Session internationale 2008

Mother-House, Vannes

Winds of Hope...

From July 11 to August 10, 2008, the third formation session for sisters of temporary vows was held in Vannes. The members of
the International Formation Team and fourteen sisters coming
from Madagascar, Haiti, Senegal and Mali, accompanied by their Directresses of Formation, met together to experience the international dimension of the congregation. Cf. Decree 2000

Dear sisters of the province of France! How good it was to hear you tell us : "You are at home here!" We experienced it deeply all during our stay. Be assured of our gratitude for your warm welcome and your unstinting care and dedication that facilitated this time of formation.

And you, dear sisters of the different provinces and vice-province: You have participated by your prayer and your interest; thank you so much! We are happy to give you some highlights of this session. The theme underlying our journey was the following : "SCSL, let ourselves be fashioned according to the heart of God, to love and serve our time and our emerging world…" "for nothing is impossible with God." C.A.. 2006. Lk. 1

We were witnesses to the persevering commitment of our sisters of temporary vows. Impressed by their devotion to Mother St. Louis and their fresh perspective on the congregation, we grew along with them in the consciousness of forming a body of apostolic SCSL. In these few lines you will discover that they are truly a "Breath of hope."
The sisters of the International Formation Team:

Yvette Plessis, Alberte Piché, Josette Jeune, Jeannine Chedaleux, Eily McAllister, Rita Dostaler,
Marcelline Raseliarinoro, Clémence Therrien.

N.B. Rita-Francine Koné was absent.

Senegal and Mali

At the conclusion of the session, we can give witness that community life is transformative. We have grasped the importance of reviewing our life periodically. Along with the discovery of our own gifts, we discovered the link with the charism of Mother St. Louis, with that of the congregation, and the confirmation of these gifts
in the Word of God. We feel ourselves strongly committed by our vows and by the raising of our awareness. We are now sent forth with new wind beneath our wings, "for nothing is impossible with God."

Éliva Raharimalala, Marie Mimose Norpélus, Marie Andréna Lauture

A "visitation" with you, S.C.S.L.

We want to share with you our joy and the fruit of our intercultural experience at our international session of 2008. Thank you for having encouraged us by your prayers and your support. During this month, we experienced community life as a way of growth. We enjoyed how each person committed herself to create a good atmosphere, times of leisure, free and honest sharing, and meaningful relationships. We let down the barriers of our cultural differences.

We believe… and we have now experienced… that we can really live together, because the other is my sister. And "nothing is impossible with God". It is a challenge to love more deeply, with a charity that sees beyond our differences, our place in the family, our titles or diplomas, our functions… The discovery of our own gifts, as related to the charism of Mother St. Louis and Our Lady of the Visitation, gives us strength and energy for the mission.

A "visitation" from Mother St. Louis, in the person of Eily, told us: "My daughters, you cannot literally imitate what I have done because you do not live within the same context, but you can live with the same love and compassion in your world
of today."

Haïti

Marie Denise La Paix, Danièle Senghor, Florence Raholiarivony

"… for nothing is impossible with God."

Very dear Sisters! We, the most junior scsl, are happy to share with you some highlights of this session 2008,
as we experienced it in the Mother House, the cradle of our congregation.

Immediately upon our arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our sisters. The opening celebration saw us each presenting our symbol of commitment to this session. And everything was linked together by the numerous "visitations", such as that of Mary with Elisabeth, that of Mother St. Louis with her people, her sisters, her children.

Madagascar

Our session on the vows, during the second week with sister Lucie Licheri p.s.a., helped us a lot to have a better understanding of the evangelical counsels. The week of retreat with one of our sisters, Marie-Thérèse Le Roux, allowed us to see
Mother St. Louis as a way toward God. And the last week, with the help of the international formation team, and the continued support of their guidance and
that of the directresses of formation, we made a deeper search of the gifts
God had given us.

We have experienced, and are experiencing, joy, peace, solidarity;
the give-and-take of a life lived in communion. We would like the international sessions to continue, for they promote our growth and direct our journey.
Thank you for your prayers. We are united to you!

Véronique Diatta, Marie Roseline Hilaire, Noëlline Rasoarimalala

Nature has much to teach us…
If we but let it speak to us…

Have you ever observed an eucalyptus tree? We have had the experience, and just as the eucalyptus tree loses its bark so as to renew itself and grow, so we, SCSL, have bark that must be shed so that we can live together in trust, love, openness, peace and mutual respect.

Like Mary and Mother St. Louis, we want to be women, bearers of life, hope and joy, "for nothing is impossible with God." With this international session, we have had the experience of identifying our own bark that must be shed, and we have new means of pursuing our objectives. With trust.

Méry Espérance et Charline Ramamihery

Our differences, our treasure!

Our gathering here in Vannes, with sisters of five nationalities, has given us opportunity to experience events rich in shared moments of trust and respect. We can now say that our differences make up our treasure, and that it is the charism that unites us in one same congregation.

During our retreat, we experienced how Mother St. Louis was a way toward God. We want to share with you some meaningful aspects. To set off on a retreat is to set off for a "visitation with God". We leave behind external,
superficial things in order to enter into relationship with God… Mother St. Louis preceded us in her detachment
from self. She reminds us of our commitment to God, with whom we have made a covenant. Mother St. Louis sought the Glory of God. We have the same objective.

In the session on the vows, three verbs were presented to make the living out of those vows even more concrete: Listen, Look, Let yourself be touched. Do you see their link with the vows? These verbs launch us toward openness… At the end of the session, we were asked to compose our own magnificat. This called for us to listen,
to look and to let ourselves be touched. We have the signposts by which to live the love of charity.

Louisette Ravololonarisoa, Vanita Pierre-Louis Yolande Randrianasolo.

At the cradle of the congregation

We spent some marvelous days at the cradle of our congregation. It was a wonderful example of international community life which we experienced together in peace, joy, group effort and dialogue.

In a skillful manner, sister Lucie Licheri, p.s.a. presented us with an insightful and solid instruction on the vows,
in light of a biblical perspective and an anthropological approach. She underlined the importance of an evaluation
of our life in community.

It was already a grace to live in the place where we were founded and to make a retreat there. Add to that the conviction of sister Marie-Thérèse Le Roux who introduced us to Mother St. Louis as a way toward God for today. Everything is here to stimulate a thoughtful meditation and a true commitment to follow Christ the Redeemer.

Congratulations to the sisters of the International Formation Team, who spared no effort in putting forward, day after day, a process of growth by way of interiorization and communication in order to bring about our personal integration. They were watchful over our wellbeing until the very end.

Les sœurs Responsables de formation, Jeannine Coëdelo,
Marie Blais, Clotilde Couture et Denise Joseph.

Members of the International Formation Team Vannes 2008

Since the final word was left to me, I want first of all to say thank you. Thank you to the
International Formation Team, to the Directresses of formation of our various provinces and vice-province.
Thank you to sister Marie-Thérèse Le Roux. And a very special thank you to sister Yvette Plessis and sister Alberte Piché who were able to bring together their respective competences before and during the session.
They helped our sisters of temporary vows to experience what it means to be "congregation"; a personal and communal experience of our charism, of that revitalizing gift, that is so generously offered to every one of us daily.

May this "Wind of Hope", from Brittany, reach and touch each sister of Charity of St. Louis.
And if "every gift of God is a human task", let us draw from these testimonies a new energy,
"for nothing is impossible with God." May this assurance accompany
and renew every one of our "visitations."

Sister Nicole Jégo General Superior


	International Formation Session Vannes, Summer 2008	Retour : français