Where We Live Our Charism

Joined to Christ, the same spirit leads us to evangelize both,

1. Ourselves, one another, our communities, our congregation and
2. All the people we meet in our different apostolic activities.

• We undertake this apostolic service in the local Church, in the spirit of discernment towards the needs and developments of the Universal Church, our country, our people and our congregation.
• Following our Founder (Regular 1926, No 4), the main tasks in working for the salvation of our people have been in the pastoral, education, health and social fields. Our Founder further said "As the Congregation develops, other tasks may be added." (cf. Art. 109).

SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD

• The spirit of the congregation is one of Spiritual Childhood, lived out in apostolic service to our people.
• We share in Jesus’ relating to His Father, as He lived out a life of total trust and confidence in His Father. Day after day, trusting Him to lead Him in how best to communicate the Good News. Throughout His life, He was seeking the Will of His Father. In spite of difficulties, a deep joy and gratitude filed His Heart towards Him. (cf. Mt. 11: 25).
• We live out our spiritual childhood in the midst of our Apostolic Service. Our spirit of simplicity, which we show by welcoming all, by our availability, enables us to share in the lives of people around us, socially, ecclesially and economically.

• Our founder has given us the Blessed Virgin Mary as our special Patron Saint. We imitate her in the mystery of the annunciation and her Fiat: "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done." (LK. 1: 38).
• He gave us St. Therese of the Child Jesus as our Second Patron Saint. We imitate St. Therese of the Child Jesus followed Jesus in humility and simplicity, in faithful in small things and in her childlike confidence in God.
• March 25^th and October 1^st are our major feast days.

Congregational prayer to St. Therese of the Child Jesus

     St. Therese of the Child Jesus, guardian of our Congregation. Obtain for us the same spirit of love, with which God inflamed your soul. So that through us, Christ might become known to the people of Zambia and to the whole world. Pray all for the members of our members of our Congregation that we may be able to bring all people God. Help us so that by working for God in the spirit of faith and by following the rules of our congregation, we might accomplish the task assigned to us by the Almighty God. We pray you St. Therese, increase the number of holy vocations, both in our own and all other congregations. St. Therese, pray for us, pray for all those who have dedicated themselves to God’s service. Amen.

Congregational prayer to the Child Jesus

     Child Jesus, Son of the living God, You humbled Yourself by taking a human form. We Your Sisters offer ourselves to You, our congregation is Yours. Grant us to remain rooted in You as Yourself were in Your Heavenly Father. As You are full of Mercy and love towards us, grant that we may follow in your humility, obedience and in the service of our people. Help us so that we may be able to fulfill the work You have started in us. Mary our Mother take care of us all, as you took care of the Child Jesus. Amen.

PROMOTING AND FOSTERING VOCATIONS

Grateful for our own vocations and desiring the good of our people, all Sisters are called to promote vocations to our congregation.

1. For this we have first of all to pray to God to send labourer into his vineyard. Furthermore, we have to be living examples of consecrated religious and radiate the spirit and Charism of the Congregation.
2. We actively promote vocations, in co-operation with the vocation co-ordinator among those who are capable and willing to follow the life and apostolate of our congregation.
3. For information on joining our Congregation, contact the

THE GENERAL COUNCIL

The General Council is made up of four councilors, with the Superior General as the chairperson. The members of the General Team from 2003 to 2009 are:

Mother Mary Jacintha Bwalya – Superior General

Sr. Christine Kabumbu – 1^st Counselor

Sr. Melania Mwape – Counselor

Sr. Helen Kasuba – Counselor

Sr. Annie Chanda – Counselor

THE GENERALATE HOUSE

     The Generalate house has shifted from Chilubula, where it all started and where the Motherhouse is, to Kasama which is more central for easy communication. Part of the General Team ie the Superior General and the 1^st Counselor with the supporting staff are in a small house just bought. The house which will be the new Generalate is still under construction. Due to limited resources, it is being built in 3 phases. So far, 2 phases are under construction while phase 3 which has offices etc has not yet started being built.

To get in touch with the SCJ Generalate:

Postal Address

Sisters of the Child Jesus

P.O Box 410072

KASAMA

Physical address:

Sisters of the Child Jesus

Plot no. 1010 & 1011

Mwamba Road

Central Town

KASAMA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The congregation of the Sisters of the Child Jesus owes a lot of gratitude to the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA) to who our Founder, who was a Missionary of Africa (White Father) entrusted the formation of the early Sisters. To date, the MSOLA and Sisters of the Child Jesus are very much related in Faith and in material support. We will always be indebted to this great early women missionary congregation in our land – The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA)!