On 20 July, the Province of Mexico and the Young Sisters of Latin America and the Caribbean, participants in CIEVI 2024, rejoiced to welcome Sister Françoise Petit, Superioress General, Sister Alicia Margarita Cortés, General Councillor, and Father José Antonio González Prieto, Director General, recalling as we have experienced in the Company, that ‘The presence of the Superiors among us is the presence of God’.
The bells of the Provincial House were rung, joyfully summoning the Sisters present and those who were able to come from nearby communities. Greetings, hugs, smiles… full of joy, they make us brothers and sisters and enlarge our hearts.
We went to the Chapel to express our gratitude for this wonderful VISIT OF OUR SUPERIORS, and at the same time to entrust to our Blessed Mother, Guardian of the Company, the coming days of our meeting.
During this short visit, we had the grace of experiencing important moments that will mark the life of the Province of Mexico, as well as moving encounters within the CIEVI 2024.
The opening Eucharist was celebrated with special joy and gratitude, the jovial voices of the Sisters harmonised joyfully in praises to Our Good God, which allowed us to begin our ‘CIEVI 2024 Meeting’, which this year welcomes the Young Sisters between 4 and 6 years of vocation, to accompany them in their preparation for their first vows, under the motto: ‘With a faith in love we give ourselves to God’.
Our first meeting to greet and listen to each other was very moving. We expressed our joys, dreams, fears and questions. Sister Françoise invited us to trust more and more in Jesus and not to tire of dreaming together, for that is the basis of fraternal life. Sr Françoise, Sr Alicia Margarita and our Director, Fr José Antonio, patiently welcomed our sharing.
As was to be expected at the beginning of our meeting, we visited together the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and there, at the feet of the Little Virgin of Tepeyac, we presented our hearts with all the intercessions of the Company and entrusted this CIEVI 2024.
On our return to the House, we celebrated Sister Françoise’s birthday, with each participating Province presenting a representative dance or song in her honour. It was a very joyful and fraternal day.
Sister Françoise, in her conferences for the preparation of the vows, encouraged us to live the evangelical counsels, following the example of our Lord and the evangelical virtues of humility, simplicity and charity, wherever we were. To cultivate a life of prayer and not to forget our being servants.
She also visited some of the different communities of the Province where she got to know the realities and contexts where we serve our poor brothers and sisters.
Our grateful heart is the best offering that we present to God for allowing us to experience this visit of our Superioress General, at the same time as this formation meeting for our sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean.
All this disposes us to open ourselves to God’s will. Thank you to our Superioress General for their visit, their simplicity and closeness, but especially for their words which continue to motivate and encourage us to break through the gate… of our heart, to go towards… the newness of our charism and to encounter… every human being to be signs of tenderness, as Saint Vincent and Saint Louise invited us. From the bottom of our hearts. Thank you.
