Since July, Sr. Anabela Moreira G. Carneiro (Portugal Province) has travelled to several locations in other circumscriptions with the aim of accompanying the Sisters during this time devoted to prayer, reflection and silence through the Spiritual Exercises, guided by the Word of God. She has also provided formation for a group of lay people.
Sr. Anabela’s journey is fully part of this path of collaboration. The different realities of the Congregation remain connected and seek to share with one another the experiences, resources and learning that each one has to offer.
This experience of accompaniment and formation is a concrete expression of a Congregation that walks together, shares what it has, and is enriched by the reality of others, thus strengthening communion and the Hospitaller mission.
- Spiritual Exercises: the experience of these months
A large group of Sisters from different parts of Africa and Italy have taken part in the Spiritual Exercises.
The journey began on July 13 in Togo, where it continued until July 21. From July 24 to August 1, it continued in Kinshasa (Congo); from August 2 to 10 in Yaoundé (Cameroon); and finally, from September 8 to 13 in Viterbo (Italy).
During the times of reflection, the Chapter motto, “Clothe yourselves with compassion,” was explored in the light of the Word of God and the Founders. Throughout this journey of prayer, the Sisters were invited to allow themselves to be clothed in compassion, in a time of encounter with God and deeper reflection on the Hospitaller charism.
The reflection also drew on the Congregation’s Constitutions, which remind the Sisters of their call to be a presence of a compassionate and merciful God alongside people who suffer.
In this context, the Spiritual Exercises have been an opportunity to review one’s own life, asking whether, in the present moment, one is truly following this path of mercy and Hospitality. Above all, however, it has been a personal journey of prayer, also enriched by moments of sharing.
- Formation with lay people
These encounters with lay people have provided an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Father Menni, especially the way he lived Hospitality throughout his life, and how this same spirit can be lived today by lay people, each according to their own vocation and reality.
