We have just finished our “General Chapter” in Rome! If
you are wondering what that is, read on...
All religious orders hold these meetings. They are times to evaluate where we
have been and to look ahead, to ask ourselves questions about how we understand,
for today, the Mission which God has entrusted to us, asking the Holy Spirit to
guide and enlighten us. There is a lot of prayer, discussion and the deepening
of the bonds that unite us in our common Mission, wherever we may live. It is
also a celebration of thanksgiving for the gift that God has given us in calling
us.
A Chapter doesn’t just happen by itself! We prepared for this event over the
previous year and a half, surfacing the issues
facing us. Since we are about 1140 little sisters spread throughout the world it
is not possible for everyone to be present, so we hold local meetings in the
regions and elect delegates to represent us in Rome. We hold this meeting every
six years.
At this Chapter there were 50 little sisters from 28 nationalities speaking 28
different languages of origin! You can see the challenge that the treasure of
our diversity can present! It is a help that most everyone speaks French or
English, but it still takes time, translators and patience.
One of the mandates given at the previous Chapter involved a major
restructuring. We were founded in 1939 - nearly 80 years ago! In the years
following World War II we had an enormous influx of members. In 1949 our
founder, little sister Magdeleine, was inspired to extend the reach of the
Community around the world, sending young sisters far and wide.
Sisters gathered together for this important time... meeting sometimes for the first time and sometimes after years of not seeing one another.
At our peak in the 70’s and 80’s we numbered around 1400 sisters in about 65
countries.
Now we are in a different phase of our life. Many of those daring first members
- and you should hear their stories! - have left us for heaven or are no longer
able to be present in small communities around the world. We are so grateful for
their contributions and courage. What we have lived and continue to live is
thanks to them!
The world has also changed in ways that no one could have imagined. We have
tried throughout the years to build on l.sr.Magdeleine’s foundational intuition
about presence to the Muslim world which is also much different than 80 years
ago.
We are now obliged to regroup in order to care for our elderly sisters, and to
find new ways to live out our Mission. Sometimes this is among other elderly
people living in senior citizen homes or nursing homes. As much as possible we
have tried to maintain our presence among those who are discriminated against in
one way or another and to honor our call to be a presence of unity in an
increasingly polarized world.
At present the majority of younger sisters are coming from Africa, Eastern
Europe and the Middle East, with a smattering throughout the rest of the world…
We have about 100 younger members (those who have not yet made final vows) with
3 novitiates - 1 in Kenya, 1 in Tanzania and 1 in the Philippines.
While we have had to close 66 communities over the last 6 years, we have also
been able to open 44. Often a closure was a decision to redirect our energies to
respond to new situations with who we are. For example, we had to flee from
Mosul, Iraq but are now In Ainkawa, Iraq among fellow refugees. We opened a
community in the central Philippines but in doing so had to close another
community where we had been for many years. We started a new community with
Palestinian Refugees in Tyr, Lebanon and in Gyeonggi-Do/Bucheon, Korea among
immigrants. In Kontum, Vietnam we are now among the Highland people.
We have also simply had to close certain communities for various reasons. We had
to leave Pakistan and Afghanistan, Greece, the Ukraine, Greenland, Peru,
Paraguay, Libya and Tunisia. Sometimes we only closed a community within a
region, like Beersheva and Chicago. These are hard decisions which we try to
live, being grateful for all that has been, and praying for the grace to keep
our hearts youthful enough to imagine and respond to the Spirit’s call today.
As part of our Chapter we elected a new Leadership Team that reflects our
diversity and the needs of our Mission worldwide. To lead this team is L.Sr.
Dorinha who is Catalan and has lived many years in Brazil. The rest of the team
is composed of little sisters Anitha (India), Christine Erica (French), Eugeniya
Kabwimana (Rwanda), Monica Greti (Austria) and Virgine Hanan (Iraq). We thank
them for accepting this service which carries us forward into something new… In
another six years we will be at a new “place,” with new challenges and graces..
Please pray with us and for us as we continue the path…
Below pictures of our
new leadership team from Catalonia, Rwanda, India, Austria, France and Iraq.
At the end of the Chapter we had the great joy of a private audience with Pope Francis who already knew our sisters from Argentina.