Anniversaries of Profession in the Generalate

Rome (Italy). On 15 June 2024, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Community of Mary Help of Christians (RCG) of the General House of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians celebrated the anniversaries of Religious Profession of Sister Luigina Di Caro (70°), Sister Judith Suprys Ann (60°), Sister Cecilia Park, and Sister Randa Kortas (25°).

“Together with them, in harmony with the Liturgy of the Word, we repeat with amazement the words of the Responsorial Psalm: ‘O Lord, how wonderful is your name on all the earth!’ May it be so for us today and always, until the end of days.” These are the words read in the introduction to the Eucharistic Celebration, with which the Community and the General Council joined in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for the gift of His fidelity and for the loving response of these Sisters.

The Eucharist, concelebrated by two young Korean priests, was presided over by the Vicar General of the Salesian Congregation, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, who began the homily by saying, “This day of celebration could not have had a more beautiful context for prayer, the day of the Trinity because the word that the liturgy offers us perfectly unites the mystery of the Holy Trinity with the mystery of our vocation and our fidelity to God and ourselves.”

Fr. Stefano then reread the readings of the day in a vocational key. “Our vocation is set in creation. The first reading opens to us a cosmic gaze. At the beginning of everything there is the love of God-Father-creator, a continuous creation and in there is my deep, true origin. This is something to contemplate; it is bigger than us, but it puts our life story in a context, in a splendor that even the most difficult moments and the darkest pages cannot erase. (…) And to remember that the origin of each one’s life, our vocation, is in the heart of God; it is something that does us enormous good, because it is the root of our gratitude. (…)

Our vocation is sustained – 2^nd reading – by Jesus Christ, the redeemer. Paul tells us that our salvation, which comes from creation, is vivified by Christ the Redeemer. And this experience of the Risen Christ gives us hope for the glory of God, makes us walk towards Paradise. (…)

What we are, what we live, everything is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of vocation is concretized in our daily life of faith, in our humanity, in our charity, in the love that becomes patient, but all that we have is in perspective of what will come, because the Holy Spirit will tell you ‘everything He has heard and will announce future things’. The Spirit – with the Father and the Son – takes us to Paradise. (…) The Holy Spirit enables us to keep the lamp of our faithfulness lit, for the best is yet to come.”

After the homily, Sister Judith, Sister Cecilia, and Sister Randa renewed their consecration to the Lord. It is then followed by a particular gesture, as precious: the blessing of the hands and anointing with oil by the celebrant, with the following expression:

“May your hands pour out the fragrance of gratitude and of the Love received and given in the generous and total offering of your life. Lord, look kindly and bless these prayerful hands, devoted to the reading of Sacred Scripture, to the recitation of the rosary and the divine Office, and to receiving in the Eucharist the Body of Christ, Your Son; working hands that continue Your creative work and express Your generosity. Welcoming and peaceful hands, contagious of your merciful love, friendly hands, sign of your tenderness, hands that heal and lift up, moved by your will for happiness and salvation. Keep these hands in Your hand, for the eternal wedding, forever and ever.”

At the end of the Celebration, before the final blessing, Mother Chiara Cazzuola handed each one a lit lamp with the wish, “May your lamp always burn, from evening to morning, before the Lord, in perennial thanksgiving.”

In the morning, the Animator, Sister Carla Castellino, together with some FMA of the House Council, reached Sister Luigina in the infirmary of the Generalate, where she gratefully received the wishes for her 70^th of Profession and her lamp.

The feast continued in the refectory, with dinner and a moment of conviviality where the talents of the celebrated were highlighted, including the gift of Sister Randa to write fine icons, as that of the Holy Trinity created for the occasion and placed next to the altar in the Chapel; the musical skills of Sister Cecilia Park, who composed and played for the community a song of Thanks, “On the way, you are there, every step with you. Thank you, thank you for your love, always here with me. Thank you.”

1 of 13