Rome (Italy) On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the priestly ordination of Pope Francis, on December 13th 2019, Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Yvonne Reungoat, on behalf of the whole Institute, addressed the following greeting to the Holy Father:
Rome, 13 December 2019
Dearest Pope Francis,
I join with joy in the greetings that come from the universal Church and from many other people, to thank the Lord for having chosen you with a gaze of predilection to be a priest: Father and Pastor of the whole human Family.
I am the ‘spokesperson’ of all the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians present in the five continents to confirm our presence on the anniversary celebrating 50 years of your priestly ordination. I think that the most welcome and awaited ‘gift’ in this circumstance is an intense prayer for what you have at heart, for the needs and unity of the Church, and we place it with immense trust in the hands of Mary Help of Christians. She knows very well the desires of ‘Her son’ who always prays to her, invokes her, loves her, and radiates an authentic devotion.
We rejoice and are moved when, with the simplicity that characterizes you, you kneel at the feet of Mary Salus Populi Romani at each ‘departure’ and each ‘return’: an intimate understanding lived in silence; a gaze that merges with Her gaze that always protects you, defends you, becomes a pilgrim on your numerous and challenging apostolic journeys.
Dear Pope Francis, you are a ‘living book’ where all people, every adult and young person can read the beauty and the truth of the Word of salvation brought by Jesus.
I am deeply grateful to you for your Magisterium that with evangelical insistence asks us to be signs of the tenderness and mercy of the Father, especially towards the poorest, the defenseless, the marginalized. Thank you for being a courageous witness, untiringly pleading for peace, love, fraternity, defense of the ‘common home’ as the duty and right of everyone.
There is also another important date: December 17, your birthday! You are always in our prayers, but in a special way on this ‘day of life’. We wish to ask the Lord to give you the gift of being able to reach soon the countries you have at heart and that you have not yet been allowed to visit.
I feel myself in profound communion and I humbly ask you to bless our Institute and also my person, so that together we can walk with joy towards the goal of holiness and be for the young people a fruitful ‘womb’ that generates new life.
Dear Pope Francis, I renew with all my heart and with great affection the wish that you may celebrate these events in the profound joy that God and Mary Help of Christians will give you in abundance.
Sr Yvonne Reungoat FMA
