Mother Kevin’s Journey to Uganda
Full of excitement, eagerness and zeal for missionary work to Africa, the Sisters started making preparations for the journey to the unknown land; they had never done this before for any mission. The Sisters were provided with tropical outfits, including a list of the things which sounded very military. These included “one camp bed, one lantern, one rug, one blanket, one mosquito net, and one sun helmet, all sorts of trunks, crates, packing cases, tea chests, and even whiskey boxes were requisitioned for the packing. There were heard much merriment as this exciting work proceeded.”[1]
They also carried “Sewing machine, mangle, wheat-mill, coffee- grinder, dover stove, washtubs, one of the enthusiastic packer reminded the Sisters while the other also reminded them of the grand piano. While the Novice remembered to pack the compass which proved to be a prophet, the other Sisters gathered to exchange news and views.”[2] After all the packing they were now ready to start the long journey to the unknown land. The Bishop briefed them about this journey, “It is eight hundred miles inland from the East coast of Africa. The first missionaries had to walk all that distance, but the Bishop said that they have constructed a railway line which is also called the Lunatic line.”[3] Moreover, “In a short time, the vans arrived to cart the mass of luggage to the docks. On December 1st 1902 Sr. Mary Inez, one of the first to volunteer for the Uganda mission fell ill and died and buried on the 3rd December 1902. This did not hinder the six missionaries to start their journey to the Promised Land, Uganda.”[4]
This missionary group left England for Uganda on a ship on 5th December 1902 in the company of Bishop Hanlon. They arrived at Mombasa-Kenya on 6th January 1903, “on the day of Epiphany. On January 8th 1903 at the Holy Ghost Fathers mission at Mombasa the team headed for the interior by the Lunatic line; the Kenya – Uganda railway from Mombasa to Nairobi. From Nairobi to Kisumu they travelled by the maiden railway extension; then from Kisumu by boat launch via Buvuma to Munyonyo.”[5] These missionaries’ travel was not easy; it was amidst wild animals that were roaming freely and there was an outbreak of tsetse- flies which caused sleeping sickness and they saw the locals being evacuated. This must have caused fear and panic in them.
Arrival in Uganda at Munyonyo
This missionary group finally arrived in Uganda – Munyonyo, on 15th January 1903. They were met and welcomed by Buganda messengers. They were lifted out of the ship into the canoes by strange black men whose language they could barely tell. Upon landing out of the water, the Sisters began a 7 mile walk to Nsambya. On their arrival at Nsambya, they received a warm welcome and recalled this experience later saying, “Sheer fatigue rendered us speechless, but our hearts were eloquent with prayer and praise. We had reached home.”[1] They quickly settled in houses made of mud and wattle prepared for them as their convent. The next day, the Sisters went to their work station amidst new situations without any prior preparation. Driven by the zeal for mission, they did whatever they saw needed to be attended to without any fear and favour. This marked the beginning of their sharing in the ministry of Christ together with the Mill Hill Fathers to alleviate the sufferings of the locals in Uganda. After ten years, Mother Paul, the leader of this group of Sisters, was later recalled to their Mother House due to her poor health. The leadership was then given to Sr. Mary Kevin who is said to have been the driving force behind the flourishing activities; she was outstandingly passionate for all the services they did. The Sisters under the leadership of Sr. Mary Kevin evangelized among the sick, poor, needy, outcasts, blind, wounded, ignorant and all who needed their aid. They worked tirelessly and were only hampered by the limited number of Sisters. However, despite their shortage in number, they never despaired or gave up but looked up to Christ in whose mission and sufferings they shared.
[1] Love is the Answer. p. 27-28. [1] Love is the Answer. p. 44. [2] Ibid. p. 28. [3] Ibid. p. 28. [4] Ibid. p. 28. [5] Kubanze, Sr. Margaret and Sr. Antonia Namuli. The History of the Institute of the Little Sisters of St. Francis: A Context for the Beatification of the Servant of God, Mother Mary Kevin Kearney, OSF. St. Christian Graphics Ltd, Kampala, Uganda, 2019, p. 22.
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