October 1 was a day full of history as we Sisters of Notre Dame celebrated 171 years of the foundation of our congregation. In Indonesia, besides our Foundation Day, we also celebrated the commemoration of Pancasila Day and our junior sisters’ patronal feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux. In this historical moment, the Sisters of Notre Dame Puri Indah Jakarta held a ceremony for the blessing of the school’s new auditorium by Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, the Bishop of Jakarta. The auditorium will be used for Holy Mass every Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the increasing number of parishioners.
The event began in front of the school with a prayer near the Garuda Pancasila Bird emblem, followed by the dove release by Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo and Sister Maria Monika. Next there was a beautiful Eucharistic celebration with four concelebrants and Sisters of Notre Dame partners and benefactors. Mass was also broadcasted online so that teachers, employees, and parents could attend.
After Mass, two Notre Dame schools held a virtual interactive dialogue with the cardinal and the students from kindergarten through high school from Notre Dame Puri Indah Jakarta and Notre Dame Grand Wisata. The topic was Pancasila, which is the ideology of our country, “the unity of Indonesia.” The conversation went well and cultivated the nation’s spirit for the students.
The celebration of the congregation’s anniversary, held for the whole community in Indonesia, also included our mission in the Philippines, and each community made a creative activity for the occasion. May Sr. Maria Aloysia and Sr. Maria Ignatia encourage us to further “Renew the Face of the Earth… and Cultivate a Culture of Encounter and Caring.”
by Sr. Maria Monika, SND
by Dreamhost