GENERAL CHAPTER 2018
Ile-Blanche, 3 August, 2018
Sr. Louise Madore D.W.
Congregational Leader
What a profound joy to welcome each one of you to live together this event so long awaited by the whole Congregation. This morning, I believe that many of us, like Mary at the Annunciation, could say, “How will this be …” As we enter the Chapter, our hearts are filled with hope, of expectations but there is also perhaps uncertainty and fears … But let us be without fear … as the angel reassures Mary who was troubled, as Jesus reassures his distraught disciples after the Resurrection, “Do not be afraid” for we have received the promise of the presence of the Holy Spirit. We know that all our sisters, the elderly and those in formation, our brothers of St. Gabriel, the Montfortian missionaries and all our Friends of Wisdom are accompanying us with their prayers.
Let us believe in the presence of creative Wisdom that accompanies us: “Having then created everything, Eternal Wisdom, continues to “contain all, to sustain all, and to renew all. (Wisdom 1,7, ASE 32) Through the intercession of our founders,” Wisdom will continue to work with us and teach us what pleases God.” Wisdom 9.10
The Lord entrusts to us, the delegates, an important and demanding mission that we will have to accomplish throughout the Chapter, which is to put ourselves individually and collectively under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to discern according to the heart of Wisdom.
There was the whole preparatory phase of the Chapter which continues to live within us. While the quality of preparation for the Chapter has been impressive and innovative, we owe much of it to the contribution of our facilitator and the preparatory committee. On behalf of the Congregation, I would like to thank our facilitator Sr. Bríd Long and the members of the committee, Srs Antonella del Cuore Immacolato, Mercy Kanyumbu, Maribel Ladino and Marie Turner, as well as the members of the General Team. Collaboration and participation have been excellent throughout our work.
All my gratitude also goes to all of you here present and to all the sisters of your Entities who have responded faithfully to all our requests by contributing to the richness and dynamism of this Chapter. Several sisters expressed their appreciation on reading the various letters received from the different Entities and for taking part in the general consultation for the constitution of the next General Council. Congratulations for the participation that demonstrates once more the spirit of belonging to a common body, the Congregation.
