Today, 8th May, feast of Mary Mediatrix whom we remember in her mediation at the wedding feast of Canaan and ask for her intercession, we open the X General Chapter of the Congregation.
At ten o’clock in the morning D. Jesús García Rico, Bishop of Avila, verified that all the Delegates were present and officially opened the X General Chapter asking the sisters to allow themselves to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Sr. Mercedes lit the candle that will accompany the Chapter sessions and reminded the Delegates that they will not forget the motto of the Chapter rooted in Christ, radiant by love, journeying in hope “it places us in what we want to live as consecrated women in this concrete moment. To identify ourselves with Jesus, missionary of the Father, assuming the charism that Mother Rosario Fernández Pereira once received living the commandment of love, and opening paths of hope in a mistreated world lacking in hope”.
This was followed by the Eucharist presided over by the bishop of the diocese of Avila, D. Jesús García Rico, the vicar of religious of the diocese, D. Juan Navarro, the parish priest of Piedralaves, D. Miguel Ángel Rosillo, the superior of the community of the Conventual Franciscans of Our Lady of the Rosary in Madrid, Fray Juan Cormenzana, and Father Luis Carlos Muñoz, Discalced Carmelite.
It was a celebration where all the sisters of the Congregation, family and friends were present in a cultural mix where the Word of God came to the altar at the African rhythm and the Aarathi danced by the Indian sisters help us to praise and bless the Lord.
In his homily, D. Jesús reminded us that only from openness to the action of the Holy Spirit can we discern and seek the will of God, living from interiority with the Lord and life in community.
After the communion, Sr. Mercedes read a letter from His Holiness Pope Francis in which he invites us to reflect “on the actions you have chosen to guide this event: to take root, to unite, to walk. United and rooted in Christ, be instruments of communion in the Church, walking to meet others to share with them the joy of the Gospel that gives meaning to our lives”.
At the beginning of the Chapter sessions, the Regulations of the Chapter were approved and the different commissions were elected.
