This story highlights how ASEC’s mission continues to grow globally through trainings, celebrations, cross-cultural exchanges, and the collective impact of sisters whose education strengthens communities across Africa.
Around the world, ASEC’s mission is alive and visible. “Igniting Hope, Building Bridges, Creating Impact” is more than a slogan, it is the result for which ASEC strives. The results can be measured in data and by lives transformed. Across continents, these results are reflected in the celebrations, trainings, and programs that help lift up all who benefit from ASEC.
In December, ASEC honored its Founding Mothers during its gala at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. The Silver Jubilee wasn’t a finale, it was a launch pad for the next chapter of the mission: The next 25 years and beyond.
The new year kick off in Tanzania with a celebration honoring a new cohort of sisters trained in advanced web design, administration, or finance, ready to sustain ministries in Africa. Anniversary celebrations stretched over summer and fall in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Lesotho, Kenya, and South Sudan. These events were more than ceremonies, they were proof that Catholic sisters are being prepared to fill critical gaps in healthcare, education, and social services, often in impoverished communities where no one else steps in. While events included ASEC staff and special guests, the focus always remained on the sisters and the care they provide their beneficiaries.
Read Rays of Hope
Learn more about Catholic Sisters transforming poor, rural communities across Africa in our FREE Rays of Hope ebook.
In Uganda, the SLDI Executive Secretaries Workshop brought our sisters in from all 11 countries. Together they shared strategies, while alumnae and beneficiaries told raw, personal stories of the impact ASEC has had in their lives. In the spring, ASEC hosted its Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and the public for a Night of Storytelling that gave supporters a chance to put faces and voices to the mission.
Service Learning trips from Marywood University and Chestnut Hill College brought students to African communities, while African staff toured the United States from Maine to California. This cross-cultural exchange offered students and sisters a firsthand experience in providing service in a different country. Their travels gave them the opportunity to reach out in support of ASEC.
The first 25 years of ASEC have proven that Catholic sisters can be lifted up with education; the next 25 are about ensuring that no one gets left behind. The mission isn’t static; it’s dynamic and expanding. ASEC isn’t just advancing its mission; it’s advancing the awareness of the hope ASEC-supported sisters bring to the world. ASEC is doing its part. What will you do to help advance ASEC’s mission?
Help Advance ASEC’s Mission for the Next 25 Years!
You can play a direct role in expanding the impact of Catholic sisters across Africa. By sponsoring the education of a sister, you help ensure she receives the leadership and professional training needed to strengthen healthcare, education, and social services in underserved communities. Your gift today supports the next generation of women religious who are ready to lead with hope and transform lives.
This article is addressing the following UN Sustainable Development Goal(s):
