We are friends and family of Sister Dolores Engelhardt, inspired by her faith and care for others. Fr. Emmanuel Kasibante remembers her support in his journey to becoming a Catholic priest. Through the Foundation, we seek to carry that spirit of service into practical support for families in Binzi, Uganda.
1931–2022 · A life of faith, education and music
Born Erika Engelhardt on 19 December 1931 in Forst, Bavaria, she was the eldest of six children. After her father went missing during the Second World War, she helped her mother care for the family.
She entered the religious community at Oberzell in 1951, trained as a kindergarten teacher in Würzburg and qualified in 1953. She received the religious name Sister Dolores and travelled to South Africa in January 1955.
For more than 50 years, Sister Dolores taught music at Holy Childhood School in Eshowe, leading choirs and instrumental groups. Her work combined classroom teaching with individual lessons, helping generations of children discover music.
The heritage research also records her teaching at Little Flower School in Eshowe and many years playing the organ at Sunnydale parish. Music was a way to share her faith, encourage young people and bring the community together.
Her congregation remembers her openness and humour. She returned to Germany in June 2017 and lived at Antoniushaus in Oberzell until her death on 25 February 2022, aged 90.
Her example continues to inspire the Foundation: recognising each person's potential and responding to everyday needs with care. Today, that inspiration shapes our Piglet Project for 60 families in Binzi and wider community support.
External links: Sister Dolores’s memorial from Kloster Oberzell (German); Oberzell’s 2022 memorial notice (German, PDF).
