10 TPs from Lesotho, Rwanda and Uganda re-united at a workshop in South Africa.
This was a wonderful moment for us to meet together, as for most of us we had shared good time in novitiate, whereas some were seeing each other for the first time in their lives as Holy Family members. This was the time that we all had been longing for and we were indeed very happy when at last, came and we met at this workshop. Our facilitators Srs. Breda who formed all of us in the Novitiate in South Africa, Colleen, Priscilla and Mme Elianora from Lesotho led us through this process of being enriched by the workshop.
The purpose for the workshop was:
- Together as new holy family members in Africa
- To grow in enthusiasm for mission realizing that if we don’t dare now then when?
- To be transformed by the emerging world view
- Deepening commitment to our vowed life and grow in co-responsibility.
During the workshop, we had a time for personal and group reflections. In group reflections we used the method called, “the corporate reflection process.” The corporate reflection process enabled us to work together in a way that the wisdom of the group was heard through shared reflection and listening. Attentive to the Holy Spirit within and among us was essential for this quality of listening and relating.
During this time we awakened that indeed if we don’t dare now then when? This came out of the reflections we did some based on the reality we watched on DVD clips, our holy family document “vowed for mission and corporate commitment of 2014 chapter”, the pope’s message to Africa when he visited Kenya, Uganda and Central Africa in November 2015 shortly before our workshop. All this opened our eyes to a new world view to be daring young sisters ready to bring about Communion. Our visit to Maropeng (the origin of Humanity) in Gauteng was a great moment for us, moved with wonder and surprises to see from history up to the present our interconnectedness with the “whole” that has life forming one big family of God. This visit connected very well with the reflections our facilitators had been leading us through and we appreciated the wonder of our creative God at work even today.
We realized how our Human selfish actions have degraded the rest of creation and the effects we see today in climate change, diminishing of some animal species, natural disasters and so on. We saw that change is possible and our each one’s little contribution will make a difference. We committed ourselves as young sisters still burning with the fire of zeal, to go to our communities, our areas of apostolate, and schools for those who are students and parishes to start now and share this good news of the change of mind set. Start where we are to be agents of change, to evangelize with new world view, inclusive and attentive to the signs of the time as we go out to live our vowed for mission.
If we don’t dare now, then when? Let us go forward, passionately, enthusiastic with openness to build communion in Africa.
7th-19th December 2015