Some members of the Saint John in Montana Novitiate community will soon say goodbye to Ein Karem, and the professed sisters are ready to welcome 3 Novices – Andrea and Nancy from Costa Rica and Lucia from Brazil by the 20 of January, and we are hoping that Maria from Indonesia will be with us by the end of the Orientation Time.
As always, time has passed far too quickly, when we remember our time together between our return from our apostolic experiences until Christmas, and then New Year’s Day and Epiphany, and now the retreat time before pronouncing First Vows on the 20th of January, Sion’s Feast Day.
During these last weeks, we have shared many good moments, making invitation cards for the Profession, and thank you cards, celebrating Christmas on the 24th of December but also on the 7th of January following the Coptic tradition with Victoria. We also made a short trip to Galilee (another “goodbye”) where we visited Haifa, the Bahai gardens, the church in Nain, Mount Tabor, Safat, the Sea of Galilee, and returned safely to Jerusalem via the Jordan Valley.
After the Feast of the 20th of January, when the Novices will pronounce their vows, all will return to their countries for a holiday with their families before they begin their first “mission” as professed sisters: Clara in Costa Rica, Alejandra in Nicaragua, Rozeni in Salvador, Brazil, Joey and Arlyne in Manila, Philippines, and Victoria in Egypt.
Alejandra was able to obtain a Visa for the United States and so she will travel to Guatemala via San Francisco, visiting her brothers on the way. Victoria received some difficult news in the past few days; her father is suffering from a stroke and, consequently, Victoria will also return to Egypt earlier than originally planned and so will not participate in the Mediterranean Regional Assembly at Ein Karem in February. We ask you all to pray for a rapid recovery of Victoria’s father and also for the Novices’ retreat (guided by Father Pat Lee, SJ), which will be a means to deepen their commitment to the call they have received and which they will celebrate on the Feast of the 20th of January.
We thank all of you for your help during this time of preparation for the celebration; we might mention specially the assistance provided by Costa Rica, the brothers of Sion, the Sisters of Sion, the Jerusalem Community.
We thank you too for the many ways that you, the Brothers, Associates, and Sisters of the Jerusalem Community have been with us during this time of our Novitiate, welcoming us, keeping an open house for us, teaching us, and sharing your wisdom and life with us.
A big thank you from the Saint John in Montana community.
Alejandra Vasquez, Arlyn del Valle Casas, Clara Gutierrez, Joey Eduvane, Rozeni Silva Davi, Victoria Nabil, Sr. Colette, Sr. Ivone, Sr. Juliana