The Associates have now left us after spending a week of listening and sharing alongside the capitulants. In this first part of a double article, we asked the Associate delegates from France and Africa to tell us about their experience.
Nicole Kervella, Province France-Belgium
We asked Nicole, an associate in the Châteaulin-Quimper group in France to tell us about her week:
For Nicole, photographed here on the right, with her co-associate from France, Valérie, the General Chapter was :
a new and enriching experience!
The General Chapter has allowed me to meet new sisters and associates from all over the world.
The opening celebration was a very powerful moment, rich in symbols: each one responded individually to Micheline’s call to cast the nets and came to place a tea light candle in the décor. Each one was also invited to come and place a brick to continue the construction of the wall …
The time between associates allowed for very rich exchanges, and deep testimonies of life journeys in great immediate trust. Our reference document links us beyond borders!
The prayer guidance sheets (for personal prayer, sharing in small groups, and feedback to the assembly) gave rhythm to the reflections of the week.
I really appreciated the wonderful day out which allowed for a different sort of relationship.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this week which will resonate in me for a long time because of all that I have seen, heard, lived, and shared… What a wealth of riches! I really became aware of the internationality of the Congregation and the realities of the different entities. I am looking forward to meeting some of the participants again at the closing celebration!
Jean-Marc Noupieu and Joël Kouassi from the African Province
We hand over to Jean-Marc Noupieu from Cameroon and Joël Kouassi from the Ivory Coast.
For both of us, taking part in the General Chapter has been:
An extraordinary experience!
The General Council was kind enough to give us the chance to be present for a week at the General Chapter of the Daughters of Jesus 2022 at Île Blanche. It seems important to us, therefore, to write these few lines.
Oh, what an adventure! Oh, what a week!
It is with a note of joy that we express our deep and sincere gratitude to the entire Congregation. We give thanks to God for this week of fraternal encounter with God and spiritual renewal among sisters and associates.
It was a moment rich in significant symbols :
- The call made to each one of us rang out like a renewal of our belonging to the Congregation.
- The sending on mission and our commitment to “cast our nets”.
From now on we feel even more “Sons of Jesus”, we feel at home in the Congregation. We leave here very satisfied and fulfilled, having at heart to bring the Good News to others. We are now multipliers of the Charism and therefore co-responsible for this flame.
We feel invested with the mission of humanizing our world, which is marred by fragility. Better still, we will with the grace of God express our Charism in our respective family cells, our workplaces, our groups, our Church and our society.
We are challenged to be the fire of charity wherever we are and to continue together, with the Sisters and Associates, to build a living body.
The Holy Spirit blows when He wills, where He wills, and how He wills, and He sets everything on fire according to his goodwill. May the fire of charity burn, and strengthen us for our mission of humanization.
May the Lord bless you. And may the Holy Spirit guide you towards the future.
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