The International Juniorate is a program for Junior Sisters to deepen the Rogationist Spirituality and to discover a lot more about our being a Daughter of Divine Zeal and our being spiritual children of St Hannibal Mary Di Francia and Mother Maria Nazarena. This period lasts almost a year.
I was part of the program last year with our community composed of five sisters from India, three from Indonesia, two from South Korea and one from the Philippines. This combination of nationalities and cultural background enriched our journey together. We learned a lot from each other, making it a very special year of our religious life.
We were privileged to visit some houses opened by our Father Founder and had met a lot of our sisters who have also offered their life for the Rogate. It was admirable to see many elderly sisters whose were so joyful to see young sisters like us. We received a lot of encouragement from them.
Other than learning more about the spirituality and other congregational experiences, the period was also enriched by the Church’s journey of having Pope Benedict resigning and the Conclave waiting for the new Pope. It was a combination of anxiety, fear, excitement and joy that led us to pray earnestly for God’s will and for the wellbeing of the whole Church. The election of Pope Francis opened a new door full of challenges and encouragement.
Those experiences and many others will always remain in my heart and will serve as lessons as I continue on my journey towards loving and serving God. Thank you Lord for showing me the way.
Sr M Adelfina Se, fdz