SHORT HISORY OF PETER VIGNE PRE AND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Peter Vigne Pre-Primary and Primary School.

Is owned and run by the Religious of the Blessed Sacrament (or Blessed Sacrament Sisters), in Kilakala-Morogoro – Tanzania. This is a Roman Catholic Order of Sisters who live in community together, under vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. The special focus of their calling is devotion to the Eucharist (hence Blessed Sacrament) and the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. This faith is transformed into action, and the Sisters are especially interested in the education of the children and young, and in caring for the sick, the aged, and the handicapped. Some sisters pursue their ministry assisting the clergy in a parish setting.

The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament came into being on 30th November 1715 when the first seven sisters received the habit. They had already been under the guidance of their founder, Father Peter Vigne, for some time, and had formed a community in Boucieu-le-Roi in the Ardèche region of France. Here they educated the children of the village and helped pilgrims on the “Great Journey”, a route in the hills alongside which are 34 small shrines each depicting an aspect of the last hours of Christ’s life; a ‘Way of the Cross’. From these small beginnings grew a larger Congregation of Sisters now numbering 350 and living in seven countries: France, Spain, Ireland, England, Italy, Brazil and Tanzania.

At the moment we have two communities in Tanzania. One in kilakala where we have Pre_Primary School and Day Care Centre and another one in Tungi where we have Pre-Primary and Primary School.

The community of Kilakala -Morogoro – Tanzania was founded in 2004 with five sisters from different countries (Two from Brazil, one from Italy and two from Tanzania).

On January 4^th 2005 we received the keys and took ownership of our own premises, ready to embark on our mission. . The official opening and blessing of the house took place on 6 January; the Feast of the Epiphany, during a solemn Mass celebrated by Bishop D. Telesphor MKUDE the bishop of Morogoro. Soon afterwards, we welcomed some girls who wanted to live with us as an experience and preparation for Religious Life.

On the 4th of July 2005, we started “Pierre Vigne Nursery School” with 76 children, aged between 4 and 6 years. The lessons were given by the Sisters and candidates. We started the school without having any legal Documentation (build Permit, Registration) because we wanted to help the children who were poor and had no school. Little by little our Mission took shape and was expanding.

The school takes the name Peter Vigne in order to honour the Founder of our Congregation who had great interest in education and used to preach about the loving tenderness of a God who desires our true happiness. He preached that peace and happiness are to be found when we spend our lives in the service and care of others.

He taught the Blessed Sacrament Sisters that the “Foundation of all education is love”. That is the motto of our school.

Today we are renewing the apostolic missionary project of Peter Vigne working in the field of education with children between the ages of 4 and 7 years, preparing young girls for Religious Life, plus a variety of other apostolic activities.

The school continues to grow and expanding rapidly with so many pupils wishing to continue their studies and also many parents requesting for a Primary School.

In 2018 after we had build 8 classrooms, a Chapel, a Library, 5 offices, 16 toilets and reception, on the 8th of October 2018

we got the Registration and permission to start a Pre_Primary and Primary School at Tungi which received the same name Peter Vigne.

On December 3^rd 2018 The official opening and blessing of the School took place, during a solemn Mass celebrated by Bishop D. Telesphor MKUDE the bishop of Morogoro and in the presence of the Mother General Sr. Jailde Soares de Araújo.