Charism in the Life of Catholic Sisters: The Contribution of Sisters of Blessed Virgin among Christian Communities in Nyanza Since 1964

Abstract

Women are both the majority of the active church goers and volunteer workers in most churches. Although this is the case they have not been given equal presentation in the church. The full corporation of women into the church has become the critical issue in the Catholic Church, with many people calling for expanded inclusion of women in decision making process in the Catholic Church. This paper examines the contributions of Sisters of the Blessed Virgin in Nyanza as an attempt to address the apparent marginalization of women in the church. In the mission of the Catholic Church, Women religious orders serve in a range of ministries, often with most marginalized in the society. The types of ministries and services associated with Nuns and Sisters are education, catechist contributions that these women religious orders have made among Christian communities. Discussions in this paper are guided by the gender theory with specific focus on the role of religious women in the Church. The theory analyzes leadership roles and empowerment of women in the Church. Findings of this paper are drawn from research carried out among Sisters of Blessed Virgin in the Catholic Diocese of Kisii, Homabay and Kisumu through descriptive design. Based on this design, interviews were conducted to a sample of individuals that have worked with the sisters of this congregation, ordinary members of the congregation at various stages and some sisters who have been in-charge of various communities of the congregation. These informants were selected purposively based on their long experience with the ministry. Key informant interviews were conducted among the 7 sisters in-charge of the seven convents of the SBV, 3 bishops, 12 members of the convents, the provincial superior and the sister in charge of formation and 7 alumnae of their schools. Secondary was collected from the congregation's archives, Diaries and diocesan offices. This study has provided a detailed textual historical account for SBV congregation in Kenya thereby promoting vocations to religious life through the reading of this historical accounts. It has also highlighted the contributions of Catholic Women Christian missionaries in Kenya in terms of ministerial and leadership functions in the last 50 years.