2012 June 9 - letter from Sr. Rosann, Prioress - Welcome to the ...

9 June 2012
Dear Sisters,
Loving greetings from Peramiho. Already three weeks have
passed since I began this letter. I don’t think that I have written
an update since our beloved Sr. Tarzisia died on 28 April. I’m
sure you have read her obituary. I am still hearing stories of her
little kindnesses…the ways she made others feel important by
her thoughtfulness. This is a gift that I wish I had more
of…maybe we all want to be reminded of this gift of simple
charity and kindness. May Sr. Tarzisia know the joys of Eternal
Light, Peace and Joy.
In the same week as Sr. Tarzisia’s funeral we celebrated the
New Life in our community in the first profession of Srs.
Gertruda and Emma. The Eucharist was celebrated by Abbot
Anastasius and several priests. We are grateful for the gift of
our two new sisters. Their novitiate companions, Novices
Monika, Blanka and Desideria made their first profession on the
26 th in Ndanda.
I also had the joy of my brother, David, and his
wife, Clara, coming for a visit. They are my first
family members who have visited since my
arrival. In this photo they are seated at the
profession celebration with Gudrun Roden who
came again from Germany to teach our
carpenters how to use the carpentry
equipment that she has donated to the
community. David, Clara and I spent some time in
Ndanda, Mtwara, Uwemba and Peramiho. On our return
trip to Dar we stopped at Ruaha Park where we enjoyed
seeing a large variety of animals.

I know that many of you continue to keep Sr. Frideswida in your thoughts and prayers. She has finished
the first round of chemo. This is what she wrote regarding her health on 13 April: “My x-ray showed
that the nodules in my lungs have decreased in size. The biggest which was 2.5 cm is now 1.9 cm and the
smallest which was 1.5 cm is now 1 cm. There were 9 lesions. Now there are 8. Isn't this good news?
Thanks for your and the sisters' prayers. Alleluia, God be praised!” Let us continue praying for her
complete recovery.
Our infirmary has been a bit busy. Sr. Heimrada was admitted for malaria last week, and now is back in
the infirmary again because of an infection. Sr. Sigwina continues on well enough, although she is
getting very thin.
Our Sisters Marciana, Edelinde and Monika
went to Germany for two months of home
leave and checkups or treatments.
We accepted four new aspirants on 11 May.
They are all for the Peramiho Priory.
Ndanda Priory has begun their own
formation program, beginning now with
their own new aspirants. We are happy for
the Ndanda Priory for this new step.
We are very happy to welcome a new
member to our community: Sr. Seraphia
Jeong from Daegu Priory, Korea. She
arrived in Dar on the 16 th of May and came
to Peramiho on the 19th. In time she will
be the directress for the junior sisters. For now she is studying her Kiswahili under the guidance of Sr.
Elisabeth.
Our new maintenance building is
completed. In these photos you see the
outside and the inside of the building as
well as the side of the building along the
old passage to the PGSS. This big
woodworking equipment was donated
by Gudrun! What a blessing for us!

light. We expect that it will be
complete by the end of this
month.
The photo below is our current project.
Our Aspirants and Postulants have been
without their dining room for over two
years. First it was used as part of the
kitchen during the long kitchen
renovation and then it was used for the
maintenance department during the
time of the building of the maintenance
building. We are getting it ready now to
be re-inhabited by our formation
members. We are tiling the floor and
the walls, painting the walls and putting
in bigger windows in order to let in more
We also plan to receive new
novices by the end of this month.
Since the novitiate program for
Ndanda and Peramiho is still
combined here, we will have a
total of 17 novices (I & II year) …
too many for the present
accommodations. Therefore,
more changes: the novitiate
classroom will move to the
aspirancy building, so that
the classroom can become a
dormitory. The sisters’
English-Kiswahili-speaking
recreation group will move
to St. Hildegard so that the
novices can use Bethany for
their recreation room.
Sr. Regina Tesh from
Ndanda has been in Rome

at the Monastic Formation Program in preparation for formation ministry in Ndanda. It is planed that
still in June she will come to Peramiho for some time to work with Sr. Gracia, be oriented to our
program and to get some experience. We are looking forward to her arrival.
We are finally moving ahead on our Mjimwema projects. Our petition is submitted to the Generalate
and M. Angela said we can expect an answer yet this month. The contractors will submit their bids
(tenders) on the project on the 13 th . After the approval (we hope) of the Generalate we will evaluate
the bids and choose a contractor. We expect that we will be able to begin building in July. We have had
both good news and bad news on our grants…some grants have been denied but several are approved.
So, we have enough money to begin. Meanwhile we will continue asking for help so that we can also
move ahead on plans for the convent.
Our energy is also directed in preparation for the final profession of Srs. Rita and Scholastica on 6 July!
They have one more week of the intensification program here in Peramiho. They will then go to
Uwemba for Retreat. Sr. Marjorie (from Jinja) will depart following the retreat.
Sr. Pendo returned from her IWE in Rome and Germany. She is shining with joy for all the experiences
and graces that she received. It is good to have her back again. She is pictured here at the
Mediterranean Sea.
I have announced that the hospital has asked that Sr.
Antelma be allowed to go to school. They want so
sponsor her studies in Business Administration. We are
looking to see if she can be accepted in Tumaini in
Iringa. Sr. Yohana is also applying now for upgrading in
nursing. She is applying at Ifinga and at Dar. We pray
that she will be accepted. Sr. Judith is completing her
final semester at SAUT. She expects that she will be
back to Peramiho in July.
On Sunday, the Feast of Corpus Christi, we will begin
my second term as prioress. I ask your loving
forgiveness for the past mistakes and you prayers that
we may go together to God.
I believe this catches you up on some of the main developments. Before I delay this another day, let me
promise you our loving and trusting prayers.
With my loving gratefulness and prayers,
Sr. Rosann