Pioneer Pauline Sister in Kenya Reflects on Years of “encouragement to younger generation” at Jubilee

Sr. Mary Manje, a founding member of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Paul in Kenya, reflected on her religious life during the congregation's 50th anniversary celebration. The jubilee took place at the Pauline Sisters community within the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi.

Sr. Manje, who joined the congregation at age 27, noted that the first African sisters serve as an encouragement to younger generations pursuing religious vocations. She stated that the 50 years since the congregation's foundation in Kenya is a divine gift resulting from the obedience of the first sisters to their superiors.

The congregation began in Nairobi on February 15, 1976, following an invitation from Servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga. The community was established after three Pauline Sisters arrived in the country. Sr. Manje, who belongs to the congregation founded by Blessed James Alberione, said her decision to join was motivated by a desire to inspire other African women to enter religious life.