From 22 to 27 October 2022, the members of the Formation Commission met together with our Superior General Sr. Josephina D’Souza and her General Councillors at the Generalate in Rome. From India, Provincial Superior Sr. Helen Lourdusamy participated. Sr. Urszula Kłusek from Poland, Sr. Danuta Przybyłek from the USA and Sr. Astrid Meinert from Germany.
General Councillor Sr. M. Claire Mukeshimana, Chairperson of the Commission, welcomed all present and asked Sr. Josephina to give a spiritual impulse in preparation for the work. She emphasised that formation is a lifelong process and is not just about the first stages of initiation into life in the community. Whatever we do as Pallottine Sisters, we need time to seek God and time to encounter Him. When we live from a deep experience of God, we are and remain alive.
Before we dedicated ourselves to the concrete assignments that were presented to us as recommendations by the XXI General Chapter, we exchanged views on the current situation in our Provinces, the Region and the Delegatures. A fresh wind of hope is the many young sisters in Africa and India.
A talk by Fr. Gabriel Mmassi SJ encouraged us to keep an open mind about the current needs of the world today. Rooted in our history, we must now set the course for the future. It is necessary that we truly live and renew our founding charism.
Now, after looking at the realities in our Congregation and inspired by Fr. Mmassi’s impulses, we started our concrete work.
A major focus, through a recommendation the XXI General Chapter, was directed towards the elaboration of a three-year spiritual renewal program for all the Sisters based on Our Way of Life.
In doing so, it was important for us to take all generations of sisters into consideration and to work out suggestions so that we all strongly feel the joy of vocation again. Our Founder gave us the image of the Cenacle, where Mary, Queen of the Apostles, receives the Spirit of God with all the disciples.
Aware that our Pallottine charism expresses an important mission to us in the Church and society of today, the members of the Commission will now further elaborate the program.
It was also important to us that the young sisters gain international experience and so the possibility of joint meetings in Rome or on a continental level was also considered and the content discussed.
We were able to experience that the Holy Spirit accompanied our reflections and even though we know about many further work assignments, we leave the meeting strengthened. Grateful for the encounters, for the hospitality in the Procura and for the warm welcome in the Generalate, we return to our communities.
“Do whatever He tells you.” If we remain listeners who gather again and again in the Cenacle, we will be able to live powerfully the vision of our Founder. Each and every Pallottine Sister is responsible – may we gladly carry this responsibility and infect others to witness as apostles to the message of Jesus in our world and to do what the Lord tells us.
Sr. Astrid Meinert, SAC, photos: Sr. Adelheid Scheloske, SAC (2) and Sr. Beata Matuszewska, SAC (1)
