3 MISSIONARY BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF TUTZING B U L G A R I A D I S T R I C T Newsletter BDN # 4 Sept-Dec 2016 Our 2016 Parish Feast Our Parish Church in Zarevbrod is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Since this year the feast fell on a week day, the community agreed to have the celebration with the parishioners on a Sunday before, which was on 11th September. It was a grace for us that we had a morning schedule which is unusual for us as normally our Sunday Masses are at 16h00. For this Sunday, we started at 09:30 with a Procession around Zarevbrod village while carrying the Pieta Statue and praying the Rosary; we came to Above: Parishioners with Sr. Quirina, OSB caring the Statue of the Pieta for the procession gather in the church for the Holy Eucharist, where our in Zarevbrod Bishop Jordanov Christov Petko, OFM was the main celebrant and Fr. Mixal Shlyanchiakh, CR concelebrated with him. Our Sisters from Sekirovo also came and it was a joyful get together of all our Benedictine Sisters serving in Bulgaria. Our two communities were honored to have three visiting sisters at this occasion, mainly: Sr. Raimunda Gaudes da Silva, OSB who was on her vacation with us from Rome; Sr. Elisabeth-Magdalena Zehe, OSB who came from Tutzing Priory, Germany, to observe the progress of the formative activity of Novice Nadia Ruzhina, (the Novice spent her 2½ months formative activity in Bulgaria.) After the Mass, we had a programme and later we had lunch for all. The Cultural Dancing Group of Zarevbrod Above: Zarevbrod Parishioners listening to the homily of Fr. Mixal, CR Village came to entertain us during the programme as well Below: Bishop Petko giving the final blessing after Mass with Fr. Mixal, CR as the sisters sang some songs. Sr. Elisabeth, OSB, our Superior had her 75th Birthday four days early, but since we were all gathered together, she was included with some special wishes and she had to cut her Birthday Cake. The Parish Feast is a day that the parishioners often look forward to; there were about 70 people in attendance, something we hardly get on an Ordinary Sunday. Some parishioners of St. Ana’s Church of the Eastern Rite in Shumen also joined us. One of our parishioners jokingly said “We want to have a feast every Sunday…” It was a well spent day together for all who came! Opposite: Sr. Elisabeth seen Above: Bishop Petko and Fr. Mixal during Mass in our Zarevbrod cutting her Church. Fr. Mixal dressed in Eastern Rite vestment. Birthday cake; she was helped by Regina from Shumen. Far opposite: Benedictine Sisters performing their number BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 2 Thanksgiving Mass in Varna for the Canonization of Mo. Teresa The Missionary of Charity Sisters in Varna organized a thanksgiving Mass for the Canonization of their Foundress, Mother Teresa, now, St. Teresa of Calcutta. The Mass was help th on the 10 September, a day which is very important to the Sisters of Mother Teresa as they consider it a Day of ‘Inspiration,’ when the Saint of Calcutta heard the voice of the Lord asking her to go and satiate His thirst in the slums. It was a coincidence that on this day all our Sisters were in Zarevbrod in preparation for the Sr. Elisabeth’s 75th Birthday and the Parish Feast as said early. Above: Bishop Petko giving his remarks after the Many priests came to celebrate this Mass with Eucharistic Service while the priests seated listing on. our Bishop Petko of Ruse Diocese. At the end of the Mass, a prayer for priests composed by Mother Teresa was prayed and the people were given the chance to venerate St. Teresa’s relics. May Mother Teresa, who often said, “If I ever become a Saint–I will surely be one of ‘darkness.’ I Opposite: A closer look at the Statue of St. Teresa will continually be absent from Heaven–to light beside the Altar the light of those in darkness on earth,” pray for us now who are still on this journey in need of light! 20th INTERNATIONAL RENOVABIS CONGRESS 2016 RENOVABIS is a charitable organization of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, which was established in 1993 to help people in Eastern and Central Europe. RENOVABIS has been organizing an annual international congress in the late summer since 1996, and this year’s, the 20th Renovabis- Congress took place from 31st August - 2nd September 2016 in Freising, Above: One of the speakers presenting her speech. Germany. Its Theme was “Witnessing to the Gospel – Shaping the World. The Below: Sister participant during the congress. Role of Religious Orders in Central and Eastern Europe”. This congress was officially opened by Archbishop Dr. Heiner Koch of Berlin and a good number of experts were invited to speak on different topics. In his opening remark, His Grace Koch, encouraged the Religious to keep doing their service while keeping in mind that service ‘depends on how it is done, with a great heart.’ He called Religious to continue giving that warmth, the affection and esteem which would reveal a friendly and compassionate face to the people. The conferences were in German Language with an English translation. Our Sr. Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB and Sr. Karolina Pasek, OSB were the representatives of our community from Bulgaria at this Congress. After the meeting, the two sisters had a chance of visiting the Motherhouse in Tutzing before they returned to Zarevbrod on 05th September. Their experiences at the congress are very positive and yet called to reflect more on the challenges regarding the hopes and future of the Religious in the face of lack of vocations along with the crisis in Religious life, which is a reality fact in many communities in Eastern and Central Europe. We keep asking the Lord of the harvest, to send more labourers into his harvest. (cf. Lk. 10: 2). BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 3 Opening of the New School Year in Zarevbrod Before the New School Year 2016-2017 opened, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Primary School of Zarevbrod held its “2 in 1” event of the 19th Service Awards and the 5th Get Together of the Employees help on 13th September 2016. The Benedictine Sisters in Zarevbrod were among the guests of honors who joined in the festive programme which took place outside the school building under the glittering stars. A minute of silence was observed by all to pray for the deceased friends of the school who died during the year. Among them was Trifon Panayotov, a Above: The Sisters among the crowd during the programme. longtime teacher and a researcher, who wrote the book – A story about Tsarev Brod Village. There were three main donors of the Academic year 2015-2016 who were awarded in this event. Mr. Ognian Trajanov, a Bulgarian Consul for the Filipino community in Bulgaria, was one of the three who donated computers to the school. It was announced that this donation would not have happened without the active help of our Sister Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB. On behalf of the school Mr. Tihomir Trifonov, Principal expressed much gratitude to the Sisters for the service they render to the school, especially the Summer Camp each year and the teaching of English Language for free. The parents felt somehow sad when it was announced that Sr. Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB, who has been teaching English will not teach this Above: Students performing their number during the programme. year because she has been transferred to Sekirovo Below: Mr. Tihomir Trifonov, Principal after giving the award to the Sisters’ community. community. However, they were very grateful for what Far below: Fr. Ivan, saying the blessing for the meal and the people. Sr. Maria Agnes did in the school for the past three years. There is a good connection between the schools and the Monastery in Zarevbrod and to keep this connection alive, Sr. Mary Clemens Hamukoto, OSB is assigned to teach English as a Foreign Language, in the Kindergarten and in the Primary School. After the programme, the participants were invited to the cocktail table which was first blessed by Fr. Ivan, an Orthodox priest. The blessing was also for successful new academic year, for health and well-being of the students, their teachers and their parents as well as all who were present. The New Academic Year was officially opened on 15th September, countrywide. It was stated that this year there are about 27 Primary Schools that will not function anymore due to lack of students. And in the years to come, many more will also close as many people continue to migrate to other ‘green pastures’. Bulgaria has a total population of 7 million but majority prefer to live in big cities, so much so that many villages and their schools are being closed down. The Primary School in Zarevbrod was founded in 1920 and we are grateful that it still exist compared to many village schools in the country. We pray for stability of Zarevbrod and of the Bulgarian Nation! BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 4 A N I M A T O R S C O U S E S Above: Animators playing games as part of the programme Left:. Animators during the Session. The Salesians Fathers continue to organise Animators’ Couses; this year they started the sessions of the Second Annual Retreat 2016 Group of Animators, 2016-2018. At the meantime, the First Our communities in Bulgaria were unable to have a common Group of the Animators continued with their Sessions.