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“With joy draw water and share it out to satisfy the thirst of the world”

As nearly every year the younger sisters of our European provinces also met in the jubilee year of the 200th anniversary celebrating the birthday of our foundress Mother Alfons Maria.

This time the meeting of 35 sisters from Slovakia, France, Germany and Austria took place in the nunnery St. Joseph at Neumarkt (Germany). The topic “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12, 3) – With joy draw water and share it out to satisfy the thirst of the world” showed us the way during these days.

The various and methodically manifold program had been carefully and elaborately prepared by a group of sisters, which helped everybody to experience these days as a precious and worthwhile time.

The basis of individual and group work and the discussion in the full assembly was the contents of the Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” by Pope Francis, which was interpreted in relation to the sisters’ order of life. As the two documents show a number of similar ideas, the question was raised whether Pope Francis had been inspired by our order of life.

The familiar image of the well accompanied all our meetings and times of prayer, which there was ample opportunity for. Our diversity of nations as it became apparent in liturgy and in our community of prayer is a well we all could and constantly can draw water from. The wonderful weather even allowed us to go on a pilgrimage to Lengenbach on a hiking route, which leads to several springs.

The fact that we could celebrate the liturgy of All Saints and All Souls at Neumarkt together with the many sisters there was an additional highlight of our days. In the services P. Abart SJ and P. Wopperer SJ provided us with precious food for thought, which we took up again in our work and individual meditation.

At the end of our meeting our Provincial Superiors as well as our General Superior Sr. Monika Heuser agreed to answer our questions and shared with us their thoughts and suggestions concerning our topic as well as questions about the future.

We could amply draw water from the wells of salvation during those days and refreshed and strengthened we returned to our communities. Now we will again take up our various tasks: “With joy draw water and share it out to satisfy the thirst of the world.”

Sr. Barbara Geißinger