December 2023
Rome
▪ On 1st January, 2024 Pope Francis prayed the traditional noon-day prayer of the Angelus as the Church celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the 57th World Day of Peace. In his reflection, ahead of the Marian prayer, the Pope encouraged Christians to place the New Year under the ‘caring gaze’ of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to look at Mary and our own mothers ‘with grateful hearts.’
▪ The communities of the Generalate and Procura came together during the season of advent for a few talks by Fr. Waldemar Turek as spiritual preparation for Christmas. On 24th and 25th the communities celebrated Christmas by coming together for a festal meal. The community from Moncenisio too joined on the 25th. On 31st, the sisters before midnight, had a thanksgiving Eucharistic adoration and welcomed the New year 2024 with joy.
Germany/ Brazil
▪ From 4th to 8th, the annual retreat was organised in Limburg and conducted by Fr. Herbert Heuel, SAC. Almost all the sisters were able to take part – those who live in House Felizitas and those who live in House Camaldoli. Some other residents of the old age home also took part, including two UAC members.
USA
▪ In Laurel, on the 8th, St. Vincent Pallotti High School held the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in the School Lobby. The event gathered Pallottine Sisters, parents, staff, friends, benefactors. On 16th Sr. Sahaya Mary Ambrose together with one of the parishioners, went to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington DC, to bring food and Christmas gifts for their old people home. On 27th, Sr. Karen Lester with one family from our parish went to the Morningside Home to visit the elderly and the sick, bringing to them the Word of God and the Holy Communion.
▪ The sisters in St. Mary’s Convent Huntington celebrated Christmas joyfully with gratitude and look forward to the New Year. A happy and Blessed New Year of 2024 to all!
Poland/ Ukraine
▪ On 3rd, the First Sunday of Advent, the Eucharist was celebrated by Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda in the Cathedral which begins the year of preparation for the Jubilee of the 100th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Gdansk, Poland. The Mass was followed by the ceremony of bringing out the relics of St. Adalbert, which began the excursion. Thanks to the kindness of the Parish Priest of Christ the King Church in Gdansk, the community of Pallottine Sisters at Malczewskiego Street was among those whom the relics of St. Adalbert visited. On 9th, the relics were brought to our convent. The sisters prayed midday prayers in St. Adalbert’s presence and continued to pray for the intentions of the congregation, the Church, their homeland and the world.
▪ From 1st to 3rd, a session for young people was held at our convent in Zhytomyr, Ukraine led by Sr. Galina Szpilowa SAC and psychologist Olga Orlova. Sr. Jadwiga Puchalska and Sr. Katarzyna Golub helped the session run smoothly. The main topic on which the 16 young people reflected was the value of human life. Apart from workshops, individual talks with Mrs Orlova, the psychologist, and prayers for the end of the war, there was also a lot of entertaining activities.
▪ 6 December is the most anticipated day of the year for children. The youngest parishioners of Grodek, Ukraine wrote letters to St. Nicolas with their requests. The much-awaited Visitor was to appear in the Church. No one was late for the evening Eucharist. The children and adults were first greeted by Angels and then St. Nicolas arrived. He greeted all those who came and said: Dear children, you have beautiful hearts because you asked me to end the war…and to bring gifts intended also for others, for example trench candles for the fighting soldiers because they are cold. Santa made those wishes come true. The gifts included trench candles, balloons, advent calendars, tangerines, lollipops, socks, hats, gloves etc. There was plenty of joy.
India
▪ On 17th, the Bangalore CRI (Conference of Religious India) core team held a Christian outreach program. Sr. Veronica Crasta and the UAC members joined to help out the rag pickers and the people in the slums by providing dry food grains to the poor families in that area.
▪ St. Vincent Pallotti School, Gurundia, Odisha had the Christmas celebration on the 20th. The live Crib in an open jeep moved towards the Parish Mission School in Kantapalli run by the Pallottine Fathers by singing carols. They also visited different government offices sharing the Christmas message.
▪ The 2nd annual retreat of the Province was held in the provincialate, Bangalore from 26th – 31st. Fr. Anthony Lopes, (Redemptorist) was the retreat preacher. The retreat focused more on the practical reality of religious life and to give more importance for personal adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The retreat came to an end with an inner healing adoration followed by the vigil mass of Mary Mother of God. 12 sisters participated in it.
Tanzania
▪ On 1st our Superior General, Sr. Josephina D’ Souza, with her two Councillors, Sr. Marie Claire Mukeshimana and Sr. Alda Paes arrived at the International Novitiate community. Sr. Josephina came for her annual visitation of the Novitiate and the two Councillors held classes for the Novices and Postulants. On the 7th, seven Postulants were accepted into the Novitiate and on the 8th, with great joy, seven Novices made their First Profession in Polisingi’si Parish, Arusha. (Visit website).
▪ On the 4th, our Junior Sisters renewed their vows in the Siuyu community. Fr. Stephen Lwebuga, SAC directed them in a retreat prior to the renewal.
▪ On 19th the Singida Diocese held a pilgrimage to Sukamahela Shrine where a huge statue of Our Lady is erected. Eight Sisters with our Parish Priest, Fr. Bernard Omma, SAC led pilgrims from the parish. The Chief Celebrant of the Holy Mass was Bishop Edward Mapunda of the Singida Diocese, and the homily was given by Fr. Kamgisha, an illustrious preacher from the Bukoba Diocese.
▪ 14th was a historical day in our Province as the newly built Provincial House at Laki Tatu outside Arusha was officially opened by our Superior General and blessed by Rt Rev Isaac Amani, the Archbishop of Arusha. We were honoured by the presence of many Religious and priests of the Diocese as well as our own Pallottine Sisters especially the Major Superiors from Rome, South Africa, Rwanda/Congo, the Cameroon and England. (Visit website)
Rwanda
▪ From 1st to 3rd there was a meeting of all sisters at Masaka community in the program established for the preparations to the 1st provincial chapter which will take place in February 2024.
▪ On 16th the province, joyfully welcomed four new professed sisters from Tanzania. They were received at Masaka community with joy and gratitude to God.
▪ From 26th to 29th the sisters who are temporary professed gathered in KIBEHO community for a seminar with the Theme: The goodness of accompaniment in consecrated life.
South Africa
▪ On the 9th St. Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care, the management and staff celebrated the year end party with an atmosphere of joy and wonder. Sisters from St. Joseph’s Community organized Christmas Carols along with the Pallottine Brothers from South Africa who are doing their pastoral care experience in St. Joseph’s Home.
▪ On 11th, Sr. Dorothea Lyimu SAC who served in the South African Province for nearly three years left to her Mother Province in Tanzania for good. Sr. Prabha Varghese went to Tanzania to take part in the inauguration ceremony of the new Queen of Peace Provincial House.
▪ The annual Thanksgiving Mass for Consecrated Religious in the Archdiocese of Cape Town was held on the 16th to foster unity and reconciliation across the country. There was a solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided by His Eminence Cardinal Stephen Brislin. After the Mass, congratulations were offered to the special jubilarians. Our Sr. Elizabeth Hartnick was congratulated celebrating her 75th birthday.
Switzerland
▪ We all know that there are so many theatres of war around the world, especially in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine. This also hurts and worries us in the community, and we ask: How can Christmas be celebrated at the birthplace of Jesus? And we remain unmoved? And yet it happened that we find comfort from people in these war zones. The Pallottine Sisters in Ukraine sent photos of the liturgy in Advent. From Bethlehem came a video of a priest telling how much they live in a painful reality. He showed pictures of smashed houses and churches and, in the middle of the rubble, the nativity scene with Jesus in the manger. The priest’s message: Jesus is in solidarity with the suffering people in the midst of this terrible war. Pain and comfort in one.
