A summer out of the ordinary

This summer, we juniors of the international student community in Rome received a precious gift from the Lord: the opportunity to share a few days of life with our older sisters, in the communities of Casa Madre (Albano Laziale), Verona, and Negrar (Verona).

• Sr. Atija Albino spent a period in the Motherhouse community from June 15th to August 23rd.

• Sr. Jacinta Gaspar was welcomed in Negrar from June 13th to August 24th.

• Sr. Noèmia Edma Jacinto Dos Santos joined the Verona community in August, from the 7th to the 24th.

• Sr. Leidy Toro spent a few days in Verona, from August 12th to 24th.

They were experiences of grace and fraternity: together we were able to serve, to enliven with songs, games, and community moments, but above all, to share our daily lives in simplicity and mutual listening. The sisters, with open hearts, shared precious pages of their history with us: their vocation, their mission, their frailties, and the faith that sustained them along the way.

Each of us shares a thought about the legacy of this experience:

"I thank the sisters for the love, joy, and faith with which they welcomed us. Their example warmed our hearts and inspired us to say 'yes' again to God's plan. It's truly wonderful to be Pastorelle! But above all, it's a gift to welcome life as it comes, even in times of illness or old age; it's a journey of holiness that becomes a testimony for all."

"It was truly a beautiful experience with the older sisters, who made me understand that our life is not just a simple 'yes,' but also a gift offered in the service of others, with willingness and joy, without expecting anything in return. Listening to their lives and the experiences they shared with us, I feel I can say and confirm that, when we make a choice and live it with love, God helps us understand His desires, and we are able to follow Him and be faithful to Him."

"I thank the Lord for these days I spent with the Elder Sisters, during which I shared fraternity and life. I am grateful for their welcome, for their testimony, and for renewing in me the strength to love our beautiful charism".

"I thank God for giving me the opportunity to live this experience with the sisters who most need help and attention. It is a very delicate experience, but at the same time beautiful, because with them I was able to experience my spiritual motherhood, embrace my own fragilities, and understand the reality of our elderly sisters who gave their lives for the Congregation, and today find themselves in a situation where they need everything. And perhaps, sooner or later, we too will walk the same path. I am happy to have had this experience, because what drives the sisters to care is not only holy patience, but unconditional love for the sisters, just as a mother does for her child: she fights every day because she loves him."

Let us praise God the Father who called us to be Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to accompany each of us on our journey, and let us entrust ourselves to Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd: may she intercede for us and support us in living our mission with a maternal heart.

Sr. Atija, sr. Jacinta, sr. Noemia, sr. Leidy, sjbp