Living Charisms
Living Charisms for Sustainable Human Development (2020–2022)
This project, funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, supported Catholic sisters in advancing sustainable human development across Eastern and Southern Africa. Through a combination of theological formation and practical application, the initiative strengthened sisters’ capacity to serve their communities.
Catholic sisters across Africa play a vital and far-reaching role in advancing sustainable human development. Through their care for people who are poor or marginalized—and their efforts to promote peace and environmental sustainability—they help build more just, resilient communities. Their work reflects both the vision of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Catholic Church’s commitment to social justice.
This project offered online theological education for sisters in Eastern and Southern Africa, helping them connect their ministries more intentionally to human development through Catholic social teaching. The formation deepens their understanding of the transformative power of their congregational charisms and equips them to lead and collaborate within the broader development sector.
Sisters in South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa earned certificates from the Loyola Institute for Ministry. Their coursework integrated Catholic social teaching into all aspects of congregational life, strengthening their capacity to serve and advocate for vulnerable youth.
Learn more about the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation's Catholic Sisters Initiative. See the project press release.
The Project Director was Thomas Ryan, Ph.D. The Project Manager was Sarah DeMarais.
Living Charisms: Sisters' Leadership for Human Flourishing Conference
In January 2022, sisters hosted a Zoom conference exploring Catholic social teaching and trauma-informed care for youth. Discover more about the conference and watch the full YouTube playlist of presentations here.
Student Spotlights
How project participants are applying their coursework to serve their communities
Sr. Anne Wandia
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is a member of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa, currently residing in Wau, South Sudan. In an article published by the Global Sisters Report, Sr. Anne writes that her studies with the Loyola Institute for Ministry have helped her and her fellow sisters "to gain the knowledge we need to become instruments of reaching out through God's grace and love.” Sr. Anne’s primary ministry is teacher development. Inspired by her Loyola studies, and in partnership with other local leaders, Sr. Anne led the writing and implementation of the recently launched Child Safeguarding Policy for the Catholic Diocese of Wau. She has led workshops on children’s rights for children and teachers. Sr. Anne hopes that Wau’s child protection work offers a model that can be emulated across South Sudan, the world’s youngest country. Sr. Anne notes, “My [LIM studies have] equipped me with a lot of knowledge, wisdom, understanding and inspiration about God, self, others and his creation and how to respond with compassionate love in bringing the reign of God on earth. The course has enriched my ministry, especially giving insights on how to partner with others and so as to be life-giving to the poor and marginalized in South Sudan." |
Sr. Avelina Kimaryo
is a member of the Grail congregation and a medical doctor. She manages the Neema Health Centre in Mwanga, Tanzania. Her creative leadership is saving lives, improving health outcomes, and promoting gender equality.
Sr. Avelina’s ministry provides life-saving care, particularly for mothers and children. Applying the partnership and leadership skills honed through her Loyola studies, Sr. Avelina established a partnership with an international medical nonprofit that brings critical financial resources to the health centre. As a result, Sr. Avelina was able to coordinate the building of a new surgical unit. Since the unit opened in 2019, the clinic has performed 20 caesarean sections, avoiding dangerous emergency transfers. The partnership has also significantly increased the capacity of the clinic for medical, dental, and vision care.
Sr. Avelina and her fellow Grail sisters were featured in As I Have Done, a film produced by Salt+Light Media in collaboration with the Loyola Institute for Ministry with the support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Learn more about the Neema Health Centre and the Grail congregation’s efforts for women’s empowerment in the episode “Sisters for Equality."
Sr. Teresia Mbugua
is a Missionary Sister of the Precious Blood in formation ministry. She lives with the congregation’s novices in Arusha, Tanzania.
Sr. Teresia has enthusiastically shared her learnings with the novices and mobilized them as advocates for sustainable development, justice, and peace.
For her Loyola studies, Sr. Teresia led a workshop for local university students about Catholic Social Teaching and sustainable development. The workshop made clear the pervasiveness of one social issue in particular— domestic violence. Sr. Teresia was inspired to collaborate with a student to write a song pleading for an end to violence. She and the novices then traveled to different parishes for Sunday mass and performed the song. Their singing moved some congregants to tears and inspired women to share their experiences of family violence.
Sr. Teresia has written an article for the Global Sisters Report about her project (publication pending). Through her leadership, Sr. Teresia is teaching her congregation’s novices, her local community, and us at Loyola how religious life can inspire compassionate advocacy for peace and human dignity.
Sr. Charity Bbalo
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is a Religious Sister of the Holy Spirit and a lecturer at a teachers’ college in Monze, Zambia. Studying Catholic Social Teaching has inspired Sr. Charity to take creative and collaborative action for sustainability. As described in her article recently published in the Global Sisters Report, Sr. Charity led a workshop on CST and care for creation for a group of women who are widows or single mothers. The women have learned to reduce demand for tree cutting by using recycled paper as an energy source. Inspired by Sr. Charity’s leadership, each woman planted a tree. Additionally, Sr. Charity led her college in a tree planting as part of its first ever “Environment Day.” Coverage of the event by a local radio station prompted several schools to contact Sr. Charity to learn how they could host a similar event. Sr. Charity grounds her sustainability efforts in her faith and in Catholic Social Teaching, citing Pope Francis: “Our goal is... to become painfully aware, to dare to turn what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it” (Laudato si' #19). |
Additional Information
Participating Congregations
Related Publications
Global Sisters Report articles by project participants:
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Sr. Charity Bbalo, “Preserving Trees by Making Charcoal from Paper Litter"
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Sr. Jackline Mwongela, “Bringing Catholic Social Teaching to Boys Recovering from Street Life”
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Sr. Anne Wandia, “Our Call in South Sudan” (about safeguarding initiative)
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Sr. Teresia Mbugua, “Teaching About Domestic Violence in Tanzania”
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Sr. Jean Martinez, “At a Nursing Home, I Find Hopeful Ministry in a Time of Change”
The Journal of Moral Theology published a collection of essays about this project.
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Sarah DeMarais (Project Manager), "'Are We Theologians?': A Practical Theology Approach to Catholic Social Teaching with Women Religious in East Africa"
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“Pedagogical Reflections by East African Women Religious Alumnae of the Loyola Institute for Ministry,” including three essays by project participants:
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Sr. Charity Bbalo, “Catholic Social Teaching Inspires Women to Care for the Environment”
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Sr. Lucy Kimaro, “I am My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper: A Perspective from Catholic Social Teaching”
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Sr. Jane Frances Mulongo, “Small Christian Communities as Opportunities for Teaching and Living CST”
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