International Experience for Young Sisters

Tuesday 20th to Tuesday 27th December

On Saturday 17th December we welcomed the General Council, Sisters Terezinha, Catherine and Marie France, to the Mother House.  They were the first to arrive for a meeting they had organised to give young sisters an experience of the internationality of the Institute.  The meeting took place from Tuesday 20th to Tuesday 27th December.  The young sisters came from three countries : Fidelia Espin and Julia Trejo from Mexico, Julieta Jofesse, Dorcas Mauricio and Claudia Mondlane from Mozambique and Beatrice Magaya from Zimbabwe.  During their stay, the members of the General Council led sessions of prayer, reflection and sharing and Catherine Patten gave a talk on « Religious Life Today ».  Other people also participated :  Sisters Maria do Rosário Durães and  Miriam Tiburcio who acted as translators ; Mrs Lesley Anne Knight and Sister Kathleen Connell who gave talks, Lesley Anne on « The Characteristics of our Time » and Kathleen on « The Context of Father Gailhac and Mother St Jean » and « The School of Bérulle » ;  Sisters Marie-Jean Barthès, Françoise Wyckaert, Marie Cécile Pommier and Marie-Dominique Treacy, who related how they live out our charism and mission in France today, and Sister Lucienne Dubois who gave a power-point presentation on « Christmas in France ».  The group visited Autignac, Murviel and Fontfroide and, in Béziers, followed the «itinerary » of the places associated with Father Gailhac and Mother Saint Jean.  They also, of course, did the « tour » of the Mother House which ended with prayer in the crypt.  It was a very full and enriching week.

On Christmas Eve, after a celebratory meal during which Father Christmas and his helpers arrived to give each one a Christmas stocking full of little presents, we all went to Midnight Mass in the cathedral. On Christmas day, the young people and the General Council attended morning Mass in the parish of Our Lady of Reconciliation, after which they enjoyed an aperitive in the La Devèze community before returning to the Mother House for dinner.  In the evening everyone was invited to the Bon Pasteur community for supper.  There were interesting exchanges on how Christmas is celebrated in the various cultures we represented and little presents  typical of Mozambique and Zimabwe were distributed.  The Mexicans left their presents until the final evening. The young people were already familiar with the Bon Pasteur community as, during the week, they had often attended Mass in the chapel there, celebrated by Fr Charles Vernazobres.  We all enjoyed his homelies which were a real preparation for Christmas. He also celebrated the closing Mass of thanksgiving in the Mother House, which was really beautiful.

Let us thank God for this rich experience of our internationality !