On January 16, 2025, as part of his pastoral visit to the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption in Passy, Bishop Catta, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Paris, visited the Mother House. He arrived at 4:30 p.m., accompanied by two laypeople, Mrs. Anne-Laure Riche and Mr. Vincent Porteret. The community welcomed them in the lobby with a song and a traditional Rwandan dance, followed by a welcome speech from the Superior General. After this warm reception, we made our way to the meeting room.
The visit began with a brief introduction, during which we explained that we are, in fact, two communities: the Auteuil community and the general community. After this introduction, we settled in, and Bishop Catta took the floor to share the main reason for his visit: “to live in proximity with the people of God and with religious communities.” He invited us to speak freely, and it was then that we presented the main aspects of our congregation and our mission.
We then spoke about the various services we provide to the parish, such as catechesis, as well as services for the sick and the elderly, among others. We also shared the different activities we organize to stay close to the Christians and children, such as the aperitif we host every first Sunday of the month after Mass in our chapel, the sharing of the Word with the children, and the lectio divina.
The two laypeople accompanying Bishop Catta were delighted to be part of this experience and deeply moved by the opportunity to share their experiences with us. In fact, having accompanied Bishop Catta on several visits to different parishes, they were always impressed by the richness of our Church and the discreet commitment of the religious women in the parishes.
The meeting lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes. The atmosphere was very pleasant and friendly. At the end, after the prayer and Bishop Catta’s blessing, we offered to show them our chapel and the museum. They happily accepted, especially after learning more about the life of Saint Mary Eugenie, whose relic now rests alongside those of four other saints on the altar of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Thus, the visit ended in the museum, and around 6:20 p.m., Bishop Catta and the two laypeople left our community, serenely grateful for the time shared, leaving us filled with joy and thanksgiving for the experience lived during this visit.