On September 20, Sunday, the First Family Meeting of Congregation St. Joseph, which comprises of the sisters and the associates of the Southern Region of the Latin America and the Caribbean Network which includes the countries of Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia was held.
It was a virtual family meeting during the Season of Creation in order to pray together and share life and mission and also to get to know one another a little more.
We had a brief presentation of the 20 communities of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Buenos Aires, located in Argentina, three communities of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Pinerollo, two communities of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cuneo and four communities of Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery, in Bolivia, along with the committed associate members.
After a brief introduction and localizing ourselves well geographically, we joined in the prayer prepared by the Team with great joy. We began by feeling united in Christ, who is the Centre and Light of the World and in whom, “Everything is interconnected in this common House”.
After listening to the song of Fr. Cireneu Khun which says “Everything is interwoven, as if we are one”, we prayed the Psalm 148 of Praise of all Creation, to God the Creator and Provider.
We shared our challenges experienced during the pandemic, Season of Creation and the beginning of spring season. Our sharing included the challenges we experienced in proclaiming the Good News, for we all belong to the common house and we are responsible to build a better world for all. We also shared, what we in our groups and communities did to help the society in which we live, through our small gestures, attitudes and day-to-day actions to weave and expand the care, protection and preservation of the Mother Earth and all the creatures that inhabit in it.
The sense of belongingness to the Creator God makes us partakers in the care of all creation: air, water, land and sea. It leads us change our ways to promote an integral ecology, solidarity, ethical, moral and spiritual commitment which is facing so many challenges of depredation, exploitation and illicit profit that excludes and kills lives. We concluded the meeting with the blessing of the four main points.
The meeting awoke in us the desire to share the mission of Unity and Reconciliation furthermore, for our charism of Communion given by our founder, Fr. Jean Pierre Médaille and co-founders makes us a family sisters in congregation of St. Joseph.
Sr. Antonia C. Mandro
Santa Cruz Community, Bolívia
