INTERNATIONAL WORLD MEETING in the Vatican City 5,000 young consecrated women and men gathering in Rome
15—19 September 2015
On 15-19 September 2015, about 5,000 young consecrated men and women worldwide gathered in the Vatican City for a meeting. It is the first such gathering ever held as part of the celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life. Four of our young FMDM Sisters from Zambia, Philippines (UK), Singapore and Malaysia who are in various stages of their formation were among the thousands who travelled to Photo (left to right): FMDM Sisters Rome for this great event. Molly Rajan, Maria Diesta, Tryphena Tan, Agness Chisenga
Meeting Pope Francis amidst huge gathering 'Wake up the World - Gospel, Prophecy, Hope' was the theme for the International Congress. This event was organized by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life as part of the Year of Consecrated Life. INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS in the Vatican City 5,000 young consecrated women and men gathering in Rome
15—19 September 2015
Pope’s Address to Young Consecrated Men and Women
“This culture of the provisional has entered the Church; it has entered Religious Communities, it has entered in families, in marriages ... The culture of the definitive: God sent His Son forever! Not provisionally, to a generation or to a country, but to all. To all and forever”
The vigil began with an entrance procession of fifty of the young religious who carried lighted lamps in commemoration of the fifty years since the events of the Second Vatican Council. An icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary was enthroned, as the young men and women religious were entrusted to the Mother of God, that they might be enable to “wake the world” with prayer, prophetic witness, and presence in the existential peripheries of poverty and thought.” Sr. Carmel Spratt who resides in the Beda College joins our ‘young’ FMDM sisters for the night vigil held in St. Peter’s Square, ROME. INTERNATIONAL WORLD MEETING in the Vatican City
Listening to the calling
Fraternal life in community
Mission
Sharing by Sr. Tryphena Tan There were three main themes: “Listening to the calling”, “Fraternal life in community” and “Mission”. I will just share briefly on each of these themes and how they affected me personally. What does it mean to listen to the call? In my own journey as a young religious, listening to the call involves listening to the voice of God speaking in the depths of my heart through the daily events in my life. Furthermore, I must be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and willing to change my mind set and/or let go of my own personal insecurity and fears which are preventing me from living in a total consecration to God. An example of my own fear is not being able to let go of being a psychologist because I was afraid that I would lose my skills. If I continue to hold on to this fear, I will not be able to fully live my life as a religious. Do I live community life as a life-giving space? This question means to have life is to be restored to the other at home. Fraternal life in community is most challenging for me. Conflicts, different opinions, and different perspective on issues in community are all very real and will keep happening, as we are human. So what can we do? The word is communion. Communion demands a shift from oneself to the other such as grasping the desires and needs of the other, to the point of being “Jewish with the Jews, Greek with the Greeks, without law with those who are without law…all things to all.” An example is if your sister in community loves to watch Coronation Street, you can try to join in not because you like to watch the series but because you would like to accompany your sister and spend time together getting to know your sister in community. This will help build relationship. What mission is this call asking me to do? For me, initially I thought that God is calling me to be a religious to help the poor and marginalized. However, after being in the congregation for 4 years (not long), I realized that God wants me to do more. He also wants me to play a part in helping my sisters and my congregation to grow and move forward. Therefore, I need to ask myself what experiences, skills and talents do I bring with me as a person keeping in mind my congregation’s mission and charism. Our FMDM charism is to conceive, give birth and nurture the word of God in other’s and in my own life. If I am able to live this charism, then I am living my mission as a Franciscan Missionary of the Divine Motherhood. The meeting ended with a joyful Eucharistic celebration in St Peter’s Basilica.
Our FMDM Community in Beda College offered great Italian hospitality to our young FMDM Sisters during their stay in Rome.
Group Photo: Sisters Carmel and Maura (2nd and 3rd from left) with our young FMDM Sisters in front of the Basilica of St. Paul just outside the Beda College.