For the first time in our Region all the co-workers came together for a meeting to hear about our charism and to share their experiences with the sisters.
In the beginning of February, we had our Sisters, Sr Katharina, Sr Antonia and Sr Juliana for a special visit in our Region of St. Clare. This visit was mainly about preparing for our next General Chapter hence our Sisters arranged a gathering for all the workers in our Institutions within our Region. The event took place in February in the Holy Childhood School Hall in Eshowe. The Sisters had beautifully prepared a center piece with the statue of our Mother foundress. Sr. Assumpta warmly welcomed everyone who was present and handed over to Sr. Katharina who was to explain the reason of the assembly. Sr. Katharina read out the mission statement of the Holy Childhood sisters and briefly explained of the spirituality and charism of our congregation and furthermore about our Mother Foundress. This gave a clear picture to all workers about our mission and what goal we are aiming to attain in our ministries. Sr. Katharina then spoke about the foundation of our congregation, to the present time. It was a shock to the assembly that over the years the sisters’ numbers in Germany and other regions dropped drastically. Today, there are only 121 sisters left in Germany. Sr Antonia and Sr Assumpta also shared the history and the current situation in America and South Africa. Sr Katharina made the co- workers realize the important role they play in our ministries, as they help us carry our messages and convey our charism into the communities. “The sisters cannot do it alone any more”, she said. She also mentioned that in the decision making they consider the views and opinions of the co-workers. This brought us to a group discussion activity where the workers were put in groups of 12 to discuss Strengths, Weaknesses, Risks and Opportunities within our institutions. The sisters from the region of St. Clare also joined in the groups. There were many positive remarks about the passion and team-spirit in the different workplaces. On the other hand, issues like insufficient resources and the lack of communication between sisters and co-workers were raised. After the discussion each group had to go to the front and present what his/her group talked about. This was a good experience to hear from everyone how they feel or what they face in their respective workplaces. Also, it brought together different groups from different cultures, showing that their hopes and wishes are often the same. At the end Sr. Katharina thanked everyone for their time and all shared some refreshments and got an opportunity to engage with each other individually.
Text: Sr. Maria Machi
Photos: Sr. Juliana Seelmann
