Hearty Welcome to you! visitor of our website.
We would like to share with you an important event which took place in the month of April 2015.
As you could read in the 2nd point of our website, our Congregation is present in different countries and continents. Our foundation is situated in Alsace but today our Sisters live in France, Germany, USA, India, Ukraine, Philippines and Italy.
In the French Province, there are Sisters coming from India, Madagascar and Congo. In the Ukraine Delegation, there are Sisters from Ukraine, India and Slovakia. In Philippines, we have Sisters from India and also from Philippines.
Therefore, we organize regularly international meetings.
As such the meeting held in Convent Saint-Marc from 20th April to 3rd May 2015 was an important event. This meeting assembled along with the superior general and her council, the provincial superiors and delegation superiors accompanied by one or the other councilors (from our 4 Provinces: France, Germany, two Provinces in India - Indore and Vengoor - and of Ukraine Delegation). Moreover, sisters from India, Madagascar and Congo who live in France and in Germany came to join us for a few days.
The aim of this international meeting was the preparation of the next General Chapter 2016. The General Chapter is the meeting of the sisters delegated by the members of the whole Congregation. This is the decisional and legislative authority, the expression of unity and of co-responsibility in the Congregation.
During this meeting, we have meditated, reflected and discussed on the topics related to our daily life and the management of our Congregation such as: consecrated life and vows, community life – and how to live the internationality in community! – spiritual life, formation – which needs transformation! – and how to direct the Congregation and lead sisters. Concerning the last point, it was important to look at the pyramid of ages in the Congregation in its wholeness and in different Provinces and to confront the functions of responsibility in all levels.
This notion of responsibility was the main theme all along our encounter. Mr. Castelli, “expert” in finance, presented and explained us the financial situation in world level and responded with competence to the concrete questions coming from sisters.
Other topics communicated by one or other Province or Delegation will be taken in account by the General Council in the preparation of the General Chapter.
During our discussions in groups and in plenary session, it was not easy to handle always with the different languages (French, German, English, Ukranian), everything should be translated! But it was not a barrier for our work which was very cordial.
As our Pope Francis has proclaimed this year, “Year of Consecrated Life”, we wanted to mark this event by living two days of spiritual reflection and prayer directed by Fr. Lau from the Congregation of Sacred Heart at Freiburg. These days were enriching ones and they will accompany us on our way.
The peak moment of our encounter was two International Eucharistic celebrations: on 16th April in Convent Saint-Marc in France and on 3rd May at St. Trudpert in Germany. We experienced really the universality of the Catholic Church. Living together, the center of our spiritual life, Eucharist and Eucharistic adoration, helped us really to be rooted in our “fraternal life in community” and strengthened our unity. Could we carry on our daily life and our preparation of General Chapter in this spiritual reality!
On our way towards the Chapter, we have decided to be accompanied by Jesus walkingalong with two disciples towards Emmaus.
HE, the Risen One, walks with us in the moments of joy and happiness. HE walks with us in the moments of our questionings, moments of sadness and distress. As HE questioned the two disciples on the way by asking about their worries and fears, HE speaks to us: “About what do you worry? About what do you speak? About what do you have fear? Tell me! Have confidence in me! I wish so much to help you…”
Jesus is ONE who listens and responds beyond our expectations! Beside HIM we can depose all our worries and our needs, our anxieties and our sorrows. If we stay beside HIM and open our heart to Him, HE will give us his living Word and his Spirit!
With this confidence, let us go forward on the way to General Chapter 2016
See also the photo gallery!