees and produce honey then sell it.
(lower right) At the bakery we sell bread and scones to schools and individuals.
In front of the entrance at Lapeng la Sefapano there is a big crucifix that is hanging in the middle of the circle and whenever one enters the gate, it is the first thing to meet. On the far right of this crucifix there is a grotto of Our Lady. These places are indeed very transforming as many of our patients go there to pray while they are still waiting to be attended to in the clinic. This has been very touching even to the villagers even when they pass by, they stop at the gate to pray especially if the gate is closed. All these were done in response to the message of the general chapter 2019 which calls us to be transforming presence.
