Santa Fe of Bogota and Dominican Republic, 08/08-30/2016, Srs. of Santafé.- On august, the Sisters of the Santa Fe Province lived on full of joy, the presence of our loved Sisters of the General Government between us. Their presence, simpleness, listening, counseling and cheer, stay in our heart full of gratitude, of strength, of courage, and with the best wishes to continue giving impulse to our live in the personal and communitarian mission, looking for the holiness, anchored in the love of God and the neighbor.
Thanks. "Sometimes the gratitude is so big that it goes beyond the words"
Many moments of fraternal meeting, were the colors that gave a special color to the sharing of our Province. Their arrive was at the providential time, when , a few time ago was celebrated the definitive Easter of Sr. Maria Magdalena Herrera Palacios, of grateful memory for the Province and the Congregation; it was a balsam of hope on the hard circumstances, where the sadness and happiness of the moment, were conjugated.
The job of the General Government during august, was so intense: work of Council and scheduled visitations to each one of the houses of the Province. Additionally, the Sisters participated in many events like golden wedding anniversary, St Dominic feast celebrated at the Convent with our brothers of the Order, and the Interprovincial Assembly of Health.
Sisters of the General Government with the Provincial Government of Santa FeOn the other hand, the opportunity of the General Assembly on 21th august with the participation of the majority of sisters of the Province, was so appropriate to drink again from de sources of our spirituality, throughout all the activities of the day: the praying of Lauds, the Holly Mass celebrated by Fr Said Leon O.P, Provincial Prior, who encouraged to renewal us, be creative on the mission and continue the preaching of Gospel with a big hope. The Brothers Slaves of the Kingdom, animated the celebration with their sacred music.The Assembly was a big party of communion for all of us, since the welcome offered by Sr. Berta Graciela, the wonderful creativity of each community in their presentations and the joyful way in which they shared the own features on mission; furthermore, the delicious food of Bogota and the musical show of the students of the Presentacion Tunja School, brought at afternoon swing and good taste to the meeting!
The most important thing, the message of Sr. Maria Escayola Coris, General Superior, in which she rendered thanks the mutual opportunity that we have lived for strength the fraternal cords, the knowledge, the listening, the dialogue, the communion, and the common searching for our answer to the claims of nowadays. The Congregation, says she “exists from each Sister and each Community and at the same time, each one is singular and gives the richness of her spiritual experience and from her life”. Sr. Maria explained that the time of the canonical visitation is a good time for translate to the life, some reflections of the last General Chapters and the EGC of Barcelona. She resumed those topics in three important priorities:
1. The building of the communities adapted to the necessities of today. Sr Maria proposes some keys to strength the discernment and in this way, know the God Will, search the centrality on the person of Jesus Christ, to live the relationships of closeness, fraternity, freedom, subsidiarity between us, overcoming the desires of power, the personal obstacles and other situations that could make weak the energy and get worse the processes. To live the spirituality of communion, throughout the confidence in God and the Sisters, is necessary to stimulate the dialogue, the participation, the closeness, the reconciliation, the engagement and the creativity on the mission. It could help us to open to news collaborations, take care of the harmony of life, without live in so much activities which get away from the essential.
2. Update the sense of authority and obedience, and walk towards a renovated animation style, from the Gospel, following the line of EGC in four keys: “the creativity, the leadership, the communion and the mercy, adding to them, the permanent attitude of discernment that assure the searching of the common good.”
3. The third priority call us to the reconfiguration of “the missionary map”, that in words of the Pope Francis, remember us the missional journey towards outside, an important call for all of us and we have live it in communion with de Congregation and the Church. Understanding the Dominican Jubilee, as a “year of grace, of renovation for to contemplate the Word of God, living the truth and the readiness in the mission, we have prompted to strength and rise up the charisma that each one has received with joy and hope. Sr. Maria left in our hearts the echo of her words, and we received them with so much love and as a challenge which will give sense our job in favor to the Kingdom of God.
Again, thank you so much, Sr. Maria Escayola Coris, Sr. Maria Leonor Charria Angulo, Sr. María Fabiola Duque Cifuentes, Sr. Rosario Garcés del Castillo, Sr. Blanca Aurora Marín Hoyos, H. Diana Gisela Dolorita, y Sr. Mariamma Paul Ollukaram, for all that you are and represents for our Congregation. The visitation of God to the Province was perceived in this canonical visitation, and as we said at the beginning, we want to make real our gratitude beyond the words, expressing it in the life and mission. We are praying for you all the time and you could be sure about our fraternal love for you.
Photo Album: Canonical Visit of Santa Fe
08/08-30/2016
Santa Fe of Bogotá - Dominican Republic
Visita Canónica del Gob. Gen. a Santafé