The Evangelizing Sisters of Mary (ESM) is an African Religious Missionary congregation of women founded in the Moroto Diocese of Northeast Uganda in 1975 by two comboni missionaries. The ESM Generalate is located in Ongata Rongai, south of Nairobi, Kenya.
The Evangelizing sisters of Mary Novitiate house is located in the diocese of Ngong, Kenya. The main charism of the congregation is to announce the gospel message to non-Christians, to plant the church among people who do not believe in Christ, and to bring the church to its full development where it is already implanted.
The congregation’s activities in East Africa include catechetical instructions, teaching, health care and social ministry.
Brief history of our congregation.
Two comboni Missionaries founded our congregation in 1975. They are
1. Rt. Rev. Bishop Sixto Mazzoldi
2. Very Rev. Fr. John Marengoni; both of happy memories, in Moroto Catholic Diocese in the Northern part of Uganda.
The name of the congregation was given on 8th December, 1975. The first Centre of the institute was in Morulem in Moroto Catholic Diocese.
Its first members were 14 girls from Tanzania and 6 from Uganda.
On 16th July, 1976, the 20 first aspirants became postulants. It was at the Apostles of Jesus’ mother house in Moroto Catholic Diocese- Uganda
Below are the chronological events that followed:
• On 9th December, 1976, the first Postulants moved from Amaler to Kilacha convent in Moshi Catholic Diocese.
• March 25, 1977, the first members of the institute joined the novitiate. This marked the beginning of novitiate every year to date. And on the same date, the constitutions of the Institute were approved by the Holy Sea.
• January 1, 1979, the first 20 members of the congregation made their first religious vows, thus the beginning of profession every year to date.
• July 27, 1987, our co-founder Rt. Rev. Bishop Mazzoldi passed on at the age of 87 years and after 20 years, our founder very Rev. Fr. John Marengoni passed on at the age of 85 years on 27th July 2007. May they rest in peace …… Amen.
• Founders’ conference, July 24-27/2012 to be held at the Apostles of Jesus.
Our objectives are to:
• bring man/ woman to his/her totality by addressing them spiritually, psychological, socially, intellectual morally and material basic needs through the proclamation of the word of God.
• carry out catechetical instructions to non-Christians.
• find or develop missionary work in parishes/ dioceses of targeted marginalized persons.
• run homes for retreats for spiritual courses for renewals for all human persons.
• train local women leaders and catechists, so as to bring the church to full development where it has been already implanted.
• run centers of Ecumenical activities for the unity of churches.
• animate missionary activities among christians.
What we want to do
Our target group is the marginalized persons in Africa without excluding other parts of the world. This marginalization would have been caused by historical background of the past or the policies that does not favor the poor, natural calamities and therefore, no message to encourage the growth of any business.
Other target areas are those characterized by the hostile weathers leading to extreme poverty, poverty of mind and spirit that hinders any progress for development. Thus we are to work with people and encourage them to know the value of work and not to look at work as punishment.
Achievements
From thereon, the congregation has grown in quality and quantity. At present we are 250 professed sisters, 10 novices, 15 postulants and 10 aspirants and 25 candidates aspiring to join us.
We have 33 communities; 4 formative communities and 29 apostolic communities. We carry out our missionary activities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Islands of Zanzibar and the Sudan.
In our apostolate, we are engaged in first primary evangelization with catechesis as our priority without excluding our means of human promotion.
Sound traditions of the congregation
• A spirit of community prayer as a fruit of personal relationship with the Lord in daily meditation on God’s word and personal prayer.
• Daily spiritual reading and silence at some hours of the day.
• Hard working spirit and serious commitment in any apostolate one is doing.
• Simplicity of life in character and in all dimensions of human life.
• Cheerfulness and serenity of heart even in difficult moments.
