On 4th October every year we celebrate the feast of our patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, a 12th century saint. Many call him patron of ecology, patron of pets etc… but we call him a man who fell in love with Jesus; a man who surrendered himself to God like a fish finding the current and going with it.
On the occasion of the vigil of the Transit of St. Francis, 3 October 2022, the Sisters asked us to give our testimony as Lay Associates of the Congregation. We must point out that Philippe has not committed himself as a member of the FMSC, he fully adheres to Franciscan spirituality and participates in the great events of the FMSC community. I (Claire) have been on my way since October 2013, and I made my definitive promise on June 8, 2018, on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
And his two disciples, hearing him speak thus, followed Jesus. Jesus then turned and, observing that they followed him, said to them: «What are you looking for?». They answered him: «Rabbi - which, translated, means master -, where do you dwell?». He said to them: «Come and see». (Jn. 1, 35-42)
To speak of vocation as God’s free gift to every person, to experience the joy of the call to life, to ask ourselves the fundamental questions that make the hearts of young people burn... these were the stimuli that encouraged us to invite some of our girls and offer them days of coexistence and reflection.
The title of the program for the days of discernment was precisely this: Come and see, with a particular emphasis on the Lord’s call to his disciples. The meeting took place from 8 to 11 August 2022 in our summer home in Troodos. These days have been precious and wonderful not only for the young people who participated but also for our Province.
Our thanksgiving goes above all to God the Father Creator, to Christ the Lord the Saviour and to the Holy Spirit Love. We had the joy of having with us 9 girls from 13 to 17 years.
We, Sister Aurora Castardo and Sister Roly Kaithakulath, have entrusted our steps to be taken to the Lord so that, in His immense love, He would guide and accompany the girls to the profound knowledge of themselves and above all of God’s will in their lives. There have been obstacles and difficulties to achieve our goals, but we have been truly sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Walking in the middle of the mountain, in the freshness and quiet, was more than relaxing. Cooking and preparing meals, washing dishes, maintaining the environment, participating in prayer... We have lived all this together and it has been a very heartfelt and meaningful experience for young women.
The girls were very curious and interested in our fraternal life in community. Living next to us sisters allowed them to venture into being together, taking care of each other and sharing some personal hardships. Through the talks with the sisters some girls have overcome even the first detachment from home and personal habits.
In the first examination with Sister Roly the young women showed such sincerity and openness. Some interesting suggestions for the next meetings were born. The intuition of volunteering was very beautiful. Why not work for something good and beautiful!
Our spiritual guide during these days of grace was Monsignor George Panamthundil. He celebrated Holy Mass and proposed very enriching reflections. He focused on values and on the vocation to life, taking inspiration from various vocational choices.
Sister Roly also developed and deepened these themes during the moments of meeting where the girls participated in the discussion and sharing. Touching were the moments during which young women opened their hearts by exposing their doubts and big questions for their own lives. The following points were considered:
The infinite love of God;
The limited love of people;
The choices in life;
Loss of life and generosity in self-giving;
The importance of community life;
Wait for the propitious time;
The great gift: the present time;
The precious pearl: to forgive and accept forgiveness.
I would like to thank with all my heart the Provincial Superior Sister Antonia Piripitsi, Sister Aurora Castardo, Mrs Lorenza Male and all the sisters who have been with us during the days lived in Troodos for their availability and adjustment. Above all, I thank the sisters who accompanied us with their prayers. I ask the Father to bless everyone and I hope that we can, together, continue to live similar experiences with the girls entrusted to us.
Sister Roly Kaithakulath
Some resonances from the young.
Dear sisters, we would just like to say a big thanks to all of you for welcoming us to your little paradise with open arms and for being wonderful and welcoming these days. It has been a pleasure to have an idea of consecrated life, always caring for others, helping those in need and above all spreading the immense love of God.
Thank you, Sister Roly and Sister Aurora, for bringing together the young people of Limassol and Larnaca. We really enjoyed getting to know each other and building strong bonds. It’s amazing how close we all got in such a short time. The wonderful and peaceful environment, the best company of the girls and sisters, the Holy Eucharist and of course, the presence of our heavenly Father. We have been able to strengthen our mutual relations and through deep reflection and prayer, we have drawn closer to God; something that we will continue to keep at home.
We are so grateful to have lived this luminous experience and we look forward to the next event (hopefully in Lisbon) for World Youth Day, where we, heralds of the Gospel, will come together to demonstrate the love we have for God and for others.
Leaders are not born but made. Vince Lombardi
Education is a journey from darkness to light and we can call it the mother of leadership; which has the key to unlock the world. It gives us a Passport to a better future with lot of inner freedom fly to a new world and turn the mirrors in to windows. Individuals who have chosen to take the educational leadership as their way of life have a huge responsibility.
Student Council assists in planning and the development of various cultural, sports, social, recreational and other educational interests of students in the institution. The Student council provides scope to contribute in the development of students' leadership skills, program planning and volunteering. They are responsible for developing and implementing a vision to meet the needs of the students they serve. The vision, mission, and goal designed must represent what the community intends for the students to achieve; to ensure achievement and the success of all students, the educational leaders must monitor and continuously improve teaching and learning.
For St. Francis School Madhira the Investiture ceremony signifies the reliance and confidence that the school consigns in the newly invested office bearers. It is not for titles but to confer responsibilities to the students, to take charge of the school and take it to the height they desire, with their leadership and decision making skills, teamwork and communication. The school student Council is formed after close scrutiny, consultation and selection which give them a feel of functioning of an official administrative body. The selected students are honoured with their respective badges such as Head Girl, Head Boy, Sport Captain and the student council members take an oath to faithfully work for the school. Sr. Lillykutty Attappattu, the School Principal, encourages the leaders to put in honest efforts for every endeavor and become an inspiration for others.
The 28th investiture ceremony celebrations of St. Francis English Medium School Madhira culminated with a thanksgiving Prayer service on the 5th September 2022 in the school auditorium. The celebration began with a prayer led by the Chief guest Rev. Fr. K. Shanthikumar, and included intercessory prayers, readings and songs of worship by the School Choir. The chief guest Rev. Fr. K. Santhi kumar reminded the newly elected leaders about their duties and responsibilities and exhorted them to develop the skills required to assess leadership capabilities to empower himself or herself in this uncertain, chaotic and complex world, by leveraging their four main capabilities such as reforming, visioning, inventing and relating. They need to develop powerful insights regarding how to uncover the power hidden within their team. We are not here merely to make a living but to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. We are here to enrich the world, and we impoverish ourselves if we forget the task. wrapped up in the mantle of accountability, the student leaders pledged to bestow their duties to the best of their abilities.
"A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way." - John C. Maxwell
Written history and that which is lived in everyday life, are scattered with investitures, sumptuous or simple ceremonies, in which one takes possession of a task or a new dignity.
Attention is focused today on the investiture, which symbolizes the beginning of professional practices, of a group of young people in the last year of studies in a technical professional high school in Chile. The Congregation of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, faithful to inspiration of its charism and the mission, carried out in the Church, considers the school as a privileged place for evangelization. The “Santa Rosa” Vocational Technical High School is an educational institution for women, officially recognized by the Bishopric of Rancagua as an Institution of Catholic Education. This high school is located in the urban area of the Libertador General Bernardo O Higgins Region, in the municipality of Rancagua.
The investiture in this high school acquires a particular tone in the educational rainbow, because in addition to training young professionals in the professional technical area with solid knowledge, it shapes Christian-Franciscan values in them, thus feeding all the dimensions of their beings, in the personal, work and social sphere.
These young people belong to a lower middle social stratum, so officially taking on professional practices, in the specialty of nurses and in administration, is a challenge to personal improvement, to promote continuous specialization as a strategy to overcome adverse realities that have a positive impact on the paths and life projects of the students.
Since this institution has Christ as its foundation, the sending to professional practice takes place in the solemn context of the celebration of the Holy Mass, in which the sisters, teachers, high school staff, representatives of institutions and parents participate. Furthermore, this ceremony takes place on the occasion of the liturgical celebration in Latin America of Santa Rosa de Lima, patroness of this high school, invoked to accompany and guide each of the students in the technical professional journey, and in this way, they are attentive to the presence of God in their life and are a reflection of His goodness to those they are called to serve.
The credentials of both degrees were blessed in the Holy Mass and the headmistress of the high school, Sister Claudia Muñoz Lehue, hands them over to the fourth grade students wearing the uniform of their specialization. The young women, with joy and satisfaction, receive their identification credentials which symbolize the beginning of their professional practices, in an attitude of service and responsibility, accompanied, with hope and love, by their parents.
As the culmination of this investiture, the young women make their promise, committing themselves to carry out a quality work, considering everything that has been learned and satisfying the requirements that the Lyceum has established for the efficient carrying out of this stage.
"I ... student of the specialty of ... I am here in front of God and those present, wearing the uniform of the specialty that identifies me as a student of the Technical Professional Lyceum Santa Rosa and which represents the beginning of a new stage in my professional training process.
I promise to wear this uniform with respect, living Franciscan values, carrying out my task professionally, learning from the experience of others and putting all my learning at the service of others. In every step I take in this experience, that enriches my knowledge and my skills, I will be guided by the humility, responsibility and fraternity that characterize our community.
I ask St. Francis of Assisi and Santa Rosa of Lima to help me follow the right path and, by their example, teach me to love and serve others with professionality and generosity. "
The commitment of the educational institution has been, since its foundation, to educate women in Christian and Franciscan values, to train them in an integral way, with skills and techniques that lead them to enter the world of work, putting everyone at the service of society. their skills, their personal and professional talents.
With the psalmist, we acclaim: Praise the Name of the Lord, all you young people!
