28 Oct Gathering of New Superiors from Asia in Kochi, India
From September 14 to 20, the gathering of new superior sisters from Asia took place in the city of Kochi, India. Participants included Rosario Fernandez Villarán, Marcela Sáenz, Inés Oleaga (General Team), Francia Opiana, Mary Sharon Francisco, Aline Barde (Philippines), Inmaculada Fukasawa, María Gracia Yoshiko, Teresa Fusae (Japan), Bindu Michael, Monti Rodrigues, Sheeba Thottiyil (India), María Chi, Maria Thị Huệ Trần, Teresa Trần Trúc Hương Nguyễn, Anunciata Thị Kim Thoa Nguyễn (Vietnam), Maria Thị Hồng Diễm, Beatriz Pereira de Araujo (Indonesia), Anna Ngoc Tam Nguyen Thi, and Cecilia Andereggen (East Timor).
During the gathering, we delved into our mission as superiors, which is to serve the community and the mission through its leadership, in the style of Jesus and Rafaela, who are models of handmaids leadership (as Martin Luther King Jr. expressed). We explored our Ignatian style of governance, based on the fundamental principles of discernment, shared responsibility, and subsidiarity, with the goal of becoming communities actively collaborating in the Missio Dei, striving to be houses of healing, with a preferential option for the poorest, as Rafaela, Pilar, and the first handmaids modeled.
We also deepened our understanding of how to live our mission as active promoters of a synodal style, as Pope Francis encourages us, becoming communities that seek, discern, and journey together, in communion and with respect and care for each individual.
We are all very grateful to the general team who inspired us through various workshops, which combined presentations, personal reflection, group reflection, assemblies, videos, and moments of physical and artistic expression. Additionally, we felt cherished and cared for by the sisters of the Vaypin and Kochi communities, who were always there to help us and ensure that we lacked nothing.
Therefore, as Mother Pilar said, after these days of grace, we are left with only one thing: gratitude.
