The Provincial Assembly for the South African Province took place in Pretoria from 4th-8th January 2007. While the sisters usually meet once a year this was a special gathering as it was a follow-up meeting to the General Congregation which took place in Lima, Peru during September 2006. All except four sisters were able to gather in Pretoria at this time.
 |
Back: (L to R)
Srs Eileen Gallagher, Jacinta Bannon, Gabrielle Murphy,
Elizabeth Donnan, Emer McNally Centre: (L to R) Srs Pat Hanvey, Linda Prest, Monica Shanley, Shirley Kay, Marie Brady, Maire Sinnott Front: Srs Margo Mulvey, Oliver O'Mahony, Bernadette Wilczkiewicz, Margaret Mary O'Brien, Deirdre Harman |
||||
| During the Assembly our deceased sisters who had died over the past eight years (since the last General Congregation) were remembered in a special way. A ribbon with all of their names was threaded through the hands of the sisters present while their names were read out during a special Mass. It was a fitting tribute and an opportunity to reflect upon how each one had touched our lives in their own special way. |
|
||||
 |
The meeting closed with a very beautiful 'missioning' ritual where each sister was for missioned to their respective ministries for the coming year by Provincial Sr Monica Shanley. | ||||
|
Development Meeting in Nairobi Kenya: 12th to 15th June 2007 |
|
|
|
Loreto Sisters from
Sub-Saharan Africa came together recently in Nairobi to explore
a new Programmatic approach to developmental work. This entails
a move away from project based funding towards the emergence of
developmental programmes within each Province, (into which
individual projects would fit) and for which block funding could
be sought. The workshop was made possible by IMRS (Irish Missionary Resource Service) who have identified Loreto as one of seven Irish Missionary Congregations chosen to pilot this new programmatic approach to development work and corresponding funding possibilities. The need for such a programmatic approach is seemingly being adopted by most of the major potential donors. |
|
Sisters were present from Ghana, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa, as well as key personnel from the Irish MWI (Mary Ward International) Office in Dublin. The latter coordinate and facilitate Irish sourced funding for Loreto Development work worldwide. Two development consultants from Ireland facilitated the process. The workshop proved to be very valuable in terms of understanding new trends in development work, and how to respond accordingly. It was also a wonderful opportunity to share the experiences of so many sisters working in very diverse cultural, social, political and geographical scenarios from around the continent.
|
|
|
|
|
Healing of Memory Workshops 2007
| Sr Jacinta Bannon IBVM is very active in the Institute of Healing of Memories in South Africa. The Provisional Programme for Workshops to be run in the Western Province (Cape Town area) for 2007 is presented below. | |||
| Date | Month | Venue | |
| 16 -18 | February | To be advised - IHOM | |
| 23 - 25 | February | To be advised - IHOM | |
| 2 - 4 | March | Prison Workshop, Goodwood | |
| 23 - 25 | March | To be advised _ IHOM | |
| 14 - 16 | April | To be advised - for refugees | |
| 20 - 22 | April | Loreto Sisters - IHOM + Current Issues e.g. HIV/AIDS related | |
| 8 - 10 | May | Loreto Sisters - Prison IHOM Workshop | |
| 19 - 21 | May | To be advised - IHOM | |
| 8 -10 | June | Schoenstatt - Women and shelter | |
| 15 - 17 | June | To be advised - Youth related | |
| 22 - 24 | June | To be advised - RSA + refugees | |
| 21 - 23 | July | Schoenstatt - Prisons + affected families (victims) | |
| 24 - 26 | August | Loreto Sisters - Congregation + Women | |
| 21 - 23 | September | Loreto Sisters - IHOM + HIV/AIDS affected families | |
| 26 - 28 | October | To be advised - National IHOM | |
| 23 - 25 | November | To be advised - International Particpants | |
Each Workshop is run over three days - usually weekends - and starts on the evening of the first day, ending early afternoon on the third day.
- There will be reunions after each workshop
- Four Second Phase workshops: 10 March, 19 May, 6 October and 3 November
- At least there will be three on-going training of facilitators
- First: 27 January - facilitation skills, language, culture and how individuals deal with their own challenges. Special target groups.
- 28 July: Personal development and inner searching
- 20 January and 20 October: Sharing experiences
- 28 April will be a lead facilitator training
- Two training of new facilitators and lead facilitators. First: 16/17 or 30/31 March and 29/30 September
Please note: This is a Provisional Programme subject to change.
For those who may be interested in Healing of Memory Workshops or for further information, please contact Sr Jacinta (South Africa) 021 853 6224 or jacintab@telkomsa.net
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
Two CPE Programmes are being offered in Cape Town in 2007
12 March - 25 May 2007
10 September - 23 November 2007
For further information or bookings please contact:
Sr Jacinta Bannon IBVM
Tel: (South Africa) 021 853 6225 Email: jacintab@telkomsa.net
Provincial’s Meeting – Pretoria, South Africa April 2007
(A reflection from the periphery: Sr Margo Mulvey)
The entrance hall at Loreto Skinner Street burst into life once again – a reflection of former years – when the Institute leadership team and the province leaders arrived for their annual meeting. To welcome so many of our Sisters from many countries around the world was a great joy and a blessing for our province. Small as our numbers have become there was nothing spared to ensure a warm welcome for each of our Mary Ward travellers. The energy flowed as our numbers swelled and the buzz of communication soared.
The venue for the meeting, the Good Shepherd Retreat Centre at the Haartepeetsport Dam, was delightful - A place of beauty and calm for the next few weeks – home from home. The days were packed with dialogue, consultation, prayer and the inevitable challenge. All of which bore an abundance of fruit – as the 80+ pages of minutes testify! There was time for play too, outings to places of interest and relaxation, such as the Lion Park and the Apartheid Museum, as well as visits to Loreto schools and communities which added to the experience of Loreto South Africa.
Sadly, the time came for ‘goodbyes’ and once again the airport was abuzz with Loreto ‘dignitaries’ making their way to the far corners of the globe. Those of us left behind remain grateful for the experience of our internationality and the joy of sharing our aspirations and anxieties with our ‘companions on the journey’. Thank you for being part of our Province for two weeks, we treasure the experience of knowing we belong to a strong body of women inspired by Mary Ward’s conviction that ‘women in time to come will do much’…… the time is now.
You have left a vacuum – now that the buzz has died down! But you have left us motivated to keep the spirit of Mary Ward alive and active among the people who experience the dedication and commitment of our sisters where we work and live in South Africa.