Our Order For Mercedarian Nuns was founded in the year 1218 by Saint Pedro Nolasco in Barcelona Spain inspired by our Holy Mother, our Lady of Mercy
The story of the Discalced Nuns of Mercy in Mwatate is a unique blend of ancient Spanish tradition and local Kenyan devotion. While often confused with the more common "Sisters of Mercy" (who focus on schools and hospitals), this specific community in Taita Taveta is a Contemplative (cloistered) Mercedarian Nuns Order.
The story begins over 800 years ago in Barcelona, Spain. Saint Pedro Nolasco founded the Order of Mercy (Mercedarians) with a radical mission: to "ransom" or liberate captives who were losing their faith. While the friars went out to physically free prisoners, the nuns remained in prayer, acting as the spiritual engine for the mission.
The "Discalced" (meaning "barefoot" or "reformed") branch of these sisters eventually expanded from Spain to India, and finally to Kenya. They chose Mwatate as their home because its quiet, mountainous landscape mirrored the solitude needed for their contemplative life. after they had been welcomed and hosted at the Generalate House of the St. Joseph Sisters of Mombasa at Bura Mission.
They established their monastery near the historic Bura Mission area (the oldest Catholic mission in inland Kenya, founded in 1892). This created a spiritual "powerhouse" in the Taita Hills—while the Bura Mission handled education and healthcare, the Sisters in Mwatate focused on the "hidden" work of intercessory prayer.
The "story" of the Nuns today is one of rhythmic silence. Their life is divided into Ora et Labora (Prayer and Work):
The Bell: Their day starts long before sunrise with the sound of a bell for the Office of Readings and Daily Adoration.
The Vow of Redemption: Unlike most nuns who take three vows (Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience), these sisters take a Fourth Vow: to give their lives, and if necessary their freedom, for those in danger of losing their faith and prayer for the redemption of the captives both spiritually and physically.
Self-Sufficiency: To support themselves, the Nuns in Mwatate engage in manual labor—farming, selling the surplus and sewing church vestments—ensuring they aren't a burden on the local community.
Today, the Mwatate Monastery has become a center for local vocations. You will often see young Kenyan ladies in the "Aspirancy" “Postulancy” or "Novitiate" or “Juniorate” and those on "ongoing Formation" stages, open to learning the ancient Spanish traditions while adapting them to the local Taita culture.