Following in the footsteps of our Founder, Blessed Alphonse Maria Eppinger, the Sisters of the Redeemer have consistently answered the call to serve the poor, sick, and underserved across the globe. The story is one of courage, adaptation, and unwavering commitment to being a healing presence—a mission that has transcended borders and transformed lives across three continents.
During our Centennial Year, we reflected on the bold journey of our First Sisters who left Germany for the United States in 1924. These brave women crossed an ocean to bring our Redeemer Charism, Spirituality, and Mission to communities in need, establishing a foundation that would inspire generations to come.
In 1957, another pivotal moment arrived when the Bishop of Würzburg asked our Sisters in Germany to establish a mission in Tanzania. The needs were overwhelming—villages requiring both educational and healthcare support that seemed impossible to address. Called by the Spirit of God, Sr. Ernesta Huth became the first Sister of the Redeemer to set foot in Tanzania from Germany. She was soon joined by another Sister and by 1960, eight additional Sisters with teaching and nursing expertise arrived in Tanzania.
What began as a temporary mission to establish a ministry and train local partners evolved into something permanent. Sr. Ernesta, along with the other Sisters, felt called to remain in Tanzania to grow the ministry, and gradually, Tanzanian women answered their own call to join the Congregation under her guidance.
As an international Congregation spanning three countries, geography presented unique challenges to the Sisters of the Redeemer. Though small compared to other religious Congregations, our size created deep bonds among the Sisters. However, our Sisters in America and Germany desired to fully understand their Tanzanian Sisters’ experiences. People in Tanzania struggled just to have their basic needs—water, food, shelter, and healthcare met, while the Sisters in Germany and the U.S. witnessed different challenges.
Sr. Sophia Galm, originally from Germany, was one of our first Sisters in the U.S. to encourage traveling to Tanzania. Her vision was simple but profound: we needed to work alongside our fellow Sisters in Tanzania to truly comprehend the significant needs and discover how we could better support the critical work being done there.
Over the following decades, Sisters from the U.S., when opportunities arose, traveled to Tanzania to learn about and support the evolving education and healthcare ministries. In 2014, the circle of exchange expanded when Sisters from the U.S. traveled to the Motherhouse in Würzburg, where their German Sisters were housing more than 1,000 asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. For almost a year, the Sisters would take turns making one-month visits to the Motherhouse, working side-by-side with their German Sisters and partners-in-mission. “Beauty is in the heart of those right next to you,” said Sr. Katharina Pies. “God gives us an opportunity to work together and love each other.”
This informal intra-congregational experience sparked a vision for a more structured program. Through conversations between Sr. Anne Marie Haas, who serves on the International Leadership Team for the Congregation, and Sisters in Tanzania, a plan emerged to create a longer-term exchange program allowing Sisters from Tanzania to live and serve in the U.S. for three to five years. After receiving the blessing of Sr. Monika Edinger, General Superior, the Redeemer Intra-Congregational Experience (RICE) program began to take shape.
“We were inspired seeing how our Sisters worked side-by-side with the asylum seekers in Germany,” explained Sr. Anne Marie. They recognized that brief visits, while valuable, had limitations. “If our Tanzanian Sisters were to come to the U.S., we wanted them to truly feel at home with us, not that they were visiting. We believe the RICE program not only allows us to deepen relationships with our Sisters, but also deepen our understanding of our Redeemer Charism, Spirituality, and Mission. Additionally, the Sisters gain valuable skills and experiences in the U.S. they will take back with them to Tanzania.”
The global COVID pandemic initially stalled progress, but plans gained momentum in late 2021 when leaders of the Tanzanian Region identified Sisters for the pilot RICE program based on eligibility requirements that were carefully developed. Candidates had to be perpetually professed and have discerned their personal call to this three-year intra-congregational experience. The selection process included reflection questions for the Sisters about their backgrounds, hobbies, and what they looked forward to most living in the U.S. Zoom conversations with the U.S. leadership team allowed the Sisters to get to know each other better.
After years of planning and countless prayers, the dream became a reality. In November 2023, we welcomed Sr. Noela Mkwala, Sr. Secilia Luwongo, and Sr. Irene Matambwe to the United States—three women whose journey represents not just personal courage but also the beauty that comes from being part an international Congregation.
The program has been deemed successful enough that planning is already underway for the next cohort of Tanzanian Sisters to come to the United States.