(Pls scroll down to view the visit to other communities)

February 4 - 7, 2009

MO. GENERAL MA. INEZ FURTADO, WITH GENERAL CONSULTOR, SR. JOCELYN SALOMO VISIT MANRESA SCHOOL COMMUNITY

            “ ... It will also be of great help that she visits the Sisters and the communities in the places where they live and work…,” (CFI 232) and so the visit of Mo. General to her daughters in Manresa School Community on February 4- 7, 2009 began.

            It was around 4: 30 in the afternoon of February 4, when Srs. Rebecca, Nelida, Nilda and Carlita,our postulant excitedly left the community to fetch Mo. General and Sr. Joy at the airport. The sisters who were left in the house gathered themselves in front of the gate and joyfully waited for their arrival.  It was almost 8:00 pm when they arrived. The house was filled with joy and excitement as everyone gathered together for a sumptuous supper, enjoying the presence of Mo. General and Sr. Joy.

          In the morning of February 5, the whole educative community, except for the preschoolers, gathered themselves in the gymnasium to welcome Mo. General and Sr. Joy. Mr. Eleazar Solas, the emcee of the activity called out on stage Sr. Nelida Penaflorida, the Directress- Principal of the school,   to formally introduce Mo. General and Sr. Joy.  It was followed by a welcome dance performed by the selected teachers highlighting the word MABUHAY, a gracious and joyful tribute of the community to them.

The Welcome...

          The celebration continued as students level representatives came out from the back stage and showered Mo. General with their messages and greetings as each one of them approached Mo. General and Sr. Joy in their seats and handed them garlands and bouquet of flowers. The teachers, alumni, the Blessed Candida Foundation and the Parents Auxiliary officers also joined the students in this joyous moment as they too expressed to Mo. General and Sr. Joy how happy and blessed they were to have the head of the Congregation come and visit them.        

     

Welcoming Mother General and Sr. Jocelyn with garlands and bouquets of flowers

 

          They too, gave Mo. General and Sr. Joy their token of love and gratitude as they exchanged hugs and “thank you” words to one another. It was a beautiful moment to cherish and savor as everyone witnessed the gift of communion- present and alive in the community. After this beautiful expression of love and welcome for the visitors, Mo. General with Sr. Joy went up the stage to thank the students, teachers, parents, alumni and the Blessed Candida Foundation representatives for the warm and loving gesture of welcome and love. After this,   Mo. General and Sr. Joy had a tour around the school, with Srs. Nelida and Rebecca accompanying them.

                  

          On the second day, the community was privileged to have Mo. General and Sr. Joy during the celebration of the Eucharist with Fr. Chris Dumangdang, S.J. as celebrant. After the celebration, Mo. General together with Srs. Joy, Rebecca and Nelida had a short visit with the kids and teachers in the preschool department. This made the kids and the teachers happy and blessed as they had seen Mo. General in person. According to them, they were edified because they met someone who represents the person of our Mo. Foundress, Blessed Candida Ma. de Jesus.

           At the Kinder department

          The normal routine followed as Mo. General resumed the schedule of spending time in getting to know the sisters through individual conference. In the afternoon ,at around 4:00 p.m. Srs. Rebecca, Nelida, Teodora and Nilda conducted Mo. General and Sr. Joy to Area Seven and Lupang Hinirang, our adopted communities. The heavy rain and the discomfort it brought did not stop Mo. General and Sr. Joy to visit and really see the reality of the place. When they reached the site, the area leaders and coordinators were already there, waiting. They shared with  Mo. General their experiences both their joys and difficulties in the responsibilities they were holding and those responsibilities molded them to become closer to Jesus.

 

The encounter with the families at the Area

          On the third day, the community brought Mo. General and Sr. Joy to the Benedictine Abbey Chapel for the Sunday Mass. The community encounter followed and was held at the conference room of the school. Mo. General solicited from the community the topics to be discussed and from there she started her discussion. Most of the community members asked a question related to formation as we are in the formative community.

      

The Community Encounter with Mother General

          She explained emphatically the role of the community in the formation of  the formands in whatever level or stage she belongs. She continued by saying that “Formation today should answer the challenges of the future and this would only be possible if we have contact and connection with the realities of the world and we have the capacity to work with other people of different cultures. We need to go out to the world and reach out to them and not just wait for them to come to us. Formation should center at Jesus…. to see and to find God in everything to be able to follow him. Each then has the responsibility to collaborate in this direction of the Congregation regarding formation.

          With more passion and zeal she challenged the community to become religious women with spirituality- women of discernment who knows how to listen and put it into action the fruits the Spirits inspiration. However, she warned the community no to be like  busy bodies who just focus on the work and its success and forgets what is essential. There were lots of beautiful things that have challenged the sisters and one of those was the last words of Mo. General which says: “We have to put our faith and trust in God as we sign our blank check and leave the rest to Him who constantly guides us to where He wants us/ the Congregation to be in our Mission in this world full of uncertainties. This is not our moment but the moment of God.

           

The Manresa School Community with Mother General and Sr. Jocelyn

          We thank God for gracing us His Presence through the person of Mo. General and for Sr. Joy, thank you for allowing us to experience God’s love and generosity.

 

By Sr. Lorena Sevilla, F.I.

 

Some impressions after the visit...

          -Mo. General’s visit was over but her burning energy of zeal and love for the Congregation and her mission continue to be felt in the community . So, they gathered again in prayer and shared their impressions of the  visit: Here’s some of them:

          -Mo. General’s  visit is indeed a graced moment that leaving a contaminating energy  that impels me to act with more conciousness  to always project Jesus’ face in the person I meet and  in my way  of  relating with whom I am working.
-Our conference gave me a clear direction towards the common goal and mission of the congregation in facing the challenge of responding to the needs of the world today and in the future.

          -Our familial interactions with her deepens our filiation and clarifies in actual situation the obedience –authority that we been reading,reflecting and trying to live. Her presence is a hands-on experience that leaves a lasting effect.   Sr. Elvie, F.I.

 

February 9 - 12, 2009

SR. Mª. INEZ FURTADO, TOGETHER WITH SR. JOCELYN , VISIT TAHANAN CANDIDA MARIA DE JESUS, QUEZON CITY

The Community of Tahanan Candida Maria de Jesus, with Srs. Mª. Inez and Jocelyn (kneeling in front)

          On February 9-12, 2009, she came like a gentle breeze, silently, umobtrusively, as a Sister among Sisters. Every day for four days, she listened to each one of the 27 sisters in the community, intently and whole-heartedly, without hurry. Every day she dined with us, one day she celebrated the birthday of Sr. Jocelyn Salomo. She never took the center stage, just enjoyed with us. IN doing so, she made each one of us and our community feel valued and important.

          At the end of each day, she presented slides of the different communities she visited, showing the Sisters different situations in life with varied apostolic involvements. This made us feel strongly our oneness with our Sisters, thus strengthening our fraternal bonds as Congregation across barriers of nations, culture or even economic divide. It also suggested to us new ministries we may carry on as elderly Sisters.

          On February 12, the Community encounter, in which the community of Mater Dei joined, clinched the four-day visit and also started the visit to the other community. There, she did not prepare an agenda for us, rather, she culled it from our own questions and interventions, and of course our personal sharing with her and her own observations. Like a two-edged sword of Light, she focused on the basics of our life and voation and with clarity and emphasis, even with humor, contrasted the outdated, understanding the nebulous practices of our mission, obedience-government, our being spiritual, our following of Christ, etc. with what EURF presents. Given the world situation today, she emphasized we will be fewer, but we hope to contribute significantly to the building of the Kingdom of God, already dawning in this globalized world. Thus, the call for change is urgent. As Hijas de Jesus we should be able to collaborate with all people of goodwill of any culure. To do this we should be listening to the urgings of the Holy Spirit and welcoming life as it comes. Indeed, she was a gently breeze blowing in fresh air, with Light enlightening obscurities and overcoming darkness, enthusiasm kindling hope, and warmth evoking commitment to solidarity, obedience.

More pics of the encounter...

 

Sr. Mª. Inez during her talk...

          Thank you very much, Sr. Mª. Inez! And also to Sr. Jocelyn! We love you and we look forward to your coming back! Soon?

By Sr. Mª. Editha Linterna, F.I.

 

An Impression on the visit...

..." for me the visit was very satisfying, thorough, because I was able to tell her everything: my thoughts, my doubts, my feelings. She was a very good listener. She has a gift for listening, understanding, is open- hearted, allowing... so I was happy after the sharing." - Sr. Rose J.

 

February 13- 14, 2009

Visit to Mater Dei Community

          “At home!” This is what the Sisters in the community felt when Mother General and Sr. Jocelyn would come every time and anytime they arrive at the Mater Dei Provincialate. During those days, the Sisters did not really feel “visited” but rather, they experienced a kind of familial atmosphere where Sr. Mª. Inez and Sr. Joy, and the whole community could relax, “work” or just be themselves.

Sr. Lee, Sr. Joy, Sr. Mª. Inez, Sr. Georgita, Sr. Remedios and Sr. Thelma- Mater Dei Community Picture

A stroll in the garden...

a time to relax...

          Because the sisters are few in the community, the individual conference was finished in one morning. The atmosphere was one of spontaneity, of naturalness, openness and an attitude of availability. This same was the atmosphere that permeated the whole time but most particularly during the recreation where the community enjoyed in  whatever undertaking we had together.

           Thank you, Sr. Mª. Inez and Sr. Joy, for blessing our community with your presence. And just like in any family, we look forward to the next time when we will be together again.

 

 Click to go to the TOP   

Click to go to Page 1

Click to go to Page 2

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS