Sr. Halina Dołęga
Over a period of four weeks during June and July, in the Congregation’s Generalate in Rome, the Return to the Roots Formation Program was held for Polish-speaking Sisters. It was the fifth meeting of this kind organized by the current General Administration, and was attended by 15 sisters from Poland, Australia, Belarus and Ukraine. Its goal was to renew the Sisters’ passion for Nazareth’s mission and charism, to enable them to personally experience Rome as the center of the Congregation and the Church, to participate in papal celebrations and pilgrimages to places related to Mother Foundress and the history of the Congregation, to exchange experiences with Sisters from various countries and cultures and experience the reality of our rich internationality, and to provide an extended time for prayer and spiritual reading.
Conferences during these types of meetings are generally given by Nazareth Sisters, because they know their Foundress and the history of the Congregation the most deeply and can share their knowledge with other Sisters. The speakers for the renewal were: Mother Jana Zawieja, Sr. Barbara Gromada, Sr. Beata Rudzińska, Sr. Angela Marie Mazzeo, Sr. Amata Nowaszewska, Sr. Lidia Misiak and the author of this article, Sr. Halina Dołęga. The Sisters also had time for extended prayer, reflection and spiritual reading. Father Wojciech Popielewski, OMI gave a conference for the Sisters at the beginning of the renewal and a three-day retreat at the end of the program.
An important element was participation in the life of the universal Church and participation in papal celebrations. The Sisters took part in the Sunday Angelus with the Holy Father, and the Wednesday general audience. A pleasant surprise was the opportunity for one of our Sisters to personally greet the Pope, assuring him of our prayer and offering him some Polish fudge. On June 28, the Sisters participated in the Consistory in the Basilica of St. Peter, during which 14 new cardinals were inducted into the College of Cardinals. We personally congratulated the new Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner. On June 29, at St. Peter’s, the Sisters took part in the Holy Mass during which Holy Father Francis gave the pallium to the new metropolitan archbishops. Among the metropolitans from all over the world, appointed during the past year, was Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Metropolitan of Lodz, who is well-known in Poland. The experience of the universality and diversity of the Church became tangible to the Sisters.
In spite of the already hot, Roman summer, the Sisters were happy to make pilgrimages to the various places associated with Mother Foundress and the Congregation, as well as other places which are important from the point of view of history and culture. The pilgrimage route was spread over time and was exceptionally rich. It included the Motherhouse of the Congregation on via Machiavelli, the four major basilicas, Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, Basilica of St. Frances of Rome – the baptismal patron of Mother Foundress, Basilica of St. Lawrence, St. Clement, Quattro Coronati, Sts. Cosmos and Damian, Church del Gesù, Church of St. Andrew in Quirinale, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Praxede, St. Augustine, St. Louis of France, St. Claudius, St. Andrea della Fratte, Sopra Minerva, Aracoeli, Tre Fontane Abbey and the Convent of the Little Sisters of Jesus with a room with mementos of Bl. Charles de Foucauld, ancient Rome including the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Campo Verano Cemetery, where our deceased sisters are laid to rest. The Sisters also went to Subiaco and Assisi.
During the program, the Sisters established or deepened ties between themselves and had the opportunity to share their experiences.
With feelings of joy and gratitude and, at the same time, regret that this time had come to an end, the Sisters returned to their Provinces. Certainly, such renewal programs are worth continuing.
PRESENTATION (pdf file): From the Roman chronicles: Renewal 6/20-7/18/2018 «RETURN TO THE ROOTS»
