Franciscan Missionaries of Mary
Via Giusti, 12
I – 00185 – ROMA
N° 7
July 2011
“We are living in a world that is suffering, where disasters, violence of all kinds and human exploitation tear apart the fibre of creation”[1] These words from the introduction to our General Chapter document of 2008 echo in our hearts as, seemingly powerless, we witness the great suffering due to drought of the people of Somalia, in parts of Ethiopia and Sudan as well as Northern Kenya and the great sorrow of the Norwegian people and those of so many other countries around our world who struggle with the consequences of wanton violence.
Through the readings of our daily Eucharistic celebrations these past weeks, we have also been rediscovering with the Hebrew people who God is: a God of tenderness and compassion who heard the anguished cries of this suffering people and who called Moses, Aaron and Miriam[2] with all their human limitations to lead their people out of slavery into greater freedom and to a more profound understanding of who God is. We FMM have also been called to grow in ever deeper intimacy with God in Christ, whose “Spirit leads us to continue this mission in our suffering world by living in minority, serving, and sharing life with others.” [3]
....in community...
Evaluation of our service as a Leadership Team in NEMI.
Since we are now almost three years into our service we took time for an evaluation of our personal faith journey, our community life together and our service of the Institute in the beautiful surroundings of the “Ad Gentes” formation centre of the Divine Word Missionaries in Nemi, a short distance from Grottaferrata.
Visit from the Novices of Europe
On July 27th we had the joy of welcoming to Grotta the European Novices (12 sisters of 6 different nationalities: Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Ivorian, French Italian) with Sr. Janina Tuszkowska (Ireland, Malta and UK) Sr. Maria Latka (Central and Eastern Europe) and Sr. Rosella Baima (Italy) who accompany them on their novitiate journey.
They have just finished a month’s pilgrimage in the footsteps of Francis (led by Johannes Freyer, ofm) and Mary of the Passion (led by Arlette Parriel, fmm and Catherine Bazin, fmm) and discovered how God’s love has been revealed not only in the lives of Francis and Mary of the Passion but also in their own lives.
Visit from young girls and sisters of Helene de ChappotinCentre for Blind Girls, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam:.
Thanks to the Capuchin friars of Slovenia who organized a trip to Europe to raise funds for the Centre for Blind Girls, we had a surprise visit from this group of young girls who, though without sight, entertained us with their music and song. Two FMM sisters, Anna Loan (who directs the center) and Maria Rosa who accompanied them, shared how our sisters began this Centre in 2002 after seeing so many blind children begging on the streets. Their blindness is a consequence of the chemical weapons used during the Vietnamese War.
... at the service of the Institute...
Election of Provincials
This discernment process which was opened on September 17th, 2010 has come to an end this month since all provinces have now completed the process either through election or nomination. You have recently received the list of new Provincials and we give thanks for the disponibility of our sisters to accept this vital service to the Institute. Mary of the Passion, in her Customs Book, does not hide the difficulties of this task but she encourages her sister Provincials to overcome their fears, as she herself had done “in abandonment nourished by deep humility and prayer”[4]
To those Provincials who are coming to the end of their mandates, we would like to express our appreciation and deep gratitude for their service to the sisters and to the mission of their respective provinces and also to the life and unity of the Institute.
In general, the discernment in the Provinces was carried out in openness to the Spirit but we deeply regret the explicit “campaigning” for a “preferred candidate” by some sisters in a few Provinces. This is contrary to the spirit of the Constitutions that “like Francis, we desire above all else to possess the Spirit of the Lord” (CS 11).
How can we help one another to move beyond narrow self-interest in these matters to assume the demands of a discerning attitude in our lives together?
Preparation of formation of “New Provincials” and EGC[5] in Pune
We also met the team responsible for the meeting of the New Provincials, who are currently in Grottaferrata to continue their preparation.
We confide to your prayer all those sisters who are directly involved in the organization of these meetings and those who will be attending as participants or as part of the supporting teams: translators, secretaries and those providing multiple other services. We are very grateful for the combined effort of so many sisters...
the institute’s Formation Project:
The first two sessions have ended: one in Korea (attended by sisters from Korea, India Delhi and Indonesia) and the other in Ghana (attended by sisters from Ghana, South Africa and East Africa). The evaluations of both sessions have been positive and the teams are now preparing for the next two sessions: in Morocco (Rabat: 5th September – 18th October) and in India (Bangalore: 17th August to 29th September).
We would like to thank those sisters who are taking responsibility for the project with great dedication in spite of difficulties in terms of illness and visa restrictions as well as the sisters of the host countries who welcome these sessions with such care.
It is vital that the participants of these sessions share this experience with all the sisters in each Province and we call on the Provincials and their councils to draw up a plan with a firm timetable for such sharing as soon as possible after completion of each session.
Policy for the care of all children, young people and vulnerable adults
We have mentioned our work on this policy in the last two editions of the Link. A copy of this Policy has now been sent to all the Provincials. We ask you to receive it:
a. as a means to help us as an Institute to grow in awareness of the need for greater vigilance and attention to the reality of sexual, physical and emotional abuse of vulnerable people.
b. as a reminder of the Church’s call that we promote a safer and more wholesome environment in all our communities and institutions given the extremely disturbing and painful experiences of the recent past.
c. as a guide for all Provinces and those with whom we collaborate in our Institutions so that you may adopt or modify policies and procedures more suitable to your specific contexts and translate them into the local languages, as necessary.
Is it not also a call from the God of Love who “challenges us to a more integrated and radical life in face of all that surrounds us or dwells in us?[6]”
Tripoli - Province of Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
Since early July all our sisters from the two communities of Libya were in Tunisia for rest, formation and retreats. On July 26th Sr. Barbara Haras and Sr. Anya Luczak returned to Tripoli and are now discerning with the Bishop of Tripoli about their possible return to our Yefren Community. This area is now in the hand of the Rebel National Transitional Council and our sisters are in constant contact with their neighbours in Yefren who are caring for our house there.
Four more sisters – Sr. Aleyamma Parayankarryil Joseph, Sr. Bruna Menghini, Sr. Sherly Joseph and Sr. Rosy Xavier - will travel to Tripoli in the next few weeks. We confide to your prayer our sisters and the Libyan people with whom they wish to share their lives in this time of great difficulty.
Aid to victims of the drought in Somalia, Eritrea, Northern Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia...
In response to this dreadful situation we have sent a donation, on behalf of the Institute, to the Province of East Africa to be used for projects for both immediate relief to those suffering from hunger and also for more long-term aid to help them rebuild their lives. Our profound thanks go to the sisters of this Province who will be responsible for this work.
Future of Grottaferrata:
We continued our reflection on the future of the property of Grottaferrata with the help of the team of sisters responsible for this task. They are preparing, with the help of lay experts, a report which will be presented to the EGC next year.
Attribution for Formation
We received and approved attribution requests for the academic year 2011-2012. One hundred and eight (108) sisters in 19 provinces[7] of the Institute will be able to pursue further studies thanks to this financial support.
Collaboration among Provinces
English speaking novitiate in Africa:
We are grateful for the continued movement towards ever greater collaboration between Provinces as we confirm the decision of the Provinces of East Africa, Ghana-Liberia and South Africa to create an English-speaking novitiate for the continent of Africa. This new venture will begin in the Province of South Africa in March, 2013 with Sr. Annacleta Daki as novice mistress.
World Youth Days – Madrid, Spain: 16th – 21st August, 2011:
A team of FMM sisters working in youth ministry from our 7 European Provinces[8], with help from the Provinces of Taiwan and Hong Kong, are involved in the Franciscan Village[9]. This “Franciscan village” is a first time collaboration of the Franciscan Family at World Youth Day and will offer young people an opportunity to meet many Franciscan congregations, male and female, active and enclosed, including the FMM, who will have an exhibition with a permanent presence of 2 or 3 sisters.
Other FMM sisters will also be working in the village from the 16-19th August from 12.00 to 24.00 each day and they will organize two prayer vigils during this time.
A page has been set up and you may visit it on fmmeurope. We know that many sisters from outside Europe will be accompanying groups to this event in Madrid so don’t forget to call into the Franciscan Village to meet our sisters there!
Death of Cardinal Virgilio Noè(July 24th, 2011)
Sr. Sue, Sr. Ramoni and Sr. Helen joined our sisters of the Italian Province for the funeral of Cardinal Noè, who was 89. He was a great friend of the Institute and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his unceasing support for the cause of Beatification of Mary of the Passion.
Conclusion:
We will soon celebrate together on August 15th the Assumption of Mary, which was chosen by the general chapter of 1884 as a special “family feast day” for the Institute. In union with Sr. Sue, who will be on a visit with Sr. Celestine, to our sisters in the Province of Burkina Faso, Togo and Niger, we confidently renew our trust in Mary’s faithful intercession for “her missionaries”, as when at Cana of Galilee she saw they had no wine.
2
[1] CG 2008 – Introduction
[2] Micah 6:4
[3] CG 2008 – page 3
[4] My God is My All: The Spirituality of the Provincial Superior as seen in her Customs Book.
[5] New Provincials Theme: “Leading from the Spirit within” Dates: January 6th – January 31st , 2012
EGC Theme: “Embracing Change, with Francis and Mary of the Passion Towards Freedom of Heart and Hope for our World” Dates: February 2nd – March 2nd, 2012.
[6] GC 2008, A2
[7] 8 Provinces from Africa; 2 from Asia; 2 from Europe 3 from South America and 1 from North America
[8] Italy, Spain, France-Switzerland, Belgium-Holland-Faroe Islands, Portugal, Central Europe and Ireland-Malta-UK
[9] For more details go to www.ff2011jmj.org