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Juliet Nannyonjo: Girl who ran away from home to become Catholic nun

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Masaka Diocesan Bishop Serverus Jjumba handing over a Papal blessing to Sr Juliet Nannyonjo on January 19, 2025. PHOTO/ANTONIO KALYANGO

As a Primary One pupil at St Cornelius Primary School in Sserinya, then in Masaka District, I developed an idea of serving God but it seemed an impossible dream.

My parents were devout Catholics who not only attended Mass every Sunday but also took part in several Church activities. This is how I came face-to-face with beautiful, veiled women who seemed different from other believers.

At one point I had innocently developed a thinking that Sisters could have been born with veils since I had never seen one without a Coif on their head.

At our village Kawoko Kikaawa-Bukomansimbi, I would stand by the roadside every Wednesday to see the Sisters passing by.

The Sisters would often pass by our home to go to Kanoni, and I took every opportunity to wave at them. Sometimes I would get punished by my parents for escaping from home to go and wave to the Sisters at the roadside.

The day I received my first holy communion, the priest who presided over the mass, Fr John Mary Lukwata, currently (Msgr) of the Pope, asked to bless those who wished to serve God in the future.

Whereas I was known for being shy and timid, I stood up and walked to the altar to receive the blessings, which shocked everyone, including my parents.

On returning home, my father asked me if I was serious about becoming a Sister.

“You are shy and timid I do not think you can become a Sister,” he told me then.

Meeting a Sister for the first time After completing my primary education, my father took me to St Theresa Bwanda in Masaka. On my first day, as I carried out my entry interviews, I met a nun called Sister Maria Ow’e Bethelem.

Meeting Sister Ow’e Bethelem was unintentional because we mistook the mother’s house for the school administration as our residence.

“You look gorgeous just like Sister maybe one day you will be a Sister!”Sister Maria said to me.

Whereas I had the idea of becoming a Sister at heart, we did not discuss it further with Sister Maria as my father focused on getting me enrolled in the school. I was accepted into the school and all my focus was on formal education until Senior Four in 1995.

While attending an English language class, a Sister who was teaching us formal writing asked us to write an application letter of our choice.

I wrote an application letter requesting a Formation as part of a lifelong process of spiritual and academic preparation to serve the Church as a Sister.

Sister Juliet Nannyonjo. Inset is a photo of Nannyonjo in 1995 when she had completed Senior Four. PHOTO/GABRIEL BUULE

The letter was just like any other class assignment and suddenly instead of handing in the assignment for assessment or marking, I kept the letter with me.

Later on, Sister Cortlida Naluggwa (now deceased) visited our school and requested that those who wished the Formation to apply. I took my chances, and I submitted my old letter just for formality.

After some time, Sister Naluggwa returned to notify me that I had been accepted in the Formation.

Escaping from home
My father always perceived me to be a weak and shy child who would never be aggressive in a competitive environment.

He was shocked when I informed him that I had chosen to embark on a journey of becoming a Sister.

“Will you manage to be a Sister, are you aware that Sisters work so hard?” he asked me.

He feared that I would waste time and miss out on formal education if they dis- continued me from the formation. At this point, I had been already prepared for Aspirance, a first step on my journey to be becoming a Sister, but my father was hesitant even though Sister Cortlida had formally visited our home and briefed him about my new journey.

I packed my belongings in the night and hid the suitcase in the nearby bush and waited in the morning for my parents to go to the garden and disappeared without my parents’ consent.

In 1996, I walked five kilometres from my home to the convent and I informed Sister Theresa Christine Nanteza, my former head teacher, who had promised to help me achieve my journey.

After taking me to the formation in Buyege Parish in Mpigi District, currently, Wakiso, Sister Nanteza took the initiative to visit my parents and explained to them that she was willing to support me financially to achieve my dreams and my parents gave him the green light.

However, after my first semester of Aspirance, Sister Nanteza asked me to go home for the holidays and my father renewed his attempt to frustrate my dream. He asked me to re-think my decision but I insisted that all I wanted was to be a Sister.

In 1997, I had already entered the next step on my journey to sisterhood called Postulancy. Luckily, I had to leave Buyege, which was far from home, and went to Kyamulibwa in Masaka at the time.

Postulancy was mainly about living and praying with the order, taking classes, and participating in apostolic works.
We were a group of 16 girls but towards joining the Novitiate step several of them had been dismissed. We were now eight
girls.

On learning that some girls had been dismissed, my father became more worried and again asked me to stay home.

We would critically be monitored and evaluated twice a month and that would determine their decision to the fact that
dismissal would be fuelled by several issues that a victim would never know.

Even at this level, I had to escape from home again since my father was convinced that I would not make it. I was worried about myself since I was so quiet and timid. At this point, I was also challenged by the work in the formation. I
remember finding it hard to prepare food for nearly 20 people but later I got used to doing such work.

Sister at last
The Novitiate level is all about deepening prayer, studying the vows, and integrating the aspects of the order’s life.

Sadly, the eighth member of our group had to be sent home on health grounds and this further made me anxious.

It was at this level when I took the first profession of vows to become a Catholic Sister on January 8, 2000, in Bwanda, Masaka, after two years of Novitiate.

This meant that I had officially joined the Daughters of Mary Sisters Bwanda, alias Bannabikira, which is a Pontifical religious congregation of women within the Catholic Church.

Serving as a Junior Sister for more than five years since I was embarking on other studies, I was later allowed to become a
Solemnly Professed Sister, making vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and continuing lifelong formation.

A great educationist
I later graduated as a teacher, a profession that became part of my vocation. My first appointment was to work as an English language teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Gayaza, Wakiso District, in 2013.

Later I was transferred to become the head teacher of my former School, St Theresa Bwanda. I felt challenged since I had to manage a school where most of my former teachers were still in active service.

Of course, some did not come to terms with it and at some point, they would undermine me but I succeeded academically by improving the results, initiated a skilling programme, and improved infrastructure. The school became a role model in the district.

Currently, I lecture in the Department of Languages at Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi.

Born outside wedlock
I was raised by Ms Noeline Nansubuga, my stepmother. I was born outside wedlock because my father’s matrimonial
wife who had issues with conceiving, asked my father to get a woman who would give him children and she mothered us.

Ms Nansubuga raised me with love and made me who I am and suddenly she is known to many as Maama Julie because of the bond that I have with her.

However, my biological parents, Ms Mary Najjemba and Mr Joseph Lugendo have also selflessly supported me to becoming a better person in life.

I am the fourth among eight (seven girls and one boy who passed on) siblings. We were all raised by Ms Nansubuga and Mr Lugendo.

I also celebrate the old students of St Theresa Bwanda and my head teacher, the late Sister Theresa Christine Nanteza, who supported me to achieve this milestone.

What it means to be a sister
Sister Juliet Nannyonjo says to be a Sister, it involves taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to serve others in
the Catholic Church.

Sisters are also known as women religious. It is a calling from God that involves courage hard work and patience.