General Council
Let’s have a laugh
Do you know that “even if we are isolated, thought and spirit can go far with the creativity of love”. The proof is that for Palm Sunday, Sisters Maria Andrée and Monique Couture showed their creative spirit by improvising as “journalists” to film the celebration at the request of Ferdinand, the young Cameroonian priest.
But can you guess how they did it? Take a look at the photo of the “system” devised by our “specialists”!
Here is the technical sheet:
Hardware
– 1 tablet or smartphone
1 water scraper
– 1 flowerpot
– 1 vase
– Gravel Assembly
– Attach the tablet or smartphone to the end of the scraper
– Fill a flower pot with nice gravel
– Place a slender vase in the middle of the pebbles.
– Insert the broom handle into the vase
All that’s left to do is to film, while sometimes moving the broom handle with great care. This was done very well.
I might as well tell you that the few tests of the day before provoked general laughter that brought the whole community together. And the new device was patented by an absolute majority!!!… and used for the triduum services!
It was a great achievement!!! Perhaps one day you will be able to watch this report “Holy Week in Montgeron!” April 2020.
A week of relaxation
From the beginning of the lockdown, we tried to maximise our efficiency in our board meetings. You understand that a break was necessary to re-energise and change ideas. So it was a good opportunity to start gardening. We planted potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic…
Economat
It was with great joy that we welcomed Sister Claudia Ngema on Friday 24 April after 2 months at Missions – Languages. She has started to work with Sister Josette Cernois.
Ongoing formation
In the echoes of January, I informed you that Sr Philile Charity and Sr Noncedo Teressia Ndala, two temporary professed sisters of RSA were sent to Lesotho to experience this stage of their initial formation. For both of them, in addition to a community experience in a larger group, it will be an opportunity to experience the international character of the Congregation and to integrate the social or educational works of the province corresponding to our Charism: orphanage, crèche, infirmary…
Sister Philile Charity
Sister Philile is in her fourth year of vows. She says she is very happy with this experience, outside her country. This is her first experience of community with older sisters. She admires the depth of religious life of these women, who have been involved in the Congregation for a long time. Through their testimonies of life, she finds lights to strengthen her personal religious life. In fact, she loved to take care of these older sisters. Philile has been called to “teach” children in kindergarten. The language was a challenge for her and the children. The Sesotho speaking children could not understand her as she spoke to them in English. Her humour and creativity helped her to communicate better with the children.
Sister Teressia Ndala
Sister Teressia, in her seventh year of vows, is especially marked by what Covid-19 makes her experience outside her country. She appreciates the prayer life, which is more nourished: more time available, no rush in her occupations… The fact that she cannot live the celebrations of Holy Week in the parish, has made her suffer a lot. Knowing that Covid-19 affected the whole world, it helped her to see that in God’s eyes, all human beings are the same people. It is in this way that she affirms her faith in being in touch with those who suffer from this virus. This is her way of responding to the Lord’s call. It also invites her to be ready to leave this world at any time. Not being able to move easily to buy food or to fetch water makes her reflect on the vow of poverty. She has become more aware of the need to make good use of what is vital, including electricity. What also affects her a lot is the fact that she cannot communicate easily with her RSA sisters or with her family during this time of confinement.
Formation for accompaniment
Following discernment with the two Provincial Councils of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa, the previous General Council took the decision to have a common initial formation for the two provinces. Thus, since the beginning of January, Sisters Ernestina (1) and Anna (2) from Lesotho and Nomsa (3) from the Republic of South Africa have been sent to Zambia for the formation and accompaniment of the youth.
Due to the pandemic, the courses were interrupted and the centre closed. The sisters were distributed to different communities in the region. They resumed classes on Tuesday 5 May.
What each one says about this formation experience
Sister Nomsa South Africa
“The sisters from abroad were asked to arrive early because the administration wanted us to apply for a study permit.
The formation started with a five-day guided retreat followed by the actual opening Mass. As far as the courses are concerned, we have one theme per week. The topics are all meaningful. From January to March, we had courses on psycho-spiritual formation, the dynamics of community life, spiritual accompaniment, the documents of the Catholic Church… We live community life in an intercultural perspective. Indeed, we come from different countries: Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, South Africa). The experience is dynamic because all the countries are taking initiatives at the community level.
Sister Ernestina
In addition to the courses that are offered and the intercultural aspect already mentioned by Sister Nomsa, Sister Ernestina adds that: “Every Friday, we have an integration time in groups of 2. We spent our 3-week holiday period in another Congregation. I didn’t feel comfortable. It was hard for me. Besides, the Congregation is far from Kalundu which was closed during that time and the network made communication difficult.
Sister Anna
“What I can tell you about formation is that it is a process that has to start with the formator to be in line with the attitude of Christ, that is to say, to love as Jesus loved, to dream as Jesus dreamed, to think as Jesus thought, to live as Jesus lived, to feel as Jesus felt, to smile as Jesus smiled. Jesus was gentle and humble. It is a life-long programme, a life-long journey. That is why formation must be closely linked to the willingness of each person to let herself be formed every day of her life. I have learned a lot about community life in an intercultural aspect that I can take with me for my life. Because we do most things together, like praying, eating, entertaining, celebrating and many other things. Apart from that, I also face challenges such as different types of food, languages that prevent me from participating fully, misunderstandings and so on.
Vocational training
At the request of the bishop, the authorities of the city of Diego and the provincial, Sister Hortense accepted to work with about a hundred teenagers between the ages of 12 and 24, most of whom were drug addicts. These young people, organised in gangs, were spreading terror in the city, causing insecurity through acts such as rape, murder, theft… Sister Hortense’s objective was to help these delinquents to take charge of their lives, to make them more human and to accompany them in projects of insertion in their respective environments. It is with joy that she recognises the changes in their behaviour. However, faced with the demands of the task, she saw the need for training. Faced with the demands of the task, she saw the need for training to better respond to the challenges of a youth in great difficulty.
Since September 2019, Hortense has been in training for three years at the Institut de Formation Humaine Intégrale in Montreal, Canada. Already in this first year, she says she is able to take a new look at herself and at others, to welcome reality. With work on herself, she acquires more flexibility and progressively a physical and psychic autonomy. She feels strengthened in her religious life. She recognises that this formation will give her the tools to accomplish the mission that will be entrusted to her in the spirit of the Charism of the Daughters of Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sister Angeline CHABI, Province of West Africa, student at Lille France
Enrolled in a doctoral thesis, option Francophone literature, since November 2017, she is in her third year. A very special year, of course, literally cut short due to the health crisis. She has nevertheless managed to finish writing her thesis, and all that remains is the validation of a theoretical training module. This concerns the publication of scientific articles. The defence, initially planned for the end of June, remains hypothetical. She is waiting for the decision of the Doctoral School and is counting on divine providence.
Maria Andrée HUVEE
Lydie Artaud and Yvette Nutsugan
at the Four Seasons Community Centre (Canada)
Hello dear sisters
In January and February, when we heard about China and Italy, we were far from thinking that Covid 19 would also invade our countries. The reality is that we are facing a pandemic and no country is spared.
In Canada and in the province of Quebec, the containment is not as strict as in France: here, people can circulate and shop without authorization, and can go to work; but there is a drop in all activities and strict sanitary measures are taken. The number of coronavirus patients is much lower than in France. Moreover, Canada has learned from the sad experience of Europe to take security measures against the pandemic quickly enough; the borders were closed almost at the same time as those of France; the same goes for the closure of schools, faculties…
Public meetings are no longer authorised from 15 March, nor are masses.
Finally, we come to give you some news.
That same weekend, according to the programme drawn up with the provincial house, our host community, we were to join the sisters in Sherbrooke for a breath of fresh air in the FCSCJ community (and to celebrate Sr Yvette’s birthday!!!). But for security reasons, and given that all visits, especially to the elderly, are forbidden, the said programme was simply cancelled. And since then, with all the other residents, we are confined to the CIQS.
On 16 March, the director informed us that if we left the centre, for our personal needs, out of respect for others, we no longer have the right to return to the centre; charity and health security oblige.
At present, about ten brothers and sisters have chosen to leave to live in their community; and those who should arrive to follow the training will no longer come. From 50 residents, we are now down to 39.
To lighten things up and guarantee our well-being and health security, the management had to reorganise life at the Centre. It is surely better, because in order to eliminate the risk of contamination by outsiders, the number of employees has been greatly reduced. Those who are retained are obliged to live at the centre with us. The services (cleaning, help with cooking, washing up, disinfecting the common areas, etc.) are provided by the residents. This goes very well and in a good atmosphere. Everyone is careful to apply the barrier measures. Residents with colds are automatically confined to their rooms until they are completely cured. For distancing, we eat in two spacious rooms.
Almost all courses and coaching are done via Skype. We are fortunate to have a large park (3 kilometres of path) and the snow is almost all melted, which allows us to breathe fresh air while relaxing while walking in the forest. Spring is just around the corner and the chickadees, bustards and redbirds are among us, not forgetting the squirrels, friends of Lydia. We still have access to the swimming pool (heated), to the gym where the ping pong table is waiting for us…
But the most extraordinary thing is that we have the great fortune to live with 4 priests, 3 residents, and the chaplain of the centre who has come to live with us. So we have mass every day and we can experience all the passion services. Yes, we are very grateful for this blessing. We are very aware of the sacrifice that so many people have to make every day to survive and give others a chance to live.
Sister Françoise and Sister Suzanne often call us to comfort us. Living communion spiritually is a reality that we live in this time in a stronger way. We do not forget any of our FCSCJ sisters in our prayers, as well as all the people who are close to us by life and work.
As far as our families are concerned, so far so good and we thank the Lord.
Thank you for the circulars sent and the special editions; this allows us to keep in touch with the whole Congregation.
Great union of prayer in the Heart of Jesus.
Sister Yvette and Sister Lydie