The Sisters of the General Government Team and of the Provincial Teams and the Delegation of the Philippines gathered in Vic for the Extended General Encounter on October 3-8, 2024.

Arrival

The sisters started arriving at the Mother House three days before the meeting and they received a warm welcome from the sisters of the community in Vic. During the arrival days, the encounter of the sisters coming from different countries, cultures and languages was joyfully bound with the shared body language of smiles, laughter and embrace and the spirit of the Vedruna Family.

Sisters who arrived earlier, after having rested from the trip, visited our dear Mother Joaquina in her new temporary home. We gathered in Vic for this meeting thanks to this great woman who listened to the Spirit and allowed the Spirit to generate something new in her life and in the Church of her time. During that visit and throughout the Encounter we felt her presence among us. Her words were pronounced and echoed in our hearts many times in the assembly and in our group sharing.

Development of the Encounter

The six-day encounter began on Thursday, October 3, at 10 o’ clock in the morning. The Sr. Fátima Borges, moderator of the day, made us aware of our universality by greeting us in different languages. The opening activities filled the first part of the day, and the Province of Europe welcomed us with the symbols of bread and wine. They also led the Opening Praying, which was creatively done, and put us in an attitude of openness and hope for the new birth.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth were gone, and there was no more sea.

Revelation 21:1

In her Opening Greetings, our Sr. General Mª Teresa Cuervo made us imagine St. Joaquina welcoming us into her home and giving us her encouraging words. She also expressed her desire that in this meeting of sisters with a mission of governance “we feel and experience ourselves as sisters in a relationship of working together.” She reminded us of our commitment to “strengthen the synodal dynamic in the life of the Congregation”.

Sr. Mª Teresa guided us to some group dynamics that provided us with valuable lessons for our work during these days. These dynamics were also moments of fun and laughter for us.

During all the days of the Encounter different presentations were made. The General Team, the Provincial Teams and the Philippine Delegation presented their respective Work Plans. The Secretary General and the Administrator shared important concerns and information. The different General Commissions presented online the work entrusted to them and how they have been doing it. And we also had an online talk on “Style of Governance for Hope” in two parts, given by Fr. Francisco José Ruiz, sj.

Each day, the Opening Prayer was led by a different Team. All the prayers were prepared with a lot of creativity and symbols related to our life and reality. A moderator was also assigned for each day to keep us on track and finish what was scheduled for the day. To help us internalize, feel and take in the meaning and messages of these presentations, minutes of silence were kept after each presentation to let the words enter our hearts. Then a few more minutes were given to share our thoughts and feelings, or ask questions and clarifications. Sometimes, points were given for personal reflection, followed by sharing in our groups and then sharing in the assembly. This dynamic of listening, reflection, dialogue and sharing was fundamental throughout the days of the meeting.

Commonality, challenges and calls

It was not easy to carry out these daily activities due to language limitations and, for those who were outside Europe, also the change of time and climate, but we all felt enthusiastic. Presenting in the assembly the reality of each Team, with its challenges and concerns, reinforced our feeling that we are one family.

It was very meaningful and evoked strong feelings of unity in diversity to present the Work Plans of the Teams and to share the specifics of each Province and Delegation: the commonalities, challenges and calls.
We feel that we carry in our hearts the challenges and concerns of each Province and Delegation.
We felt that our reality as one Vedruna Family materialized.
We feel that we are walking together, searching together for that new life to be born in the midst of our dwindling reality.

During our stay, we organized ourselves into service groups, which collaborated in the preparation of the spaces where the meeting took place. Working together in the dining room, the sink or the living room, we were able to relax our minds after listening and absorbing many things from the meeting time. Sometimes funny situations would occur because of our efforts to communicate in another language, and the whole group would share laughter. Other times, we would go for a walk in the evening, which was another way to relax our minds and bodies and create a strong bond.

Closing of the Encounter

On the morning of the last day we had a time of prayer and reflection guided by the Sr. Inma Eibe, using the text of Revelation 21:1-7 that guided us throughout our meeting. It was an encouraging reflection for us on the newness that God continues to recreate every day in every situation, but that calls for transformation and commitment.

We closed the Encounter with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the afternoon, beautifully prepared by the sisters from India. The figure of Martha and Mary invites us to live the depth of the contemplation of Jesus that leads us to action; an action that has its point of reference in a deep contemplation. To be Born Again we need this attitude.

After mass we met with the sisters of the community and enjoyed delicious food and moments of conversation.


We would like to express our gratitude to the Sr. Pili and to the sisters of the Casa Madre communities for the delicious and abundant food they served us each day; they were very attentive to our needs. We also thank the Sr. Carmen Molist for dedicating their precious time for language translation. There are more sisters and people who have contributed to make this Encounter possible and have given us their service, and sisters who have prayed for us and for this encounter from all parts of the planet. We send you all our sincere gratitude.

Nelly Tianchon, CCV