Pilgrim progress- a disciple on a journey!

Sanctuary: Our Lady of the Flower Our host community is getting used to the multi-lingual liturgies as the juniors continue to be very enthusiastic in animating the liturgy, especially through song.Our programme for the day is quite busy and involved some travelling in the surrounding areas. Our itinerary today brings us to Bra to visit the Sanctuary of our Lady of the Flower, the minor seminary where Alberione spent some time, the Church of Saint Andrew where Alberione's parents were baptised and which was the parish of St. Joseph Cottolengo. The afternoon brought us to Cherasco, another very significant place for the Pauline Family and then to Narzole. First stop is a visit to honour Mary, just as our Founder would have done many times. The history of this Sanctuary dedicated to our Lady of the Flower is quite interesting. It was built on the spot where the miracle happened back in  December 1339. A young woman from the area, Egidia Mathis who was heavily pregnant, was retur

Sisters in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament After a good night's sleep, it was time to join the sisters in chapel for prayer. It was great to see such a packed chapel as the sisters are very fervent in joining in the community liturgies. For those who cannot make it to the chapel and for the bed-ridden sisters, the liturgies are transmitted to each room and public area via an intercom system, allowing all to be united in the breaking of the Bread of Life and the Word. Having finished breakfast we prepared to meet the rest of the community, especially the sisters in the infirmary. This is always a precious experience, whilst at times it can be hard to see the suffering and the difficulties of our older sisters, it is the opportunity to revisit the many blessings which we have received because of their sacrifices. It is the time to let them narrate their experiences, the stories from the beginning of the foundations, the adventures embarked upon. This is all living witness to

Checking out the route Time to pack the suitcases again...we're on the road to Piedmonte! Back to visit to the land of our origins, the land which exhales our charismatic history. It's all very exciting, especially for those who are making the journey for the first time. After participating in the Eucharist with the community, preparing our picnic (it's an 8 hr journey more or less), we piled into our minibus with Sr. M. Micaela at the wheel! A few prayers to our Lady and to our Guardian Angels later, we were on the way! Leaving early was a great idea and thus beating the traffic. Cruising along the picturesque Italian countryside is indeed a feast for the eyes. Our journey brought us through four different regions: Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany and Piedmonte, each one of them with their particular characteristics. A common characteristic to them all were the bountiful harvests of corn, various grains, fruit and the general sense of the Autumn season reminding us of creation a

Sr. M. Gemma Victorino, pddm On the 14th of September, Sr. M. Gemma Victorino, Vicar General, guided us in a virtual tour around the world with the session entitled: “Diversity is richness! Forming oneself for intercultarity” . After having reflected on our common origins, each one shared the ‘precious pearl’ of their culture together with a cultural wound of their people or reality. The session brought us to conclude that each culture has its own beauty and creativity together with its shadows, thing which have happened in our social and ecclesial history which we would prefer to forget. This echoed the workshop which we had yesterday where Sr. M. Regina had spoken to us of the importance to offer everything to God, even the dichotomy of the good and bad which exists in us. This urges us onwards towards reciprocal respect in reconciliation and humility, finding strength in the love of the Lord who gathers us in his name, even with the diversity and differences Sharing our 'pr

Session with Sr. M. Regina, Superior General Today we had the great joy and honour to welcome among us our Mother General Sr. M. Regina who was entrusted with the introductory meeting to start the course off and set us on our way for the next three months. First on the agenda was the explanation of the objective because if we're embarking on a journey, it is necessary to have a goal or a destination.Explaining this objective, she borrowed the charismatic phrase from Fr. Alberione, who in turn 'borrowed' from St. Paul: " Donec formetur Christus in vobis " or in English, "Until Christ is formed in you".This verse we find in Paul's exhortation to the Galatians, Chapter 4, 19-20. We all know how much our Founder loved this phrase and how he set out his whole life to configure his life to Christ. This is one of the most precious charismatic legacies which he leaves us especially his book with the same name which has become one of the important tools fo

The junior sisters with Sr. Regina, Superior General, Sr's Celine and Sr. Micaela, General Councillors who will be accompanying us on this journey It's official....we've begun the trimester in preparation for Perpetual Profession. The sisters arrived yesterday in their new community which will be home for us for the next three months. Squeals of delight filled the corridors yesterday with the arrival of the 6 sisters from Casa Madre Scolastica in the afternoon. Sr. M. Marta arrived earlier in the morning, whilst Sr. Louise had already been in Casa Betania for the past few days, preparing to be the 'tour guide' of Casa Betania and find out where everything is in the house!!! After unloading all the suitcases and accompanying their sisters to their rooms, we embarked on the mini-tour of the house, met the rest of the community and went for Adoration in the Church of Jesus Master before meeting for an informal meeting with our guides Sr. M. Celine and Sr. M. Mica

It's hard to believe but just another 24 hours and we're about to begin our three month intense preparation for Perpetual Profession. So who's 'we'!? A group of 8 junior sisters (sisters with temporary vows) gathered from 8 different nations are here in Rome to journey together, to explore even further the beauty of the vocation as Disciples of the Divine Master which God has so generously given to each one of us. In the upcoming days, I'll introduce you to the gang! It's a time to grow even more in our convictions, our communion with each other and to become freer in our definitive 'YES' which we want to shout out to the world with our Perpetual Profession, that is, our commitment to break open the alabaster jar of our lives, just like the woman at Bethany, and to let the perfume of our service break free and touch the lives of many, an endless giving and receiving of life.  With the initial fatigue of learning Italian overcome for the majority of