they had lived on namibian soil

254 Pages·2012·3.49 MB·English

THEY HAD LIVED
ON NAMIBIAN SOIL

Windhoek Priory - Namibia
THEY HAD LIVED
ON NAMIBIAN SOIL
By: Sr. Scholastica Kaliki, OSB and
Sr. Mary Clemens Hamukoto, OSB
Windhoek Priory - Namibia
THEY HAD LIVED ON NAMIBIAN SOIL
CONTENTS
Preface ............................................................................................... v
Introduction .........................................................................................vii
1. Sr. Anselma Schnitzbauer ............................................................... 1
2. Sr. Beatrix Biefel ............................................................................. 3
3. Sr. Constantia Mayr ........................................................................ 8
4. Sr. Franziska Mövenkamp............................................................. 10
5. Sr. Gabriela Reiter......................................................................... 13
6. Sr. Ingridis Meiller.......................................................................... 16
7. Sr. Relindis Bessinger ................................................................... 20
8. Sr. Sophia Ohnmacht ................................................................... 22
9. Sr. Adelinde Rohrmoser ................................................................ 25
10. Sr. Adeline Vogel ........................................................................ 27
11. Sr. Adula Stiegler ........................................................................ 28
12. Sr. Alypia Schröttke ..................................................................... 30
13. Sr. Amarina Ballweg .................................................................... 33
14. Sr. Anthusa Kindl ........................................................................ 34
15. Sr. Aurelia Haag ........................................................................... 36
16. Sr. Baptista Lyambayi ................................................................. 37
17. Sr. Bartholomäa Preiss ............................................................... 41
18. Sr. Berlindis Bittl ......................................................................... 44
19. Sr. Bernolda Riedl ....................................................................... 46
20. Sr. Berthild Leser ......................................................................... 52
21. Sr. Bonita Wohlmannstetter ........................................................ 55
22. Sr. Chrysantha Jakob .................................................................. 57
23. Sr. Dosithea Lechner .................................................................. 59
24. Sr. Eckharda Grammer ............................................................... 61
25. Sr. Edmunda Kienle .................................................................... 62
26. Sr. Ehrengardis Wehrmeister ...................................................... 64
27. Sr. Emidia Lohr ........................................................................... 69
28. Sr. Eremberta Schneider ............................................................ 71
29. Sr. Erwina Diet ............................................................................. 73
30. Sr. Ethelreda Lutz ........................................................................ 76
31. Sr. Florentine Wirthmann ............................................................. 77
32. Sr. Frankhilde Hilpert .................................................................. 80
33. Sr. Friederike Lohmüller ............................................................. 81
34. Sr. Gabriele Drees ...................................................................... 83
35. Sr. Genovefa Meyer .................................................................... 86
36. Sr. Germana Fisch ...................................................................... 87
37. Sr. Gerolda Leimgruber ............................................................... 88
38. Sr. Gerwina Herrmann ................................................................. 90
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39. Sr. Gisberta Gröbl ....................................................................... 92
40. Sr. Hadelina Mittermeier ............................................................. 94
41. Sr. Harwarda Fischer ................................................................... 97
42. Sr. Herifrieda Schwerd ................................................................ 99
43. Sr. Herigar Baudenbacher ........................................................ 100
44. Sr. Herluka Rohrmoser ............................................................. 102
45. Sr. Hermana Hebesberger ........................................................ 106
46. Sr. Hermine Gerhard ................................................................ 110
47. Sr. Herta Fischer ....................................................................... 113
48. Sr. Hertlinde Hüttmann ............................................................. 116
49. Sr. Hiltrudis Kindl ...................................................................... 119
50. Sr. Honorata Stocker ................................................................ 121
51. Sr. Ignatia Buggle ..................................................................... 123
52. Sr. Imma Löber ......................................................................... 126
53. Sr. Ingrid Schmitt ...................................................................... 129
54. Sr. Irene Tshavuka Nakale ........................................................ 131
55. Sr. Irmina Pauly ........................................................................ 133
56. Sr. Isberga Gruber .................................................................... 136
57. Sr. Jutta Hafner ......................................................................... 138
58. Sr. Katharina Lummel ............................................................... 139
59. Sr. Leopoldine Mühlbauer ......................................................... 142
60. Sr. Lintrud Kiermeier ................................................................. 146
61. Sr. Mansueta Mayer ................................................................. 152
62. Sr. Mildburg Merk ..................................................................... 155
63. Sr. Novata Bohner .................................................................... 157
64. Sr. Oswalda Clement ................................................................ 160
65. Sr. Peregrina Strein .................................................................. 162
66. Sr. Philippine Steinhauser ........................................................ 163
67. Sr. Pirmina Fleck ...................................................................... 165
68. Sr. Priska Fichtl ......................................................................... 167
69. Sr. Reginalda Weis ................................................................... 171
70. Sr. Regula Fuchs ...................................................................... 174
71. Sr. Reinharda Schwer ............................................................... 176
72. Sr. Rhabana Hausiku ................................................................ 179
73. Sr. Rhabana Stehle .................................................................. 182
74. Sr. Richmundis Kösel ............................................................... 184
75. Sr. Sigibalda Kraus ................................................................... 186
76. Sr. Solana Huber ...................................................................... 190
77. Sr. Suitberta Aberle ................................................................... 192
78. Sr. Sylvia Wagner ..................................................................... 195
79. Sr. Thaddäa Popp ..................................................................... 196
80. Sr. Theodula Mühlbauer ........................................................... 199
81. Sr. Udalrike Wiedemann ........................................................... 202
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82. Sr. Urbana Rauch ..................................................................... 207
83. Sr. Ursula Lülsdorff ................................................................... 208
84. Sr. Veremunda Fürst ................................................................. 211
85. Sr. Viatrix Weber ....................................................................... 212
86. Sr. Walburga Sauer .................................................................. 214
87. Sr. Wiborada Funk .................................................................... 217
88. Sr. Wighardis Weiss .................................................................. 218
89. Sr. Wilhelmine Josef ................................................................. 221
90. Sr. Zita Lutz .............................................................................. 223
Foundation Play .............................................................................. 226
Epilogue .......................................................................................... 235
List of Sisters according to Family Name ........................................ 237
List of Sisters according to Year of Death ....................................... 240
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THEY HAD LIVED ON NAMIBIAN SOIL
PREFACE
As we memorialize our 90 years of humble beginning and development
of the Windhoek Priory, it is our joy and gratitude to backtrack to the
roots of those who paved the way for Benedictines in Namibia and for
the Namibians; those who went before us, both in life and in death. Their
footprints are left behind for young generations to follow, and this made
them worthy of being called Namibians.
The 90 Sisters in this anthology are meant to once again call us to
look at what the Benedictine Sisters in the Windhoek Priory went through
in the past 90 years since the frst Eight Sisters set foot on Namibian soil,
and at what might need to be done as we look forward with zealous
hearts to our Centennial in 2020.
First, our sincere gratitude goes to Sister Marita HAARMANN, OSB,
who gave us a go signal in this endeavour. Our thanks go to Sister Maria
Ignatius GLASER, OSB, who permitted us to continue this simple but
cherished project. Thanks to Sister Hildetrud KNOTH, OSB, and to Sister
Patricia ALCAREZ, OSB: the archivists of Windhoek and Manila Priories
respectively for providing us with the materials we needed for this try-
out project. Thanks to Sister Theresia SHILONGO, OSB for interviewing
some of the sisters in order to give us factual information. We likewise
thank Sister Augusta KUNZ, OSB, for vigorously translating some of the
obituaries from German to English, for proofreading and for writing the
epilogue; apart from her busy work in the theatre of the Roman Catholic
Hospital she found time for all these. We equally thank all the Sisters for
their supports through prayers and comments and suggestions here and
there in order to bring this work into fruition.
The Priory of Windhoek from its cradle until the 90+ years of its
existence has 114 deceased Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing
who served with devotedness and/or are buried in the Namibian soil or
died while belonging to Windhoek Priory. We selected only 90 Deceased
Sisters, symbolizing the 90 Years Jubilee of our foundation in Namibia
celebrated on 20 December 2010. The selection was based on whoever
of whom we had the biography, autobiography or death notice during
the writing period. Thus, it does not mean, that those selected are more
important than those left out. Nevertheless, Book II of the remaining
Sisters is coming, in which all those who had been missioned to Namibia
for a longer period of time and had returned to their home countries or to
other lands will be reminisced.
Among these 90 selected Sisters, there are three sisters who
belonged to other priories at the time of their death yet are included here
because they are among the frst eight trailblazers of Windhoek Priory
and could not be left unmentioned.
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THEY HAD LIVED ON NAMIBIAN SOIL
The authors’ dream was to come up with something signifcant about
the Priory of Windhoek for the occasion of its 90 years of the Missionary
Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing’s presence, witness and service in this
land of Namibia. They wish to put something into black and white for
reminding, informing and teaching, especially the coming generations.
This work, though little, we frmly believe and are hopeful that after
delving into the lives of each of these 90 Sisters, the readers are able to
come into close contact with what it was all about in the beginning and
development to what it is today.
The eight pioneers are arranged alphabetically at the beginning
followed by the 82 also alphabetically arranged. For those Sisters whose
photos are not available we used the Congregation Jubilee logo.
It is our hope that the lives of these 90 Sisters will bring about love
for our Congregation and true identity of our Missionary Benedictine
Charism. We hope too that this volume will broaden the horizons of us
young missionaries, especially those living in Namibia, to render our
services to other lands too as did the majority of those whose lives are
told in these pages. To our Senior Sisters, we anticipate that they will be
encouraged to try-out writing something about their life experience of
living and serving before they leave us for HEAVEN, so that in all things,
God may be gloried!
Sister Scholastica Kaliki, OSB and
Sister Mary Clemens Hamukoto, OSB
Windhoek - Namibia
Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
24 June 2012
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THEY HAD LIVED ON NAMIBIAN SOIL
INTRODUCTION
“We have the light and yet we let millions of people stumble in the
darkness…” said Father Andreas AMRHEIN, OSB; whose vision was to
found a missionary congregation in order to educate not only boys and
men, but also girls and women. According to Fr. Amrhein, such service
to the women will only be realised if there is a congregation branch of
women. He felt with St. Paul in his letter to the Romans “But how could
they call upon the Lord without having believed in Him? And how could
they believe in Him without having frst heard about Him? And how will
they hear about Him if no one preaches about Him? And how will they
preach Him if no one sends them?” (Rom. 10: 14 – 15). It is with this
same spirit that the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing responded
to the call to foreign mission services in Namibia through healing and
teaching ministry.
The effect of the First World War led the Benedictines to Namibia
after Tanzania was taken over by the British Authority and all the
Germans regardless of religion were expelled from the country. Mission
Houses were closed down or handed over to other congregations. Some
Sisters were interned in Nankhunda camp in Malawi and later they were
transferred to Tempe camp near Bloemfontein in South Africa. While
in Nankhunda camp, the sisters “were able to live somewhat a normal
1
monastic life of prayer and work” but when they came to South Africa,
2
life changed. In a letter written by Sister Maura ZILKER OSB to Father
Damian ARNOLD OMI, Sister Maura revealed what the sisters went
through during their imprisonment. It read: “We are fourteen sisters here,
coming from two stations in the Vicariate of Dar es Salam... For almost
a year since 11 August, 1916 we have been moving from one place
to another. From September 1916 to 22 January 1917, we were at a
French mission station of the Marist Congregation near Zomba in British
Nyasaland. Afterwards we spent three months in Pretoria and for the last
three months we have been here in the camp together with forty German
women and their eighty children. We are all-right as far as our material
welfare is concerned, but our spiritual life is experiencing a real period
of Lent. Things were better in Pretoria because Father de HOVRE used
to come several times a week to celebrate Mass. He was also able to
talk German. But there is only one priest here, Father O’Leary. He just
cannot come to us all that often, as much as he wants to. We receive
1 From the Benedictnes of Inkamana by Godfrey SIEBER, OSB, page 310.
2 Sister Maura ZILKER, OSB was the superior of the sisters while they were prisoners of
war and Father Damian Arnold, OMI was the Administrator of the Prefecture Apostolic of
Windhoek at that tme.

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Holy Communion two or three times a week and we have Mass only
once a month. The last confession was – seven weeks ago! We are not
allowed to leave the camp, not even to go to church.” Coincidentally, the
young church in Namibia was desperately in need of more personnel.
Thus, the administrator of the prefecture went to the English authorities
in Namibia to request the release of the sisters from Tempe camp. He,
likewise, sent the sisters his frst invitation dated 23 July 1917 inviting
them to come and do missionary work in his Prefecture Apostolic of
Windhoek. Unfortunately, his request was rejected and the sisters had
to remain in the camp.
On 15 October 1918, another attempt to get the Tutzing Sisters from
the Tempe camp was made by Dr. KOHLER, the Mayor of Windhoek due
to the spreading of the Spanish Infuenza and the demands of nursing
staff in the country. The Mayor, likewise, promised that the Catholic
mission in Namibia will provide accommodation for the requested sisters.
This attempt was also turned down and the sisters remained in the camp
until 1919.
Father Eugenius KLAEYLÉ, OMI the Prefect Apostolic of Lower
3
Cimbebasia and Father Damian ARNOLD, OMI - his representative,
did not give up their search for Sisters’ congregation who could take
over and continue the care for the sick and the education of the young.
At that time there was only one female Congregation in Namibia, the
4
Franciscan Sisters of Heythuisen who originated from Nonnenwerth,
Germany. These sisters were being recalled by their Superior to return
to their homeland. As a consequence, Father Damian wrote a letter to
Bishop Maximilian von LINGG of Augsburg, Germany, on 08 January
1920 to request the missionary sisters.
On 24 February, 1920, Bishop Maximilian von LINGG replied Father
Damian from Germany telling him that the Prioress, Mother Birgitta
KORFF, OSB, of the Benedictine Sisters of in Tutzing, who work for the
Missions, was willing to send some Sisters. The bishop concluded his
letter invoking God’s blessing upon this enterprise.
On 07 November, 1920, the frst Sisters able to travel to Africa after
the First World War and the last ones to be sent out by Mother Birgitta
3 The Archdiocese of Windhoek was known as Prefecture Apostolic of Cimbebasia Inferiore
afer it was erected on 01 August 1892. Father Charles Eugenius KLAEYLÉ, OMI was
appointed its frst Prefect Apostolic in 1892 to 1921. He died on 29 March 1941. R.I.P.
4 The Franciscan Sisters had to leave the hospital because they were posted in the country
only to fulfl a contract in the Private Military Hospital that was begun in 1907, later called
‘Maria Stern Hospital’ by the Franciscan Sisters, then ‘Hospital of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help’ by the Missionary Benedictne Sisters of Tutzing or ‘Maria-Hilf’ Krankenhaus, then
fnally The Roman Catholic Hospital as is it known today or simply RCH.
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5
KORFF, OSB as Prioress General were announced. On 11 November
6
1920, the journey of the frst eight sisters to South West Africa began.
They embarked in Hamburg on the “Baltika”, the frst German steamer
7
that would cast anchor in Namibia. They docked at Walvis Bay in the
Atlantic Ocean on 20 December 1920 and began their “Service that
8
Saves and Heals” and that of touching lives through teaching and
instructing. Taking in mind the vision-mission of the founder, the sisters
wanted to be among the blacks who were not yet Christians rather than
among the whites who already had a background of Christian traditions.
The Eight Sisters were met at the harbour in Walvis Bay by Father
Damian ARNOLD, OMI and Father ZIEGENFUSS, OMI and they
proceeded to Swakopmund immediately. The Franciscan Sisters offered
them a place to stay and showed them around. Two days before Christmas
they left for Windhoek. With the exception of Sister Ingridis MEILLER,
OSB, to seven of them, this was not their frst African experience, since
they had already been in Tanzania, East Africa until the First World War
broke out and they were ordered to leave Tanzania.
The chronicler of the prefecture of Windhoek recorded thus: “A rare
Christmas gift which meant great joy for us came to us this year from
Christ Child – the long desired missionary Sisters…”
Since many mission stations awaited their service, already in January
of 1921, four by four they went to their respective mission stations. Sister
Anselma SCHNITZBAUER, OSB, Sister Beatrix BIEFEL, OSB, Sister
Franziska MÖVENKAMP, OSB, and Sister Sophia OHNMACHT, OSB
went to Gobabis - the heart of the cattle farming land in eastern Namibia,
while Sister Constantia MAYR, OSB, Sister Relindis BESSINGER, OSB,
Sister Ingridis MEILLER, OSB and Sister Gabriela REITER, OSB went
to Epukiro. In Windhoek, some friendly Europeans lent them a car for
the 200 kilometres journey to Gobabis on gravel road, which was a
luxury compared to the jungle and the ox-wagon trip they would use for
travelling to the North of the country. Each group of sisters was introduced
to their new Stations by Father Damian ARNOLD, OMI. However, their
5 She was the First Prioress General of the Missionary Benedictne Sisters of Tutzing for
25 years, from 1895 to 1920. From 24 September 1885, foundaton day and year, the
founder Father Andreas Amrhein, OSB lead the congregaton together with that of the
Missionary Benedictnes of St. Otlien that was founded a year before on 29 June 1884.
Father Amrhein was superior General untl his resignaton in 1895.
6 Untl 21 March 1990 Independence Day of Namibia from South Africa, Namibia was called
South West Africa, the name was taken from the geographical locaton.
7 Walvis Bay or Walvisbaai in Afrikaans is a harbour town in Namibia. The name means a
‘Whales Bay’. The bay has been a haven for sea vessels because of its natural deep-water.
8 Sister Doctor Bernita WALTER, OSB, Service that Saves and Heals, p58.
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