Over 30 Formators at various levels of Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary (MSHR) Formation have gathered at the Holy Rosary Retreat and Conference Centre, Nksukka, Nigeria, in West Africa, for a Congregational Formation Meeting that will run from July 2 to 13, 2026.
The Formators gathered include Vocation Promoters, Pre-candidate Directresses, Candidate Directresses, Novice Mistresses and Temporary Professed Sisters Directresses from across the Congregation. They are gathered from Nigeria, Ireland, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Ethiopia, Liberia and Kenya. Five of them are joining the meeting virtually, from Brazil, South Africa, Ethiopia and Ireland.
The Congregational Leadership Team from the Generalate in Killeshandra, Ireland, comprising of the Congregational Leader, Sr. Franca Onyibor, the Congregational Vicaress and Councilor for Mission and Education, Sr. Ndidi Anozie, the Councilor for Formation, Sr. Bernadette Nyam and the Councilor for Development and Safeguarding, Sr. Ruth Chetambe, are all present at the ongoing meeting.
Also present are the Regional Leaders from various countries of MSHR presence, who are very much a part of the Formation ministry.
In a welcome address during the July 2, 2026 Opening Ritual, Sr. Franca Onyibor, the Congregational Leader, expressed profound joy, seeing all the Sisters gathered from different parts of the world, and urged all to use the time together as an opportunity to really connect with one another “heart-to-heart”.
She buttressed the absolute importance of each and every stage of MSHR formation, beginning with Vocation fostering, and made a passionate appeal to all the formators to remain open in the course of the gathering, so as to discover the interconnectedness of every stage of Formation.
“If any stage is limping, the whole Formation process is limping,” she underpinned, underlining “God’s Unconditional love and acceptance” as the “drum” that must guide every stage of MSHR Formation.
The Congregational Leader further challenged all formators to an awareness of, and to be guided by the Congregation’s Vision, Mission and Charism, as they undertake to form the new members into the Congregation.
Sr. Bernadette Nyam, Councilor for Formation, stated the purpose of the Formation Meeting as “Visioning; Listening to God’s Call and strengthening the interconnectedness of MSHR Formation”.
To her, visioning could only be attained through discernment, and every formator must have a vision for the ones they are forming, and ensure that the vision is in line with God’s plan for them.
She posed to the Formators, the soul-searching question: “How would you want Sisters professed in 2030 to be like?”
Some activities featured on the Day 2 of the meeting included two Presentations by Srs. Chinyeaka Ezeani and Catherine Asomungah, both MSHR, on the Founder of MSHR Congregation, Bishop Joseph Ignatius Shanahan, CSSp, Servant of God, and Inter-culturality in Formation. There was also an opening Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Oliver Onah, CSSp, a Formator at the Spiritan School of Philosophy, Nsukka.
In a homily during the July 3, 2026 Mass, being the Feast of St. Thomas, the Priest urged the Sisters to emulate the example of St. Thomas who was a very practical man, as far as expressing his feelings were concerned, and who doubted, not just for the sake of doubting, but for clarity and for his faith to be strengthened.
The Sisters were however admonished to always try to be where they are supposed to be at every given time, as that is where God meets them, unlike Thomas who was absent at the Lord’s initial appearance.
The Charism of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary is Mission; expressed in their readiness to be sent beyond the borders of their own countries and cultures, sharing the Good News with those in every kind of need, especially the poor, oppressed and exploited.
Their Vision is “A world where all People live in Harmony, Justice and Peace, Protect the Dignity of all Creation, while sharing God’s Abundant Resources Equitably”.
MSHR Mission is to Collaborate with others, in sharing Christ’s Mission of Love and Reconciliation, within and beyond their countries; offering Quality Education, Pastoral, Social and Health Care, Supporting Climate Action, Livelihoods, and Advocacy, with and for the Vulnerable, especially Women and Children, to bring about a Just World where no one is marginalized.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR//Catholic Sister Communicators Network (CASCON-GH)
