Missionary Sisters
of the Assumption
Aspects of the history & charism
(which means our spirit)
Presentation to
Maryvale College
In 1849 Bishop Devereux asked for
Assumption sisters to come to
Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape
& open schools.
I would like to tell you a little
of the early sisters & how we
became to be in Maryvale.
27 August 1849 – Antwerp
3 December 1849 – Port Elizabeth
Amelia de Henningsen
Mother Gertrude
Notre Mere
Born:
Brussels 21 April 1822
Died:
Grahamstown
1 November 1904
The journey lasted over 3 months
On the Oceanie:
Sailors mutinied
Pirates attacked
Fire broke out
Food went rotten
Very little fresh water
Most passengers became seasick
Between 3 & 11 December the Sisters prepared for
their journey from Port Elizabeth to Grahamstown.
They washed their clothes and packed the wagons.
The Assumption Sisters were the first religious
Sisters in Africa south of the Equator
Pioneer Sisters of South Africa
Many, even priests, thought they should not be here
as the time was not ripe for women religious in SA
Misunderstandings, changes due to circumstances &
difficulties in communication obliged Notre Mere to
break from the founding congregation & so began:
“The Missionary sisTers
of The assuMpTion”
Two novices came from France with
Mother Gertrude.
They made their vows as
sisters on 21 December 1849
only 6 days after arriving in
Grahamstown
Two Schools were started on 15 January 1850
the first convent schools in SA.
Fee paying children in
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
A free school in a stable
The Life of the Sisters in the early years was very
different from their experiences of convent life in
Europe. They had to cope with many difficulties.
Everything was “new”
They did not have a proper/private dwelling
They were short of staff & money
War broke out on Christmas day 1850
At night the Sisters together
with the orphans & many
from the town slept in the
cellar of St Patrick’s Church
The Sisters were involved in many charitable works:
Attended the sick
Cared for orphans
Buried the dead
Ran a lottery for funds for a hospital
Organised a library for the soldiers
Gave religious instructions
Sang in the Church choir
Sacristans
Helped other religious who came to SA
To raise much needed cash the
skilful Sisters did needlework for
the local community
The Sisters started a fruit &
vegetable garden to provide
for the children & themselves.
They grew flowers for Church.
There were difficulties due to
different climate.
During the first 9 years in SA Notre Mere
experienced many difficulties & hardships
•1854 death of Bishop Devereux who was a
friend and supporter
•Difficulties with the local priest
•A maid, Jane, ‘was out of her mind’
•Frontier wars
•Shortage of personnel & funds
•Stables used for free school washed away
In August 1858 I was struck
down with a severe attack of
pleurisy & given up by the
doctors. On receiving the
sacraments I was restored to
health.
It was during this illness that I
saw Our Lady ..... I thought I
was drowning, felt the rush of
waters in my ears & heard the
waves dashing over me, when I
perceived her on a boat, with
the child on one arm & the
other stretched out to save me.
From that moment, I felt sure I
would get better, though the
doctors had given up hope.
Notre Mere’s Memoirs
As a recovery programme the Doctor recommended
the Notre Mere
take a rest on a farm &
go horse riding for recreation .
She followed his instructions!
Mother Gertrude was given the name
“Notre Mere”
during the 1850 war - & it remained with her.
Some aspects of her life:
She had a very special
devotion to the
Blessed Sacrament
This has remained part of
our Assumption Tradition
as can be seen in the
chapels of our convents
Notre Mere’s Motto
I am
the way
the truth
the life
Notre Mere’s psalm:
O God, you are my
God,
for you I long;
for you my soul is
thirsting.
My body pines for
you
like a dry weary
land without water.
(Ps 62)
She
committed
her life to
Christ
Selected sayings of Notre Mere
Show God your love for him by your zeal & by charity
without limit.
Give yourself unreservedly to God;
become a docile instrument in his hands.
Follow the voice of your conscience.
Integrity, justice & honesty are stronger than sentiment
even though they can cost much pain.
Be large minded as well as large hearted.
Don’t strain at gnats;
practise true charity & common sense
not like people who are pigeon hearted.
“I have come that they may have life and
have it to the full”
John 10:10
“The glory of God is the person
Fully Alive”
St Ireaneaus
Notre Mere
Paris
Religious of Assumption
founded in 1839 by
Mere Marie Eugenie.
Sr Gertrude leaves for South
Africa in August 1849
Over the years Sisters
are sent to work in
African countries: Egypt,
Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
1932: Sisters sent to
Ballynahinch in
Northern Ireland.
Many Irish women
joined MSA
1958: 4 sisters
sent to USA to
start a school;
withdrawn in
1964.
First Sisters arrive in Port
Elizabeth South Africa on 3
December 1849. Arrive in
Grahamstown 15 December
1849. Became a separate
congregation.
Our roots in Africa
MSA apostolate in Africa
Currently in:
South Africa
Worked in:
Egypt
Malawi
Nigeria
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Sisters in
formation
from:
Congo
Kenya
Nigeria
Our mission is in
Education
Health care
Faith formation
often we not directly involved
& our aim is to enable others
MSA Crest
Notre Mere chose
the symbol of the
anchor & the motto,
Adveniat Regnum
Tuum
as the crest of her
sisters
MSA Emblem
Shaped as the seal used by our early sisters.
Southern Cross is a reminder of our
origins in the southern hemisphere.
The Cross
The anchor is our oldest sign.
It originates from our beginnings
in the Cape of Good Hope.
It is a sign of hope & of being “anchored” in
the steadfast love of God.
Charism & Heritage Statement
The Missionary Sisters of the Assumption grew
from the seven sisters, sent to South Africa by the
Religious of the Assumption in 1849.
The first religious women in South Africa, came
at the request of Bishop Devereux of
Grahamstown.
His vision was that they would assist in
Faith formation,
Education
Health care
In January 1850, they established two schools:
o one fee-paying (to provide for their support) &
o the other free
From this small beginning schools were later
established in other parts of South Africa,
Africa & Ireland.
Among these are:
Maryvale College, Johannesburg
Assumption Convent Malvern, Germiston
Assumption Convent Primary School, PN
Maryvale College grew out of the first Assumption
School to be established in Johannesburg.
The parish priest, Fr Philip Erasme OMI, who
had been educated by the Jesuits in Grahamstown, drove personally to Grahamstown to ask
the Assumption Sisters to start a girls school.
They did so in 1939
 Fr Philip Erasme founded St Paul’s Parochial Primary School for
boys in 1943.
In 1990 the two schools merged to become Maryvale College:
A vibrant, co-educational, Catholic School which offers quality
education in the South African context.
The crest of the College combines
elements of the two schools and
speaks clearly of its spirit.
Maryvale College is a small dynamic school that
offers quality Catholic education to learners
from a range of backgrounds.
We aim to educate so that our learners are not
content to be consumers but to make a
meaningful contribution to their world.
We integrate
•Academic excellence Gr 12 100% passes
•Service (Interact, peer counselling,
community service group)
•A healthy all-round human development
(sport, drama, choir, debating) & the
services of a school counsellor
Prayer at the heart of all we do
Maryvale College is a
happy, caring, spiritual environment
where young people can
grow into responsible members &
leaders of society
who make a difference in their
communities
The two-edged sword of the Word of
The God guides staff & learners. Prayer
at the heart of the school community.
Sword
St Paul was put to death by the sword
The
Anchor
The
Cross
God’s faithfulness & steadfastness in our
lives & our striving to be true to God, to
ourselves & to one another.
•Christ’s gift of himself & our response in love.
•We form all learners in love of Christ.
•We follow the RE programme & worship
together.
Motto is a phrase
adopted as a principle of behaviour
Honour the Lord
through learning
In all our work of
humble service & in
our prayer
Mary
assumed into
heaven
is our example &
sign of hope
Thy Kingdom Come