This is Holy Ground
We are standing on Holy Ground
For the Lord is present
And where God is, is Holy.
When I was asked to write a reflection on my years in Kenya I wondered where to start! I took time to be still as I thanked God for the many blessings I have received and the words above kept coming to mind. On 8th September, 1980, I left Ireland and set out for my new Mercy home in Mutomo which is the Southern part of Kitui County in the Eastern Province of Kenya.
Margaret O’Brien rsm
Our Sisters gave me a great welcome and on that first night we had supper by candlelight as there was a problem with the generator. Also at the table was a lady from the nursing Council of Kenya who happened to be there for the annual practical exams of the Midwifery students in Mutomo Hospital. It was famine time and there was little or no water. Taps were dry. Dams were empty. Women used to walk long distances through the night in search of water. Animals lay dead on the sides of the road. People were living in very harsh conditions with a lot of poverty and hunger. But despite all that they did not lose hope and always had time to greet and smile. In the hospital and school we would wait for some weeks for a tanker of water to come from Kitui. Many times some water would be stolen or sold on the way down and as a result the water level in the tanker went so low that the remaining water could not be pumped out! Any drops that were saved were kept for the theatre in the hospital.
I remember our going for an AOSK (Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya) prayer day at Kitui Pastoral Centre during that time and our joy and excitement in seeing and feeling the running water from the tap! There was great rejoicing and thanksgiving when the rain finally came. People lived for the day and washed and splashed all around. Grass and plants began to sprout and one could sense and smell the growth underneath the soil even before the plant appeared.
I was appointed to teach in Mutomo Girls and enjoyed my time there. There was a great shortage of teachers, unlike today, and I was asked to teach CRE and English and even Home Science for a short time. The students were very willing to learn and grateful for any help they got. It was good to meet some of them years later on the streets of Nairobi and after telling me how they were getting on they would add “I would not be where I am today if it were not for the Sisters of Mercy.” We were also welcomed to help in the Parish and on Sundays two of us used to drive out to Voo and Kinakoni Outstations for communion services.
Other highlights were our visits to St. Martha’s Leprosy and TB unit at Mutomo Hospital , where we were welcomed by Ben, Kasunai and others who had made St. Martha’s their home. Kasunai was a frail, old woman who carried her few possessions on her back as she crawled about on her hands and knees and she kept asking for Malia. Ben was a leprosy patient and had burnt his fingers as a result of the nerves being dead and no sense of pain. They all loved Malia (Sr. Mary) who was in charge of the unit. The atmosphere there was homely and welcoming.
Our favourite Poustinia was a short distance up the road. Occasionally a few of us would walk there, climb the rocks and sit at the top. From there we could view the landscape for miles around, see the gap in Yatta Plateau and if it was evening time we could see the sunset over snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. It was so peaceful and beautiful. These images are very clear in my mind up to today. On our way we passed the Baobab tree which is peculiar to dry areas. It is an African tree with a very thick trunk and is very special. On our compound we had a Frangipani tree with fragrant honey coloured blossoms and the bougainvillea which was a blaze of colour when the rains came.
Mount Kilimanjaro
The Kamba people are gentle, polite and very friendly. Like all African people they are naturally religious and they are famous for wood-carving and traditional dancing. As the women walk along the road to Mutomo market they would often be weaving their baskets and taking their time, always with a word of greeting and a smile. Many of the men work away from home in the cities and towns like Nairobi and Mombasa. The church in Kitui had a good family spirit and I have happy memories of our annual special day at the late Bishop Dunne’s house where he used to invite all the religious of the diocese for a special lunch and entertainment. Then at Christmas every year he used to travel long distances to every parish and Sisters house in the diocese to wish us a happy Christmas and present his gifts. May he Rest In Peace.
I have good and lasting memories of my time in Mutomo. It was indeed ‘Holy Ground’ for me. In December 1986, I was transferred to Ngarariga in Kikuyu land in the highlands in the Archdiocese of Nairobi. I had visited there a number of times so the place was not new to me. But the transfer from Mutomo to Ngarariga was nearly as big a change as from Ireland to Mutomo. Ngarariga is 7,000 feet above sea level so the climate can be very cold, especially at night. The air is pure and the place is usually fresh and green with tall trees.
The Kikuyu are hardworking, sincere and a religious people. They are good farmers and business people and have done a lot for development. I was appointed to teach at Ngarariga Girls and, thanks to those who went before me, I found a very organized school where teachers, students and parents worked well together. We tried to give quality education at a reasonable cost and if a parent was unable to pay the full fee all at once we made an agreement on how it would be paid and people usually honored their word. Again there was a water problem and much time was spent in following the Ministry and asking for water. Finally with the help of parents and the Board of Governors new tanks were built and this helped in the smooth running of the school as well as for building other school projects. The people of Ngarariga were good to us and we worked well together. They would often come to the door with plums, pears or whatever was in season.
The small Christian Communities were very active in the parish. On Sunday there would be a long offertory procession and dance as women carried full baskets of fruit and vegetables and sang praise to the Lord. Some years later, when I was back in Ngarariga in Formation Ministry I had a surprise visit from a group of past students from the 1988 class in Ngarariga Girls. They call themselves ‘The Pioneers’ and they meet regularly in one another’s homes to plan how to help those in need. At that time they were organizing a project for children who had dropped out of school because of family problems and they were willing to support these children and give them a chance of education and better quality life. ‘His mercy is from age to age’ – I was really encouraged to see those ladies carrying on the works of mercy.
There is also an active group of Mercy Associates in Ngarariga who meet every month at the Sisters house. They too have a heart for the poor and visit and pray with the sick and needy. In 1991 I went on Sabbatical to the Institute of St. Anselm in Kent, England. I was truly grateful for this opportunity which is a gift for life. When I returned to Kenya in 1993 I was asked to go into Formation Ministry. This work may be a privilege but I was shocked at the thought of it as I had never imagined myself in such a position. I first finished my term at Ngarariga Girls and was sorry to have my community and Apostolate there. Catherine McAuley said, “God makes use of various means to further the accomplishment of his designs, some of which, if we had a choice in the matter, would not be in accordance to our views, but which eventually turn out to be the most conducive to the work of the Almighty”. She also said “God never calls any person to any state or for any end without giving the means and necessary help to carry them through all the difficulties of it.” When I finally said, ‘YES’ I was quite anxious.
Margaret O’Brien rsm with the pre-novices in Miguta
In December 1994 I was appointed to Miguta Community which was still a house of the Dublin Diocese of the Sisters of Mercy at that time and I was to be in charge of the Postulants. The Sisters encouraged and supported me and I trusted in the Lord who is always my shepherd. I believe that the Ministry of Formation and the process of human and spiritual growth are the work of the Holy Spirit, who is the main formator. Miguta is in the heart of Kikuyu land, coffee and banana land and the homes of farmers on small holdings. Dairy farming is one of the main occupations and in the early hours of the morning one can hear people walking and talking along the road as they take their milk to the dairy.
Our Mercy house in Miguta has been connected with formation since 1976 when the Dublin Congregation admitted the first Postulants. As I look back now on my years in Formation Ministry I feel thankful to God for the many young women I have journeyed with in pre-novitiate and temporary professed stages, for the welcome of their families, for the blessings of our Final Professions and Renewal of Vows, for the many varied experiences I have had and even for the struggles here and there. I praise and thank the Lord for his grace and inspiration. May He continue to bless all of us and all our Mercy Sisters in the Province of Kenya and everywhere. It has been an enriching and inspiring time for me and a sacred experience in so many ways. I made friends at a deep level with those who are continuing the Mercy journey as well as those who have gone in other directions.
Last August in Nakuru on the final evening of our Temporary Professed Seminar the group of twelve surprised me with a special prayer service and presentation. I was deeply touched by their kind words and deep sharing. Though we may be separated in time and space we will always be together in spirit. This year I also journey with a group of young women who came to Miguta on 7th January. It has always been my joy to work with those who are discerning their call and starting out on their Mercy journey, and then to see them ‘blossoming’ as time goes on. Mary Magdalene, Rose, Pauline and Cynthia, are doing well and are now preparing for the next stage of their journey. We wish them well and ask you to remember them in prayer. We also pray for seven of our Temporary Professed Sisters who are preparing to renew their vows. May all of us continue to be the compassionate face of God wherever we are.
In this year as we prepare for Chapter we ask the Life-Giving Spirit to give us discerning hearts that we may choose what is good and may the charism of Catherine inspire us. This is also an important time; as our country Kenya prepares for General Elections in March 2013, we pray for peace, justice and love that all may live in unity, peace and liberty and that leaders may work together for the good of all. Kenya is a beautiful country. It has been my home for 32 years and I thank the Kenyan people for the many ways I have been blessed and for welcoming me to their Holy Ground.
Margaret O’Brien rsm
Kenyan Province
