Sr Susan Richert PBVM reflects on her congregation’s first Assembly since the pandemic:
Recalling the lantern of Foundress, Nano Nagle
As we gathered for our opening ritual, at our Assembly in June, we were invited to “Remember Our Call”. To listen again to the call to us in the seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and to get in touch with what was stirring in our hearts as we gathered together as Province for the first time since 2019. These stirrings we shared with those at the table we had gathered with. We then prayed as we looked forward to thinking about our life with Christ, our commitment to life, dedication to ministry and supporting each other. We called each other to enter into ourselves, our experiences, our dreams and questions so that together we shape our future walking our journey and reminding each other that God asks us to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God.
Jubilarians renewed their vows
Morning Prayer was led by different communities and gave us the opportunity to delve deeper and listen more acutely to what God is calling us to…
We celebrated Jubilarians, who renewed their vows at a joyful Mass celebrated by Fr Chris Thomas.
We took time to remember our sisters, family and friends who had died during the past 3 years – we had been unable to gather together to celebrate their lives. We were joined via zoom with those of our Sisters who were unable to be present with us.
Our prayer was one of blessing – for those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.
As part of our ritual, we were given large paper oak leaves and invited to write the names of anyone we wished to remember on the back. These were placed around the oak sapling and we picked up forget me not seeds for future planting.
We ended with lines from John O’Donoghue
They will never be forgotten
While there is one of us left to remember
And when there is no one left to remember
We will all be together.
