16/09/2026
By Sr. Nasilele Simushi, OP, Ndola Hub-CNCS
Two Sisters from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary have celebrated 25 years of religious vows at St. Peter and Paul Parish in Chingola.
The two jubilarians are Sr. Rosemary Kasembe and Sr. Dr. Yvonne Mwalula Mwila.
Speaking during Holy Mass, Archdiocese of Ndola Vicar General Fr. Ephraim Mulenga Mapulanga, who represented Archbishop Benjamin Phiri, said reaching 25 years in religious life did not mean the journey had been without challenges.
Fr. Mapulanga said the challenges the two Sisters faced during their religious journey were part of their vocation and served to strengthen their faith in God.
“You cannot celebrate if you have not gone through battles,” he said.
Fr. Mapulanga said Scripture showed that people called by God to participate in salvation history also faced difficulties, adding that such experiences demonstrated God’s power and called for patience.
The Vicar General encouraged the jubilarians to strengthen their spirit of service by relying on God’s grace, saying God had a unique purpose for each person.
He said God was interested not only in what people had become but also in what they could become.
Fr. Mapulanga used the example of a carpenter who finds use for every piece of wood, including those that are discarded or neglected, to illustrate that God can use everyone for a purpose.
Meanwhile, Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary Unit Leader in Zambia Sr. Mulenga Bwalya said the jubilee was a time of grace and an opportunity to reflect on the growth of the congregation.
Sr. Bwalya said although the congregation was small, the 25 years of service by the two Sisters had touched lives in different places.
She said the Sisters in Zambia mainly focus on restoring the dignity of people living with disabilities.
Sr. Bwalya called on the Sisters to continue reflecting on their vocation and seek God’s guidance as they served communities.
“For us, it is a call to daily prayer in which we seek God’s guidance in what we do and seek to receive love and compassion from the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” she said.
She thanked God and people who had supported the congregation’s work in Zambia.
And Sr. Mwila said reaching the Silver Jubilee did not mean that she and Sr. Kasembe were more special than other members of the congregation, but that God had chosen them for a particular purpose.
“The jubilee was a mystery as we never thought we would reach this day,” she said.
Sr. Mwila thanked the Archbishop, Vicar General, families, friends and other supporters who contributed to the celebration.
“A celebration without people is not a celebration,” she said.
Meanwhile, Fr. Mapulanga conveyed a message from Archbishop Phiri in which he thanked the families of the two Sisters for offering them to religious life and encouraged other families to support vocations.
“Vocations are born in families. Therefore, a sister or priest’s behaviour is a representation of how that family is,” he said.
