Sr Rani Kurian DW
Congregational Leader
Dear Sisters,
In the month of June, we will be celebrating 300 years of the arrival of Mother Marie-Louise at St. Laurent-sur-Sèvre. What makes this day very special to us Daughters of Wisdom and the Montfortian Family at large? Why do we recall this event that was marked by extreme poverty and hardship where Marie-Louise struggled to establish the Mother House?
Marie-Louise in her constant search for Wisdom opened her heart and mind and let herself be guided by the Spirit. She heard Wisdom’s invitation through various persons and events and was attentive to discern where Wisdom was leading her.
At a very important stage of her life not knowing where to go and what to do but in deep faith believing the words of Montfort that one day she will be the head of an institution, Marie-Louise listened to the advice of M. Jacques Goudeau, in charge of the chapel at Montbernage, to go to St Laurent to establish the mother house. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:24). Is it not that she was led to the resting place of Montfort, as the grain that died to produce much fruit? Yes, the grain that was planted in this soil began to grow and spread revealing Wisdom’s love for humanity.
Looking back to the three hundred years of our journey as Daughters of Wisdom, we can see that the identity of the Daughters of Wisdom has been marked by a simple life style, suffering, death, poverty, incertitude, yet there is always a constant search to make known the Love of Christ Wisdom wherever we are present. These stories of our journey have been told and retold. For many of us, visiting the Mother-
House, has always been an experience of joy with a deep sense of rootedness in living the last will and testament of Mother Marie-Louise who asked her Daughters to never deviate from the primitive spirit of our Founder.
On this very special occasion it is with deep gratitude that we dedicate this issue of Sagesse Internationale to our older members of the Congregation who are the living presence of Mother Marie Louise and who pass on the heritage they received to the coming generations.
I conclude with the words of Pope Francis1 “There are many people who need you and await you. People in need of your friendly smile to give hope back to them; of your hands to support them on their journey; of your words to sow hope in their hearts; of your love in the style of Jesus to heal the deepest wounds caused by loneliness, rejection and exclusion. Never give in to the temptation of selfreferentiality, of transforming yourself into “closed armies”. Nor take refuge in work in order to avoid the operative capacity of the charism. Instead develop creativity of charity and experience creative fidelity to your charism.”
1UISG Bulletin Number 169,2019 Address of his Holiness Pope Francis to participants at the 21 plenary assembly of the international union of Superior General (UISG)
