I asked Sr. Charlotte about this, and she laaaughed! "Jacqui, that is only one kind of poverty. The vow of poverty is verrrry in-depth. Yes, some congregations believe that they must live at the same standard as the people they serve. But we believe in setting the standard high because when the people see a nice school, a nice convent, they want to also improve their lives to meet that standard."
She told me about how when the Sisters first came to Gisenyi in 2003, there was absolutely nothing here. It was the bush. They started with just a tiny house where they taught a few girls. Since then, look at what a beautiful school and convent we have here! And the area is now populated with lots of houses, and of course, Muhato parish.
People started moving here because the Sisters first established themselves here.
So now I feel much better about the standard-of-living issue.
It is good to set the bar high. I agree.
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