AREA ANGEL, SISTER BETTY, CONTINUES TO SHINE THROUGHOUT COUNTY

By Ruth Ann Ruiz

The Post Newspaper Features Editor

How do you know if you might be sitting with an angel or serving a meal to Jesus Christ? You don’t know. This is exactly why Sister Betty treats everyone as though they might be a human manifestation of her Savior. 

“All the hungry people we see could be Jesus and we don’t know. This has guided me my whole life,” said Sister Betty. 

 Sister Betty Kalu, HHCI belongs to the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus. The congregation was founded by Mother Mary Charles Magdalene of England who went to Nigeria in 1923 to serve the people and cultivate a passion for Christ in the young women of Nigeria.

Sister Betty has graced Holy Family Parish in Galveston with her presence since 2019. but then again, she was called to serve in Galveston. 

“I go where I am sent,” said Sister Betty, but perhaps, it is more accurate to say the people of the island Parish have been blessed with her presence.

“She is a beautiful, physical manifestation of a life that is dedicated to service for her brothers and sisters,” said Father Jude Ezuma, Pastor at Holy Family Parish. “Sister Betty brings another level of discipline and dedication to inspire others,” he added. 

Her life began in Nigeria. She was born to a Methodist family and, on her own, she elected to attend the school where the nuns taught. “It was the unseen hand of God that brought me to the Nuns school,” said Sister Betty, who, by the age of 13, had made a full conversion to Catholicism. 

Of her eight siblings, she alone chose to live a life dedicated to serving God through service to others. “I was sitting with my Mom in her shop discussing important issues. Looking out the window, I saw a lame man crawl by and felt intense compassion for him. I immediately turned to my mom and asked her the question she never believed I would ask: ‘Can I be a Nun, Mom?’ Of course, we know what the answer was,” explained Sister Betty. 

Prior to being sent to Texas, Sister Betty ran a soup kitchen in London. She has also been a school principal and taught ages kindergarten through high school in Nigeria. For a while, she was serving in an administrative position in Houston, until she was called to Galveston to be responsible for religious education for children and adults at Holy Family Parish. 

With her background as a child in Nigeria, she was prepared to lovingly guide children to make the best choices possible. “It is customary in Nigeria for all adults to be responsible for the behaviors of children, even the ones who are not their own,” she explained. 

If you watch her in action with children, you will barely notice she has intervened to correct a child. She uses eye contact and slight hand gestures to draw a child into compliance. 

Sister Betty’s work reaches beyond education. She is well known for her commitment to connecting the generous people of Galveston to those who need help. “So many people in Galveston are in need and so many people here are very generous,” she said.

“Sister Betty is completely devoted to service in the name of our Lord and she brings a tremendous energy to everyone around her. When she calls St. Vincent de Paul, we know someone is in need and it’s a pleasure to be able to work with her. Sister Betty is truly the spirit and Joy of Christ,” said Steve Bonin, President of the conference for Holy Family Parish Society of St Vincent De Paul. 

You will find she is praised amongst the people who have met her or heard of her. She secures food, shelter, clothing, utility payments and so much more for those who come to her. 

“She’s a wonder, she’s a walking saint she is very devoted to her faith,” said Cynthia Wilkinson, a parishioner. 

But Sister Betty takes no credit for her actions or the end results. Instead, she gives all the credit to her Heavenly Father. She has devoted her life to a unique vocation that requires absolute dedication to serving God and humanity. 

She has little time for indulging in her own hardships. “I see God’s hand in the events of my life. I think challenges and hardships are part of it. I doubt if there’s any living person who might assert that they do not understand challenges and hardships at all,” she said.

“Life is surely full of thorns along its journey. God never promised us an easy road. Jesus said, ‘If you love me, carry your cross and follow me.’ Hardship is part of life. It’s an ingredient that makes life sweet to a more or lesser extent,” said Sister Betty.  

While she seems other worldly, she is a human who enjoys gardening and grows a variety of vegetables and herbs. One of her favorite meals is from her homeland, Eba/Fufu and Ofe, which is prepared with potato, plantain, yam powder or sometimes oats. Ofe refers to random condiments such as okra, spinach, meat and other spices. She enjoys reading and watching movies to relax. She also loves spending time with her own family who are all (but one) living in the Southern part of the United States. 

Catholic Nuns on the island were a common sight before Hurricane Ike. Sister Betty is being joined by three other sisters who will also become a visual reminder of the Lord Jesus Christ as they move about the island in their Habits (nun’s apparel), serving God and his people.