“Follow in the footsteps of the Blessed Virgin Mary”: Tanzanian Catholic Archbishop to Sisters at Perpetual Profession

Dar es Salaam, 05 December, 2025 / 7:49 PM

The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam has urged the members of the Little Sisters of St. Francis who were making Perpetual Profession and others celebrating Silver Jubilee to remain steadfast in their vocation by imitating the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In his December 4 homily during the Eucharistic Celebration for the three Sisters who professed final vows and the two who marked their silver jubilee, Archbishop Jude Thadeus Ruwa’ichi said, “By being baptized, you have been made a new creation, made a child of God, a sister or brother of Christ, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

“Therefore, follow in the footsteps of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception: seek to serve Christ, live Christ, and proclaim Christ to all humankind,” Archbishop Ruwai’chi said during the event that was held at the LSOSF Mothers’ House, Mbangala Spiritual Center in his Metropolitan See.

He described Mother Mary as a “humble woman” who is full of grace “not by her own power, but because God chose her, filled her with grace, preserved her from every stain of sin and made her the vessel of salvation.

“Each one of us in our own way is called to welcome God’s will, embrace it, live it, and do God’s work,” the Tanzanian-born member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) said.

He reminded the five Sisters that the call to fulfill God’s will concerns them directly,  and implored God to grant them the grace and blessing to understand His will, embrace it, and live it.

The Local Ordinary of Dar es Salaam encouraged the Sisters to take advantage of the years of service to become mothers to their confreres and the people of God following in the footsteps of the Blessed Virgin Mary their role model.

He further called on them to deepen their commitment to living the Gospel counsels, saying this formed part of their dedication to follow Christ as His witnesses through their religious vows

“Saint Paul writing to the Ephesians explains to us the plan of God, the plan of salvation laid out from eternity. It is a plan of being witnesses of Christ,” he said.

He added, “Religious vows are a life of Gospel counsels: following Christ poor, Christ obedient, and Christ pure of heart. What you embrace is to be His witnesses, His followers, and His servants.”

“May Almighty God help you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, intercede for you and teach you, so that the work of redemption may be accomplished well within you,” Archbishop Ruwaichi said in his December 4 homily.