By Thabisani Dube
DETE — The Missionary Daughters of Calvary on Saturday celebrated 75 years of service in Zimbabwe, marking a legacy of faith that has endured war, exile, and the long struggle to establish local vocations.
The event, held in Dete, brought together sisters, clergy, and lay partners to honour the first African women who embraced religious life in the 1960s — a period of political upheaval and spiritual awakening.
The congregation’s roots in Zimbabwe date back to October 12, 1950, when the first Missionary Daughters of Calvary arrived in Wankie (now Hwange) to support the work of the Institute of Spanish Missionaries (IEME). By February 1959, nine years later, the sisters were serving across four mission stations — Wankie, St. Mary’s, Tshongokwe, and Kana — where 15 missionaries ran schools, hospitals, and boarding facilities, and reached surrounding villages through evangelisation.
As their work flourished, a new dream took shape, that of welcoming local women into the congregation. That vision became reality on September 15, 1961, with the opening of the Indigenous Aspirancy at St. Mary’s. Five young Zimbabwean women began formation.
However, as independence movements intensified across the country, the establishment of a local Novitiate proved impossible. In an act of faith, four of the aspirants travelled to Spain to complete their two-year Novitiate, returning to then Wankie in September 1969 as the first fully professed Zimbabwean Sisters.
Of the original five, two remain active today — Sr. Josephine Sikapila and Sr. Christine Mkwebu — who shared reflections during Saturday’s celebrations. Sr. Magdalene Nehwati, another member of the pioneering group, passed away in 2023. One aspirant left before completing formation, and another departed after becoming a Sister. Each, however, helped lay the foundation for a Zimbabwean expression of the congregation’s mission.
“We lived through a time when faith was our only protection,” said Sr. Sikapila. “There were days when we went without food or shelter, but our mission never stopped. The people were suffering, and we had to be with them.”
By the late 1960s, the Delegation had grown to seven mission posts, three hospitals, and six schools, supported by 35 African aspirants. In the early 1970s, the long-awaited dream of a local Novitiate was finally fulfilled with the opening of a formation house in Dete — a space for training, discernment, and retreat rooted in local soil.
But progress soon collided with the realities of the liberation war. Missions were forced to close, and many sisters faced arrest, harassment, and displacement. Despite the danger, they remained with the communities they served.
“It was a test of faith and courage,” said Sr. Mkwebu. “We saw pain, but also hope. We learnt that our call was not to comfort, but to presence — to stand with the people, even in fear.”
A 1978 account by Sr. Clotilde Moyo described the dangers faced by civilians caught between soldiers and guerrilla fighters, underscoring the Sisters’ commitment to neutrality and peace.
Today, the Missionary Daughters of Calvary continue to serve in schools, hospitals, and pastoral ministries across Zimbabwe. Their mission, nurtured through adversity, sustained by faith remains a beacon for new generations.
“We celebrate 75 years not as a number, but as a story of faith that refused to die,” said Sr. Sikapila. “What began with just a few young women in 1961 continues today — stronger, rooted, and truly African.”
