Bericht vom Ausbildungstreffen der Juniorinnen

Ende Mai haben sich die Juniorinnen der CJ, des IBVM und die Novizin Margareta in der englischen Küstenstadt Whitby zu einer Ausbildungswoche getroffen. Der Fokus war auf die Frage gerichtet, wie man seine Gelübde im Ordensleben lebt. Die deutsche Übersetzung des Berichts können Sie hier nachlesen.

In the last week of May, a formation meeting took place on the English coast, in the town of Whitby, focused on the way of living the vows in religious life. The meeting was organized by the English province. The speaker was Matthew Power SJ, who is responsible for the formation of Jesuit novices in Birmingham. Four junior sisters took part: Mariana (Romania), Katarína (Slovakia), Charlotte (England), Kamila (Czech Republic), and novice Margaréta (Slovakia). Also present were the sisters responsible for our formation: Archanjela and Simeona from Slovak province, and Ewa from English IBVM provice. Each one of us will share our experiences in the following lines:

Archanjela: “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called...” (Ephesians 1, 18) These words of St. Paul, read on the Feast of the Assumption—which was the penultimate day of our formation meeting in Whitby (just two hours away from the birthplace of Mary Ward)—filled me with great joy and gratitude for the gift of each of our vocations. It was a great enrichment and encouragement for me to experience this European community, and I would like to sincerely thank Ewa Bem IBVM and Charlotte, as well as all the other sisters of the English CJ province who contributed in any way to making it happen.

Ewa: Mary Ward’s quote on the candle we used sums up the week we spent together: ‘Whoever has become a friend, will be a friend for ever.’ A fabulous week of joy and laughter, prayer, reflection and sharing and an opportunity to renew old friendships and make new ones.

Katarína: I am very grateful for the opportunity to spend a week in Whitby with my co-sisters. The mutual sharing of personal experiences by the juniors deeply encouraged me. I am thankful for each one of us who helped create this lovely community during a week full of peace, joy, laughter, and reflection on the consecrated life. I’ll never forget drinking coffee in the rain together, enjoying the typical English weather.

Simeona: The meeting in Whitby was a beautiful time for me, thanks to the generosity and spontaneity of God and sisters. It was a time of sharing our lives in and with God. I am grateful for the gifts received, for new impulses and the life that God has given me through the community that has been created and the diversity within it.

Charlotte: It was really wonderful to meet as a formation group last week and to experience our house in Whitby full of younger sisters living in a community of prayer and study.  Some of us had lived together during noviciate whilst others had never met, but we all quickly felt at home and the house rang with love and laughter as shared with our hearts as well as an eclectic mix of languages.  Fr Matthew gently guided our conversation and it was very special to be able to celebrate mass together in the house chapel each day.  I hope we will be able to meet together again before too long.

Margaréta: In moments of mutual listening and sharing the treasures of my sisters' spiritual experiences, I felt awe and reverence—that I was allowed to perceive the beauty and depth of their souls, and joy that God has called me to co-create this community.

Mariana: Personally, I felt deeply encouraged by the presence of the young sisters who look to the future of the congregation with hope and confidence. This meeting filled my heart with joy and gratitude. I hold on to the living hope that the Lord will grant us new opportunities to meet again and to collaborate in the service of His Kingdom.

Kamila: “The three vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience are meant to help me to stride forward creatively & joyfully into our world radiating a creative response to life, cultivating the three deepest roots in the human soul – Giftedness, Love and Generosity.” (Fr. Dermot Preston SJ) With deep gratitude for the generosity, giftedness and love of every sister in Whitby, to Fr. Matthew SJ for his gentle and kind guidance and to Our Creator who created us, the unbelievably beautiful Yorkshire and the unrestrained North Sea. St. Ignatius, Mary Ward and St. Hilda of Whitby, pray for us!

Text und Bilder: Mariana (Romania), Katarína (Slovakia), Charlotte (England), Kamila (Czech Republic),Margaréta (Slovakia)