By Chris Starr

“How to visit Africa on a couple of hours of prayer a day.” Sound like a new “how to” travel book? Actually, it describes the life of Dominican Sister Mary Paul Thomas of the Holy Spirit, a native Atlantan living a contemplative life in Nairobi, Kenya.

Sister Mary Paul, the daughter of Mr. Mrs. John F. Meartz of Christ the King parish was in Atlanta to visit her family after a 9-year absence.

“There is no line of reasoning that explains the contemplative life,” she said, “No amount of life. If there is not the grace of God – nothing works – direct prayer is needed.”

The former Marjorie Meartz spoke of her life before entering the convent Monastery of Our Lady of Grace in Gilford, Conn. It was there, she said, in 1953, that she began the most important chapter in her life.

Her early education was spent at Sacred Heart School in both the elementary and high school level. Upon graduation from the downtown Atlanta high school she went to Fontbonne College in St. Louis, Mo., where she studied for four years. Later, she returned to Atlanta to work as a research assistant in engineering at Georgia Tech University.

After several years at Tech, she again returned to St. Louis to work on a masters degree in philosophy. It was in St. Louis for the second time, after completing her degree that it dawned on her that she might want to be a sister.

“Not sure of God’s will,” she said, “and wanting to give myself time to sort things out, I taught school for a short while and finally decided I was going to enter the Dominican Order in Gilford.”

She spent the next 12 years in the monastery studying, praying and becoming absorbed “in an adventure of direct relationship with Christ.”

Then, in, 1965, with the monastery in Connecticut getting too crowed, the Sisters began plans to start a Dominican house in Africa. Upon the invitation of an African cardinal they settled in Nairobi, moving only once, and will soon occupy a new building this coming fall.

“How I was chosen to go to Africa was never really clear to me,” Sister said, “I had expressed interest in the idea and from that I would image the Lord invited me on this adventure.”

The changes in Church life have effected the sisters as they wear a modified dress and the regulations concerning their apostolate of prayer have been altered.

The Corpus Christi Monastery in Nairobi, located 6,000 feet above sea level on the west coast of Africa, was previously located next to a Kenyan Seminary, but has now moved to accommodate a retreat residence for African missioners.

“Our presence in Africa,” she said, “allows for a witness and a message about the value of direct prayer and contemplation. Worship of God is so important and I think our greatest value, although not practical, is a reminder of the need to pray directly to our brother, Jesus Christ.”