My spirit rejoices in God

Piedmonte (Italy). From 1 to 28 July 2024, 32 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians Temporary Professed from the USA, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Italy, India, East Timor, Madagascar, and Angola lived the 2^nd month of the Second Novitiate in preparation for perpetual vows in Piedmont, in the charismatic Salesian places, accompanied by Sister Cristina Festa, Sister Eva Liskutinova, and Sister Paola Casalis.

My spirit rejoices in God, my savior (Lk 1:4) is the Word of God that guided the experience, articulated in different moments that led the Sisters to deepen the life of Mother Mazzarello and Don Bosco and to be more and more united with Christ, creative in concretizing the Salesian charism, attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

“The journey began in Mornese where, guided by the reflections of Sister Michèle Decoster, FMA, we were able to study deeply the figure of Mother Mazzarello from a biblical and charismatic point of view, visiting places and recounting the experiences that shaped her humanly and spiritually. A very intense moment was the day of desert lived right in the places inhabited by our co-founder.

This was followed by the pilgrimage to Gavi (AL), then a visit to Genoa to commemorate the first missionary expedition in preparation for its 150^th anniversary.

We then moved to Nizza Monferrato, where we were welcomed by the Community with great affection and attention. During the two days we spent in Nizza, we got to know better the life of Mother Mazzarello and the evolution of the Institute in the painful but necessary phase of the separation from Mornese. In Nizza, we were led by Sister Piera Cavaglià and Sister Paola Cuccioli. We also visited the cemetery, where we remembered and thanked God for the life given to the many Sisters who preceded us. The meeting with the elderly sisters of the nursing home was also very intense, and we made a pact of mutual prayer.

We then moved to Turin. Here, accompanied by Fr. Enrico Lupano, a Salesian of Don Bosco, and visiting the places that marked the life of Don Bosco, we relived the joys and the labors that marked his journey. Thanks to the reflections of Fr. Enrico, we also asked ourselves how those events could be read in our daily life and in preparation for Perpetual Profession.

After this time dedicated to reflection on our charism, we moved to Saint-Pierre (Aosta) to live the Spiritual Exercises. We were accompanied by Father Albino Linty-Blanchet, who presented to us the ancient hymn Veni Creator Spiritus. During the Exercises, we had the joy of having with us Sister Nilza Fatíma de Moraes, General Councilor for Formation, who was an attentive and sisterly presence among us and gave us insights for reflection and news on the paths taken by the Sector. At the end of the Exercises, some of us renewed our vows until the day when we will make them in perpetuity.

The last two days of this intense month were lived in Turin, where Sister Pina Dal Core presented us with the theme, “The ecological dimension of the Evangelical Counsels.” We concluded with the final evaluation of the journey, to re-read what we experienced, to offer suggestions for improving the experience, and to recognize the beauty and importance of what we had received.

We can truly rejoice in God for the many gifts of grace received this month, for the simple sisterhood shared among us, for the welcome received in every house where we stayed, for the joy experienced in meeting the Lord, for the mission that is entrusted to us today and always.”

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