07.31.2019 | Meeting of Sisters with 1 to 15 years of final profession Curitiba, Brazil

The annual meeting of the Sisters of St. Joseph, with 1 to 15 years of final profession, took place July 19 to 21. In addition to the Sisters of this specific group, the Provincial Superior, Sister Katia Rejane Sassi participated, as well as counselors Sister Gertrudes Salete Beal and Sister Elisa Fatima Zuanazzi, and also Sister Geni Estegues Pereira This year, General Councilors, Sisters Philomena and Ieda Tomazini, also attended. Each year the meeting has a specific theme. In general, the goal is to meet, strengthen relationships, share the journey, and combine forces in mission.

On the 19th, the group reflected, with the help of Sister Ieda, about interculturality. Also participating by videoconference, Sisters Sally, Rashimi, and Eliane Santana shared some ideas on the topic. On the 20th, Helena T. Rech, SST, helped us to reflect on missionary spirit and our journey. The 21st was reserved for re-reading, organization and planning. The meeting brought forth deep reflection and sharing from the heart. It was also challenging. Some of the challenges were the building intercultural community, maintaining and intensifying fidelity and the cultivation of a Christian spirituality and that of the Congregation, learning another language, acknowledging our littleness and our abilities to build the experience of oneness in communities and in the Congregation, the mystical-prophetic, “being stores of spirituality”, having a culture of vocations, missionary experiences, letting ourselves be called, and acquiring personal accompaniment, in other words, being what we propose, putting it into practice even if it is small, and paying attention to the cries of reality and appreciating the culture of others.

At the end of the meeting, some of the participants expressed....

“It was a rich moment of prayer, sharing and listening to the heart ... We were challenged to \´ move out of ourselves \´ with courage and boldness, as missionaries, being there ver we are..."

“These were wonderful days of very intense experiences that we opened to knowledge and mutual enrichment. We lived a climate of joy, predisposition to service, work, and fraternal sharing”.

“We were challenged, also blessed by everything we saw and heard. We brought forth new horizons, taking great strides, but safe ones, being bold”.

“It was a meeting filled with challenges, joys and hopes. I felt we were a mature group and in a constant growth process”.

“It was a meeting to remember and celebrate learning. We were motivated to be increasingly prophetic women, mystical and wise”.

“It was a farewell meeting of this group for me, because I\´ve completed 15 years of final vows. I gained much and go with a hopeful heart that the mission happens in rea life. Thanks for sharing, welcoming, listening and respecting each Sister”.

“The meeting was to share, exchange knowledge, strengthen our ties and continue the mission entrusted by God with more commitment and love.”“It was an opportunity to review the priorities of the mission as a Sister of Saint Joseph, I am, and how I express this in different services. The most important thing is TO BE. \´ To say thank you \´ for one’s being, taking care of oneself, to take care of people and that in a fully and integrated way.”

“The intensity of this meeting happened due to a crossing over, crossing a border of the ego toward the deeper waters of connection and intimacy with the spirit and so move on to the other side.”

“Be, dear Sisters, more audacious and committed mystical sowers so that more and more people have and feel imbued with spirituality and living our charism.”

“I highlight the depth of sharing from the heart, through listening, welcoming and the experience of unity among ourselves and with God.”

“We all had the grace to understand how the spirit of God directs each of us in a different way, respecting our individuality. It is up to us now, working with who we are to achieve interculturality, being a link of unity and communion that is the essence of our life as a Sister of St. Joseph.”

Sister Eliana Aparecida dos Santos