«The Sower went out to sow», St. Matthew 13: 1-9

This is the Word of God that accompanied the Sisters of the Besançon-Savoy Province (from France, Switzerland, United kingdom and Spain) during an important Provincial Assembly held in Sancey, from Wednesday  15th March (evening) to Saturday 19th March (morning).

The aims of the assembly were:

  • to gather together for a time of prayer and fraternity (face to face) and we could see the joy on our faces, in our sharing and in each day’s meetings!
  • to re-read the journey made in the 4 years of the Provincial Council’s mandate: our mission in collaboration with the laity at the service of elderly and young people, and of the sick … in our pastoral ministry and in our solidarity, as well as considering the precious work of the bursar’s office.
  • to find out how to improve our synodality, and how to value the international dimension of our Congregation through the encounter of cultures and nationalities.

The presence of Sr Maria Rosa Muscarella, our Provincial Superior with two general councillors, Sr Maria Luisa Caruso and Sr Solange Wider, made us feel that we are truly part of the Congregation and  enabled us to foresee the next steps for the renewal of the Provincial Council and the future constitution of the  European Province.

Two testimonies were very much appreciated:

  • that given by a Manager of a Home for elderly in the Paris Region, who, long time after the departure of our Sisters, still gives this Home an evangelical impulse in line with the Congregation’s tradition.
  • that given by the Principal of one of our schools in Pontarlier who let speak an Iraqi refugee, who came from Mosul, who was received in a village nearby and now works at the school.

We thank the Lord for the joyful and fraternal environment of the Assembly, and also for the fruitful sharing of these three days.

Now, told us again Sr Maria Rosa, we are called to live a time of transformation… and let the Lord do the work, while we take care and support the growth of the grain with an act of trust which generates life.