The Marist Missionary Sisters have just begun a new mission in Tanzania, in one of the poorest dioceses in East Africa, - Shinyanga.

For over 50 years, French and Italian SMSM have been present in Africa – in Algeria, Senegal, Mauritania, Rwanda and Burundi. For some years the congregation has been researching where best to begin a mission where English is the second language.

The mission was selected and Sr Judith Moore, the congregational leader, called for volunteers. Among those who responded, four were chosen to be the pioneers of this new mission:

Sr Annemarie Woeste, originally from Germany, entered the SMSM in the USA and served as a nurse and pastoral worker in the Solomon Islands, in Papua New Guinea and in Kiribati. More recently she went to Uganda for two years as a volunteer with another congregation, to work with victims of AIDS.

Sr. M. Frances Anna Remnant is a native of New Zealand, but no stranger to the North American Province. Earlier she served as a nurse in the mission in Jamaica the West Indies, and also in the USA.

Sr. Makelita Meni, from Samoa, taught in various schools in Fiji and Samoa, and was Principal of a large high school in Samoa.

Sr. M. Ludeline Paterno, the youngest of the group, is from the Philippine Islands where she has been engaged in missionary work on the island of Mindanao.

After the Sisters had a period of orientation and study of the Kiswahili language, Bishop Aloysius Balina asked them to work at the diocesan high school in Buhangija.

continued on Page 5.

Above: Srs. Makelita and Annemarie at the future site of the sister’s residence.

Above: Sr. M. Frances Anna at the open well
which provides drinking water.