Sr. Magreth Laurenti Amani of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Bernadette of Lourdes (FSSB) first felt the call to sisterhood as a small child attending Mass in her home village in Tanzania. She observed a Catholic sister praying and proclaimed to her mother that she, too, desired to dedicate her life to apostolic works. Several years later, Sr. Magreth was enrolled in a Home Craft vocational program run by the Franciscan Sisters of St. Bernadette of Lourdes. It was here that Sr. Magreth came to fully understand and accept her call to sisterhood, officially joining the FSSB congregation. In 2014, Sr. Magreth was selected by her congregation’s superior to attend Bigwa Secondary School as an ASEC Scholarship recipient. She successfully completed Form V and Form VI (secondary/high school level education) in July 2015. She was then chosen to continue her education under ASEC’s Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA) program at Mwenge Catholic University, Moshi, in Tanzania. Sr. Magreth graduated from the HESA program in November 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education.
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Sr. Magreth, a student with Sr. Magrath, and Sr. Magreth amongst a group in Africa.
Once earning her education credentials, Sr. Magreth was asked to serve as a teacher in the local secondary school run by the Rulenge-Ngara Catholic Diocese in Tanzania. She successfully held this position for two years when she was promoted to headmistress. As headmistress, Sr. Magreth implemented several new initiatives including a child safeguarding program that trained 90+ teachers and staff on child protection policies and procedures. In 2023, Sr. Magreth received word that she would be continuing her ministry at the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM)’s St. Joseph Center in Scranton, PA, United States. Sr. Magreth recalls that despite the great distance she would be traveling and the difference in cultures, she felt prepared by her HESA experience, having already interacted with individuals from many different backgrounds. Once she arrived in the United States, Sr. Magreth found that the technological skills she gained from HESA were also important to her success with her computer knowledge vital in her new role.
Sr. Magreth Laurenti Amani, FSSB at her graduation.
At the St Joseph’s Center, Sr. Magreth currently serves as a Direct Support Professional, assisting in the care of adults and children with disabilities. She continues to utilize the knowledge and skills she gained from both the ASEC Scholarship program and HESA on a daily basis. She feels grateful for the opportunity to serve across the globe and remains connected to the ASEC alumnae network by attending virtual ASEC Alumnae Workshops annually despite her placement in the United States. Of her time in ASEC’s programs, Sr. Magreth says she is proud of what she has achieved and appreciates what ASEC has done to help her get to where she is today.
