Growing a global legacy from seeds sown in Cavan

The legacy of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary - founded in Killeshandra 100 years ago this week - continues globally to this day.

The sisters focus on health, social and pastoral matters and education across several continents.

They endeavour to ensure a safe environment and good health for all; education for young people; the provision of local community outreach; the provision of youth vocational training; and youth skill development.

Peacemakers in Nigeria

Currently, the sisters are involved in sowing the seeds of peace in North East Nigeria where the Boko Haram conflict has been tearing communities apart. They are engaged with restorative dialogue with a group of local farmers and Fulani herdsmen, two groups that have been in conflict for many years. People have been killed on both sides and properties lost.

Caring in Cameroon

Meanwhile, Sister Mercy Muthoni is involved in anti-trafficking initiatives in Cameroon. She says that human trafficking is the third largest element of organised crime in the world.

The Sister conducts educational talks in churches, social groups and in schools emphasising the dangers of human trafficking.

Cameroon experiences a high mortality rate among young people.

A new clinic also opened in Cameroon to reach more people and a pioneering new Holy Family Hospital has opened its doors in Mbougom.

According to the Matron, in just a few short months, the new hospital registered over 6,000 OPD patients; 905 admissions; 203 women for ante-natal; 49 deliveries; 45 minor surgeries; 4,200 lab tests were recorded; 195 cases of ethnography; and 301 wounds were dressed.

Elsewhere, Holy Rosary Sisters’ entrepreneurship is thriving in rural Zambia where training in schools is designed to meet the needs of young people, their families and the nation.

In Wonji, the clinic serves patients with eye problems. An eye camp has been organised twice yearly. Many patients attend. In one of the camps, in 2019 for example, 1,080 patients were cared for, approximately one fifth of whom had cataract surgeries.

Promoting health in Ghana

The Holy Rosary Health Centre in Ghana managed those who were ill at home. It gave the sisters the opportunity to visit them regularly, meet their families and try to be a comforting presence.

Through a feeding programme, initiated by the clinic during Covid lockdown, and funded by Misean Cara, all the elderly over 75 years of age received a high protein diet every morning, five days a week.

The programme gave the Sisters an opportunity to screen the elderly people for diabetes, hypertension and anaemia. The result was the laying of the foundation stones for a diabetic clinic.