Sisters who are preparing for Perpetual Vow in a group photo
Welcome to the Institute of the MSMMC
Greetings from the Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church, (MSMMC)!
Welcome to our official website! We, the Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church are delighted to have you visit us online. Our Institute is dedicated to the mission of spreading love, compassion, and the teachings of Christ throughout the world.
As you explore our site, you will learn more about our rich history, our mission work, and how we strive to make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities.
While here, we invite you to share in our mission and values through prayer, volunteering, or supporting our various projects in any way possible. Together, we can work towards a more peaceful and just world.
Thank you for visiting our website!
WHO WE ARE
We are the Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church, a religious Institute which was founded in 1970 by the Late Rt. Rev. Caesar Asili.
The Head quarters of the Institute are located in Lira, Northern Uganda, East Africa. The Institute has since its foundation grown and is now having 399 religious Sisters involved in Pastoral and Social activities – Catechesis, Education, Medical, Social Communications (mass Media), Social Action and any other relevant apostolate based on the signs of the time in different parts of the world.
Currently, majority of our sisters are working in Uganda, while a good number work in Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Italy and in Canada.
The activities carried out by the sisters aim at accompanying the people in their spiritual journey, as well as improve the livelihood of the people. In this way, the Missionary sisters of Mary Mother the Church focus on working with people in their communities.
Sr. Assumpta Tumwebaze (second right on the back row) with the children she instructed for the Sacrament of Holy Communion in Como, Italy.
Sisters who made their Perpetual Profession in a group photo with Bishop Sanctus Lino Wano and the General Council
Sr. Shivan Clare Atukunda registering children in one of the Outstations of Matany Parish in Karamoja.
OUR HISTORY
Our foundation was a result of the desire which our Founder had as a priest and Bishop to found an Institute of women religious who will carry on the missionary work of evangelization in Africa and in any other country where there is need.
The Institute of the Missionary of Mary Mother of the Church, with its Mother House in Lira Diocese, was founded by the Late Rev. Bishop Caesar Asili, who was the first Bishop of Lira Diocese in the Northern Uganda.
The congregation was founded in this modern times solely to contribute mightily with fresh spirit of loving services towards the making of the church in all good works and ready services in the extension and building up of the Church of God in modern language and activity. By positive commitment to, and involvement with Christ through Prayer and Action, to promote the spiritual and temporal welfare of the people of God.
His desire was enkindled more when Pope Paul the sixth visited Uganda in 1969 and gave a message that Africans should be missionaries to their fellow Africans.
The Decree of election of the Institute was issued and promulgated accordingly by the Rt. Rev. Bishop C. Asili, by then Bishop of Lira Diocese on 8th December 1970.
The first 14 Novices with the Founder and Sr. Rosalia, a Comboni Missionary Sister who first helped the Founder in the formation. She was replaced by Sr. Ignazia (Comboni Missionary Sister)
On 1st January 1971, the first 14 girls started their initial formation and on 20 January 1974 these girls made their first religious profession. From this time onward, the sisters continued growing in number and in spirit. Today we are 399 professed Sisters and 55 young girls in the formation programme, that is, Novitiate, Postulancy and Aspirancy.
We are missionaries of Christ who Pray, Mediate, Study, Write, Work, Recreate and Sacrifice with love in a manner worthy of our God who called us.
In 1978, Sr. Ignazia Surcis left us and the Founder appointed Sr. Elizabeth Mandera to take care of the newly founded Institute.
Presently working in 57 communities, 46 in Uganda and 11 outside Uganda, namely, Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, Italy and Canda.
The first and general aim of the Institute is the kingdom of God and personal sanctification of its members through the observance of the three evangelical councils namely; chastity, poverty and obedience, and the constitution of the institute.
The second and specific aim is the Missionary apostolate and any approved apostolate in any Mission country through Catechesis, Education, Medical Services, Social Communication (mass media) and Social Action.
The above areas of apostolate are achieved through the guidance of Mary our Model and Patron. Our Charism is to share Christ’s LOVE for his people through the Motherhood of Mary.
“CHRIST MUST REIGN!”
Our Founder Bishop Caesar Asili. The Little Boy (Fr. Desiderious Pule whom Bishop is touching) became a priest.
Founder Bishop Caesar Asili and Comboni Missionary Sister Rozalia with the First Group of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church.
Comboni Missionary Sister Rozalia – the First Formator of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church.
Bishop Caesar Asili – Founder of the MSMMC
Caesar Asili was born in Moyo District, in Northern Uganda, on 11th September 1924. His parents were Sebastiano Asili and Catherina. His father was a Headman in charge of the catechumens and this contributed to Asili’s very good Christian and religious background.
He went to St. Dominic School, Maduga primary education. In 1938 he joined the minor seminary at Lacor, Gulu. He completed his training to priesthood at the then Lacor major Seminary and was ordained on 5th June 1955 in his home Parish, Moyo.
He went for his further education to a Church University in Rome and later at Makerere University. As a priest he worked in parishes, was Diocesan Education Secretary and Rector of Pokea Minor Seminary of Arua Diocese.
Right from childhood, in his early formative years in the seminary, Caesar Asili surrendered himself to the protection of Mother Mary, to see him through to Priesthood. There developed an intimate mother-child relationship between Caesar and Mary, so much so that he promised her a gift if she helped him to become a priest. The Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church were therefore founded in gratitude to God and as a positive contribution towards establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. Read more
It was the strongest conviction of our Founder that girls and women are endowed with many qualities that they may put at the disposal of the Church and of the Kingdom of Christ. He thought that the role of Motherhood of Our lady in the Church can be effectively shown to the People of God through the words and deeds of consecrated women.
Among these feminine qualities, our Founder highlighted the power of intuition, by which women quickly perceive and meet different needs of the people of God in the spirit and role of motherhood.
It was therefore, no wonder that when he became Bishop of Lira in October 1968, he looked on it as an avenue opened by divine Providence to enable him to translate this love into a tangible gift to the Universal Church, something which would have been a bit difficult for him to accomplish as a priest. Another providential incident which led to the birth of our Institute was the visit of Pope Paul V1 in 1969. His challenge and appeal to Africans to be missionaries to themselves met with a ready response and indeed the Holy Father blessed the cornerstone of the Missionary Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church, on 2nd August 1969, at Namugongo (Kampala).
The following year 1970, fourteen young girls, filled with zeal and love of Christ, joined the newly born Institute. These were the seeds of the missionary shrub. These pioneers were under the care of the Comboni Missionary Sisters: Mary Rozalia and Ignansia. The first aspirants had their Postulancy in Aboke, which was also a Scholasticate; and later went to Ngetta, where there is the Mother House of the Institute .
These young women made their first Vows on 20th January 1974. In 1978, the Comboni Missionary Sisters left and Sr. Elizabeth Mandera, one of the pioneers took up the responsibility. In 1979 the first final Profession took place.
Our Founder died on 12th October 1988. As liaison Bishop for the Association of Religious women in Uganda (ARU), Bishop Caesar Asili was presiding over the Eucharist to mark the opening of ARU Hostel when he suffered a stroke.
From heaven, he is powerfully and specifically helping us through his intercession; and many good events in the Institute can be attributed to his loving prayers. One such event was our first General Chapter which took place in December 1990. It has helped us to steer through to the present moment with a firm determination and unshakable hope for the future.
Many thanks to God for the many people who continue to encourage and pray for us; and to all benefactors who have generously contributed to make us what we are today.
Rt. Rev. Bishop Caesar Asili – Founder of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church, (MSMMC)