Tanzania: 8th December 2017:The history of Tanzania began on 9th Feb 2013 when Sr. Lillis the Assist. Superior General and Sr. Christine the procurator landed in Tanzania to prepare a way for the mission.
On 16th July 2013 0n the feast of our lady of Mount Carmel and the Foundation day, the first Bethany convent Mwanga was erected and the first four pioneers were Sr. Antonette, Sr. Ruth Ann, Sr. Jasmini and Sr. Zeena.
These pioneering sisters ventured into the field of education by starting a residential school for girls which was the dream of our revered Founder. The first batch of students of the Bethany Girl’s Secondary School were graduated on 30thsep 2017.
As the mission grew, Bethany branch forth to another community on the hill top in Bwambo and was canonically erected on 22nd Oct 2016 with Sr. Ranjitha, Sr.Veronica and Sr. Justine Gracy as the members. The activities of the community are healing Ministry, formation and Pastoral care.
Dec 8th 2017 is an auspicious and most significant day to go down in the annals of Tanzania Delegation. On the feast of our lady of immaculate conception, at11.45 am the Superior General Sr. Rose Celine led the sisters to beinstalled in procession to the alter for the prayer service. At the outset she congratulated the team for their daring Yes and declared the erection of Tanzania Mission into delegation.
She then installed Sr. Antonettecutinho as the first DeligationSuperior who then took an Oath in the presence of the gathered assembly. She was vested with a shawl by the Superior General which symbolized the people of God to be a leader who feel the smell of the people and whose heart vibrates with the people of Tanzania and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus the Good shepherd. She was presented with the Bible, Constitutions, key, pass Book and light as a sign of shouldering the responsibility.
The Superior General then installed the delegation councilors Sr.Ranjitha, as the first councilor and Sr.Anitha Menezes as the second councilor who took an Oath in the presence of the congregation.
The Bethany Sisters and candidates at Tanzania jubilated and felicitated the newly installed Delegation Superior and the team and the appointed delegation Procurator Sr.Namritha.
After the felicitation, sumptuous delicacy of Tanzania was served to make the day more remarkable.
Another mile stone in our history was the erection of the Pre-novitiate which began at 3.45 p.m. The Superior General at the outset announced erection of the Pre-novitiate and after reading the word of God, she appreciated the first four candidates of Tanzania, namely Anitha Nestory, Bernadetha Patris , Clara Ramadhan and Veronica Alex for their daring Yes to Bethany which was unknown to them. Highlighting the qualities of the pioneers of Bethany, she called upon them to imitate their qualities in their faith journey. They were given light and word of God to grow in the knowledge of Jesus and to respond to the demands of the Gospel by being illumined by the light of Christ. They were felicitated by the Superior General with flowers and were accorded a warm welcome in to the family of Bethany.
The climax of the day was the Eucharistic celebration by Fr. Peter OFM, the Parish Priest of Divine Mercy Church, Mwanga. In his homily he called upon the sisters to imitate the Blessed Mother who responded to God in faith and leaped into the unknown.