Chapelle de Kermaria

At Kermaria

On the 2nd February 2015,

in union with all of the Church,

and the congregation,

the communities of St Joseph celebrated Candlemas Day.

As it is the year of consecrated life, we were keen to include the laity in our celebration. The faithful from the deanery of Locminé responded to the invitation in their numbers, as did several associates. The nave of the chapel was well-filled. Light and songs lent solemnity to the occasion.

Father Yves CARTEAU, the dean of the sector, surrounded by several priests and a permanent deacon, presided. He called on all of us to bring to mind our Baptism : “As baptised, we have the mission of radiating Christ; we are invited together as a missionary Church to shine out; we are invited to trace a way of light in our world”.

Adressing himself then to the sisters, he emphasized that our vocation is to reflect the light of Christ in a particular way : “We understand nothing of your vocation if it does not radiate out from the call of Christ as the Light in your life, from a falling in love with Christ … It is there that we find the secret of the consecrated life : the Light of Christ attracts, burns, seizes”.

In this year of consecrated life, we are all invited, whether as religious sister, layperson, deacon or priest, to “return to the source of our vocation in order to live it with passion in the world of today”.

Sœur Michelle PAUL fj

At Quimper

On the 1st February, religious sisters and brothers from all of the congregations as well as consecrated laypeople from the deanery of Quimper, gathered at the welcoming community of the Sisters of Mercy of Laval at Kernisy.

The chapel quickly filled with residents and we were around 70 all together. The Mass was celebrated at 11 o’clock by Father Jean-Paul Larvol, delegate for the religious life, and by 3 resident priests. A Mass prepared and led by the youngest of the sisters and a young couple.

Father Larvol above all expressed his gratitude for the gift of the religious life and exhorted each one of us to give of ourselves in joy and hope.

We came out of Mass to be greeted by the sound of Breton bagpipes and a friendly drink together. We were then able to admire the magnificent buffet prepared by the cook and the sisters of the house. We did honour to a good meal while we renewed old acquaintances and made new ones.

We appreciated the fraternity, the simplicity of the relations and the desire to maintain the dynamism that still animates today. The day finished with Vespers.
A heart-felt thanks to our sisters of Kernisy and all the team who prepared the day.

The community of St Evarzec (Finistère)