Some activities our Lay Associates have participated in as part of their involvement and

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1 EN :may 08 fr.qxd 14/07/ :03 Page 15 Eucharistic Lord in fidelity to prayer, to live simply in the Spirit of the Gospel and to proclaim by word and deed the Good News in our families, our neighbourhood, our places of work, etc. Walk faithfully with the Bl Virgin Mary as we live out our call to be Lay Associates. Offer ourselves in service to our brothers and sisters especially those in need in collaboration with the FMM and/or with the local church... Grow in community spirit Be actively involved in JPIC work. Following the guidelines, each group, being autonomous, decides what activities they will have and how they want them done. During General Assemblies, a sharing on these is done by the different groups. Some activities our Lay Associates have participated in as part of their involvement and sharing in our mission: 1. On October 20, 2002 some Lay Associates were privileged to go to Rome, Italy to witness the beatification of our dear Blessed Mary of the Passion. They had the opportunity to meet and share with Sr. Maddalena Lainati, fmm and the Lay Associates of Italy General Assemblies were held in different parts of the Philippines: two in Luzon, two others in Mindanao and in Visayas, 3. Involvement in Inter-Religious Dialogue in the Moslem area. 4. Catechesis for the children in the poor neighbourhood 5. The men are Lay Eucharistic ministers - Visit/give communion to the sick and aged 6. Health services for the poor by the LA lady physician among them 7. Active recruitment of prospective new lay associates 8. The group, aside from their individual commitments, organizes a yearly common project in support of the FMM s work among the scavenger families Helped put up a feeding centre Prepare food packs for street families Active involvement in the Christmas drive for the poor Financially and materially contribute to the sisters project in depressed areas Patronizing the health products of the poor women organized as health workers. 9. One group has come up with a foundation FLAME (Franciscan Lay Associates Mission Endeavors) inspired by the words of Mary of the Passion make of my heart and the Institute a flame of fire which will embrace the whole world. This foundation was approved by Sr. Lydia and her Council. They have their vision-mission, goals, programs and services and logo. The foundation helps children and youth from poor families and indigenous communities through educational assistance. They fund this through garage sales of goods donated by the owners of a big mall chain. They already have two graduates from Lumen Christi Catechetical Centre managed by the FMMs, one graduate from PAMANAKA, an IP school managed by our sisters in Mindoro and are helping 10 scholars in Cavite. 10. They have become enthusiastic advocates of the Ethic of Enough 11. They join and help the Franciscan Medical Mission Team in responding to survivors of different calamities most recent of which was Typhoon Yolanda that affected Leyte. Some Testimonies from our lay associates: 1. from a Male FMM LA: The charism of the FMM is really present in the history of my life particularly the victimhood and missionary. To be an FMM Lay associate, I am guided in my role as a husband and as a father to my three children, and also as a teacher to my pupils. To be an associate is also a great challenge to me in my involvement in the government. I consider it a mission. 2. Another Male FMM Lay associate (simple labourer, husband and father): In my study of the life of Blessed Mary of the Passion and other FMM saints, I am learning how to live simply and how to be humble, which are qualities of Mary of the Passion. 3. From a Mother and wife working as a doctor in a hospital: In my formation as an associate, I have grown in the spirit of simplicity and compassion to the least of my brothers and sisters. I begin to appreciate and understand the shortcomings of others and know myself better. I was able to forgive and love these people better. My visit to the Blessed Sacrament becomes more often and I feel that my day is complete with this visit. In my visit to the House of the Old and Abandoned, I realized how blessed I am and I am willing now to share my blessings to others. Josefina Fernando, fmm 15

2 EN :may 08 fr.qxd 14/07/ :03 Page 16 The journey of our Chinese-speaking Novitiate in the Philippines In 2009, Sr. Andrina Lee, General Councillor, spoke about setting up a combined Novitiate in the Philippines for Chinese-speaking candidates. The next year, we 4 professed Sisters from different provinces and of different nationalities, and 3 novices from Mainland China, arrived in the Philippines. We started our community with the help and kind support from our Sisters of the Philippine Province. On Jan.5, 2011, we inaugurated St. Joseph Asian Formation Centre with a Eucharistic celebration and the blessing of the new house. Now, we are 10, 3 professed, 2 young religious and 5 novices, coming from the Provinces of China, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam. It was really an adventure for us! Coming together for the first time, we started a community in a foreign country, and accepted novices from Mainland China. In addition, our new house had not yet been completely renovated. Mary of the Passion once said May all those who are privileged to go to new foundations expect sufferings, privations and trials and consider them a grace. (CT/1,159) Yes, we know how true it is! Like our r e s p e c t e d foundresses who just launched into new situations, we also came across trials, including disease. It seems that sacrifices were necessary for this foundation. Before shifting to the new house, we had stayed in an old fmm convent for 4 months. We had no time to worry about our own adaptation although I knew we should, as we were facing differences and new situations. But our main focus was on our novices who had just left their country for the first time and were facing the challenges and culture shock of a new place, new languages and our different style of religious life. During Advent, we contracted dengue fever one by one and had to be hospitalized 4 of us were in hospital for our first Christmas. Only one sister remained safe and sound. But God also granted us graces and lessons through this disaster. We all experienced Filipino fraternal love, especially the novices. It was a good occasion to germinate the sense of belonging. Although the novices could not communicate verbally with the other sisters, they all experienced love, concern and the feeling of being cherished! As for me, I learned the great lesson of patience, of trusting in Him. It is only when I truly accept reality and my weaknesses and limitations, when I am ready to give up all my plans and my opinions that God can work freely! Indeed, through this trial, everybody felt that our community truly had become a C O M M U N I T Y, where we could share our weaknesses and welcome one another through giving and receiving. The day previous to the official inauguration of the house, we transferred there and welcomed our General Councillors and our Provincial from Hong Kong. They gave us good example as daughters of Mary of the Passion! As soon as they arrived, they took up brooms and joined us for the big cleaning. I am really grateful to God, Sr. Sue and the General Councillors for choosing the Philippines as the place for our Novitiate. The Filipino people welcome us wherever we go with their cheerful, gentle and joyful spirit. They are the happiest people, bringing us lots of joy! In addition their simple yet deep faith often touches our hearts. Their whole life is closely related to faith. Although we are limited in communicating with local 16 Communications Service VII/64

3 EN :may 08 fr.qxd 14/07/ :03 Page 17 people, we want to relate to them, especially with our sisters. So we heartily welcome sisters who visit us with our multi-cultural cooking. It is due to our custom that we hesitate to pay visits without any specific purpose. Last year, we had a visit of more than twenty guests from another district, our GMA community sisters who are elderly; among them several use wheel chairs. After the difficult and tiring trip, they were still very cheerful and approached our shy novices with big smiles. This visit touched us and we were deeply impressed with their passionate community spirit! In order to see our new novitiate, they spared no pain in making this outing. Actually we did not know one another, but we felt bountiful love and concern throughout their visit. It made me reflect, so I decided to step out of my way of thinking and my comfort zone, to let go of my worries and approach others., in short to live for others! In Nov. 2013, the super typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines and Leyte terribly. If it had attacked Manila, what would have become of our house? Would we still be strong in our faith? I could not remain indifferent, so we prayed in community, old, men and women. I spent only 2 hours doing simple work and that alone made me very happy. I felt that the whole place was impregnated with prayer and good intentions. Strong was the power of one heart and one soul. We then re-arranged the community schedule so that everyone could participate for 3 days. The following are some of the impressions shared by our Sisters: - The typhoon destroyed houses, took away lives, brought such great disaster but it could not shake people s faith. - People of all walks of life came to help: parents bringing their small children to help; an elderly Jesuit priest in a wheel chair... - In faith, we are truly one family, but so often in our daily life, we are divided into yours, mine, his, ours, theirs, their country, our country... I have widened my concept and I need to actualize this fraternity in my life. saved money from fasting, and contributed to a charity concert. We learned that in the Jesuit University of Ateneo, a Relief Centre was asking for volunteers. It touched me seeing so many volunteers, young and I can see the bountiful blessings God has bestowed upon our community! Clara Shoko Aoki, fmm Prof. : What is the future of the verb, I yawn? Pupil: I sleep. * Prof.: When I say, I am beautiful, what tense is it? Pupil: Past tense, Miss 17

4 EN :may 08 fr.qxd 14/07/ :03 Page 18 Sri Lanka If there is a Will, there is always a Way! After a prolonged war, besides material aid, there is also a need for healing of wounds that are not merely physical. Sister Janet Nethisinghe, was convinced that she had to work for the psycho-social situation of the people. This is a sharing on how she went about doing it, and what were the end results. After any war, people, both at the national and international levels, become pre-occupied with re-building roads and bridges, and with economic development. Material help is poured into the war-torn areas from all sides. The experience in Sri Lanka following the 30-years war was not different. In general, the focus was on seeing to the material needs of the people. Very few spoke about the psycho-social situation of the victims of war. Most of the people directly affected by the war needed a lot of psychological healing and hardly anyone paid much attention to that aspect. The Major Superiors Conference, the Inter-congregational Women s Desk and a few other NGOs made a few isolated efforts to initiate a few programmes in view of healing. the physical scars, there were serious psychological scars inflicted on the people. As a person involved in the profession of healing my only desire from that moment on, was to go to them, and help them deal with their emotional scars. Even though the war ended, there was tight security all over the country, and there was no freedom of movement between the North and South. The Tamilspeaking community in the North and the Sister Janet Nethisinghe, the second from the right Sinhala-speaking community in the South got more and more estranged. Murders, Time was precious. The first step was to contact bombs, disappearances and arrests were rampant and some colleagues with whom I work closely, and plan with them our initial step. Serious objections came became the order of the day. The final stage of the war was the most violent one, from the government who banned all counselling and causing death to hundreds of thousands, including psychological help! We made every possible effort to civilians, soldiers, and rebels. The war officially go to the North, but without success. One of the reaended in May There was a mass exodus from sons for the ban was obvious: They did not want the the war-ravaged areas, and the people were placed in victims to speak out the truth to anyone coming from Refugee camps, which were actually detention the South. We could not convince the civil authority camps. All those who survived the war, especially in of the importance of psychological healing which the North, were traumatized beyond measure. was a priority at that moment. Through the media, we had followed closely what was happening, and there was no doubt that besides I was determined not to give up. My belief was that 18 Communications Service VII/64

5 EN :may 08 fr.qxd 14/07/ :03 Page 19 if we can t go to the North to do the counselling, we could train people there, to help their people. So we launched out on our alternative plan. As an initial step, we had 6 young women who were recruited to follow our programme. In order to avoid suspicion we kept the group small. Two counsellors and I went to the North, and we called our programme, Befriending, instead of counselling. So began the first part of our training programme, during which we taught them the basic skills of counselling. As the training progressed, they were also taught, different forms of creative therapies which they could use in their work. Friends and benefactors helped us with the finances. The language was no barrier. We managed. In the process of training the girls, we also had to help the girls personally to deal with their own traumas, as all of them had suffered the consequences of the war in one way or the other. After 3 days, we could already see in their faces, the changes that were taking place within their own lives, as a result of their own healing. Sparks of hope were enkindled in them. They began to look forward to a new beginning in their lives. According to these girls, at least 80% of the population in the North needed this type of help and healing. Within a short time, 6 other girls joined us, and so we continued our training for the 12 girls who could be psychosocial workers in 12 zones within the main city. We visited them 5-6 times over a three-year period, and taught them as much as possible to be effective helpers to those who needed help. At the end of the programme, in order to give the girls a chance to visit the South, we brought them to Colombo and gave them additional training. They had never come to the south due to the war and so were glad of this opportunity to visit many interesting places and also do some shopping with the help of some benefactors. Now, with the guidance of the priest who initially helped us to begin the project, the girls are doing very well, and continue to carry out this ministry in an effective manner. They visit houses, listen to people, offer them help when needed. At that juncture, we discovered that travelling to these far away, difficult to reach villages, was a problem for these young women. Roads were bad and buses were rare. So began a search for further funds to get them means of transport. Once again benefactors who were interested in this work, chipped in and we were able to get them some Chally motorcycles which facilitated their work a great deal. As the work progressed, another dimension that we needed to look at was to pay some stipend to these women for their work. It was not fair to ask them to work without any remuneration for their labour, as they were from very poor families. So, we approached Missionzentrale der Franziskaner, Germany which granted us the funds to pay these workers for a couple of years. Though the war was over 5 years ago and most people have returned to their villages, there are still many psychosocial problems due to the severe disruption of their normal lives during 30 years and more. There are also lots of social problems existing in the villages: alcoholism, child abuse, rape, prostitution, breaking down of marriages, etc. The big number of widows is a problem of its own. As our group has also been trained to conduct awareness programmes for children, women and adults, they take the initiative to organize awareness workshops in various villages. Officially, we concluded the program in April 2013 with a closing ceremony, and awarded certificates to the 12 girls. Though this small effort is like a drop in the ocean, I am glad that we were able to change the lives of 12 young women and through them to touch the lives of many others. What these girls shared at the closing ceremony was deeply touching. In their own simple way, they shared how their lives have been transformed through this training, and how they now seek to transform the lives of others. Encouraged by this experience, we are planning to launch out into the deep once more to train still another group in another location. Yes, Where there is a will, there is a way! Janet Nethisinghe, fmm 19

6 EN :may 08 fr.qxd 14/07/ :03 Page 20 Egypt Our Mission in Rezegat Thanks to a film produced by an inhabitant of Rezegat, a small Egyptian village which is 95% Catholic, we gradually entered the reality with Sr. Rosanna, fmm,"the daily combat of these courageous villagers who draw their joy from their faith Bishoi is a young man. He works as a mason but has a passion for the cinema. In the course of the year 2013, he produced a film on life in the village, Rezegat. Everything is gullibly authentic: the actors, the places, the countryside and the topics mentioned, that the title of the film expresses so well: The cry and combat of the people! Having newly arrived in the village, seeing the poverty and hard life of the people, I did not hear this cry or note this combat. I met people who were very welcoming, smiling, always ready to joke, looking at everyday life with humour The streets were full of children and the children were full of life. Young people always ready to feast and to launch out into something new joined us in the heart of our life, in our wounds, in our death and he is there to re-create us. Does he wish to continue to cure also through me? How many people need to be cured in their memory! At Rezegat, people are almost all linked by relationships and each family had accumulated so many souvenirs which often weigh down on the present, sometimes conditioning it and sometimes leading to violence. Does Christ wish to continue to free persons also through me? There are traditions, fixed ways of thinking which bind the people together, prevent people from being themselves, conditioning the lives of young girls, their choices for the future, for marriage Christ evangelises me through them. In the village there is place for everyon the one hand, I would one! The fool in the vilhave liked to stay at that, lage goes around all day at that smiling exterior and always finds somefull of life. thing to eat and a place to But day after day, meetrest; when he is sick he ing after meeting looking spends the night in the into the eyes of each perchurch courtyard. There son, listening with the ear are others who are physiof the heart, I was drawn cally or mentally chalinto going beyond lenged, but these people appearances, touching the form part of the life of the suffering of the other, and village. Elderly people allowing myself to be (people age very fast touched by her; to feel Sr. Rosanna with some children; because of their hard life) the weight that bore street is an important meeting place are not put aside: they are heavy on the heart of the other and to feel my own powerlessness to relieve there in the midst of the others, sharing family life, her. enjoying the presence of the children. Today I continue to discover the meaning of the Incarnation and to experience its strength: Christ has 20 Communications Service VII/64 The last scene of the film made by Bishoi takes place in the church. The main protagonist, who plays the

7 EN :may 08 fr.qxd 14/07/ :03 Page 21 role of the wicked one, advances towards the altar slowly, kneels down and asks pardon. God is always present in the life of the people, they have an unshakeable faith! Their life may be full of difficulties, doubts, sins but they believe. They know that God saves! The request I most often hear repeated is: Sister, pray for me, pray for us! What are we doing in the village? We run a Kindergarten where we need to work on three sides. The children before all else. For them, the experience of a framework of organised life, rich with new activities, is very important because it often springs up like wild grass and grows in the street. Sr. Nadia Amin in the Kindergarten We must accompany the teachers who do not have a specific training for this type of school. We take care of the relationship with the parents to collaborate in the training of their children. This year we enjoyed the fact that there are a greater number of Muslim children coming from the neighbouring villages. We conduct Catechesis for the children between 3 and 15 years of age. The principal method of their faith formation is certainly the liturgy. In the Coptic rite one of the Christian rites of the oriental churches is very rich and, with feasts and liturgical seasons, it gives rhythm to the social life of the Christians. Sr. Antonietta visiting a family Through Catechesis, we seek to help the children and the young people to approach the Word of God in a more personal way and to find new responses to the new situations of life that they have to face. We collaborate with more than 20 catechists (boys, girls, young mothers). We help them to train themselves and find valuable instruments to place at their disposal. In general the young people like to be committed to different activities in the church and do so with generosity and creativity. Today the youth are faced with situations very different from those of preceding generations and experience being torn apart at times. For this, the parish priest of the village, a Friar Minor, formed a team of young lay people, of which we are a part, to analyse the situations of the youth, their problems, their dreams, their needs, and to see how we can help them. The population of the village is 95% Christian and Catholic. In the village there are about ten Muslim families and all the surrounding villages are entirely or of a great majority Muslim. We strive to have contacts with them to know one another better. Sometimes Muslims come to see Father to consult A group of women and some men during a literacy class him, to ask for his prayers and blessing. And then, daily life, with its meetings, unforeseen happenings, joyful events, sometimes tragic ones, in a vast aeropagus to welcome the Word that God speaks to us today and to proclaim it in a very targeted manner. It is the time and space to welcome and to live the Incarnation of Christ. Rosanna Marin, fmm 21