Celebrating 25 years of consecrated life in small ‘bites’
By Sr. Katleho Khang, SNJM
As an expression of gratitude to God’s call and in solidarity with the poor, Sister ‘Mampheteli Clementine Sekantsi, a member of the Congregation of the Holy Family Sisters of Bordeaux, chose a unique way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her religious profession. Sr. Sekantsi wanted to share her joy with others in small ‘bites.’
The sister’s apostolate includes cooking and sharing meals with homeless people in Pietermaritzburg who are assisted by two organizations, namely St Mary’s Catholic Church Soup Kitchen and Life Changer. So, in keeping with her mission, Sr. Sekantsi asked her family and friends to assist her financially to feed people living on the streets for 25 weeks.
She felt this would be a way of involving others in her work of paying it forward as a thanksgiving to God for her vocation. It also served to create awareness among those close to her so that they might better understand the plight of the poor and get involved in assisting them.
Ministry life as a missionary
“I have taken to heart the work of giving hope and encouragement to young people on the streets in Pietermaritzburg,” she recounts. As part of a team working with people who live on the streets, she is involved in counselling and in organizing prayer meetings where she shares with them the Word of God. “Prayer and contemplation of life of the Holy Family,” she said, “has always been the source of energy for all the ministries I have been privileged to be part of.”
Sr. Sekantsi recalled that she has worn many apostolic hats in her 25 years of religious life. She has worked as a catechism teacher, a radio presenter, an adoption social worker, a pastoral care agent for migrants and refugees, and an aid worker for people who live on the streets.
With her passion for safeguarding children, Sr. Sekantsi said her current ministry involves accompanying the people on the streets. “I often contemplate Jesus's words in the Good Samaritan parable where he said, ‘…go and do likewise’.”
Inspiration from first missionaries
Throughout her missionary life as a Mosotho religious sister, Sr. Sekantsi she has been inspired by the first missionary sisters who left their country, France, in 1864 and arrived in Lesotho in 1865.
Over the years, Lesotho has benefited immensely from religious women from different countries of the world. “When I read the history of our congregation and of the Church in Lesotho, I am encouraged by their commitment and I realise how selflessly they gave of themselves, for the betterment of others”, she said. “I am standing on the shoulders of selfless missionary women who came before me”, said Sr. Sekantsi.
Missionary life in Rwanda and South Africa
In 2003, Sr. Sekantsi was sent to Rwanda as a missionary living in an intercultural community of the sisters. “It was through the composition of this community of diverse nationalities that we proclaimed to the people of Rwanda that communion is possible,” she said. “As a Holy Family sister, the impact is through life-giving relationships in the community, which then carry us to different apostolic ministries, so we can bear witness together.”
Responding to the needs of Rwandans brought Sr. Sekantsi to offer pastoral care to families and the sick. “I embraced my ministry with the people affected by genocide by visiting the families and building healthy relationships,” she said, adding that she shared their joys, sorrows, and challenges. “I felt so much a part of the people, a true spirit of synodality,” she said.
In South Africa, Sr. Sekantsi worked mainly with families as a child protection service provider, serving in foster care placement of children who needed care.
Significance of apostolate ministry
Sr. Sekantsi believes that, in every ministry that she serves, her responsibility is to be with the people according to the charism of the Holy Family, which is to create communion.
“Simplicity is one of the values that the Holy Family of Nazareth is known for,” she noted.
In her work with the homeless, Sr Sekantsi seeks to create a loving, nonjudgemental, and encouraging environment to aid their recovery, explaining that the majority of people on the streets struggle with addictions. “I am part of a team that offers lifeboat services to them,” said the religious sister. “My role is to give hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, empowerment to the powerless and a safe environment that fosters change for a better life.”
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