Collevalenza, February 18, 2022

Everything for love

Very dear Family of Merciful Love:

Time flies and here we are writing again.  Thank you very much for all your communications.  The last days have been very intense.  On the 16th, the dinner was a farewell dinner.  D. Mario thanked us for the opportunity we have given him to get to know our charism, the Shrine, the places of the Mother… We dedicate a warm round of applause for his competent and fraternal accompaniment.

Yesterday at the Shrine Mass we prayed for the People who celebrated their birthday, among them our brother Pietro Iacopini FAM and Sr. Laura Valle EAM.  May the Lord grant them health and peace.

Today we continue to celebrate life: Sr. Mari Carmen Ventura’s birthday.  The new Father General, Fr. Ireneo Martin FAM, celebrated the Eucharist.  He congratulated the Sister and exhorted us all to cultivate fraternity with some nice words… “We are not cousins, we are brothers”.  During breakfast, we sang “Happy Birthday” in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, Romanian, German and Basque.  The Sisters of Collevalenza brought the cake even with the candles lit.

At the beginning of the session, M. Esperanza informed us of the death of our Brother Francisco Valbuena FAM.  We pray for him and thank him for his example of life.  May God have him in his glory!  Chapter work occupied us in the morning.  In the afternoon, Fr. Miguel Campo SJ came and we have begun a new stage of the journey.  It has been a “synodal” listening session.  We have learned so many things!

To complete the day, we received some good news.  Hna.  Carmen Martin’s health, although she is still in the hospital, has improved.  We continue to pray for Sr.  Virginia Agostini, who has been operated.

A really big hug, we continue to remember you in the Shrine near Our Mother.

Your Chapter Sisters