Well, well … the Chapter has given us a surprise at the last moment. Remember we told you that tomorrow we would have the closing Eucharist… but it didn’t work out like that. At the end of this evening we had a celebration to close the Chapter. What happened before? Well, here’s what happened.
We returned to the Chapter hall at 15.15 and Micheline invited the capitulants to share some of what they had experienced during these days (moments of greater trust, search together, respect, listening, openness to a wider vision of the gift received by Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, greater sense of Holy Family identity…
Then, an evaluation sheet was distributed which capitulants were asked to hand in either during the evening or the following morning
The following step is more delicate: how was the Chapter to be transmitted to the Sisters? The answer of course is that it depends on the different realities. However some creative ideas were shared which would involve all the sisters.
A very emotional moment followed. Margaret made some important announcements. She thanked Mary Loughran and Mercedes Mendiguchia for all the work that they did during the last years in the General Administration – 17 and 18 respectively. Strong emotions as you can see from the photos!
Margaret, in her closing words, invited us all to go forth, to come out of our caves (an allusion to the prophet Eljah and to hear God’s whisper in the small seemingly insignificant things of every day. We have the capacity and the desire to be open to change and we have the strength to incarnate our Charism in our world today.
She emphasised how much she valued the participation of the whole Institute in the preparation for the Chapter and how all the members of our family followed the daily events through the website (21000 visits to the blog) and through the flashes which were sent out daily.
Her desire: that we all commit ourselves to communicate this vision, together with the great enthusiasm that has been felt by all during these days.
Then came a long list of thanks – thanks also to all of you who have read of all the proceedings each day, because you too have participated in this Chapter with he responses to the work that had been sent prior to the Chapter. Thanks also to all the members of the Family who have demonstrated their closeness by the many communications received.
Now comes the final moving moment – THE CLOSING CELEBRATION.
The tree of life that had been decorated on the first day of the Chapter, and the ribbons which were with us all during our daily Eucharists were brought into the Chapter room.
In the middle of the room was the clay pot in which seeds brought from all parts of the world had been planted. These seeds had now grown into fresh green shoots. Around the pot, three sisters presented symbols of the other groups in our family – bread (Secular institute), a lighted candle (Lay Associates) and a Bible (Priest Associates). The entire Family accompanies us.
A hymn of hope was then sung followed by a prayer of thanksgiving as we held the ribbons in our hands. In conclusion these were gathered up and given to Margaret.
“Share with them all the dangers of the journey”… “ May the love with which you have love me be in them, so that the world may believe” resounds in the hall.
Finally each one received a very beautiful clay pot (see the photos)
These were passed from one to the other until each sister held a pot in her hands - round, made of three different colours … (the gift received is to be passed on) We raised them high and Margaret said the following blessing:
May you be blessed with the strength of Heaven
The light of the sun and the radiance of the moon
The splendour of fire, the speed of lightning
the depths of the sea, the swiftness of wind
the stability of earth and firmness of rock
And so… everything comes to an end.. or rather it is only beginning … Bye!
We returned to the Chapter hall at 15.15 and Micheline invited the capitulants to share some of what they had experienced during these days (moments of greater trust, search together, respect, listening, openness to a wider vision of the gift received by Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, greater sense of Holy Family identity…
Then, an evaluation sheet was distributed which capitulants were asked to hand in either during the evening or the following morning
The following step is more delicate: how was the Chapter to be transmitted to the Sisters? The answer of course is that it depends on the different realities. However some creative ideas were shared which would involve all the sisters.
A very emotional moment followed. Margaret made some important announcements. She thanked Mary Loughran and Mercedes Mendiguchia for all the work that they did during the last years in the General Administration – 17 and 18 respectively. Strong emotions as you can see from the photos!
Margaret, in her closing words, invited us all to go forth, to come out of our caves (an allusion to the prophet Eljah and to hear God’s whisper in the small seemingly insignificant things of every day. We have the capacity and the desire to be open to change and we have the strength to incarnate our Charism in our world today.
She emphasised how much she valued the participation of the whole Institute in the preparation for the Chapter and how all the members of our family followed the daily events through the website (21000 visits to the blog) and through the flashes which were sent out daily.
Her desire: that we all commit ourselves to communicate this vision, together with the great enthusiasm that has been felt by all during these days.
Then came a long list of thanks – thanks also to all of you who have read of all the proceedings each day, because you too have participated in this Chapter with he responses to the work that had been sent prior to the Chapter. Thanks also to all the members of the Family who have demonstrated their closeness by the many communications received.
Now comes the final moving moment – THE CLOSING CELEBRATION.
The tree of life that had been decorated on the first day of the Chapter, and the ribbons which were with us all during our daily Eucharists were brought into the Chapter room.
In the middle of the room was the clay pot in which seeds brought from all parts of the world had been planted. These seeds had now grown into fresh green shoots. Around the pot, three sisters presented symbols of the other groups in our family – bread (Secular institute), a lighted candle (Lay Associates) and a Bible (Priest Associates). The entire Family accompanies us.
A hymn of hope was then sung followed by a prayer of thanksgiving as we held the ribbons in our hands. In conclusion these were gathered up and given to Margaret.
“Share with them all the dangers of the journey”… “ May the love with which you have love me be in them, so that the world may believe” resounds in the hall.
Finally each one received a very beautiful clay pot (see the photos)
These were passed from one to the other until each sister held a pot in her hands - round, made of three different colours … (the gift received is to be passed on) We raised them high and Margaret said the following blessing:
May you be blessed with the strength of Heaven
The light of the sun and the radiance of the moon
The splendour of fire, the speed of lightning
the depths of the sea, the swiftness of wind
the stability of earth and firmness of rock
And so… everything comes to an end.. or rather it is only beginning … Bye!
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