From the welcoming greeting of the Superior General, Sr Maria Rosa, addressed to the Sisters of Charity up to 65 years of age convened by the General Council and the Provincial Councils Besançon-Savoie and Euro-Mediterranean:
«Dearest Sisters, we are happy to find ourselves here, in the Generalate, a reference point for the whole Congregation. We are here after having lived a spiritual journey with ‘three steps’ in the communities in Europe: knowledge-listening, participation-involvement, discernment-research; a journey that has allowed us to renew ourselves, to dare new steps, to make a home in order to be ever more artisans of fraternity.
We have taken important steps in walking together, but it is necessary with courage to go further, to be leaven in a changed world, in a changed Congregation.
Dear Sisters, let us ask ourselves: what is our vocation in the world today? We are now convinced that there is a need for different behaviour in human coexistence, such as respect for diversity, justice, the search for peace, solidarity and above all compassion and charity, which the dominant mentality instead despises and marginalises.
Now that the wounds to creation and nature seem to go hand in hand with violence in relations between peoples, we can better understand the profound truth of our Charism: ‘To love Jesus Christ, to love and serve the poor who are his members, to manifest the Father’s love to them. When love guides the steps and choices of humanity, it will certainly be a different world.
This is where we, dear Sisters, must fit in, this is our space, our area of competence with witness and evangelisation. It is our task, by the vocation we have received and our belonging to the Congregation, to make God’s love present to suffering humanity ».
The Sisters of Charity up to 65 years of age from the different countries of Europe welcome with joy and a sense of responsibility the overall horizon proposed by Sister Maria Rosa and express their convinced adherence by their active participation in the work of these days.
The meeting began on Thursday 31 October 2024 with a prayer in the church of the General House, which was already responding to the solemn elegance of the Feast of All Saints.
A pleasant animation encouraged each one to recall the meetings already experienced in Sancey in view of the European Province, in the search for the sister ‘hidden’ behind a detail of her mission that made her recognisable.
Work then began in the assembly with the first focus on the vocational youth pastoral ministry, in view of a ‘THINKING TOGETHER: a bigger and stronger “we”’.
At the centre of the day was the Eucharistic celebration.
Until Sunday, 3 November 2024, the assembly will continue its work, which we entrust to the intercession of All Saints.
