“This Program Helped Me Rediscover My Smile”

Growing up, Sr. Margaret Mumbua did not dream of becoming a religious sister. She wanted to become a priest.

“I discovered my vocation before I even understood the difference between being a man or a woman,” she recalled humorously during an interview ahead of the May 8 graduation ceremony of the 26th Session of the St. John Paul II Sabbatical Program. “I went home after church one day and told my mother I wanted to become a priest. She told me women do not become priests — they become sisters.”

More than four decades later, Sr. Margaret has no regrets about responding to God’s call to religious life through the Sisters of St. Joseph of Mombasa, a journey she said unfolded unexpectedly. 

“There was a prayer book at home with the prayer of St. Joseph,” she recalled. “I did not consciously choose the congregation at first, but somehow I found myself meeting the sisters and eventually joining them.”

A member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Mombasa for the last 42 years, Sr. Margaret has served in various apostolates over the decades, dedicating much of her life to education, pastoral work and leadership responsibilities. Her most recent engagement was serving in the Pastoral department of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, where she worked for 13 years.

Over the years, she says ministry became as much about responding to everyday human needs as it was about fulfilling official responsibilities. “As a sister, there is what you are officially assigned to do, but there are many other things people bring to you,” she reflected during the interview. “People stop you on the way and say, ‘Sister, sister,’ and you cannot ignore them.”

Yet behind the years of dedicated service was a hidden exhaustion that slowly dimmed the joy she once carried so naturally. She realized she had become so consumed by caring for others that she had neglected caring for herself.

“The joy was not there anymore,” she shared. “People used to tell me, ‘You had a good smile. Who stole your smile?’”

The comments pushed her into a deeper moment of self-reflection that ultimately led to a desire to reconnect with herself, re-examine her values and seek renewal. 

“After 13 years, I felt I needed a change. And I discussed it with the bishop, who was my boss, and then I discussed it with my superior. And I told my superior, before I get another assignment, I would like to come to Murang’a. Actually, I’m the one who said I want to come to Murang’a,” she added, referencing the program based in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Murang’a.

At the time, however, Sr. Margaret did not fully realize how emotionally and physically exhausted she had become. “When I came, I was so tired. I didn’t even know I was really at burnout,” she admitted. “The burnout had even changed my values,” she reflected.

A participant in the 26th session of the St. John Paul II Sabbatical Program, Sr. Margaret said the four-month residential experience became a turning point in helping her rediscover herself and reconnect with the joy of her vocation.

She vividly remembered arriving at the sabbatical centre and immediately feeling something shift within her. “Somebody brought me here, and when I arrived, I did not even want to say goodbye,” she recalled warmly. “I immediately felt at home.”

Beyond offering rest, the sabbatical program became a space where Sr. Margaret could finally slow down, reflect and begin confronting the emotional exhaustion she had carried for years.

Through growth facilitation sessions, prayer, reflection, community living and workshops centred on emotional and spiritual wellbeing, she gradually began reconnecting with herself, others and God in a deeper way.

“For me, this program has been a healing journey,” she said. “I came here tired, but I leave renewed.”

One of the most transformative aspects of the program, she said, was realizing that caring for oneself is also part of ministry. “We are used to giving so much to others, yet sometimes we do not stop to ask ourselves how we are really doing,” she reflected.

“This program helped me rediscover my smile. My smile is back,” she said happily, adding, “And I now have the heart to embrace everybody again.”

As she prepares to return to active ministry following the conclusion of the 26th session, Sr. Margaret says she leaves the sabbatical program with renewed joy, greater self-awareness and a deeper appreciation for the importance of caring for oneself while serving others.

“Priests, brothers and sisters also need time to care for themselves. The four months in this program are enough for somebody to read their story again, let go and begin afresh,” she reflected.

Inspired by Sr. Margaret’s sabbatical experience? Applications for the 27th Session of the St. John Paul II Sabbatical Program, set to begin on August 3, are ongoing. Apply today by visiting: St. John Paul II Sabbatical Program Application Page