Sr. M. Anastasia di Gerusalemme, the Carmelite Monastery of Ravenna
A meeting of the Elective Assembly of the Federation of St. Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi, of the Italian monasteries of our Order took place at Il Carmelo in Sassone (Rome) from the 28th of March to the 31st of March, 2011 . The meeting was attended by the prioresses and delegates of each of the eleven monasteries that make up the Federation.
Throughout the meeting there was a great sense of communion among sisters, effective collaboration and deep understanding, openness and sharing, all in the hope of making something of this new structure which came into being only last year.
Prayer accompanied every moment of each day, from the celebration of the Eucharist, to the singing of the Hours in choir, long periods of adoration, all together, as a prayer to the Holy Spirit for the light to discern all the decisions that have to be made.
The participation of Fr. Josef Jancar and Fr. Christian Koerner, as well as the ever attentive and careful guidance of Fr. Matteo Palumbo, the spiritual assistant to the Federation, helped to make the work richer and more fruitful. Great attention was paid to all the situations and needs that are part of the day to day reality of our monasteries.
The first day was devoted to discernment, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, as well as recalling as a record of faith, the journey of the last years, through different actions and moments of communion between the monasteries.
Together we were able once more to give thanks to God for having led us, from one generation to the next, to this moment of grace.
On the 29th of March, after spending the morning in adoration, we began the elections in the afternoon, The Holy Spirit gave us as the first President of the Federation of our monasteries, Sr. Maria Martina del Sacro Cuore, from the monastery of Sutri.
The Thanksgiving Eucharist and an evening of joyful fraternity, helped us to approach the 30th of March with renewed joy and openness. The morning was devoted to the election of the four councilors, while the afternoon was taken up with the work of the Assembly on a number of important issues such as formation courses, relations and cooperation of the monasteries and with the other sectors of the Carmelite Family, especially with the Friars, and the major difficulties that some monasteries have in facing the issue of aging and reduction of members. The morning of the 31st of March was also given over to a further discussion of these topics with a very lively participation on the part of all.
The Eucharist, once more, marked the end of this very important moment in the history of our Carmels and for the growth of our relationship as sisters, called to live the same wonderful vocation and prophetic way of life in the heart of our Order and our Church.
