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Sister Patty
from Peru made her Final Profession
in Midsalip in the Southern
Philippines in March, 2002where she was then missioned.
I thank God every time
I recall the day of my Final Profession.
It was, indeed, a joyful day during which I
experienced new life and affirmation from the sharing of
the faith and love of the people around me. It was truly a
powerful witness of God’s Love and Compassion for all His
people.
My motto, written on the inside of the ring that I
received during the ceremony, was “Remain in my love!”
(John 15:9).
Midsalip in the Southern Philippines, where I made my
Final
Profession of Vows, was the place of my first
mission experience outside my own country.
There, God was revealed to me in a very profound
way as I participated in the daily life of the people:
struggling to survive each day, overcoming sickness,
working the land, sharing food in their homes, gathering
in the harvest, celebrating feast days and birthdays.
The list is endless. In the place where I lived,
God’s love was revealed to me in the faces of those around
me and in the abundance of God’s creation that surrounded
me on all sides.
As I knelt there in the church, among the people with whom
I had lived and worked for three years, I felt myself to
be in the heart of God, embraced by God’s Love while I
heard deep within myself God’s invitation to remain in His
Love. It was
from this profound place within that in trust and
self-giving I offered my life in unconditional love to God
as a Columban Sister, identifying myself and feeling very
much a part of the Columban Mission all over the world. |
Sister Patty Andonaire
On that day I
offered thanks to God for my family and my Peruvian roots.
I was many miles away from Peru but I knew that my
family, the Columban Sisters in Peru and my friends felt a
mutual closeness in the Spirit through the prayers that
united us.
And I thank God, too, for my Columban Community and the
community of Midsalip who were so very generous in giving
of their time and energy in organizing and preparing for
my great day. I could feel that it was not just my day but for all of us
“the day that the Lord had made.”
If
you would like to know more about
becoming a Columban Sister contact us at:
columbansrs@eircom.net
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