The Diocese of Mutare & The Carmelites in Zimbabwe - the Irish ...

(Further information on Saint Joseph’s Mission in included in ‘The Catholic Church in Manicaland
1896 -1996, Pages 44 to 46)
The Foundation of the Carmelite Sisters (1959)
During 1959, Bishop Lamont founded a Congregation of Sisters, known as ‘The Handmaids of Our Blessed
Lady of Mount Carmel’ or ‘The Carmelite Sisters’. It was common practice for almost every Bishop in the
country to have his own Congregation of Sisters, Umtali was no exception. When written, the Constitutions of
the Carmelite Sisters were based on the Carmelite Constitutions, the Sisters took the three Vows, the habit chosen
was brown with a blue veil. In the beginning, the Novitiate was at Saint Benedict’s Mission and the Novice
Mistress was Mother Consolatrix, a member of the Precious Blood Sisters.
What generally happened in those days was that the girl expressed a desire to join the Sisterhood and in time the
parents were contacted by a Sister or a Priest. In the early years of the Missions, this proved difficult as the
parents sometimes demanded ‘labola’ or a bride price for their daughter. Since their daughter was to be ‘married’,
some compensation was to be made to the parents.
Having gone through all the necessary channels and with a proper understanding of what the girl was requesting
and if all concerned were in agreement, she was taken into the Congregation as a Candidate. The aspirant spent
some years as a Candidate and then became a Postulant. As Postulants they received academic education such as
teacher training or nursing or whatever was suitable for the girl. Having spent at least two years as Postulants,
they were admitted to the Novitiate which was for another two years.
From 1959 to 1977 there were three Mothers General of the Congregation, all Precious Blood Sisters. Sister
Gertrude Bobo became the first Carmelite Mother General of the Congregation during 1977. Around 1978 the
Sisters of Charity from the Netherlands donated their convent at Kriste Mambo to Sister Gertrude as the Sister’s
Generalate. Around the same time, Mother Consolatrix of the Precious Blood Sisters who was Novice Mistress
since the beginning of the Congregation returned to Germany and she was replaced by a Carmelite Sister. The
Franciscan Sisters in Mutare assisted in teaching as many of the Sisters were doing correspondence courses.
Fathers Sean Murphy and Conal Collier also assisted Sister Gertrude who was in the process of updating the
Congregation.
The Carmelite Sisters have always and continue to do great work to further the faith of Christ together with their
brother priests. From their early years, the Sisters have been ‘leaders’ of the ‘African woman’ and have involved
themselves in all spheres of life and were often committed to women clubs. The clubs which the Sisters were
involved in centred on family life, on cooking and hygiene and were set up in the most remote areas for women of
all creeds. Many of the Sisters went for Catechetical courses in the country and outside the country. When they
returned the Sisters used their skills and taught catechism in many areas, in schools and at Mass Centres when
they accompanied the Priest to the Centres. Needless to say the Sisters understood their own people very well and
were of great help to their Irish brother priests especially during the war years. Most priests during and after the
war years were loud in their praise for the Carmelite Sisters as they were instrumental in saving many priests in
difficult situations and from making serious mistakes.
‘The Catholic Church in Manicaland 1896 – 1996’, Chapter 8, Pages 41 to 43, offers further
information on the Carmelite Sisters.
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