The NOTIANDINA Newsletter has reached its 100th issue. CONGRATULATIONS!
We thank all who have made possible this means of communication in the province
America Andina, starting with the provincial government team who suggested it; those who have simply shared about their lives and the life in mission which we live, with a sense of body, in each of the places that now make up this small part of the Congregation.
Also those who encourage us by their words, their interest and reading of it. Today, we thank in a special way our General and Provincial Superiors. We hope to continue with the renewed contribution of all of us who make up the family of Candida Maria de Jesus in this provincial reality.
FROM OUR SUPERIOR GENERAL, MARIA INEZ FURTADO FI
Encounter – Communication – Accompaniment, three vital words today. More than actions, they are attitudes that we are learning, or at least, trying to make a reality in the beautiful mission which is ‘to be Daughters of Jesus in the XXI century’. We are on our way because we know we are all students of basic courses in these subjects, at least in how to do it today before the growing diversity of ‘means’ at our disposal. We all experience how ‘means’ help, but they can also entrap us. In times of so many means for encounter, communication and accompaniment … how much loneliness, forgetfulness and real disinformation … how much disUNITY! And what about the when and the how of our meeting-communication-accompaniment when we don’t have enough time for ‘a little discernment’?
In us there are signs that we are on course, knowing that for our apostolic body — laity and religious of course—these are attitudes and initiatives that have a very clear objective – the union of hearts. If we encounter each other … when we communicate with one another … and as we accompany each other … we are challenged to do so always in such a way that our UNION OF HEARTS grows. This will be strengthened every time our action in these three aspects serves as consolation, mutual edification and progress in love (cf. CFI 236).
How can we not thank and encourage any initiative along this line?
I do wish, in this no. 100 of NOTIANDINA, to express my joy in favoring this additional possibility of encounter-communication-accompaniment in the everyday life in these regions, and the punctuality and perseverance that up to this point, have been shown by those who collaborate in it in so many ways. THANK YOU, America Andina!
FROM GRACIELA FRANCOVIG FI, PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR of AMERICA ANDINA
To say something about No. 100 of “Notiandina” is to speak of a path traversed that has a lot to do with the start of the Province of AA and the reconfiguration process. I remember that in planning our Apostolic Religious Project, as Provincial Government in February 2012, one of the objectives was:
CONSOLIDATING THE PROCESS OF RECONFIGURATION OF THE PROVINCE.
For it one of the means that emerged was:
“enhance communication within the community and with the communities of the Province, favoring simple bi-weekly communications, via email, which the provincial secretary will coordinate for the entire province”. These days I was looking at the first bi-weekly newsletters, which are already bound by year, and I was positively impressed by the history of the Province, reflected in the news that we were telling each other. How much life there is in our communities, houses, amplified communities, apostolic works, different apostolates with the youth, social pastoral ministry, of the Spiritual Exercises …! And it brought me to a deep gratitude to the Lord and to admire how much he does through us in this effort to sanctify ourselves and with the same determination, to seek the sanctification of our neighbor (Formula of the Institute). Along the way we have come across questions: the news that do not arrive in the time or manner “as we would like,” Tere Ramirez’ worry and the question: does it make sense to continue with the Notiandina? And more thoughts … and yet still we said, WE CONTINUE!
And today I see that it is about that: we often have difficulties in the implementation of things and these difficulties sometimes remain. What is important, I think, is not to abandon the path begun. Because life is like that, imperfect and with limitations; and it is precisely here that the Lord is incarnated for us, giving us new life and engendering hope, enthusiasm and joy for everyone. THAT’S WHAT I CELEBRATE TODAY WITH NUMBER 100 OF OUR NEWSLETTER.
I appreciate the perseverance and the enthusiasm of our Sr. Teresa Ramirez to carry it out. I know of her sustained effort to make it come out punctually every fortnight.
I appreciate her faithful efforts so that no Notiandina would come out without my “approval”. As well as her respectful reception of my “this yes, this no, this seems appropriate, now it is left with a lot of text or many photos, and more …” That is our way of proceeding, which should appear in the small, tiny, and ordinary things of everyday.
Thank you, sisters and lay people; thank you, everyone, for the cooperation with this medium of communication that has made possible the ENCOUNTER AMONG US. Thanks for the appreciation, at least the vast majority, that we have for it. THANKS AGAIN TO THE UNTIRING FRATERNAL WORK OF OUR SECRETARY. The other night, while the two of us were looking at the history of these years, we said to each other: when we’re done as a government, we will leave a lot of life of the Province AA in these six years captured in news. And that was a source of joy that today we also wish to communicate!
