Maryknoll Sister Will Make Final Vows

OSSINING, NY — Maryknoll Sister, Susan Wanzagi will make her Final Vows on Sunday July 16th at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Sister Susan was born in Musoma, Tanzania. She graduated from Bwiru Girls’ Secondary School in 1996, Kowak Girls secondary school and then earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from the University of Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania in 2009.

In 2012, she entered the Congregation in Morogoro, Tanzania and made her First Vows in 2014 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. Her first mission assignment was to do social work at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY from 2015-2016. She then spent some time in Haiti studying the language and culture as well as serving in an orphanage and parish group. In 2018, Sister Susan was assigned to East Timor, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean (formerly part of Indonesia).

While in East Timor she worked with a Dominican Youth Group, she helped the members of this group grow spiritually, she taught them English, did community service with them and lead activities such as music and crocheting.

During this time she also led a woman’s group for women who were abused, widows or have just lost all hope. She led activities to help manage their feelings such as journaling, painting and sharing the Bible. She also helped these women start businesses by giving them micro loans with zero interest. This gave them the ability to gain independence by starting their own gardens to feed themselves and their families as well as the ability to generate income by selling the produce they grew.

Sister Susan was also involved in teaching English to children ages 6-12 as well as painting and other artistic activities. She has also worked in public health services where she taught students how to prevent HIV, STI’s, STD’s and pregnancies.

From 2022-2023 Sister Susan was at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY doing her reflection phase and now after making her Final Vows she will once again return to East Timor to continue the mission projects she started.

Sister Susan says, “I’m feeling very happy as well as ready to continue to do the mission of God and to share this service and love with the people I serve.”

About Us

Maryknoll Sisters are a group of inspirational Catholic woman who devote their lives to making God’s love visible around the world. Their mission began in 1912, when they became the first group of Catholic Sisters in the United Stated founded for overseas mission. These courageous and selfless women risk their lives to provide services for ailing people in need within countries where poverty and oppression run rampant.

Today there are approximately 289 Sisters serving in 18 places around the world. As nurses, doctors, teachers, theologians, social workers, environmentalists and more, the sisters have band together to fight for social justice and peace. The Maryknoll Sisters believe that we are all part of a "One Earth Community"... that all of us--regardless of race, nationality, gender, background or personal identity--are all connected as a human family, with each other and with all creation.