Celebrations in Tanzania

OLA Region marks 25 years of service in Bugisi on August 6th.

The OLA Sisters in the Tanzania Region are making final preparations for a special celebration tomorrow, August 6, to mark the Silver Jubilee (25 years of service) and a first profession.

The celebrations will take place in Bugisi, home to one of the three OLA communities in the east African country. The ceremony will also include the first profession of Elizabeth Marwa while two more ladies will commence their formation tomorrow. Sr. Kathleen McCormack, OLA Provincial Leader, will represent the Irish Province while Sr. Mary T. Barron, Assistant General, will represent the OLA Generalate.

OLA Sisters Mairead Hickey and Deanna Donohoe arrived in Mwamapalala, northern Tanzania, in May 1991. They were joined a year later by Sr. Sally Forde (RIP). In May 1994, Sr. Anne McCormack along with two Ghanaian Sisters set-up a second community in Bugisi. A third community was later established in Mwanza in 2005. Presently, the focus of the Sisters is on education, pastoral works and health, with a particular emphasis on responding to the HIV/Aids epidemic.

In November 2015, Tanzania became a Region within the Irish Province and Sr. Emmanuelle Ohumaeghbulem became the first Regional Leader. Last year also marked a symbolic moment when Sr. Donatha Urassa made her first profession and thus became the first OLA Sister from Tanzania.

Clockwise from top left: Regional Leader Sr. Emmanuelle Ohumaeghbulem (centre) with Srs. Kathleen Costigan and Teresa Roberts (Regional Councillors); Celebrating 20 years of service in 2011; Sr. Donatha Urassa making her first profession in presence of Sr. Kathleen McGarvey; Tanzania Region Leadership Team pictured with members of the Leadership Team from Ireland and the Provincials from Ghana and Nigeria of the occasion of Tanzania becoming a Region.