Sunday, Monday and Tuesday



 Sunday, October 6, 2024



~ FREE DAY~  
Roman walkabout:
Saint Peter's, vino, pasta, gelato!











Monday, October 7, 2024
 Most Holy Trinity Province Reflection
 Semarang, Indonesia
 
 Our Indonesian sisters presented a vibrant display of videos, images and highlighted reports of their many varied ministries and missions. They proclaimed that their "one shared aspiration is becoming more authentic Franciscans."   With abundant faithfulness to the gospel and with hearts of great love for Mother Magdalen, our Indonesian sisters live with expressed Joy in Service.  











Sister Christina Pecoraro's presentation on the General Chapter theme;

Grounded in the gospel we walk the synodal way 
with compassion for the world

Former General Minister and beloved by the Congregation, Sister Christina offered a brief greeting of "Ciao, Pace e Bene!" via video.  She explained that her current reality prevented her from being present in Rome physically, yet she joyfully exclaimed that she would offer what she had: Sister Joey Grabowski would lend her voice to Christina's own reflection.  And, so Sister Joey did----with animated passion and reverence for the message.  Sister Christina offered us an opportunity to consider ourselves as the widow of Nain, imagining the Earth as our only child.  Lifeless Earth, we are bereft.  Without Earth we have no paths to walk our synodal way to God.  And so the imagining continued: Jesus raises our lifeless child from the dead and places Earth alive into our arms.  How will we cherish our Earth that God provides through "continuous creation?" And the imagining then continued.....
We are deeply grateful for Sister Christina gifting us with her powerful and challenging  insights.     






Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Mary Immaculate Community (Remagen) 
Christ the King Province (Ludinghausen)
Shared reflection 

Our German Sisters led us in prayer with an ancient icon of St. Clare and Jesus. They peeled back ever deeper layers of depth and encounter between Clare and her Beloved, opening avenues for our own contemplation. 







Then, for their joint presentation, they used meaningful symbols to represent what it is to create a home, a dwelling of peace, love, and security both in structure and heart.

And they gave us brief snapshots into their current realities in community, ministries, and within the German church and civil society.  







We North Americans are very aware that our own beginnings come from the courage and deep witness of hope and joy that resides in our German sisters. Danke schön

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