Rome, FMA General House, 25 October 2021 -- On the morning of 22 October, after leaving Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis went by car to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians General House, where he met participants at the 24th General Chapter of the Institute, which is being held in Rome from 11 September to 24 October 2021 on the theme "Generative Communities of Life in the Heart of Contemporaneity".

       During this memorable and quite unexpected encounter (unlike the SDBs during the GC28 at Valdocco in March 2020), the 180 FMA Sisters at the General Chapter were encouraged by Pope Francis on their path of following Jesus Christ with more courage and determination. After the talk in the Chapter Hall, there was a good opportunity to share the joy and some gifts from different cultures to the Successor of Peter.

       Among the most significant pieces of Pope Francis' Message:

• Thanks to Sr Yvonne Reungoat (former Mother General)
• An invitation to revive the original vocational fruitfulness of the FMA Sisters
• Encouragement to avoid spiritual worldliness; regard religious status as the worst evil
• Inspired the FMA to recover their original missionary spirit
• Stressed the importance of healthy inter-generational and inter-cultural relationships in their communities
• Congratulated them on their fruitful preparation for celebrating the 150th anniversary of foundation.

       We give thanks to God and Pope Francis for another visible sign of trust and close accompaniment of the Salesian Family and continue to pray for him, as he insistently asks us to pray for him!

• Full text of Pope Francis to GC24 and response of Mother General - Sr Chiara Cazzuola (FMA-Oct 22)

 

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