Some candidates share their experiences during the Come and See programme of 2011:
ABUJA COMMUNITY (NIGERIA), APRIL - JUNE I thank the Lord for his guidance and loving care towards me during the Come and See Programme among the Daughters of St Paul. At the end of the programme I was able to know how to live in a community with different women, how to spend more time in prayer, in adoration and meditation. I discovered that the Sisters live as one and share a common goal of service. I was impressed by their simplicity of life and prayer. I learnt from them how to keep on growing in a sense of responsibility, to love and care for others, to be bold, courageous and generous.AJU ELIZABETH NENE (Nigeria)
The Come and See Programme this year was for me a memorable one. I liked the book displays because they were moments in which I met a variety of people. I learnt a lot from the book presentations, classes and study time. I learnt about community life, more about myself, my vocation and the Congregation. The classes we had on human formation helped me to take note of things I never used to pay attention to before.
I have learnt to pray better, and thanks to watching good Christian movies, I have acquired more knowledge about religious life.NIAGWAN, REGINA (Nigeria)
During the Come and See Programme I learnt how to live in harmony with others in community life, to find a quiet place to reflect and recollect myself, and to pray for light in my vocation. I had time to pray for my family and friends, and to present to the Lord my worries, and to trust in God’s loving care for me. I was helped to know myself better, developed some of my gifts and talents, and met many people of different walks of life. I truly thank Jesus Master for the enriching experience I had. OKOLO CHIAMAKA MARYANN (Nigeria)
NAIROBI COMMUNITY (KENYA) MAY - JULY I am very grateful for the Come and See programme which was very enriching for me. Initially I thought it would be very difficult for me to interact with people of different cultures but after meeting the Sisters who were filled with such joy and were so ready to help, I felt very happy and at home. I have been helped to overcome my shyness, and can now express myself better in front of other people. I am very happy for the classes I have been having with different Sisters especially the class on human formation. It has helped me to understand myself better.
The personal encounter with the Vocation Mistress has helped me to share my inner most realities. In the apostolate, I have learnt a lot about the printing press. I am very happy to know I have enough time for prayer and recreation. I had time to read spiritual books which have helped me grow spiritually. I like the way the novices and pre-novices intermingle with each other. I also like the way Sisters cooperate with each other even though they are from different cultures and nationalities. From the Come and See experience I learnt that there is great joy when somebody dedicates herself to serving God anywhere in the world.ELIZABETH MUENI (Kenya)
This programme is referred to as Come and See but I think something else should be added to the title: it should be Come and See and Decide for Yourself. The classes on human formation, the group dynamics, and the personal encounter with the vocation mistress, learning about the apostolate, and living the community life and prayer life have helped me come to a better awareness of who I am and how I should improve myself. The following sessions have contributed to my formation: the class about Who Am I?; Group Dynamics, and Personal Encounter and Prayer. I have been impressed by the words of Blessed James Alberione and Maestra Tecla, which are hung on the walls in the printing press. I love the devotions of the Daughters of St Paul because they make me feel complete. The Eucharistic celebrations, which we have every day, enlighten me so much – daily Mass helps me to live my day more fully. I feel at home with the Sisters and my companions. This experience has been worthwhile. ANGELA MWINZI (Kenya)
I have always been inspired by the words of Blessed James Alberione and Venerable Tecla Merlo. Personally, I found my heart at peace when I entered this community of Daughters of St Paul on 15 May 2011. I learnt many things especially on how to relate with many people, both young and old, and from different cultures and countries. I feel I have grown spiritually and physically because of the classes, apostolate, communal life and prayer life which I have experienced during the programme. The programme has enriched me a lot and I am grateful for the opportunity given.SAROTA ELIDEMIDAH MORAA (Kenya)
I thank the Lord for leading me to the Daughters of St Paul. My experience in staying with them for this period of time has changed my life in different ways. First is about prayer: I experienced different times of specific prayer like meditation, adoration, reflection, Marian devotions and how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and many others. Second is about my human formation: I have learnt about myself, others and my Creator. I have learnt how to relate with others from different cultures and background, to always be free and speak my own mind, to ask for forgiveness from others and to forgive others, and above all, to be free sharing anything with my Formator. Third is about the apostolate: I have learnt how a book is made and all the stages a book undergoes to become a book, i.e. evaluating, editing, and printing of the manuscript; the folding, gathering, covering, stapling, cutting, and packing of the printed manuscript; storing them, and, finally, distributing them to different places. My experience has been good and enjoyable, and my desire to be a religious is growing each day.MONICA ATIENO (Kenya)
I thank the Almighty God who has given me this opportunity to be here in the Pauline Family. My experience has been very beautiful and wonderful. In fact, I am very happy to be in this place. Since I arrived here, I have been helped with my human formation. The classes on Pauline Life and Mission, Prayer, Human Formation, the Catechism, Creed and Liturgy have enriched me. Concerning the Apostolate, I learned different skills like printing, and folding and stitching books. I am very grateful for this opportunity. RACHAEL NDUKU MULI (Kenya)
First and foremost, my experience at arriving in Nairobi was not pleasant because it was my first time to move out of my own country. I did not know where I was going and what was most uninteresting to me was that almost all the people were talking Kiswahili which I didn’t understand. Then I reached my destination: the Formation House. I was so happy to begin my Come and See programme because my heart felt at peace at having arrived at my second home. With the help of the group dynamics class and sharing personal encounters with the Vocation Mistress, I began to realise more deeply who I am, why I behave the way I do, and why other people behave the way they do. Slowly I came to understand and learnt how to associate with my fellow companions, how to forgive, and to settle my own problems. As I write this now I am at peace with everybody and my desire to become a religious has increased. I do not feel like going back home.VIOLET (Uganda)
First and foremost, I would like to thank Almighty God for the gift of my vocation, and more especially for leading me to this Congregation of the Daughters of St Paul. I remember after my first retreat my heart being so full of joy and happiness, and, since then, I feel as if I have found the right place God is calling me to serve him for the rest of my life.
Since the beginning of the Come and See programme my desire to be a Daughter of St Paul has been increasing day by day. It had been a surprise for me to see how very happy, courageous, hardworking and prayerful the Sisters are, including those in Formation. This makes me feel as if I want to be like them. I have learnt new ways of prayer like daily meditation and adoration as portrayed by the founder, Blessed James Alberione. In the apostolate I have also learnt new ways of working, and these keep me smiling in the apostolate.CLEMENTINE KATHINI (Kenya)
Community life has been good to me. It has helped me to share, socialise and also learn new things from others. This has contributed to my spiritual growth. Classes, personal encounters and group dynamics have helped me to be open to myself. Personally all these experiences have helped me to understand myself better by being able to discover my strengths and weaknesses, and ways to help me work through the negative thoughts. I feel that I am not the same woman I was before. I am very happy to be here at the Daughters of St Paul.
After my stay living in community, I am very glad I came for this experience. Community life involves eating, and working together, sharing ideas and adjusting to being with others; and other things such as new foods, common table manners, and courtesy, being social and enthusiastic. I am very glad to be associated with the Sisters from outside the African Continent. I love and cherish their presence. The organisation in formation, that is, living with the Sisters, novices and aspirants from different houses is very helpful because it has freed me to know I can make my own journey. The apostolate is universal, i.e. it touches every person and on everything that is happening in the world. The books are written according to the needs of the people and the One Church. There are spiritual books, short stories for children, books about saints for all people, and so much more.
Prayer is the central aspect in religious life. The Sisters are very prayerful and they have a good understanding of the fear of the Lord. We have very interesting classes that have helped me in my human and spiritual formation. Recreation keeps us alert when we are exhausted from our daily activities. We learn to relax, and then we can be renewed to become active on the journey again.LUCY MUTENYO (Kenya)
My experience in the Congregation has been good so far. There is cooperation among the Sisters and they share their lives lovingly. The programme has given me the opportunity to meet people from different villages and countries. The classes have been very lively and enriching. At the beginning I didn’t know about adoration, meditation and so on. I have learnt that prayer is very important in my life.
Through the class on human formation I have discovered who I am, my different needs and attitudes. My desire to join the Sisters is increasing daily and I hope to respond to the calling of God in my life, so that many people will have the Good News given to them through the means of social communication.PURITY WAMBUI IKONYA (Kenya)
My experience during the Come and See programme has been personally fulfilling. I have come to a better understanding of what my vocation entails. The classes have helped me to understand more about myself and how to relate with others. The group dynamics have helped me to open up and talk freely with others. Being able to participate in the profession of Sister Agatha and Sister Theodora has increased the desire in my heart to be a religious. When I reached here it took me a long time to get used to the place and to get used to the people from different parts of the world. I am happy to have been given the opportunity to know the Congregation better and to discern more about where the Lord wants me to be.JUDITH AHIMBUIBWE (Uganda)
My experience during the programme has been wonderful and enriching. Through the programme I was able to know and experience more about prayer especially the aspects of meditation and adoration. From the classes on human formation I have come to a better awareness of myself, my strengths and weaknesses. In terms of apostolate I now know how a book is made.VIVIAN AUMA (Kenya)
Since I came for the programme I have learnt a lot. I can say that the way I am now is not the way I was when I came.
Pauline Life and Ministry include much prayer, sacrifice, zeal and apostolic work. Every good idea starts with Jesus in the Tabernacle. We have Mass every day, and this is something that I did not experience at home. I am still on the journey of discernment, mingling and discussing and managing achievements and challenges. It is through these challenges that I have grown, and continue to grow. I thank God for my Formator and the other Sisters for helping me be who I am today. I pray that I may make a good decision for a happy life.ELIZABETH NJERI (Kenya)
