Franciscan Missionaries of Mary

Via Giusti, 12

I – 00185 – ROMA

N° 12

April 2013

Dear Sisters,

In her Easter letter Sr. Suzanne has already mentioned the wonder we experienced at the unexpected and courageous resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of the first Latin American pope who chose to bear the name «Francis». The appointment of Br. Jose Carballo, ofm. Minister General, as Secretary Archbishop of the Congregation for Religious is also very significant for us, both as religious and as Franciscans. We were very happy to welcome him to Via Giusti for a short courtesy visit some days after his appointment.[1]

Thus many expectations have been laid at the feet of our new Pope and his renewed Curia while we are called to continue our support in prayer and in our resolute commitment to grow into ever more mature and authentic Franciscan women.

The call to be peaceful witnesses of a Merciful, Loving and Humble God is ever more urgent when faced with the reality of merciless violence being visited on so many people throughout the world from Afghanistan, through Pakistan, Iraq, Congo to Aleppo, Damascus, Hassake, Boston and how many other ignored and unnamed places in our world. The plight of the victims of the earthquakes in China and Iran/Pakistan as well as the increasing number of refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, due to the Syrian crisis, is of great concern...

Life in Via Giusti

Against this global background, we seem to be coming to the end of the work of reconstruction in Via Giusti: almost all the sisters of the community have now moved from Grottaferrata as have all the General services. Though it is a challenging time of hard work and adaptation for the sisters of the St. Helen and St. Michael communities, we are joyfully discovering our lovely new, though not yet quite finished, surroundings!

The Mary of the Passion “Studio” has yet to be moved to Via Giusti. It will be transferred as soon as all its most precious archives have been microfilmed by a Belgian company (Mnémotique) in order to ensure their preservation and easy access for future generations of FMM. We are very grateful to Sr. Merlyn D’Sa and Sr. Hélène Prévot for their organization of this important task.

Three of our sisters were touched by sorrow during these past weeks due to the death of their beloved parents: the mother of Marie Therese Liu (in Mauritius), the father of Sr. Isabel Gomes (in Portugal) the mother of Sr. Modesta Lingga[2] (in Indonesia).

We are very grateful that Sr. Teresa Pinna, animator of St. Helen’s community, has now recovered after an operation on her back which required an extended time of complete rest.

The Via Giusti communities were privileged to welcome during these past months:

Sr. Evelyn Delicata (from the Province of East Africa), who said “Yes” to a new mission to accompany “pilgrimage-sessions” in the footsteps of Francis and Blessed Mary of the Passion in Rome and in Assisi. This time of spiritual renewal will be open to those sisters who have never had the opportunity to visit Rome or Assisi and will begin later this year. A letter with more detailed information will be sent to the Provincials very shortly.

Sr. Kerry Scanlon (from the Province of South Africa) who, after writing the history of the Institute in Australia, has joined the History Office with particular responsibility for those provinces who are writing their histories in English.

At the request of Br. Jose Carballo, ofm, two Poor Clare sisters from Vietnam (Sr. Maria Raphael Hoang Thi Lieu and Sr. Maria Jesus Dinh Thi Lam) Vietnam will spend about 3 months with us to study Italian before they join an International Poor Clare Community here in Rome.

On the other hand we said farewell to:

Sr. Mary Rose Joseph Pulikottil fmm, who returned to India after many years of service in the Formation Office. We give thanks to Sr. Mary Rose for her generosity and commitment and ask the Lord to bless her in her new mission in the Province of India Chennai.

Sr. Maria Oanh Hoang fmm, who has accepted a new mission to the Province of Taiwan after some years of loving service in both Via Giusti and in Grottaferrata.

Sr. Bernadette Ndiaye fmm, who is now in Canada for a time of renewal (2 years)

Sr. Tommasa Chen Xiaomei[3] who returned to China after completing her theological studies.

Sr. Suzanne has returned from the Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, April 28th after the 6th session of chemo-therapy as well as a scan. The results were excellent and we rejoice that she is responding so well to her treatment. We ask you to continue your prayerful support for Sr. Suzanne and for Sr. Ana Maria Campos, who is currently undergoing a 12 week long radiation treatment.

This year we have not been able to have a retreat together as a Council but Andrina, Helen and Mary were able to attend a Holy Week Retreat animated by Fr. John Fullenbach svd in the SVD centre at Nemi, quite close to Grottaferrata. Sr. Bibiana made a private retreat before leaving on her visit to the Province of Korea at the end of April. The rest of the St. Michael’s community will try to organize a time of retreat when it is possible for them during 2013.

The community of Santa Rosa in Grottaferrata is coming to terms with the departure of both the St. Helen and St. Michael communities and how grateful we are for their warm welcome and support since the work on Via Giusti began in 2003. The farm has been rented as of January 2013 to an Agricultural Co-operative. Freed of this responsibility, the community continues to be very active and hosts many non-residential retreats, marriage preparation sessions, family groups, weddings (more than 80 are scheduled for 2013), local parish catechism classes as well as First Holy Communion and Confirmation ceremonies.

Despite the much reduced number of sisters, it remains a dynamic centre of encounter for many people of the area. Though regretting Sr. Suzanne’s and Sr. Ana Maria’s absence, the rest of St. Michael’s community was able to spend Easter Monday with our sisters in Grotta to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord.

The work of the General Council during this “Tempo Forte”…

In addition to the normal affairs of the council, this has been a time of intense activity:

Meetings with different teams:

We continued our work with the 2014 General Chapter Preparatory Team (Sr. Cecilia, Sr. Emma and Br. Pierre, ofm) and you have now received the framework of this preparation as well as the process for Step 1. With the help of the Spirit, the team invites us to focus on the period since the General Chapter of 2008 and the concrete reality of our lives as communities and provinces. We would like to stress that “your collaboration at every step along this way is invaluable and deeply appreciated.”[4]

As part of the Chapter preparation, Sr. Suzanne and the council met with Br. Aidan McGrath ofm[5] so as to discuss the procedure to be followed for any required changes to the constitutions.

It was also a time to meet with the Formation Team[6] (11th-15th February, 2013) who organized the formation workshops around the world during the past two years. Animated by Sr. Celestine and Sr. Andrina, it was a very rich sharing and honest evaluation of the workshops’ content and process. The General Council reflected with the team on how the Institute might continue this formation project and will concretize these reflections over the next few months.

Our sisters of the Charism team[7] were in Assisi and Rome at the end of February to continue their reflection together as a team and with the General Council. They plan to return to Rome in October - November 2013.

Financial matters:

Guided by Sr. Marilyn, General Treasurer, we reviewed and approved the Province budgets and the attributions needed by the Provinces.

In April the General Finance team (Sr. Marilyn Tarraz, Sr. Linda Price and Sr. Jolanda Delleman) was present in Rome to meet with their financial advisors (Grant Corderoy from Australia and Marilou Cristobal from the Philippines). They travelled to Paris and New York together in order to continue their work of consolidation and monitoring of the Institute’s investments.

The finance team will also be present in Rome for the meeting of Provincial Bursars of Europe and North America from May 27 to June 1st. The theme of the meeting is: “Planning Together for the financial future of our Provinces and the Institute.” Fr. Hermann Schalück ofm has been invited to share with the group on the “The spirituality and role of the Provincial Treasurer.”

A meeting of the French speaking Provincial Treasurers of Africa is scheduled from 29th July to the 3rd of August, 2013 in Casablanca, Morocco.

Other:

§ Members of the council attended the following international meetings:

IFC-TOR General Assembly in Assisi: This meeting of the International Franciscan Conference – Third Order Regular branch (25th - 30th April) explored new ways to live our TOR rule and spirit in the light of biblical, Franciscan and anthropological insights. The reflections and final statement of this conference can be found on its web site at www.ifc-tor.org Interesting formation resources, particularly in relation to our TOR rule, are also to be found on this site.

SEDOS Workshop on:

“The New Evangelization in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Northern America” at the SVD centre “Ad Gentes” near Rome from 23rd -27th April.

Seven FMM participated in this session, including Sr. Nzenzili Mboma Lucie, the executive secretary of SEDOS. Guided by six speakers (one of whom was Sr. Mary Motte, fmm), and through panel and group discussion we became aware of how the new wine of the Gospel should be put into the new wineskins of the post-modern culture of western society. You will find more information on this workshop at

http://www.sedosmission.org/web/en/

§ A reminder of our programme of visits May 1st – June 20th 2013:

Sr. Suzanne and Sr. Gosia in Rome.

Sr. Celestine Senegal-Mauritania (April 19th – June 19th)

Sr. Andrina Taiwan (May 18 – June 18th)

Sr. Bibiana and Sr. Helen Korea (April 28th – June 18th)

Sr. Ramoni and Sr. Mary Columbia-Ecuador (May 1st – June 20th)

§ We extend our deepest sympathy to the Little Sisters of Jesus after the tragic death of two of their sisters (Ps. Janine Olga and Ps. Thérèse Suzanne) in Libya after a car accident on Tuesday, April 23rd last. One of their neighbours, a Libyan lady, who was travelling with them, also died. A third sister (Ps. Pascale Yvonne) is critically ill in hospital while a fourth sister (Ps Maria Mathide) is now living with our FMM community in Tripoli. To support them at this difficult time, ten sisters from Via Giusti were able to attend a special Eucharist celebrated at the Generalate of the Little Sisters here in Rome on Saturday, April 29th

In conclusion we invite you to support our OFM brothers in their process of discernment to elect a new Minister General between 21st – 22nd May. The following prayer has been proposed to all OFM brothers:

Lord Jesus Christ, you who have called us, like St. Francis of Assisi, to live the Gospel in fraternity, mission, service to both the poor and marginalized, and in communion with the Church, we pray to infuse your Spirit on the one you call to be Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor. May he be a man after your own heart, following your example with dedication and service!

We thank you for the former Minister General, Brother Jose, for his faithful service to the Order, the Church, and the world. We ask you to give him the grace necessary to accomplish his new apostolic ministry.

We pray to you, Lord Jesus, in union with the Father, to pour out the Holy Spirit on the Order of Friars Minor, especially during the election of the new Minister General. May your wisdom be throughout the discernment process and decisions of the fraternity.

Most Holy Trinity, give to the new Minister General, whom you have chosen, holiness and strength to carry out with dedication his ministry and mission. May Your Word reign supreme in his life. Through his words and actions, may he lead the Order to you, who are Good, All Good, the Supreme Good!

Continue to bless and guide the Order of Friars Minor, so that we can fulfill your holy and true command and may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, intercede for us now and forever. Amen.

Affectionately yours,

[1] Br. Jose, ofm will be consecrated as an Archbishop on May 18th at Santiago de Compostela and the FMMs will be represented by sisters from both Spain and Portugal.

[2] Sr. Modesta belongs to the Institute of Franciscans of Elisabeth of Hungary, Indonesian Province

[3] Sr. Tommasa is a member of the Institute of Dominican Missionaries in China.

[4] Communication from the preparatory team, April 1, 2013

[5] A Canon Lawyer and Secretary General of the OFM

[6] Mary Rose Pulikottil, Margaret Taylor, Jorgina Duvane, Cynthia Gonsalves, Marlene Hixon, Anna Kim, Judith Lynch, Rose Lufutu, Georgette Ngom, Luz Rivera, Anna Miskowiec and Leticia Bautista

[7] See also Link of November 2012