MEET OUR SISTERS

Valeria Erneio, Area of Mozambique

Highlights of My Life And RSCM MINISTERIES

On May 24th, I, Valeria Erneio, completed 29 years of consecration to the service of the Kingdom and life in abundance. I belong to a congregation of international and intercultural women, whose mission is to know and love God and to lead others to know and love God by promoting life in abundance.

Through faith and apostolic zeal, I accepted to be responsible for running a challenging parish for one year and six months in Beira. I worked as an administrator and director in our homes. During the six years I also was part of the Area Formation Commission, as promoter of vocation ministry. I was the founder of the community of Nacala Porto in October 2005.

The gift of our internationality has enriched me and helped me grow on all levels, and in the understanding of multiculturalism as a family of the RSCM. I had the grace of living 4 years in the Community of the Colégio Nossa Senhora do Rosário, Porto, Portugal and to graduate as a Social Educator. Having been sent on mission to an international community, I spent 6 years at the Motherhouse in Beziers, France. I served in Nazaire Cathedral, St. Joseph and Fenelon High School.

I was a member of the Structures Task Force and now I belong to the Heritage and Spirituality Team.

Also at some point, I had the opportunity to taste interculturalism. First, with my experience in Fantarela, Mali where I spent a litte more than 2 months and then in  Zambezi, where I studied English for 2 months. In 2004 and 2007 I was sent to the Congo to contact and get to know the candidates, in a country where we are not located, in order to encourage them and make know to them the mission and charisma of our Institute.

Currently, I work in the Diocesan Caritas of Maputo. Caritas also has social projects in partnership with non-governmental organizations to help minimize the basic needs and hunger due to the challenge of the Pandemic.

On May 21, the two communities of Our Lady of Hope and Mother St. Jean, and sisters from the other communities came together for Mass. The occasion was to recognize the inaguration of the new Area Council and my call to serve as the new Area Coordinator in Mozambique. We were 15 participants, including Sisters, the priest and a former religious.

Lourdes Galeazzi, Western American Area

I entered the Institute of the RSHM at the age of 16 in a country (USA) with a culture and language very different from my own, I am Mexican. Throughout my religious life I have served in various ministries. I worked as a teacher at Marymount School Cuernavaca and in Mexico City with the Franciscan Sisters, working with teenagers is always very enriching and challenging. I was in Honduras, in an orphanage, a privileged place where I felt touched by God to transform my life to walk alongside the most vulnerable. Both in Mexico City and in Cuernavaca I worked with women, empowering them and giving them back their dignity, which is what Our Founders did. I accompanied migrants from Central America, passing through Mexican territory, who risk their lives to give their families a better quality of life, another privileged moment of being with God’s favorites. Another of my ministries was to be in charge of Initial Formation and Provincial Councilor, both ministries gave me the opportunity to meet several of our sisters in different countries where we are present. At this time, I am a volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul, this service gives me a lot of life, walking with the most needy. “Helping is our goal….The people our motivation” Wherever there is an RSCM, we are all there.

Rosemary Mwagarezano, Zambezi Area, Novitiate

I am Sister Rosemary Mwagarezano from Zimbabwe and the Zambezi area in Africa. I met the RSHM  (sisters Tendai, Rosaleen and Flo Reilly) in my parish in 1997. Their work with the youth and women inspired me to do the same. I learned a lot by helping the priests to translate their homilies for the local people.  Later in 2000 I joined the Institute and made my first vows in 2004. For some time, while teaching at Sacred heart High School, I worked as a coordinator for youth in Chinhoyi diocese. I was sent to the novitiate in Brazil in 2014.

I spent my first three years here on the team when Sr. Margaret Fielding was directress. I was named directress in 2017. It is a great privilege to be a directress but also a great responsibility of accompanying the young women who come to our Institute today. This formation ministry has helped me to strengthen my own vocation and deepen the spirit of the congregation.

Coming here and being part of the vocation journey of so many of our young ones give me joy and gratitude.  It is always gratifying when I hear them, on the day of profession, promising God to be good and faithful each day as they grow in their love for Him who calls them.

The life of a Religious is a journey of faith. I have experienced God´s love in my journey of life and I try to share this love to all the people I live and work with.

VIRGINIA DORGAN, Eastern American Area, JPIC

Virginia Dorgan, is a member of the RSHM Eastern American Area.   During her many years as a professed religious, she has served in a parish school, Norfolk (VA) Catholic High School, Marymount High School, Marymount Manhattan College and in the NYC Jails.  In NYC since 1976, she has been active in All Saints Catholic Church in Harlem and St. Francis de Sales Church at the intersections of the Upper Eastside and East Harlem.  She developed and directed the Network for Peace through Dialogue from 1988 until its closing in 2016.  For many years she has participated in JPIC of the Eastern American Area and has been its Animator for the last six years.