The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Botswana Mission joyfully celebrates 25 years of dedicated service and ministry to the Church and the people of Botswana. As we mark this milestone, we invite you to journey back with us to our beginnings in the year 2000, in this culturally rich and wildlife-abundant nation.
Botswana has a wonderful legacy of warm welcomes and generous hospitality which was beautifully evident from the very beginning. On September 7, 2000, Sisters Sarita Manavalan and Ann Muthukattil were graciously received by Bishop Boniface, his Vicar General Father John Corrigan, and the Holy Spirit Sisters. The following day, Sisters Angela Hicks and Pat Huitt were welcomed with the same joy and kindness. That spirit of welcome continued on September 12, when Sister Nalini Meachariyill arrived and was embraced with open hearts, completing the founding group of Sisters who began their journey of service in this remarkable land.
On December 21, 2000, in the chapel at Molepolole, Sisters Maria Vincent Brocato and Shalini D’Souza formally commissioned Sisters Angela, Ann, Nalini, Pat and Sarita for their mission in Botswana. This sacred moment marked the official beginning of their dedicated service to the Church and the people of Botswana.
The SCN Botswana pioneers, Sisters Ann Muthukattil, Nalini Meachariyill, Angela Hicks, Pat Huitt, and Sarita Manavalan
Sisters Angela, Nalini and Sarita were commissioned to serve in Jwaneng, while Sisters Ann and Pat were assigned to Kanye. On January 23, 2001, the five Sisters departed from Molepolole to begin their respective ministries. Their first stop was Jwaneng, where they were warmly welcomed by Father Charlie Carthel, C.P., who hosted them for a joyful, delicious lunch. Afterward, Sisters Angela, Nalini and Sarita remained in Jwaneng to begin their ministry, while Sisters Ann and Pat continued on to Kanye.
The Sisters’ tearful goodbyes that day echoed the emotions they each had felt when leaving their home countries. Yet their hearts were united in joy, courage, and a shared sense of purpose as they embraced this new frontier in Africa – marking the beginning of a transformative journey for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Botswana.