The seven tertians from the Assumption and Visitation Provinces in India and our Tertian Director, Sr. M. Sujita, wish our worldwide Notre Dame family a pleasant and grace-filled New Year 2024. We want to share some highlights of our beautiful experiences as tertian.
Our journey to the tertiate began with a four-month certification program in theology at St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bangalore. The chosen courses were beneficial in strengthening our faith. We developed a strong desire for God’s word and for our call to consecrated life and mission.
After the theology course, in response to Pope Francis’ call to “Go to the Peripheries,” we had a month of “Periphery” experience. We were divided into three groups. One group served elderly and abandoned people. Another group worked with physically and mentally challenged children. The third group focused on women released from prison and undergoing rehabilitation.
On December 8th, in the presence of Sr. M. Chetana and the provincial house community, during a beautiful and meaningful prayer service prepared by Sr. M. Sujita, we officially began our Tertianship in Bangalore. At the end of the prayer service, we had the joy of pairing with our chosen ‘Wisdom Sister,’ who would be our special companion during our tertianship.
In her classes, as Sr. M. Sujita began to break open each article in our Constitutions, we were amazed at their richness and depth. Sr. M. Kripa’s wonderfully prepared classes on the History of our Congregation filled us with great love and deep appreciation for our congregation’s rich heritage and legacy.
Another life-giving experience was staying with our sisters in the Shalom Bhavan community and infirmary in Mysore for a week-long study of Laudato Si. As we studied and reflected on this encyclical, we also spent quality time caring for Mother Earth and bringing joy to our elderly and sick sisters. We now look forward to two months in the inter-congregational tertiate program at the Jesuit Spirituality Center in Bangalore, followed by the a 30-day Ignatian Retreat. Please keep us all in your prayers.
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