The declaration of commitment

It is with joy that we share with you the experience of Honorine and Angelique's entry into the International Novitiate of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in Senegal.

On February 2, 2022 we celebrated both the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple and the inauguration of the International Novitiate of our Congregation.

We put ourselves before God, as Jesus did, to mark a new step in the Franciscan family. “This is a historic moment for us and we thank God for guiding us to this moment.”

Thanksgiving to our Lord Jesus Christ who has allowed us to take this step in our formation.

	Honorine and Angélique receive the blessing

Gratitude to our parents for their endless support of our vocational journey; a sense of gratitude to the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor who have welcomed us into the family of Mother Frances and have supported us with their prayers.

We experienced the pleasure of being together and fulfilling our joy. This day marks a special experience in our journey because God came into our lives once again.

We felt and saw the constant presence of God; this is all we need because everything is grace.

It was the ideal occasion to nourish our thirst for God and our journey in the footsteps of our beloved Jesus Christ.

Sr. Elisabetta receives the commitment of the novices

Moreover, we felt the call to humility and service through the texts that we had chosen and that allows us to empty ourselves to put God at the centre of our lives. Indeed, each step of this celebration was full of meaning and rich in teaching.

We were touched by the homily of Brother Roland Codo, OFM, of the fraternity of the Portiuncula in Rufisque, who spoke about an important aspect of obedience.

He said: “Be always to the Holy Spirit, obey your superiors because God reveals through them his will for you.” This challenges us because we are called to live with obedience.It was also an exceptional day for us, the pioneers of the International Novitiate.

It was a day of total abandonment to God, of fraternal communion, of joy received and shared with our Sisters, our parents and some Associates.

The novices with their families

It was lived in the love of Christ that unites us. We are happy to continue our journey with other faces while following in the footsteps of our Foundress.

After such an experience, we entrust ourselves to divine grace, to Blessed Frances, to St. Francis and to your humble prayers to better live this stage of the novitiate.

Honorine Nadieline and Angélique Sarr

Published: May 6, 2022

The novices with sr. Sophie		Sr. Anne Claire, the novice mistress

Sr. Anne Claire and Sr. Antonietta		Cutting the cake