We enjoyed the celebration with little funny surprise gifts and we had some Brazilian food. On September 6, Sr. Ivone left for Brazil for her holiday. We prayed for her safe travel, we also celebrated her birthday in advance that will actually be this coming September 13th. We hope and pray that she will have a good time with her family at home. This day, September 6, we celebrated not only Ivone’s birthday but also Brazilian Independence Day. Maria O. Malau, Novice NDS September 11, 2016

To celebrate the year of Mercy, we the family of Sion and friends had a special celebration on September 4th at Gethsemane – in the Basilica of the Agony. “Here, then, is the reason for the Jubilee: because this is the time for mercy. It is the favorable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and to touch with their hands the signs of closeness and reconciliation”. Pope Francis. We started the Mass outside the Basilica with the penitential rite, after we entered in a procession receiving holy water and in silence. Each one took time to pray at the rock, where Jesus had his last prayer before he was betrayed and arrested by the Roman soldiers. We enjoyed that time to ask God forgiveness for the violence, the discrimination, prejudices, lack of acceptance of differences and lack of mercy in our world. Then after that we walked to the Ecce Homo to continue our Mass. The Mass was presided by Fr. Carlos …