From the experience of Sr Zhi Xian Fu: « For a fortnight, I went to Lourdes as a volunteer for the Pontifical Mission Societies.
The first thing that struck me was the life of Blessed Pauline Jaricot, a girl from Lyon, born on 22 July 1799 into a family of wealthy industrialists, where she received a good Christian education. Pretty and very coquettish, she sought to please; one day, climbing onto a stool, she fell badly.
After her recovery and the mourning that followed the death of her mother, she resumed her worldly life, but her heart was torn by the departure of her brother, who was preparing to leave the seminary in Paris to become a missionary in China.
In 1816, after a meeting with Abbé Wurtz, Pauline underwent an inner transformation: she changed her life, burnt her romantic books, gave up her jewellery, decided to dress simply like the poor workers whose distress she had seen, and gave herself over to Jesus, whom she wanted to serve by taking part in evangelisation.
At the age of 17, she made a private vow of chastity, total abandonment to Christ and commitment to the mission, informing herself of the needs of the missionaries and seeking to support them. She created the Living Rosary: the idea was to bring together 15 faithful, each of whom would meditate on a mystery and a decade every day, so that an entire rosary would be prayed by the group every day.
In 1831 she founded the Daughters of Mary, who led a religious life in the world, responding to the enormous obligations created by the Living Rosary and the Work of the Propagation of the Faith. Thanks to Sr Pauline Jaricot’s acquaintance, I discovered the meaning of the colours of the World Missionary Rosary: yellow for Asia, where the sun rises first; red for the lands of the Americas, where the missionaries travelled with the fire of the Spirit; white for Europe, where the Pope is, blue for Oceania, surrounded by the waters of the ocean, and green for Africa, with its flora and fauna.
I have fond memories of the welcome service I did for a fortnight, with four smiling nuns who made me feel very welcome, and also with the pilgrims, for an experience of universal fraternity.
Every day I went to an office of the Pontifical Societies to open the door: from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., we were there to welcome, listen, explain, offer candles and rosaries and receive offerings from pilgrims from all over the world. Every evening at 9pm, the Rosary prayer begins and the people join together in a long Procession where songs and praise, by candlelight, are dedicated to the Virgin; with their hands the people touch the stones of the Grotto, with their voices they express their faith: I was moved to tears.
During my stay in Lourdes, I was delighted to meet a young Chinese girl. She was also very happy to meet a Sister of Charity: she was very interested in our charism, our spirituality and our service to the poor. We shared a lot and prayed together. During these days of prayer and service, I experienced the power of the faith of the Church, like a great path where the Spirit awakens our hearts and lights the fire of love. I thank the Lord for the goodness He has shown me, and I am determined to become more involved and to continue the mission He has entrusted to me”
Sr Zhi Xian Fu, Nice community
