By Br. Alfonce Kugwa
The Divine Child congregation in Mutare Diocese is steadily growing with more sisters committing themselves to following Jesus through its way of life. The beginning of this year saw Sr. Mary Carmel Muparutsa and Sr. Grace Fadzai Mautsa taking perpetual vows while Srs. Mellarnia Chinhanga, Cathrine Nyabawa and Diana Clare Shunje made their first step into the congregation.
The sisters professed the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience at their mother house in Nyanga bringing the number of members serving in the congregation to seventeen.
The superior of the congregation, Mother Getrude Bobo said the institute was gradually growing as witnessed by the increasing number of vocations. Sr. Bobo said the congregation started in 2002 with only two candidates with Mother of Peace in Mutoko as its nest.
“We then moved to Nyanga and had the first reception of novices in 2006. In 2009, the congregation had its first profession of sisters,” said Sr. Bobo.
According to Sr. Bobo, the Divine Child Sisters was founded as a reaction to the increasing cases of abortion in the world. She said her connection with people in Merdjugorje and articles in their newsletters which she used to receive as Novice Mistress for the Carmelites, inspired her to start a congregation dedicated to praying for anti-abortion in Zimbabwe.