MURPHY — St. William Church recently hosted Sister Maria of the Sisters of the Infant Jesus in Zimbabwe for a mission appeal.
The Sisters of the Infant Jesus is a congregation of women religious founded in Gweru, Zimbabwe, in 1950 with members making a vowed commitment to love and serve God and His people. They are a group of women numbering 232 professed members in more than 60 communities that now serve in four dioceses in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the United States.
The sisters work to empower women, children and the vulnerable through education, health care and social work. They are involved in pastoral ministries, teaching and nursing, as cooks, administrators and also in pastoral projects that address the needs of the poor and vulnerable – especially women and children who are orphaned or handicapped.
Zimbabwe’s economy has been in serious decline for the past 20 years and currently most organizations and industries have been forced to close. Like other organizations operating in such an environment, the sisters struggle to meet financial obligations due to limited sources of income for the order and its works. The community is financed by the income from sisters’ salaries and by grants from funding partners when they are available. This income however, falls short of the costs associated with running of the order and our commitment to help the poor and vulnerable in the remotest parts of Zimbabwe.
Learn more about the order online at www.sjisisters.org.
— Phil Roche, correspondent
CHARLOTTE — Girl Scouts at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte held their annual Girl Scout Mass to kick off Girl Scout Week earlier this year.
Father Pat Hoare, pastor, blessed the Girl Scouts at the end of Mass and encouraged them to use the skills they learn in Girl Scouts to become leaders in their communities. After Mass, a banquet was held and six members of Junior Troop 73 presented a puppet show entitled “Zaccheaus and Jesus” to complete their religious award requirements.
The original play was written by the girls and is based on the preschool song “Zaccheaus was a Wee Little Man.” Religious awards were presented after dinner, which was blessed by Father Binoy Davis.
A total of 25 Catholic religious awards developed by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry in Washington, D.C., were earned by members of the following Girl Scout troops: Daisies in Troop 3493 earned the God Is Love award; Brownies in Troops 453, 1732, 2217 and 2265 earned the Family of God award; and Juniors in Troop 73 earned the I Live My Faith award. The Divine Mercy Award is administered by the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, to continue St. Faustina’s mission of spreading the message and devotion of Divine Mercy. Girl Scout leader Gina Wells and her daughters, Samantha and Allison, all earned the award this year, which was presented to them on Divine Mercy Sunday. In addition, members of Junior Troop 1768 and mixed Troop 1732 earned the My Promise, My Faith Award developed by the Girl Scouts of the USA.
— Photo provided by Nannette Gorman and Tom Gorman
Want to learn more?
Charlotte-area girls in kindergarten through high school interested in Girl Scouts and their parents are encouraged to attend Registration Night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, in the Parish Center Family Room at St. Matthew Parish. Adult troop leaders are also needed. The Girl Scout Ministry at St. Matthew Church is led by Donna Sams (who can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), and religious award coordinator is Nannette Gorman.