25th April 2017

Dear Sisters,
Greetings from the ELM in Rome! We are situated at the Centro Pellegrini, a centre very suitable for us in a quiet area where we don't even hear the sound of traffic. Some of us didn't even know that such places existed in Rome. Over the days leading up to the ELM Noelle and her Council members had worked very hard to ensure that everything would be in order for our arrival and even undertook the difficult task of meeting each of us at the airport on our arrival and transporting us here to the Centro. It was a mammoth task which we all truly appreciated.
By now we are all present and at work since yesterday morning. The new Province Leaders had arrived a few days earlier and had very worthwhile sessions on Leadership with Bobby Moore who left at dawn today. Our whole group meetings began yesterday with a Gospel sharing followed by an official welcome from Noelle. This was followed by a talk from Sr Eugenia Bonetti MC, an Italian Sister who gave us a flavour of Italian life. Her ministry of many years is working with trafficked women here in Rome, a ministry for which she has a great passion. She inspired us all with ways in which we can promote this work in our various Provinces.
Yesterday afternoon we had a beautiful Opening Ritual mostly conducted out of doors where we could appreciate the wonders of Nature. With Laudato Si as the backdrop for the ELM this was a very appropriate ritual where walking, reflection, symbols, dance and music were intertwined in a special way. Moving back indoors we shared our reflections and feelings on beginning our time together. Our first day concluded with a lovely liturgy celebrated by Fr Ciaran O’ Carroll, the Rector of the Irish College here in Rome.
This morning after our Gospel sharing we had two very interesting sessions with Cecilia O'Dwyer on her work and ours at the United Nations. It was a most enlightening morning for us and reinforced again for us that the work at the UN is not just Cecilia's ministry but that it belongs to all of us. Again the great need for work on preventing Human Trafficking was emphasised as was the Care of the Environment and all of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

This afternoon we reflected and shared on Call 4 of GC 2014 and tomorrow we will set out early morning for St. Peter’s Square for the Papal audience.

Please note you are all lovingly remembered here and we know we are in your prayers,

With love

From all at the ELM in Rome