News

„St. John in Montana News“ 1/2018

Ein Karem, Friday, 02 February 2018

Time passes quickly and God’s promise to send rain in due season does not visit us often, or is it that human beings by their life style have caused extreme changes to occur in our climate throughout the world?

Christmas celebrations and New Year wishes filled the last days of December and the first days of January. In our last preparation sessions, we were asking and searching in the Constitution and the Formation directory to understand the Role of the Stage II Formator and the Role of the Accompanying Sister. Writing our living will and organising our return to our home base was also part of the first days of January 2018.

Formation in the Congregational Novitiate is not about necessarily returning to one’s home country but to be prepared to be sent to any country where Sion is present, so Maria`s first community after her vows on February 2nd will be Ecce Homo as she continues to stay for another 3 moths to learn basic Hebrew before she returns to her region to begin her ministry and study. Lucia after her holiday in Brazil will return to the Mediterranean Region for a year of Apostolic Ministry in Berba, Egypt. Andrea and Nancy will return to Costa Rica via a short visit to Tunisia before they begin their holiday. Their Community will be Turrialba in Costa Rica where they will engage in ministry and study projects.

The new Novices will be coming during the summer months and so the Novitiate Community Sr. Collete, Celia and Juliana will engage in community building and organise our home visits and retreat times before the Novices arrivals.

Celia continues to be engaged as an assistant in the biblical programs in Ecce Homo and continues to stay connected to her engagements in New York.

Sr Colette, the soul of the Ein Karem guesthouse, continues to give life and spirit to this mission. Where we are able to offer our home and guesthouse facilities for the many visitors that we receive.

Juliana will take time to study with Sr. Ann Catherine on a Bible study project and with Sr. Regina she will engage in conversation to improve her Hebrew. She will also be volunteering one day a week in a Hebrew speaking environment and learn more about Eco-gardening by spending time in Kibbutz Lotan in the Negev.

In these last days before the first commitment by vows of our four novices, we are busy preparing the Eucharistic Celebration for that event on February 2nd.

Originally the 2 of February is the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple by Joseph and Mary after the birth of a male child (Leviticus 12:1). Pope John Paul II announced in 1997 that this Feast was to become the World Day of Consecrated life in the Church.

With wishes of hope, and the knowledge that Providence is guiding us, we trust in the Future of Sion.

Sr. Juliana for the St. John in Montana community