Singing nun raises her voice to aid Africa's needy

Missionary's devotion to saints and martyrs...

Sister Frances Nakiwala is a singing nun with a humanitarian mission.

The Ugandan-born nun is appealing to parishioners in the Albany Diocese to help ease the plight of impoverished children and aging members of the Daughters of Mary religious community in her homeland.

"There is a great need for catechisms and other books for students, 75 percent of whom come from very poor families," explained Sister Frances. "We have children who are willing to sweep floors and work hard performing other tasks [to pay for school] because they want an education so badly, but we need books and other school supplies before we can teach them properly."

Aging sisters

Another pressing concern is some 200 members of Sister Frances' order who are in need of care at the infirmary in the community's motherhouse in Uganda.

"A number of these sisters are bed-ridden; others require the assistance of walkers or canes; some are still able to get about to some small degree on their own," Sister Frances told The Evangelist following a recent appeal from the pulpit of St. Mary of Mount Carmel parish in Gloversville. "All of them have dedicated their lives to helping and serving others, and now they are in a situation where they are in need of help for their most basic needs."

Also urgently needed, according to Sister Frances, are funds to help provide health care for patients of Villa Maria Hospital in Masaka Diocese and Lubaga Hospital in Kampala Diocese. Both hospitals are run by the Daughters of Mary of Uganda, as are six medical dispensaries in the region.

Song of homeland

Sister Frances, who made an appeal to parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Gloversville earlier this summer, is scheduled to address the congregation of St. Joseph's Church in Broadalbin at all Masses celebrated the weekend of August 23-24.

As part of her presentation, Sister Frances sings a song in Lugandan, one of 18 dialects spoken in Uganda, an African nation that is roughly the size of Oregon.

Sister Frances is currently studying English literature at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania and hopes to pass her newfound knowledge along to those in her homeland upon her return.

Educational effort

Meanwhile, she is doing all she can to educate Americans about the special needs of those living in the dioceses served by members of her religious community in Uganda.

"A large number of the Sisters in my order are nurses who do the work of what you in America would call public health professionals," she said. "Those we serve are extremely poor, and our sisters do what they can to help them in terms of preventative measures as well as treating diseases. Money is needed to purchase medical supplies and equipment."

In addition, Sister Frances said, children attending Church-run mission schools as well as government schools need catechisms and "books of other subjects at all levels of learning from kindergarten through college level."

Poverty's effects

Sister Frances said the Ugandans are fighting "a form of oppression -- the oppression that stems from poverty."

She strongly believes that improving literacy and health among her people will help them break free of the chains forged by that poverty. In addition, Sister Frances hopes those in the Albany Diocese will do what they can to ease the final years of the retired Daughters of Mary in Uganda.

"Donations will help us continue to feed and clothe them, perhaps even to purchase a washing machine," she said. "Younger nuns like myself can wash their habits by hand, but that is too much to ask of a sister who is old and infirm."

Missionary's devotion to saints and martyrs...

"Although many Americans are not aware of it, 22 Ugandan men were martyred by being burned at the stake by King Mwanga of Uganda in 1887. They died for their faith," explained Sister Frances during a recent visit to the Albany Diocese.

Sister Frances added that she was "deeply moved" during a recent visit to the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs at Auriesville and was looking forward to a similar pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in Fonda.

"The Auriesville shrine brought many memories of home back to me. The whole picture of what our own martyrs had suffered came back to me again," explained Sister Frances.

Anna Marie and Richard Adach, parishioners of St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church in Gloversville, were not aware of Sister Frances' deep devotion to Catholic martyrs when they made plans to take her to the shrines.

"We just thought it would be an interesting place to take her while she was in the area," said Mrs. Adach. "We had no idea how much the shrines would mean to Sister Frances because of what had taken place in her homeland."

Sister Frances plans to spread word of the Auriesville and Fonda shrines to friends in her native Uganda and in Pennsylvania, where she is currently studying English literature. Her dream is to one day teach at Uganda's Catholic Martyr's College in Kampala. (AH)

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