HOLY ROSARY INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS 1997-2016

Holy Rosary has been involved in international mission for almost twenty years. In 1997, Ed White, pastoral associate at Holy Rosary, organized a mission trip to work in a poor parish in Jamaica. Then in 1998, Sisters of the Daughters of Mary invited parishioner, Tim Law, to Uganda and Tim shared his experiences with many parishioners from Holy Rosary.

In 2000, sensing the Holy Rosary community’s growing interest in mission, particularly in Africa, Ed and Tim planned Holy Rosary’s first official visit to the African countries of Kenya and Uganda. The Holy Rosary team met Fr. Dunstan Epaalat in Kenya and the Sisters of the Daughters of Mary in Uganda forging strong ties with these two communities.

In order to better support its burgeoning missions program, the Holy Rosary International Missions Board was formed in 2001. Its purpose has been to provide short term exposure experiences for HR parishioners and others to developing countries; and to identify areas of need where Holy Rosary might provide resources, focusing on the countries of Kenya, Uganda and the Philippines.

In 2001, Holy Rosary began a relationship with the Carmelite Sisters of Our Lady of the Philippines through Sr. Mary Rose Deloris and Sr. Baybeth Andaya. There are now four sisters living in West Seattle.

In addition, Holy Rosary is blessed to always have two Ugandan sisters of the Daughters of Mary living in the parish at the St. Joseph Residence. The sisters live here for six year periods while they obtain degrees from Seattle University sponsored by the Jesuits and the Sisters of Providence.

For years Holy Rosary students have raised funds for the education of five students who are progressing through school and being educated by the sisters. These are orphaned students or have only one parent and would not have had the opportunity for an education without HR students’ support. The students are Sam, Rose, Judith, Betty and Brenda. They are all beautiful and intelligent children who show great affection to our HR visitors when they visit Uganda.