A minibus to support religious sisters in their ministry

The Little Sisters of Saint Francis is a local congregation founded in 1923 by Irish Franciscan Mother Mary Kevin Kearney, who first came to Uganda in 1902. She started with five other sisters, initially working under the shade of a tree, treating the sick and teaching the people reading, writing, and basic hygiene. The sisters also taught the Faith. Over the course of time, she and her fellow sisters established orphanages and hospitals, schools, maternity centres, and more. She subsequently founded a local African congregation, as more and more sisters were needed to cope with the growing needs.

Today, the congregation is present not only in Uganda but in Kenya, Tanzania, and the United States as well. The Little Sisters of Saint Francis care for street children, orphans, the elderly, and the disabled. They are also active in the prison ministry and in caring for the sick. They teach in the schools, offer catechetical instruction in the parishes, and are there to counsel and help families.

The congregation now has 801 sisters and is blessed with numerous new vocations. At their formation house in Pallisa (Eastern Region of Uganda), 60 to 70 young women enter training each year for a lifetime of service to God and their African brothers and sisters. As part of their training, they work in hospitals, prisons, and schools, and visit families where there are issues such as domestic violence, for example.

Until recently, it was difficult for these young novices and sisters to get where they needed to go to bring comfort and help, thus limiting the reach of their care. But now, thanks to your help of $27,600, the sisters have been able to purchase a minibus. As a result, they have increased the number of weekly visits to 50, intensifying and extending their help and evangelization to places they could not travel to before. They send their heartfelt thanks to all of you who have helped make this possible.