Echo of "Journeying Towards Transformation" held in Quezon City

 

Sr. M. Juliet Abrigo and Sr. M. Teresita Cordova, facilitated the echo of the session on “Journeying Together Towards Transformation” last June 8, feast of Blessed Maria Droste at the Rosary Hall of Good Shepherd Community in Quezon City.

The session, held from May 1-21 in Angers, France, was organized for the Good Shepherd Sisters 3-10 years final professed and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity. The participants included 44 young sisters from 22 units to journey together towards transformation to bring new life to the mission today. There were five contemplative sisters and four OLCs in the group.

The group gathered in Angers not only to meet history but to seek out deep spirituality and participate in the transformative processes that our mission calls us to today. There was dialogue and encouragement, challenge and questions. Sr. Brigid Lawlor, congregational leader in her letter of greetings to the group, encouraged them to seek out prophetic possibilities and to discover change and newness.

During the echo, Srs. Juliet and Tess shared with the sisters in the Philippine Province their experiences during the session and the common experience of being at the Mother House and in Noirmoutier, birthplace of St. Mary Euphrasia.

This is the second time that the congregation has organized a session for sisters 3-10 years Final Professed. In 2009 the first session was held in September. Philippine delegates to the sessions were apostolic sisters Minela Alvarez and Emma Marzan and contemplative Laarni Bongato.

Among the facilitators of the 2011 sessions were Sr. Susan Chia, Sr. Evelyn Fergus and Sr. Claire Nolan.

(Below is an article that Sr. M. Juliet Abrigo and Sr. Ma. Teresita Cordova wrote on behalf of the participants of the Angers session.)

Rouse Yourselves and Go Forward... SME

Coming home with “newness” and challenged in our passion for Mission after the three week journey in Angers, we are compelled to live transformation.  The ground of our becoming starts with the deep self-awareness that impels us to move beyond our old limits of self-judgement, prejudices, non-life giving   structures within, and resistance to adapt effective paradigms.  This brings us to a new level of life and a new depth of heart.

When we glean value from our own experience, wisdom and insight then with great conviction we can take risks with radical prophetic “baby steps”: suspend judgments, take initiatives, ask questions, be active listeners.  We move from comfort zones to the margins with confidence; we open our structures to lay partnership; we take responsibility for growth and for mission.

To transform our mind set requires a decisive choice. Participative forms of leadership, inclusive justice, consultation, dialogue/conversation, flexibility, process orientation, and co-responsibility all are a kind of “kissing justice”- changing the structure of relationships. 

Justice as an integrated element in our spirituality challenges us to a way of life that rebalances dysfunctions in systems such as community, political bodies, economic organizations, religious institutions and the Church. Social analysis can be applied to make concrete changes, responsive to the human dignity. We used the new Good Shepherd position papers on Congregational priorities; we are to urge further study and implementation in our Units. We leave with enthusiasm to create and participate in networks in line with our mission in local, national and international agencies. 

FORWARD... GO FORWARD... LET US WALK OUR TALK. 

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