Philippine-Australia-Saipan Province
   

A Time of Grace for the Pastorelle Sisters in Australia

in the "Year of Grace"

Annual Assembly 26-28 September 2012
 

 

From 26 to 28 September we gathered in Bundoora, Melbourne, for our Annual Assembly, a time of grace for us in this “Year of Grace” being celebrated across the Australian Church, from Pentecost 2012 to that of 2013. The call to all believers to start afresh from Christ, to contemplate the face of Jesus and hear his voice to a new depth in the knowledge that only He can lead us into the future and make us one in faith, hope and charity.

In communion with the Province and the entire Congregation we have prayed and reflected on the Articles from our Rule of Life, in particular articles 17 to 20. During the three days we began the day with the celebration of the Eucharist celebrated by Fr Thaddée, a Pallottine Priest, originally from Cameroon.

   

The morning of the first day we had with us Sr. Margaret Dwyer RSC, Vicar for Religious in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. She led us in prayer, in contemplation of the Icon of the Holy Trinity inviting us to enter the circle of Trinitarian Love, model and source of our relationships in community and in the Church.

 
 

In the afternoon we commenced the reflection of the Rule of Life through the PowerPoint presentation prepared by Sr. Brenda Balingasa, Provincial, for the animation of all the communities of the Province. For each of the articles we were invited to reflect on some questions.

 

A very lovely moment throughout the three days was the time given for each Sister to share life-giving experiences in ministry and community through spiritual reading, prayer, special encounters, studies etc. These segments were rightly called "shared wisdom", a wisdom that made us feel joy and gratitude for the beauty of our vocation, the Rule of Life, our Charism and the whole spiritual and pastoral heritage of our congregation.
 

 

The morning of the 28th we joined the whole Congregation in the prayer of thanksgiving to the Good Shepherd for the life and vocation of Sr Giuseppina Maggini, one of our pioneer Sisters, 91 years of age and 72 years of Religious Profession.  What a marvellous testimony of a life lived to the full as a dedicated Pastorelle Sister she has left to us!

 

After talking about dates and events that affect the entire community for the near future, we concluded the Assembly with the Eucharistic Hour during which each Sister expressed a special prayer of blessing for Sr. Ignacia Coching as she prepares for her Perpetual Profession at Imus, on November 21, 2012.

   

For this time of Grace, we thank you, Lord, with all our hearts!

 

 

                                                                          Sr Anna Genovese, SJBP