Memories
Sr Emmanuel
ring the years 1996 - 2012 Sr. Emmanuel Nyeka was Matron of Holy Cross Home, Pretoria. Just as this was a time of transition and development in South Africa as a whole, so too it was at Holy Cross Home. Under the leadership of Sr Emmanuel Holy Cross Home came to be recognised as one of the best Frail Care Facilities in Pretoria, so much so that Sr Emmanuel and her team were called upon by the Dept of Social Development to mentor other similar facilities which at that time were not meeting the prescribed Departmental standards.
Sr Emmanuel based her leadership on a number of Principles:
The outreach team to the surrounding areas soon discovered numerous needy, vulnerable and orphaned children. Sr Emmanuel with her boundless energy could indeed be likened to our co-founder Fr Theodosius when he said “as long as there is one poor child I cannot rest“. In this spirit Sr Emmanuel facilitated the establishment of an Early Learning Centre for the children of Plastic View, the idea behind the centre being that holistic education is the road to true freedom. This centre became a place where children are not only prepared for school readiness but also where the psycho-social needs of the children are met. The centre has now been re-named to Emmanuel Place of Hope, a centre where His Good News will once again be heard and where we can hear the words “let the little children come to me for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”( Mt 19 v14).
Sr Emmanuel based her leadership on a number of Principles:
- The words of the Lord “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me”.
- The dignity of the human person.
- Strict discipline and a sense of Justice.
- and the words of our founder “the need of the time is the will of God”.
The outreach team to the surrounding areas soon discovered numerous needy, vulnerable and orphaned children. Sr Emmanuel with her boundless energy could indeed be likened to our co-founder Fr Theodosius when he said “as long as there is one poor child I cannot rest“. In this spirit Sr Emmanuel facilitated the establishment of an Early Learning Centre for the children of Plastic View, the idea behind the centre being that holistic education is the road to true freedom. This centre became a place where children are not only prepared for school readiness but also where the psycho-social needs of the children are met. The centre has now been re-named to Emmanuel Place of Hope, a centre where His Good News will once again be heard and where we can hear the words “let the little children come to me for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”( Mt 19 v14).
