Nigeria: Sisters providing a space for rest, renewal and human growth to all

Among their other busy Apostolates of Education, Health Care, Pastoral and Social services, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (MSHR), Southern Nigerian Region, are providing an enabling environment, suitable for rest, spiritual renewal and human growth to all, including priests, religious and lay people from all walks of life.

From the Holy Rosary Retreat and Conference Centre, Nsukka, Nigeria, opened in 1994 following the transfer of the Congregation’s Novitiate from the Centre to its present location at Enugu, the Sisters cater for Priests, Religious and all people of God from all walks of life, needing Spiritual Renewal and Human Growth in all dimensions.

“It is a place of rest, renewal, and it is a place where people come to encounter God who is already in them and rediscover the God that is working in them,” affirms Sr. Patricia Chima, MSHR, Administrator of the Centre, who is also one of the Resource Persons, together with Sr. Rosemary Ebulefu, MSHR.

Needs Addressed at the Centre

The Retreat and Conference Centre with a team of five MSHR, offers Retreats (6 days, 8 days and 30 days) for Priests, Religious, lay people, including Catechists and Church organizations who wish to pray and be guided in the word of God.

It also offers Tertianship Programmes for persons preparing for Final Profession, a one-month programme for Religious organizations, Priests and Seminarians preparing for Diaconate Ordination, and those preparing for Final Profession. The Priests of Nsukka Diocese also use the Centre for their Annual Retreats.

The Centre also offers Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP); a practical approach to personal growth that helps people understand how thoughts, emotions, language, and behaviour shape daily life. It provides effective tools for better communication, emotional well-being, self-awareness, and positive change.

For priests, religious, formators, and lay faithful, NLP can enrich pastoral ministry, counselling, leadership, and human formation by strengthening the skills needed to accompany others with wisdom, compassion, and hope. Used in harmony with Christian values, it complements, rather than replaces the transformative work of God's grace.

The Retreat Centre has a multi-purpose Hall and a big Chapel, which also serves the purpose of the neighbouring worshipping community. The Sisters also rent out the Hall for various programmes like weddings, meetings, and gatherings of all kinds, and the Chapel for weddings and other family celebrations.

Sisters’ Contribution to the Care of the Earth

Not limiting themselves to the spiritual wellbeing, and by way of honouring Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, and contributing to the care of the earth, the Holy Rosary Sisters ensure that all waste from the Centre kitchen are separated: organic from inorganic, and properly disposed of. The organic waste is used in the garden to grow vegetables, which are consumed by the Sisters and served to those who come around, as well.

The Sisters also grow flowers to beautify the compound, fruit trees like cashew, oranges, guavas, mangoes, amongst others, to provide shade, as well as nourishment for themselves and their guests. They also rear chicken, and because of the good treatment given to these birds, they produce eggs that are celebrated by the community of consumers.

Impacts on Beneficiaries

“People have come here and they have been quite impressed by the warm welcome and hospitality they receive. They have also been impressed by our 24-hour lights supply and the good network facilities,” testifies Sr. Chima.

According to the Sisters, the Centre is often busy because people who come and experience the place and the services, usually go back and share their testimonies with others, who also come in turn and the cycle continues.

The Sisters do not take the glory for the transformation that happens in the lives of the people who use the Centre, but offer all to God, saying it is not by their own doing. They remain happy and grateful to God for guiding them to be able to help people in various needs, and continue to invite more and more people to come and avail themselves of their services.

Future Plans

As a way of expanding the Programmes offered, the Sisters are planning to begin running a three-month Renewal Programme, in the nearest future. The Programme will comprise of guided telling and sharing of life stories through the River of Life, reflecting on faith journeys and Inner Journey work, which may last for two weeks.

There will also be Workshops: two presentations per month, each followed by the participant’s personal reflection. The purpose of these workshops, according to the Resource persons, will be to enable participants make inner journeys in order to discover anew the experiences, especially of childhood, that have put barriers and formed blocks which prevent them from making the much needed growths in life.

Participants will also gain healing from past wounds and hurts, establish good and healthy relationships with the self and others, and attain intimacy with god. They will learn through the presentations the importance, value, expectation, fruitfulness, and grace of life experiences.

The Renewal Programme will also offer Midlife Transition, Personality Transformation, Self-esteem, the Enneagram, Sexuality, Affectivity, Personality, Spiritual and Psycho-sexual Development of the Human Person, Dream Work, amongst others.

Hence, the mission of providing that “quiet place” to which Jesus invited his disciples to come over to, and rest (Mark 6:31) is being continued through the hard work of the Holy Rosary Sisters in Nigeria.

Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho
Source: vaticannews.va/en