“PILGRIM OF HOPE, TO LIVE IN CHRIST, TO CONVERT AND RENEW LIFE IN ORDER TO UPLIFT, TO GIVE LIFE TO HUMANITY AND OTHER CREATURES FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.”
This was the theme of the session for the young sisters of the Province of Madagascar, held from April 22 to 26, 2025, in Ambohimahasoa. During these days of formation and reunion, we had the opportunity to listen to Father Jean Louis RAMANANDRAIBE on the topic “Pilgrim of Hope.” He invited us to move forward without growing weary, to walk together in a synodal spirit with faith and hope. He encouraged us to let go of everything that hinders us—hypocrisy, jealousy, rejection of others—and to embrace values such as listening, fraternity, self-control, joy, faith, love, and hope.
Thursday, April 24, was dedicated to sharing our vocational journey and our experiences of formation outside the province. To facilitate this, Sister Catherine and Sister Léonie suggested that two sisters from each formation group share their testimony: from the Orchid Group (2016-2017), the Flamboyant Group (2018-2020), the HOPE Group (2021-2022), and the Lumière Group (2023-2023). Some sisters who had recently completed formation in other provinces also took part.
From these heartfelt testimonies, we understood that it is through prayer that we discover each day “who Christ truly is” and that it is His love that gives us the enthusiasm to love Him and to help others love Him. Furthermore, stepping outside our own province helps us to better understand and internalize our spirituality and our charism. By encountering other cultures, we learn to appreciate our own more deeply, which allows us to live more fully the shared culture of the Assumption.
Going to a new country or culture can be daunting, but stepping out becomes a remedy for that fear. Along the way, we cultivate trust in ourselves and in others. It is through contemplation and interior reflection that we can achieve this trust and live it more deeply in our daily lives.
In the face of difficulties, we can remind ourselves that everything is grace and an opportunity for personal growth and formation.
We concluded our fraternal gathering and formation session with a reforestation activity, planting coffee trees as a concrete sign of our care for our common home and our preparation for the future.
“The future of the congregation is me, it is you, it is all of us! Together with Christ and Saint Marie Eugenie, we can do it!”