Young People’s Experiences

My name is Joyce F. Kahabi. am the eighth born in a family of nine. I came to know the Daughters of St. Paul through one of the sisters who came to our school to promote vocations, since our school was catholic founded. In fact I was still in school when I applied to join them, they replied my letter and later they came to visit me at home, and I kept in touch. Being with the Daughters of St Paul, I have had different experiences like, prayer life, apostolate and community life. I also learnt how to express my self in public, this was through their various apostolates such as book displays, bookshop and printing, where I came into contact with many people especially in the bookshop. Being in the bookshop I came to understand that many people in the world had different problems and I have the responsibility to pray for them in order to save their souls. Living with the Daughters of St Paul, I also learnt to live with people from different countries with different cultures. Not only to live with them but also I learnt to appreciate peoples culture, food, talents, and to learn from them. I experienced the warm welcome, the happiness, the sisterhood and the care we had for each other. Now I have spent a month in Thecla Formation House in Nakasero, Uganda. During this month, I have learnt to be responsible in different ways and in different areas; like in the chapel, tending to flowers, visitors, helping my companions and many other things. Not only being responsible but also being oriented in the kitchen, siting room,  and library. So that I may know well my new home away from home and to be in a proper place at a proper time. Am happy to be with the Daughters of St Paul so far am still adjusting with the new environment, country and people. But I feel so much at home and I pray that one day I may  become a Daughter of St Paul as I strongly desire. Thank you.  

My name is Martha Monica Atieno, a second born in a family of seven. I came to know the daughters of St. Paul through a sister of another congregation. Since I joined the daughters of St. Paul, I have learnt more about their prayer life which is based on Jesus Master the Way, Truth and Life. Each day we start with meditation and morning prayers followed by the holy Mass. This helps me to start the day well with Christ. My experience in the Pauline apostolate has been deepened since before I only knew about the bookshop and book display but now I know how books are printed, stapled, cut and packed. I have learnt that the sisters work in different apostolates like editorial to edit the manuscripts and e-media to ensure that the gospel reaches out to everybody through the media. The book displays have helped me to know various parishes and to meet different kinds of people. It has also taught me how to express myself in a big gathering.  Living in the community of daughters of St. Paul has taught me to appreciate people’s creativity and ideas, I have learnt how to interact well with my companions since we understand each other and appreciate the way we are and the different cultural backgrounds where each have their way of cooking and dressing. The classes I have had with the sisters have really been of great value to me because I know more about the catholic faith and the history of the congregation which was founded by Blessed James Alberione and Maestra Thecla Merlo. So far I feel a sense of belonging and am happy to be with the daughters of St Paul.

My name is Kaluuba Margret Precious. Aged 22years. A Ugandan and the last born of six. I am a pre-postulant now with the daughters of St Paul. I first contacted the daughters of the St Paul in 2023 and we have journeyed together to this day. My experience with them has been an eye opener which is why I’m a bit excited to write this document to share it with you, the reader. I sum up my experience in a small quotation from the book: The Community of the Thirteen by Ahoua Raymond. It says: “the disciples, coming from different places, bring to the heart of the community of the 13 their individual histories, which together make up their regional and personal culture. Thus, a melting pot emerges from which a new culture is forged, above all a religious one.” My personal breakdown of the quotation. We as aspirants and young people come as disciples of the master from different places like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, and South Sudan to the congregation of the daughters of St Paul. We come along with our differences such as the cultures of our respective countries, tribes and families, each with their own personalities, temperaments, and way of doing things. These define us as individuals, but when we reach the community, we’re to stay as a family. One in everything. Prayer, way of doing things, character and all. The community, our formators that journey with us at the different stages of formation and our companions are the melting pot where all the differences melt and a whole new culture, a team is forged. All with the same desire of becoming servants of the Master and the people, a religious sister. My experience. I started my experience with the first stage which is aspirancy. It was 3months. I came with my uniqueness as a person. I was in a group of five companions and we had one formator, which made us a community of seven. The melting pot emerged. My differences were neutralized, some were appreciated, and others were completely melted away. I became a whole new person – my mum is my witness. After only three months, I had learned to value myself and know my worth, to be myself and know what is best for me at a particular time. It was a whole lot of great growth. I left a better person than I had gone. I thank God I was admitted to pre-postulancy, which is the next stage after aspirancy. I have been here for a month now. I have discovered I can do several things that I never thought I could do initially. I have learned the aspect of letting go, appreciating and loving myself and my companions. Above all, I have learned to pray and to live a meaningful life. I appreciate the congregation of the daughters of St. Paul, for giving me the chance to have such a beautiful and building experience with them. Because, as I ponder, “who am I and what is my family that the Lord has brought me this far?” I am therefore determined to use my talents, gifts and everything to serve the one Divine Master, Jesus Christ here among the daughters of St Paul.

My name is Alice Auma Odhiambo from Kisumu County in Kenya. I am the firstborn in a family of four. I’m a pre-postulant among the daughters of St. Paul. I came to know about the daughters of St. Paul early this year through my parish priest. When I visited the community of the sisters, I liked the warm welcome that made me feel at home. That first impression kept on lingering in my heart for the rest of my stay in the community for sure it was a nice experience. They engaged me in the bookshop where I also had a nice experience though sometimes it was tiresome because some would come asking for a book I was not aware of the price and even where it is kept. The experience I had when we stayed two in the community brought a clear picture of the hard-working nature of a daughter of St. Paul. I enjoyed my stay in the community where after some time I was invited for the Come and See program in Nairobi.  I was happy to meet my companions from different parts of Kenya and other Countries like Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan. I learnt a lot from my companions, and also from different classes we had with sisters. I also learnt more about the pauline mission and the different apostolates e.g. apostolates in the printing where I learnt about folding the signatures and gathering them. All in all, I enjoyed my stay for the three months. Through the classes, I learnt about Pauline prayer life, mission apostolate community life etc. A few weeks after completing the Come and See Program, I was invited to join the pre-postulancy stage in Kampala-Uganda which I was eagerly waiting for because it was to be my first time out of the country. I liked the warm welcome we received from the sisters in the community especially my young sisters in formation.  Kampala being a new environment am still trying to fit in but so far so good. My first mission in Bweyogerere was not easy because I could not understand anything during the Mass. It was said in Luganda and I could only manage to join in clapping when it was time to clap and a bit of smile when I saw people happy. Though I didn’t know more about the Ugandan currency,  I tried to be there by making myself busy at least by helping in packing the books but with time I will learn. At least since I came almost one month now I have started learning something e.g. stapling books I wish to learn more like cutting books and printing.  Am learning slowly by slowly through the orientations given to me by different companions that is the postulants and other pre-postulants. I wish to learn well and enjoy my stay in Kampala.

My name is Juliet Mbatha Musyoki. I am from Kenya, Machakos county. I contacted the Daughters of St Paul in January 2024. In June 2024, I was invited for the Come and See Program in Nairobi, which took three months. For one month and a half, I was with my companions and the rest of the time I was with the sisters in the community. My experience among the Daughters of St Paul has been like an opener in my vocation which in each stage I continue discerning. I am very glad to share my experience with you as you discern what you want to be for the rest of your life. The Daughters of St Paul are very welcoming. On my first day meeting them, they received me very well. The warm welcome was a lesson to me as a young person discerning my vocation.  I wished to belong to the Pauline sisters for the rest of my life. They are loving and caring. Love makes people of different places, nationalities, tribes, skin, colour, etc., stay together as sisters peacefully and care for each other. Love and care create happiness among the Daughters of St Paul. I also got to know that obedience is very important. The sisters obey their superiors and the superiors respect the other sisters and consider their opinions. Also, even the elder sisters respect the young sisters. This inspired me to become a Daughter of St Paul. On 7th October 2024, I was admitted to join pre-postulancy in Kampala Uganda. It was my first time to be out of the country. In Uganda the climate is good and also there is security. In Thecla Formation House Kampala, I met the postulants. They received me with a lot of love and happiness because of having young people following them. The postulants introduced me to different departments such as apostolate and many others. I really feel at home for the time have been here. On the side of the apostolate, the daughters of St Paul evangelize through means of communication such as radio programs, books etc. I involved myself in different activities in the printing press like cutting, gathering and folding signitures and many others activities which I found myself enjoying. I came to understand that it is not just about working but it about helping many people by reading books to change their lives and follow Jesus master. I also went for propaganda which helped me to understand the saying “if the people don’t go to church, let the church go to the people”. During this time we meet many people who really need help from the challenges they are facing, where they expect you should be able to help them. We direct them to a specific book which when they read they will be able to get solutions of their challenges. I do feel inspired by the spirit of St Paul that we use in our mission. On the other hand, I was interested by the fact that the daughters of St Paul have Pauline Co-operators. At first, I did not understand the meaning of Pauline Co-operators and what was their work. It interested me that, these are lay people who commit themselves to help the sisters to carry out the mission. Also, the cooperators sometimes have prayers with the sisters. This clicked in my mind that when you get to know Christ, also help others to come closer to him but not making them to become whom you are, but can following Christ in their own way of life. As I conclude, the Daughters of St Paul is a congregation which is always ready to welcome young people also to be formed so that the congregation continues in being. Also to help young women to know Christ and discern their vocation. I encourage you to be open and listen to God’s call and respond according to it.  

Ever been in a situation where you get inside a house looking for something but can’t really figure out what it is? The feeling is just weird. You try to move your eyes all over and let your hands land on so many objects, before you finally set your eyes on the particular one you were looking for, and then you take a deep breath as your whole body experiences a momentary peace. This feeling of “thirst”, a thirst that can only be quenched by finding or coming in contact with what you’re looking for is not new. St. Augustine felt the thirst and he went on looking for something to quench it. Finally, he was quenched when he found God and as a result he wrote, “God you have made us for yourself and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Too much analogies, right? Let me spare you that. When I stepped my feet in the compound of the Daughters’ of St .Paul, I felt fulfilled. It all began at the bookshop at the Holy Family minor basilica in the Archdiocese of Nairobi. There I met one beautiful Sister called Sr Eunice. I wondered, “This beautiful woman could have been someone’s wife and mother too, but now she’s a sister! Anyway, Jesus really deserves nothing but the best.” Back to the convent, Immediately I got into their gate I felt like, wow! this is the place I have been looking for, this is the place that left my heart thirsting and vacant for a long time. How do I describe this feeling? I bet the same way a baby feels when sleeping on its mother’s lap. This was just the beginning. Later that same evening I met my fellow aspirants: five young ladies whose names I recall vividly; Mary, Mildred, Ann, Mercy and Linet. They all looked cool, composed and ready for the retreat. However, each of them had an interesting trait that made  them unique from the rest. Mary and Mildred would laugh literally at everything, I mean everything. Ann and Mercy on the other hand, were the silent type, laughing and talking only when there was need. Then I, the talkative one, just ready to give my input on whatever discussion that came up. sometimes I feel bad about this part of me! Anyway the story about each aspirant’s character is for another day…let me say something about the sisters. It will be unfair if I don’t say anything about two friendly sisters who spent a better part of the retreat with us. Sr Catherine Wanza and Sr.Noel Lucy are probably the humblest people I have met in my life. I found the latter more interesting. I loved her vibes, there was something in her I found attractive, I don’t as yet know what it exactly was, but I bet it her simplicity and outgoing nature, humorously narrating her experiences as a missionary adds to it. Basically, each person had something unique that I admired, the smiles, the accents, the simplicity and so on. Honestly, I loved this place and its people or is it what they call, “love at first sight?” One look at the drafted program and I knew my stay was going to be more relaxed than I expected. It was not long before I left class work and two sessions a day was nothing to complain about. These were the best classes I have ever had, you know, taking a five- minutes break to listen to some music or maybe do some dancing! I love fun moments, I could be a comedian, who knows . The most interesting part of the day was in during the morning prayers just before the Mass. the aura in the chapel was heavenly, especially with the chanting of the psalms. The sisters looked so gorgeous together in their white veils and the blue habits. The environment was peaceful. I was lucky to sit next to one sister with such an angellic voice! I was lost in this beautiful atmosphere and the reality of having to leave after four days hit so badly. Anyway, I could not let that fact kill the joy of what was unfolding in me. Time literally flew and we came to the last day of the retreat. The climax was remarkable, I remember vividly the walk in the publishing department. Oh! I loved this place a big deal. As we moved from one section of the department to the next, I could not help but imagine myself in one of the them. May the grace of God be upon my desire. The next tour was at the studio. I remember telling my colleagues how we will do a radio drama if we make it together for the come and see program. That last night as we cut the cake with the sisters, the fact of leaving dawned on me. I remember feeling quite emotional. just looking at the sisters young and old, sitting together, laughing and happy having given their all to Jesus. I so deeply wished time would pass fast and I’ll be one of them. Some of them were ageing and this rang an alarm of Jesus’ words in my heart, “the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.” It was time to say something about how we got to know about the Daughters of St Paul. All my colleagues had interesting stories. I felt mine was just ordinary because a friend had told me about the sisters and I got attracted because their charism of ministering through media matched my degree programme at the university. All along I wanted to be a religious but I had not decided which congregation I wanted to join. At that moment though, I felt like it was not a mere coincidence, it was completely the plan of God to land here. Something or do I say some voice inside me whispered, “Teresia this is where you belong.” Alas! It