Morogoro

Morogoro Diocese

Morogoro is approximately 322km from Tanga (almost a 6 hour journey by road).

Most of the Religious Communities in Tanzania have a base in Morogoro where they have access to further education facilities. At present, we have 13 Novices in our Novitiate (two separate small houses across the road from each other) guided by Sr. Gisela Leku, Novice Mistress. As our numbers grow so does the need for appropriate accommodation to meet the needs of both the Novices and the Sisters responsible for assisting them in their formation. We have been given some additional land in Morogoro and please God, by his Divine Providence, we will be helped to build a new more appropriate accommodation where all the Novices will be together with the Formators.

Novice (Canonical) Year

Life within the Congregation begins with the Novitiate; the novitiate journey last two years and offers time for reflection in the midst of a lived experience. The first year is spent in the Novitiate house and focuses on the inner spiritual journey and relationship with God, where the Novice will become more familiar with prayer, liturgy and vowed life.

Novitiate is the school where the candidate strives under holy discipline and by God’s mercy to obtain the perfection she desires. Established in this perfection, she is prepared to endure and carry out all things for love of the Lord Jesus.

The novitiate is the time in which the candidate is initiated into the Rosminian consecrated life with a firm option to follow Christ, to abandon herself to the will of the Father, and look to Him as her model of charity and service. The purpose of this period is twofold:

To understand, not only theoretically but also experientially, the values of the sequelae and the spiritual heritage of the Institute.

To evaluate, with in-depth discernment, the novice and her suitability to follow the demands of the Congregation's charism.

At the end of the postulant years, each candidate is given a break for about a month to reflect on the time spent in postulancy and also to decide if they wish to take the next step of the journey with the Congregation. After that period the Postulant will express her decision by writing a letter of application to request admission to the Novitiate.

There is a simple ceremony to admit a postulant to the novitiate.
She is guided to see the essential link between study and prayer.
The novice has an additional meditation period before the Blessed Sacrament each day (a visit to the Blessed Sacrament). She also has additional time for silence, instruction, and study, thereby seeking to deepen her prayer life. Her appreciation for devotion to the Eucharist is fostered in many ways, including her daily participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as time for personal prayer.
She studies Rosminian spirituality, liturgy, Scripture and the theology of the vows.
She studies the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Church documents, especially those related to religious life.
The goal of the novice's canonical year is observable growth in love of God and neighbor, self-knowledge, and understanding of the commitment which the novice will choose to make.
Help to grow personal relation and devotion to Our Lady of Sorrow, our Mother and our teacher and a strong fidelity to the teaching of the Church.

Novice (Second ) Year

The Second year is spent partly in practical experience, serving others, both inside and outside the Novitiate house, where she learns to integrate activity with her spiritual life.
The second year is a continued time of grace given by the Church for the novice to discern and prepare for profession.
This year also furthers the novice’s formation through prayer and study.
She is given experience in the apostolic works of the community.
Continued growth in prayer, and a strengthening of the novice’s spirituality is fostered.
At the end of this year, the novice takes the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for one year.

Years of Juniorate (Temporary Profession)

When it is recognized by the Community of Rosminian Sisters that the Novice is confident in her heart and sure of her desire to give herself to God, she is then given the opportunity, after taking first vows, to experience life as lived within the Rosminian ethos and to show whether her personal vocation is in harmony with the charism and nature of the Congregation.

Temporary vows are for a 6 year period, during which time, accompaniment continues, while the Sister lives as a fully committed member of the Congregation. During this time, she may be called to a Variety of ministries and community experiences, including further studies.

The first year after first profession is spent within the community with continued formation where she receives guidance on the actual living out of the vows.

The sisters continue their formation in the consecrated life and also continued growth in personal conversion, prayer, charity, love of God and neighbor.

When each Sister finishes her studies, and obtains Certification in her chosen profession to help in her apostolate, she is assigned her Ministry and may begin her work in the apostolate.

During the holiday time in the Mother –house, in June-July and November-December the sisters attend a week full of seminars and conferences, arranged for them, on canon law, Religious life, Liturgy and Bible from experts.

At the end of each year in vows, the sister renews her vows. Sr. Agatha Chuwa serves as the Junior Mistress supporting the growth and formation of junior sisters.

After six years in vows, the sister makes her profession of perpetual vows. The six months prior to this step is one of more intensive preparation.
The words “Vow perpetual” in the profession formula take on a profound significance as the Sister promises to live in chastity, poverty, and obedience, until death.
During this time period, the Sisters seek, as a community and as individuals, to deepen their faithful and obedient love for the Church.
Through their work in the apostolate and their continued professional and personal studies, the Sisters contribute to the up-building of the Church and the mission and charism of the Congregation.