On Saturday, May 18, 2019 the Church of Pilzen, Czech Republic came together to celebrate and thank Sisters Gisela Heitz and Jaya Mathew for their 24 years of service to the people of God in this diocese. Sisters Patricia Balta, Mary Agapit, Gisela and Jaya opened this new mission 24 years ago. Sister Celine arrived a year or two later. There was a beautiful Mass of Thanksgiving with Bishops Francis( retired) and Thomas, plus five priests and a deacon, and the youth musicians and over 110 other people.
Warm tributes of gratitude and love were expressed as the Mass concluded and more tributes continued during the outdoor reception. It was a wonderful afternoon of joy mixed with sadness as all realized the presence of our sisters would be greatly missed. Sister Sally represented the General Council and the Congregation and the Provincial Council of Denmark came to welcome Gisela and Jaya to their new mission in Denmark. The sisters will leave Pilzen on July 30.
Sr. Sally Hodgndon
Sisters Sally and Marianne Bode’s speeches:
may 18, 2019
Mass and celebration for completion of mission - Pilzen, Czech Republic
Sister Sally’s reflection after the Liturgy of Thanksgiving for Sisters Gisela and Jaya
Good afternoon.
The celebration today is for all of you, for you as a community of the people of God and as the Church in Pilzen. On behalf of all of our sisters throughout the world, I wish to express our gratitude to each of you for your journey with our sisters as together you built up the Church in this area.
I thank you, Bishop Francis, for welcoming our four sisters, Patricia, Mary Agapit, Gisela, Jaya and Celine to the Church in Pilzen 24 years ago, and Angela from Denmark who served in this diocese for a short time in Karlovy Vary. You encouraged and supported our sisters and gave them the freedom to minister with the people as the Spirit moved them to do so. I thank you, Bishop Thomas, for your recent support and understanding offered to our sisters, as they discerned to leave Pilzen.
I thank all of you present today for this celebration, you who are friends from Prague, others from this Pilzen community and others of you traveled all the way from Denmark, and some from Germany. You are members of Gisela’s family, or her childhood friends, colleagues from Jaya and Gisela’s ministries in education, health care for the elderly and parish work, and others are members of their new community in Denmark. But all of you have been supportive companions on their journey.
Our sisters came 24 years ago in response to a need in your Church, and they shared the Gospel, the love of God for each person and our charism of communion with you. Now the Church is flourishing here and their mission is complete. They pass this mission to each of you, to live the Gospel and each day to nurture and care for each other, always building communion.
Sisters Jaya and Gisela, we offer our deepest gratitude for being true missionaries, bringing the Word of God, not in print but by your very lives. We appreciate how you lived our charism of inclusivity and created communion among people of all ages and faiths. Your witness has been exceptional! We are very proud of you and bless you as you journey to Denmark to live a new mission. Our deepest gratitude and love go with you.
On behalf of our sisters in Denmark I would like to say a few words of welcome.
During all these 24 years, nearly 25 years of your presence here in Czech Republic, we in the Danish Province have accompanied you in different ways.
When the decision was made to close the mission and you, Gisela and Jaya, expressed your desire to join the Province of Denmark, all the sisters clapped their hands. We all rejoiced that you wanted to come to a province that is small and with most elderly sisters. But our hearts are still young, and we look forward to living with you and to feel the Spirit of newness and joy within us.
The mission actually started in Denmark, from there you were sent forth and now you are coming home.
These roses, which are here in the chapel in red and white colors, will tell you: Welcome to Denmark, to a country that also need our charism of communion and reconciliation. Welcome of the bottom of our hearts.
And to you, here in Czech Republic we want to tell you that you are not forgotten, you will be in our daily prayers.
S. Marianne Bode
Provincial Superior
Pilsen, May 18, 2019
