On August 6, God blessed our Province with the gift of three new sisters. The celebration took place at the Novitiate of Our Lady of Hope in Bobo-Dioulasso, about 400 km from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
Three young women freely chose to follow Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience within our Congregation:
Sr. Justine YAMEOGO of the Incarnation (Burkina Faso)
Sr. Marie-Josiane Godelieve KABORE of the Heart of Jesus (Burkina Faso)
Sr. Véronique Joseph GAOU of Christ the King (Benin)
This is a great joy for our Province, and we give thanks to God for this blessing!
The call to religious life is, above all, an initiative of God, which requires from us a free and generous response, as was emphasized in the introduction at the moment when the sisters were called by name. In the presence of the Christian community, together with their families and friends, the celebrant, Father Bernard OUEDRAOGO of the Archdiocese of Bobo-Dioulasso, called each novice in the name of Christ.
They answered firmly: “Here I am”, and then sang this beautiful hymn: “Lord, you associate me with your work of love. I consecrate myself to you for the world. Welcome me, that I may be a perfect offering. I place my whole life into your hands; may your joy arise within me and engage me, so that my life may bear witness to you.”
How beautiful it is to consecrate oneself to God in the service of brothers and sisters!
With complete freedom, each expressed before the altar her desire to follow and serve Christ within our religious family. Through this choice, they also showed their wish to walk in the footsteps of Saint Marie Eugenie, our foundress, and to live the spiritual heritage she entrusted to us.
Our three young sisters were then invited to embrace the way of life of the Religious of the Assumption:
A contemplative life, nourished by silence, the Liturgy of the Hours, prayer, and adoration.
A fraternal life in intercultural and international community, made possible through each one’s commitment to following Christ.
And an apostolic life, sharing in the Church’s mission, especially through education.
After a personal dialogue with the Provincial, each one professed her vows for three years, undoubtedly carrying deep within her heart the desire that her yes might be total, without reservation or return. To follow Christ, to leave everything for Him, to be light and love—yes, it is truly worthwhile, for it is Christ Himself who places in the heart of the sisters the desire to follow Him, and it is He who gives strength and courage.
At the end of the Eucharist, our three young sisters addressed the assembly, thanking their families, the formators, and all those who had come to support them. They encouraged the young women present not to doubt God’s call, but always to seek meaning in their lives by turning with trust to Christ and by allowing themselves to be guided.
After the celebration, a fraternal meal brought together all those who had accompanied our sisters, and in a spirit of joyful fellowship the profession ceremony came to its close.
May the intercession of Saint Marie Eugenie inspire other young women to respond generously to God’s call within our Congregation.
Sr. Marie-Madeleine AGONOU, R.A.