On September 29th ,the Columban Sisters celebrate the 91st anniversary of our Foundation as a Congregation. With much gratitude we thank our first Sisters for their generosity and courage in bringing forward the Congregation during those challenging times of our journey. Below is a short snippet from some of the writings of our dear Sr. Patricia Sweeney :
“The Charism is the gift of the Spirit. It is no one gift given and then you pick it up from that person. The Charism is renewed in each individual and so the Spirit becomes active in her. It is the same gift that has been given, restored and given anew in each individual but what makes for the follow through is that intense awareness in the beginning group. People coming today will be sparked if they see the charism alive in the present group and become aware that the same thing is drawing them. They become aware of their own gifts and be open for it.
What would you say is essential to the Columban Charism – the non-negotiable of the Columban Charism – what we cannot let go of if we are to be true to the founding members?”
( Sr. Patricia Sweeney)
May we continue to carry forward the passion for mission entrusted to us by our First Sisters and to go forth to face with commitment the new challenges that face us in this time and age. And as Pope Francis called us in his message for Mission Sunday, “We are to proclaim the Gospel by our witness of life. In a particular way, consecrated men and women are asked to listen to the voice of the Spirit who calls them to go to the peripheries, to those to whom the Gospel has not yet been proclaimed.” ( Pope Francis)
In this year of celebration of the 1400th anniversary of the death of our Patron St. Columban, may we continue to be faithful to his invitation “that we be Christ’s and not our own”.
Please click below the Celebration of the Sisters in the Philippines:
