Newton (United States of America). From 8 to 11 June 2023, at the Sacred Heart Spirituality House in Newton, New Jersey, in St. Joseph Province (SEC), 36 young women from various States met to live the ‘Mornese Experience’, an experience based on the life and spirituality of St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello and Mornese.
This is the second annual experience offered by the SEC Province to young women. Five of them, present in the last edition, returned this year to serve, working alongside five Daughters of Mary Help of Christians: Sr. Theresa Lee, Sr. Nivia Arias, Sr. Guerline Joseph, Sr. Natasha Roig, and Sr. Anne Weis in planning and guiding the days.
During the four days of retreat, the participants had the opportunity to get to know and study the life and spirituality of St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello through the presentations of the FMA speakers and viewing the film ‘Main: The house of happiness’. On the first day, Sr. Theresa Lee introduced her life, while on the second day, Sr. Christina Chong spoke about the authenticity and holiness of the friendship between Mary Domenica and Petronilla, and how it is possible today to cultivate this kind of friendship.
The young women were able to further reflect on what they heard through a couple of rope and team dynamics. The third day was centered on prayer, with a talk by Sr. Theresa Samson on contemplation in action, experienced through the activity ‘In the vineyard’, in which they actually did some outdoor gardening work, associating the image of the garden to their spiritual life. On the last day before departure, Sr. Theresa Lee spoke to them about how to bring the spirit of Mornese into their realities.
In addition to talks and activities, the young women had time for personal prayer, sharing in small groups, encounters with each other, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and daily Mass. For moments of prayer, meals, and recreation, they met with the community of FMA and Novices, appreciating the opportunity to meet the Sisters and the young women in formation, to ask questions, to listen to their stories, and to simply enjoy their presence.
One morning, the young women got up at dawn for a walk to Camp Auxilium, where they gathered in small groups for the Lectio Divina. Through this experience, they recalled the depth of the spiritual life of Mary Mazzarello, who got up early every morning to walk to Mass, and they also got a taste of the daily Salesian practice of meditation on the Word of God. On the same day, they also had the joy of a visit from Bishop Kevin Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson, who celebrated the Eucharist and joined the group and community for breakfast.
A beautiful spirit of sharing was created among the young participants, inspired by the Holiness of Mary Domenica Mazzarello and the joyful Salesian style. During their time together, they formed relationships of mutual support, in the desire to live their faith in today’s world and to discover God’s plan for their lives. One participant wrote that the Mornese Experience was an important moment in her vocational discernment.
