Lusaka: Sixteen religious sisters from across Africa gathered in Lusaka over the weekend to celebrate their graduation from the Kalundu International Study Centre, marking the successful completion of an eleven-month leadership and formation programme aimed at nurturing transformative and intercultural leadership among women religious.
The solemn ceremony, held at the Centre’s campus, brought together dignitaries from the Church and religious communities, including the Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia and Malawi, Archbishop Gian Luca Perici, and the President of the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods (ZAS), Sister Valeria Kabaso of the St. Charles Borromeo Sisters.
Addressing the graduates as the guest of honour, Sister Valeria Kabaso praised their perseverance and commitment to spiritual and intellectual growth. “Be ambassadors of hope for Kalundu Study Centre,” she urged. “Carry forward the flame of formation and faith. Be the hope the world so deeply longs for.”
Sister Kabaso underscored the need for holistic formation for contemporary women religious, noting that effective leadership in today’s Church requires a blend of spirituality, empathy, and practical wisdom. “A truly formed sister today must be prayerful yet emotionally mature, socially conscious, and skilled in navigating intercultural and digital realities,” she said.
In her address, Sister Mishael Manianga, Centre Director and a member of the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Apostolic Nuncio for presiding over the graduation Mass. His presence, she said, was a symbol of the universal Church’s solidarity with religious women in Africa.
“Your Excellency, your presence assures us of the closeness of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV,” she remarked. “Through you, we feel connected to the heart of the Church. The Holy Father reminds us that consecrated women are lights of hope forming hearts, enlightening minds, and upholding human dignity in every corner of the world.”
Speaking to Vatican News, Sister Felistus Nyirongo, Administrator of the Kalundu International Study Centre and a Religious Sister of Charity, reflected on the Centre’s mission. She explained that the institution owned and managed by ZAS seeks to form “integrated and prophetic women religious” equipped to guide their congregations and communities in complex modern contexts.
Over the years, the Centre has drawn participants from a wide range of African nations including Zambia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Lesotho, among others. The programme’s curriculum integrates human, pastoral, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions, shaping women leaders who can engage effectively in the social and cultural challenges of the continent.
This 45th graduation ceremony marked not just an academic milestone but a reaffirmation of the shared mission of African religious women to be transformative agents of faith and social renewal.
As the new graduates step back into their ministries, they carry with them Kalundu’s enduring vision to form women who lead with compassion, wisdom, and hope, bringing the Gospel’s transformative message to the heart of Africa’s diverse and dynamic societies.