BRAZILIAN AREA ASSEMBLY
 A moment of the celebration |
 (from left) Sr. Terezinha, Sr.Helena Paula, Sr. Marta, Sr. Licia and Sr. Lecia |
 (From left) Sr. Maria Bernardete, Sr. Marta, Sr. Helena Paula, Fr. Fernando and Sr.Maria Goretti |
We opened our Assembly with a great surprise: a beautiful ceremony prepared by the Santa Isabel Community to celebrate the Bicentennial of Blessed Frances' birth, made even more exciting by the fact that we would be praying with the rosary she used in her life as a religious serving the neediest, made available to us by the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis during this Year of Healing. Praying with this precious relic is profoundly meaningful for us Franciscans of the Poor, Sisters and Associates.
In this Assembly we addressed our Congregational Vision Statement and Pastoral Plan for 2019 – 2023, themes that were addressed by Father Fernando, OFM, in the light of the Holy Spirit present in everyone, as a process of transformation flowing from the Risen Christ to embody the Holy Gospel, and welcome all expressions of life.
The new Chapter Direction will point us the way we will follow together throughout the next 5 years. We must respond to the Chapter's three Calls while living our diversity in unity as witnesses of God's love among all creatures. The reflections in small groups were greatly appreciated by all for having included everyone in the sharing.
Each moment was filled with rich gifts leading us to further strengthen our commitment to the Congregation and to be more conscious as mature persons. With gratitude to God and to our dear priest who celebrated our Eucharistic Liturgies, our Assembly was felt, above all, in our communal prayer where we always find our strength and in Christ, who gives us the courage to carry out his mission of helping the needy.
Sr. Maria Goretti
Sr. MartaOur Assembly was a time of joy and of many blessings, especially because all the Sisters were gathered together. On the 6th we began our Assembly with the Eucharistic Celebration presided by Fr. Nelson Alves de Oliveira. On that day we talked about the importance of staying connected with each other and counting on each other's participation. Those in attendance were given three questions for reflection, in small groups, divided by community. These contents were later on shared by each Sister with the whole Assembly. Several of them shared about our need to bring about Jesus Incarnate in this Year of Healing. They also talked about their international experience and the cultural diversity of our Sisters in a very enthusiastic way. We closed the day with various communications and a dinner party.
Sr. Julia
We have been invited to heal ourselves first, and then to help others heal their lives. We had the shell as a symbol of generating life while serving Christ in the poor.
We have been invited to bring healing to the lives of those in need.
The Rosary of Mother FrancesAs Associates of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, we have the mission to help the future generations take good care of nature and of the common good. Above all, we must keep ourselves interconnected with the community of life, by educating ourselves on how to take good care of our "common house" and promote concrete actions, as Pope Francis indicates in his Letter Laudato Si'.
We have been invited to help people to become more aware when making decisions that can have an impact on reality both today and for future generations. We must actively participate in concrete actions and support other groups' initiatives, in solidarity with the whole community of life. We will address unjust situations in our wounded world as agents of healing, evaluating the use of our human, financial, and material resources. We will be witnesses of unity in diversity, developing our multicultural identity and our relationships (From our 2018 Chapter Calls).
We must live in the present, always returning to our roots, to our inspiring sources -- Mother Frances, St. Clare and so many of our Sisters who have lived the charism of healing and are no longer with us. It is our responsibility to be a sign of healing for poor and suffering humanity, and to exercise forgiveness, compassion, dialogue, witness, and mercy.
 Sisters and Associates with Sr. Licia, Sr. Paola and Sr. Marina |
Associates Sfp Edna, Arminda e Salomé
Published: September 11, 2019