Blow for St Catherine’s as nuns relieved
Dominican Sisters to leave St Catherine's School
AFTER 59 years of tireless service at St Catherine’s School in Empangeni, there will no longer be any Dominican Sisters stationed at the learning institution.
The news was met with shock and sadness as the Zululand Observer learnt on Wednesday that Sisters Petra, Melanie and Gene-rosa, all aged between 76 and 86, would be leaving their long-time abode at the convent school.
St Catherine’s Principal Vanessa Janse van Rensburg was unable to comment on the matter on Wednesday, adding that the school would release a full statement ‘in time to come’.
However, the Zululand Observer can confirm that one of the nuns will officially retire and move to a retirement home, while the other two sisters will be transferred to continue with their duties elsewhere.
‘This decision has nothing to do with the school. The school has no say in the matter. It was decided by the Dominican Sisters’ head office,’ said a reliable source.
The Empangeni school, which was founded in 1955, is still owned by Oakford Dominican Sisters, but is independently run.
‘When the school first started, only the sisters taught and as the enrollments grew, the nuns were moved around every five years,’ said the source.
‘The nuns have been very instrumental in the development of pupils at the school. This is a huge shock. It is very sad to see them go. They brought a sense of calm and their presence was felt at all times.’
Dear mr ndela the idea is to comment on the nuns leaving empangeni not to post your cv on lol pls think before you do things.if you can’t follow these easy guides then how will handle a firearm or drive a van?
People must just accept change even if they don’t approve of it sometimes. I lived in Segar Rd. for many years and got used to the ring of the church bell early in the morning and also to love the sometimes grumpy sisters. One episode will always be in my memory. A friend of mine who just came from a session with a Chiropractor in Empangeni with his pickup. As he lived on a farm near Mposa he decided to drive the shortcut via the old Empangeni sugar mill which led him past the convent. Just outside the church his back seized up but he managed to crawl out of the cab and made himself comfy by laying across the warm bonnet to relieve the pain. Just that moment a sister walked across from the priests house to the church. She walked up to him and gave him a big lesson not to drive under the influence of alcohol and besides being a danger to the public he is also making a nuisance of himself in public. I don’t have to tell you how a red faced Dominican sister looks like after she discovered the truth