YEAR OF THANKSGIVING
Our sisters from Canada is happy to share how they live this Year of Thanksgiving, in preparation for the bicentenary. They rejoice in the enthusiasm they feel in their preparation. Throughout the year they have been celebrating their history, their Holy Family roots.
Here you will find a synthesis of their reflections.
FEBRUARY
We chose to make the year 2017, a year of gratitude - to remember our Holy Family history here in Canada. We welcome this beautiful story as "sacred", because the Hand of Jesus has not stopped to bless us and his kindly look has not ceased to watch over us from the beginnings to this day. How can we not take time to remember and give thanks for the important moments of our life during these 116 years in Canada?
Let us remember that the Founder's first intuition was born in a socio-political and religious context torn apart by the French revolution. He puts all his efforts and energies to gather people who had the same passion to live the Gospel, to follow Jesus who had compassion on the suffering and who desired to build the family of the children of God, who were dispersed.
Our first Mothers, women of great courage, continued this dynamism of the Founder both in France and in the world. Though there were tensions between Church and State at the time, Holy Family was in full expansion. At the time of his death in 1861, there were 2,340 women religious, 297 Ladies of the Holy Family and 16,500 Lay Associates. They lived their commitment in France and in Europe. Our Annals show the rapid expansion of the Association in its early stages.
Since 1880 a series of laws were passed in France which led to the law of 1st July 1901. This law clearly expressed the desire to extinguish all religious associations. Compared to other associations, the Holy Family was less affected. However the expulsion of religious, freed some of them to be sent to far away countries like Sri Lanka, South Africa and Lesotho and later Canada, Brazil and several European countries.
On 2 August 1901, the foundation in Canada was accepted and the founding members were named: three French, two English, two Spanish and one Irish. On September 11 they embarked on Le Havre at Garth Castle. After a very difficult journey they arrived in Quebec on September 29, 1901.
In September 1903, six Sisters of Hope arrived.
In 1904 there were already four postulants and they began their first stage of formation in Sherbrook street, and then in St Laurent. This was seen as a blessing from the Lord for the future. In fact, in the Jubilee year of 1951, Canada had 170 women religious living in six different communities.
Our beginnings took root in a life of faith and prayer, and the figure of Abraham can help us to pray to God that we may be lead always further to a land of blessings and promise.
"Go from your land, your homeland and your father’s house to the land that I will show you ...
(Gen 12: 1-7; Gn 15:3-7)
The prayer of Abraham, at the same time, was humble and bold. (Gen 18: 17-33)
Abraham's prayer of intercession teaches something important for us today in the face of disaffection of the sacred that we find throughout our society. We have the mission to intercede: we are like the combatants, wanting at all costs that the mercy of the Lord be manifested and welcomed in all places so that love may triumph over evil in every heart. If we know how to listen, God will make us sharers in God’s plan for today's history with its ups and downs and uncertainties.
Are we ready to write this new page of our family history in Canada? Like Abraham we will have to leave what is known to us, carrying as baggage an unshakeable faith in God who guides our steps so that our journey will not be obstructed by the discomfort of change and adaptation.
Sr.Violette, Canada