By the Congregational Spirituality Centre

This coming June 27, we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the reunification of two congregations: Our Lady of Charity and Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. It’s an adventure we decided to embark on in the certainty that God is walking with us. That’s why this tool for reflection has been prepared with the intention of responding in a simple, sincere, prayerful, and open way to the question “What are you talking about as you walk along?“, the same question that Jesus asked the disciples on the Road to Emmaus. We are on a journey and every step we take, whether personal and/or communal (sisters and partners-in-mission) enriches the process of mutual learning and communion in the Spirit.

The history of our congregations is sacred land where we find the origin of our identity, the sources of our spirituality, the passionate zeal of mission, the exemplary strength of contemplative prayer, and the witness of women and men transformed by the love of God into disciples of hope. We therefore propose to review Reread 373 years of history… written by Sister Marie Françoise Le Brizaut (1940-2019). She has written an excellent synthesis of the origins of our congregations to help us understand how we came to the Reunification.

We also propose a prayerful reflection on the first verses of The Road to Emmaus, as a road to reunification, taking as its starting point the question that Jesus asks the disciples on their journey. Jesus accompanies the disciples, as a mother does with her children, as a shepherd who knows their sheep, as a father who is touched to the depths of his being… A simply merciful presence that brings about a transformation of what has been done…

On this journey, it is also important to listen to some of the Experiences of the Road. Listening attentively, from the heart, to what certain sisters, partners-in-mission, and communities have “spoken” over these ten years. This will be a good opportunity to share what dwells in our hearts in all simplicity, without double talk or theoretical elaboration… simply by sharing the experience of our journey.

Finally, we will offer you the Eucharistic readings from the celebration of June 27, 2014, as well as the prayer of OUR ENRICHMENT JOURNEY in which we can name those who made the journey at the same time as us (sisters and partners-in-mission) and perhaps our own names.

May St John Eudes’ passionate love for Jesus and Mary kindle our love for a world that is fairer and shows greater solidarity,

May the daring zeal of St Mary Euphrasia encourage us to go beyond our borders; and

May our Blessed Sisters Marie Thérèse de Soubiran, Maria Droste zu Vischering, and Maria Agustina Rivas, (Aguchita) teach us to walk humbly with our God.

Download the Chronology of the journey of our common history here.