By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Maryknoll Sister Felista Wanzagi was gently told she was too young when she first expressed her intention to join the Maryknoll Sisters.
Sister Wanzagi was just 11 years old, after all, when she approached the Maryknoll religious in her hometown in Tanzania, a country in east Africa.
Sister Wanzagi eventually realized her ambition and now, at age 38, is the youngest sister in the Maryknoll order. She was assigned to Hawaii last year but only arrived this past January as she prepares to make her final vows in 2025.
Being here comes near the end of a tumultuous formation process that saw her go from Tanzania, to Guatemala, to the U.S. mainland before arriving in the islands.
In a recent visit to the Hawaii Catholic Herald, Sister Wanzagi — joined by Maryknoll Sister Bitrina Kirway, communicator for the order’s Central Pacific regional office in Hawaii — reflected on her faith-filled path to religious life and her hopes for the future.
Sister Wanzagi’s decision to join the Maryknoll Sisters was not a surprise, considering she grew up among Maryknoll religious in Tanzania.
Her home parish was run by the order’s clergy and sisters; a Maryknoll priest united her parents in holy matrimony. Her sister, Sister Susan Wanzagi, made her final vows as a Maryknoll Sister last year.
In addition, her brother is now a diocesan priest.
Sister Wanzagi said her childhood desire to serve others as a missionary sister was spurred by the war in South Sudan, which was then not a separate country from Sudan but was still mired in civil conflict. Further inspiration came from the Maryknoll order, which is known for its missionary service around the world.
Still, she had to wait.
Sister Wanzagi went on to complete her education and graduate from a teachers’ college, after which she taught students at the elementary level for six years.
The Maryknoll Sisters hadn’t forgotten about her call to join them, however. While she worked as a teacher, she underwent an inquiry process and was also assessed by sisters who eventually deemed her ready to enter the order.
In 2014, Sister Wanzagi was accepted as a candidate and joined the Maryknoll Sisters’ novitiate. She spent two years preparing for her first professional vows: She resided in her home country the first year and was in Chicago for her second year, known as the canonical year.
Sister Wanzagi made her first vows in 2016 in Maryknoll, New York, where the Maryknoll Sisters are based.
Sister Wanzagi has logged many miles and been part of numerous missions and projects as she prepares for her final vows. She has served at the Maryknoll Sisters’ motherhouse in New York, caring for older sisters; spent time on assignment in Guatemala; and then returned to Tanzania and worked on the Maryknoll vocations team before arriving in Hawaii.
As she’s been working, she has also been reflecting on her vocation and renewing her vows in three-year spans. She is nearing the end of her final three years of reflection, after which she will make her final vows.
Sister Wanzagi will travel back to Maryknoll, New York, to prepare for her final vows, but where she will make them is still uncertain, according to Sister Kirway. What is known, though, is that Sister Wanzagi will return to Hawaii as she is officially assigned here.
Sister Wanzagi currently volunteers at Wallyhouse, a Catholic Worker House based at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Honolulu that serves the less fortunate. Among its ministries are serving hot meals and also providing a food pantry.
She also served at a food pantry in Chicago and said Hawaii is much more like home in terms of friendliness and gratitude. She said that connection helps a lot as she adjusts to life in the islands.
Sister Kirway said the challenges Sister Wanzagi has faced during her formation years demonstrate her “resilience in her vocation.”
Sister Wanzagi will eventually work in the St. Francis hospice program, which she is looking forward to.
“This is my call from the beginning,” to help those who are most in need, she said. While it is not aiding the people of war-torn South Sudan, “here I am helping in another way.”
