We the young sisters of the province of St. Mary Mazzarello, Mumbai, were privileged to be graced by the formative presence of our Formation Team from Rome – Sr. Maria Nieves Reboso, Sr. Maria Fisichella and Sr. Anelfreda Miranda, from 24th to 25th March 2019.
They presented to us the precious gift of the “Guidelines for the Formation period of Temporary Vows” – a concise and comprehensive book in which, with the help of the temporary professed, our challenges, our realities, our dreams are put together and are given choices to be prioritized, not only the temporary professed but also the community, the animators and the provincial too.
We were able to relate with the experience of the temporary professed whose inputs helped in the compilation of this document and put forth the challenges we faced in these contexts even today.
It was an enriching experience for all of us as we listened to the interpretation and also as we partook in the group work and assemblies wherein we could express ourselves freely and with the trust that we are being listened too.
Formation is our responsibility and it is the constant availability on our side to learn from life, from every situation and thus mature daily in our identity as FMA. The documented presented to us is not an itinerary as it was put, but a help for us to make choices in freedom, knowing our own reality, helping us grow as individuals and as Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, holistically, humanly and with the highs and lows of community, prayer and mission life.
We are assured that we live in a human world not with angels and will normally have different problems and trials. It’s up to us to live up to the formation we have received, stand for our convictions and courageously continue on our journey to be conformed to Christ in the footsteps of our founders. We are grateful to Sr. Maria Nieves Reboso, Sr. Maria Fisichella and Sr. Anelfreda Miranda for their enriching inputs for their patient listening to all we had to say and for providing us an atmosphere of trust where we could freely open ourselves and be open to all that we were exposed to. We shall strive to live by what we have been imparted, live to be mature and free religious, make concrete and radical choices that lead us to Jesus.
We concluded our encounter with a meaningful celebration of the Eucharist and a short cultural programme portraying before the sisters, the cultural heritage that comprises our province. The parting message imparted to us by Sr. Reboso, “Our province is really filled with a lot of richness. May Mother Mary guide us and always be with us.” She ended like Mother Mazzarello saying, we shall all meet in the Heart of Jesus.
