This is the moment we have been waiting for since the announcement of the good news of the session of young sisters from Africa and Madagascar being held today in the land of a thousand hills. The joy of the welcome was expressed in moments of conviviality, singing and dancing to the sound of drums and tom-toms. Since Monday 18 July, it has been a great joy for the province of Rwanda-Chad to welcome our young sisters, formators, Provincials and Regional Sisters from all the provinces and regions of Africa. It was a great reunion and a wonderful experience of communion and fraternity.
But this was only the foretaste, because it was on the evening of Thursday 20 July that the official opening of the session took place. It was during a Eucharistic celebration presided over by His Eminence Antoine Cardinal KAMBANDA, Archbishop of Kigali.
The ceremony was marked by a number of important moments:
- The call of the provinces by the Provincial Superior; the sisters of the session entered with the flags of their countries which they placed in front of the Altar as a sign of our internationality.
- A jug in front of the altar with torches representing our provinces: in African culture a sign of communion, fraternity, hospitality, sharing and solidarity. We come to drink from the common source and draw new energy for a prophetic mission.
- A banner with the theme of the session "Young religious of the Assumption, in dialogue with your reality, build your identity for a prophetic religious life", the logos and some elements of African culture: the baskets as a sign of hidden treasure and the drum as a sign of joy and celebration.
- In his homily, His Eminence invited us not to carry useless burdens but to let Jesus carry them, since he takes care of us and our burdens. He hoped that this session would be a time of rest and renewal with the Master, in whom we must always place our trust.
With this opening, we have made a good start that will enable us to live the session in the Assumption spirit, in its internationality, in its communion in diversity, in the spirit of celebration and joy that always mark our meetings... to reach the hidden treasure of Jesus Christ, the joy of our consecration to the Lord.