FSP General Government visits local community

KOTA KINABALU – The General Government of the Daughters of St Paul visited the local community here recently.  Superior General Sr Anna Maria Parenzan, accompanied by Sr Yolanda Dionisio as interpreter, made her visit to the local Sisters on 9-11 Feb 2016 while General Councillors Sr Samuel Gironi and Sr Lucia Kim made theirs a week later on 16-19 Oct 2016.

The Fraternal Visit is made once every six years and is a “privileged time for bringing the sisters joy and spiritual benefits, and for giving everyone fresh encouragement to move ahead.  It is also to discover the beauty of being among sisters who love one another and are happy to see each other once again . . . so as to learn from one another how to discover the path leading to greater good” (J Alberione, 1955).

The announcement of the Visit (7 Feb – 16 Mar 2016) was made by the superior general in a circular dated 4 Sept 2015.  It also exhorted the communities concerned (in the Philippine-Malaysian-Papua New Guinean Province) to prepare themselves well for the Visit through reflection on the socio-ecclesial context in which they live, the situation of their province and of their communities.

In her visit, the superior general spoke to each sister personally while the general councillors animated the community on the theme of the 10th General Chapter: “We Believe and so we speak,” touching on the profound bond that exists between believing and communicating, the gift of faith which is received in Baptism and the call to an apostolic mystical life.

The general councillors also paid a courtesy call on Archbishop John Wong on the last day of their visit, Feb 19, at his office in the Archdiocesan Centre Penampang.  Earlier, they had a fellowship gathering with two other institutes of the Pauline Family present in the archdiocese – the Pauline Cooperators and the Institute of Our Lady of the Annunciation – on Feb 18.