9th General Chapter Of The Sisters Of The Holy Rosary Strategic Directions 2017 - 2023
Dear Sisters of the Holy Rosary,
We came to the 9th General Chapter to evaluate and discover together the path which would guide us “Rooted in our Identity and Charism of our Founders and Commitment to the Gospel Values in the changing World”. For a period of almost six months the Sisters of Holy Rosary did reflections at individual , community and at denary levels and they felt that in the coming six years 2017 - 2023) the family be inspired to live their identity as religious in the Church and world.
Experiences and various discernment exercises have indeed enabled us reflect deeply on this theme. We have remained deeply united as a family of Sisters of the Holy Rosary spread in the dioceses of Mzuzu, Karonga and Lilongwe. And we have seen that the desire to remain rooted and living our identity as consecrated people in the church is relevant through true witnessing of the Good News that the Risen Lord had mandated his disciples to spread to the whole world (Matt. 28:20) is important for us in the Malawian society, rural as well as urban.
To follow Jesus through our way of life as consecrated women today, demands of us the courage to face new challenges in using the modern technologies such as multimedia, social media to enhance our proclamation of the Kingdom.
These realities call upon the Sisters of the Holy Rosary to be more focused on their mission and to be more committed to a life of prayer and Community, Good governance, Accountability and transparency, justice, peace and integrity of creation in accordance with their Charism and spirituality. Communities and individuals members are thus challenged to concretely witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to bring the Risen Lord to the people whom they serve through various apostolates and ministries such as education, health and pastoral and to go out of our
usual box and create other avenues in which we can reach out to the people around us, being at the service of the local church.
In order to come up with sisters who can effectively witness the Gospel in this context, this Chapter noted that our formation ought to brace up for these challenges so that our candidates, sisters in temporary profession as well as nuns finally professed may journey in a path that can help them to grow holistically.
Indeed the general administration has a major role of facilitating this journey and taking care of the sisters. However, this Chapter also emphasizes the importance of combining efforts at all levels. The General administration, local superiors, formators as well as each individual member of the institution has a duty to foster this growth so that we remain rooted in our identity.
As members of one family, we are realizing that there are points of conversion that must be addressed at all levels. For this reason, this Chapter’s orientations encourage us to take up our duty of being our sister’s keeper by lovingly confronting one another and advising each other so that we may be rooted in our identity. A Sister of the Holy Rosary will be true witnesses to the Gospel when and if she truly lives her baptismal promises, the evangelical counsels and the specific charism and spirituality of the congregation. United in body and spirit, they must work together, pray together and break bread together (Acts. 2:3), as they remain open the Holy Spirit who is moving us into new horizons. Our happiness and freedom of heart will attracts others to imitate us by joining us. Furthermore, In Jn. 17 Jesus’ prayer of consecration inspires us to aim at perfect union with him, “I want all those you have given me be where I am.”
Our Constitutions (Art. 7) says,
“As sign and instrument of salvation we are integrated in the life and divine mission of the church. In striving after perfection we intensify the sanctity of the church and give greater efficacy its apostolic work. In our apostolic activities we give service to the church so as to gather together in Christ, the people under our care and lead them to salvation”.
Thus in these coming six years we shall continue to embrace the legacy of our founder Mgr Marcel St Denis to strengthen our religious Identity and uphold the core values of religious calling.
In conclusion, the following Chapter orientations recommend to us a path that we must take in order to live better a life of love for God and humanity. Let us help one another to witness the presence and the growing of the kingdom of God which has always remained the agenda of Christ for us.
Sr Mariarosa Phiri, S.H.R.
Mother General
Mountrosa
28th September 2017