Twenty-five years’ journey, history and educational commitment

looking towards the future with confidence. 

The land of Uganda, the pearl of Africa, is a beautiful garden for the Congregation of the Cistercian Sisters of Charity, which with the help of the good Lord and the generous response of many young people is growing, putting roots and bearing fruit. Personally as the Mother General, I am happy with the journey accomplished to date, thanks to the tireless and generous work of many sisters. However, we must not stop, feeling satisfied, we must instead let ourselves be reached by the sting of change, so as not to stop the progress of the Gospel and the love of education at all levels and for all ages.Investing in a school is always high quality, with great skills and christian inspiration that wants to convey the values ​​of peace, sharing, solidarity and social good.                                                                                                                                                                             Hoima is and will remain our Mother House in Uganda, the first flower in Mother Claudia's Garden in the land of Africa. A garden that we want to continue to cultivate, to make it more and more beautiful, to always improve ourselves, thanks to the right pruning and sacrifices we face together. I hope that we can spread the scent of Christ, with our beautiful, faithful, obedient life, full of love for every person who is entrusted to our care.                                                                                                                                             As the head of this Religious Family, I also place great hope in the Novitiate, St. Michael the Archangel of Kampala, a place of training where "the workers" of the Lord's vineyard are trained.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       In these 25 years, we have set ourselves a model to follow; Mother Claudia, to love as she loved, pray as she prayed, work as she worked. It is no coincidence that many know us not only as Cistercian sisters, but also as the sisters of Mother Claudia.May this luminous example of life continue to shape our lives, to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the ends of the earth. We always put the human person at the center, seeing in him the Christ to be safe guarded, cared for and made to grow.                                                         However, we need even more faith, a lot of maturity, a lot of desire to spend our lives to give glory to the Lord, spending our gifts and talents for the good of  the suffering humanity, always seeking the path of humility, transparency, honesty and of perseverance. May the charity whose name we bear do the rest and lead us to reach where with our poor strength we cannot reach.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         I say to my sisters: let us not disappoint the hope and trust that the Lord has placed in us.                                                                                                                                       Great and sincere thanks to all the collaborators and friends in the celebration of this twenty-fifth anniversary, let us continue to be companions on the journey to achieve the great things that the Lord will want to put in our hearts.                                                                                                                                                                                                  With affection in Christ, the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, bless you all.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Mother Maria Patrizia Piva