Dialogue at the beginning of Mass between Carmeline and Christaline to explain to those present the meaning of the celebration.
CELEBRATION OF THE TWO MARTILLAC COMMUNITIES
MARKING THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF
THE FIRST HOLY FAMILY SISTERS IN SRI LANKA
Dialogue at the beginning of Mass between Carmeline and Christaline to explain to those present the meaning of the celebration.
Christaline: Good morning, Carmeline, could you please explain why we are here this morning?
Carmeline: Yes, with pleasure: We are here to celebrate Mass in thanksgiving for the zeal and generosity of our first Mothers and of all the sisters who, for 150 years have given their lives in the service of the people of Sri Lanka.
Christaline: So we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Holy Family of Bordeaux in Sri Lanka!
Carmeline: Yes. After a 45-day sea voyage our first Mothers arrived in the south of Sri Lanka on the 6th September 1862. A few weeks later, with the permission of the Government, they moved to the north of the Island.
Christaline: Can you tell me how many European sisters went to Sri Lanka in the beginning and where they came from?
Carmeline: The Founder wanted to send 6 sisters in the beginning, but due to the needs of people and the situation of the country, the number of sisters was raised to 29. They came from France, Spain, Ireland, England, Belgium, Poland, and Holland.
Christaline: Where did they get the energy to persevere in their mission in Sri Lanka?
Carmeline: From the spirit of God Alone which gave them the courage to go ahead and help the people; also from their own zeal for the Kingdom of God.
They had to face many hardships. For example: the language, the culture, the changes in the climate; and also different kinds of diseases.
But it was their love for the people of Sri Lanka that sustained them. They appreciated their simplicity, their hospitality, their joyful presence, and their trust in God.
If someone were to ask me to talk about the quality of the services rendered by the sisters, I would reply that they were first class!
Christaline: They began by educating the children, especially orphans and very poor children,
They got schools built in which they themselves taught. They opened dispensaries, and started sewing workshops for young women and widows and other women in need of financial help. The sisters also worked in the fields.
Carmeline: Constantly open to the signs of the times and ready to take risks, within a period of 8 years they had extended their ministries to many other parts of the Island.
Today we remember with gratitude and affection those religious women. We thank the Lord for his protection and his goodness throughout these 150 years.
God is calling us as he called our Founder and first mothers to create a new society in which all his children will be gathered in one single Family under the protection of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
