A
rdere et
L
ucere
“Mary points to Jesus, she asks us to bear witness to Jesus, she constantly guides us to her Son Jesus, because in Him alone do we find salvation.� - Pope Francis Fall
2013
From the Desk of
Mother Carla Bertani, OLS, Superior General
Dear Friends, As an initiative to engage in the evangelization mission of the Church, the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows are happy to share with you our first newsletter. The title of our newsletter, “Ardere et Lucere” (to burn and to light) is the motto of our Congregation. The motto is taken from the passage of Saint Bernard: “Tantum ardere est parum, tantum lucere vanum est. Ardere et lucere est perfectum.” This means: “Contemplative life alone is not enough; active life alone is vain. Mixed life – contemplative and active together – is perfect.” This motto speaks to us about what we strive to become as consecrated women in the Church. We are called to burn with the love of Christ so that we can share and witness that love in the world through our Charism. In this issue of “Ardere et Lucere,” we share with you happenings of the past few months which have touched our lives as a community. We are grateful to God for His many gifts which we experience each day. On October 13, 2013, Pope Francis consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The world was entrusted to the care of Mary before the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The world needs the intercession of Our Lady today more than ever. She promised in Fatima that there is going to be
a spiritual battle but, “in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph” (Third Apparition at Fatima, July 13th, 1917). We will have victory through the powerful intercession of Mary as she fights for us, her children, until all is reconciled to her Son. May we draw closer to her, our hope and protection. I entrust each one of us to the maternal protection of Our Lady. May Mary continue to walk with each of us and teach us to contemplate the face of her Son, Jesus Christ. I leave you with the words of Saint Bernard: “Look to the star of the sea, call upon Mary … in danger, in distress, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. May her name never be far from your lips, or far from your heart … If you follow her, you will not stray; if you pray to her, you will not despair; if you turn your thoughts to her, you will not err. If she holds you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you need not fear; if she is your guide, you will not tire; if she is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination.” In Our Lady, Mother Carla Bertani, OLS Superior General of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
“Our Lady knows us well, she is a Mother, she is familiar with our joys and difficulties, our hopes and disappointments. When we feel the burden of our failings and our sins, let us look to Mary, who speaks to our hearts, saying: “Arise, go to my Son Jesus; in him you will find acceptance, mercy and new strength for the journey.” – Pope Francis
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Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
Hope Mary The of the World W
hat does your faith mean to you? This is a question people
tend not to ask anymore; however, it is important because
it forms a bridge from God to our relationship and essential purpose of life. If the bridge isn’t strong or built firm, there will not be a foundation of faithful trust in God. In our modern society, many people seem lost because they are placing their security in materialism and individualism. The world does not offer the way to grace, the way to perfection, and certainly not the way to Christ. Jesus tells us this; however,
heart is often referred to as the
Immaculate Heart. Mary desires to grow in relationship with us and be our constant guide, along with the Holy Spirit, sanctifying us by grace and guiding us to her Son, Jesus. Let’s allow our minds and hearts to be open and to allow the realization of Mary’s love for us to permeate our souls and our lives. Pope Francis consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart
it is our duty as adopted sons and daughters through Christ to
of Mary on October 13, 2013. Pope Francis focused on three
carry out and fulfill His mission of spreading the Gospel to the
main points for us to ponder in his homily on that day. 1. God
four corners of the earth. Again, Mary is a Mediator for us, helping us, guiding us, protecting us on our journey in this life. Let’s focus on the Immaculate Heart of Mary. After the Annunciation, Mary’s heart was filled with charity and gratitude to God as she exclaimed to her cousin Elisabeth, “My soul magnifies the Lord!” (Luke 1: 46). Although she pondered many things in her heart, Mary never doubted her faith in God. She always chose to give her fiat to God, even though she did not always understand the meanings of why God planned the salvation of the world the way He did. We see this at the Presentation of the Lord and at the foot of the cross. Mary continues to give her son to us because she knows that this is the will of God, always remaining faithful. God chose Mary among all women to bear His Son because Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin on her soul; thus her
surprises us. 2. To remember Christ and 3. God is our strength. 1. God surprises us. He alluded to how Naaman was cleansed from his leprosy by obeying the prophet Elisha and by trusting in God. If we heed God, His Word, and His life, we become united to Him. Pope Francis also described how the Blessed Virgin was surprised when the angel Gabriel appeared to her, and even though she did not understand fully God’s plan for salvation, she chose to trust in His will, saying, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy Word” (Luke 1: 38). Even when God surprises us, and especially when He does, let us not question, but submit ourselves to Him with reverence and charity as our Blessed Mother did. 2. To remember Christ. Remembering Christ in our daily lives is not only a fundamental aspect of our faith, but it’s truly the way we find ourselves (meditating: giving yourself to God; contemplating: receiving from God). Think about this: when you meditate and contemplate the life of Jesus, His ministry, passion, death, and resurrection, you are allowing your heart to be united to the very person of Jesus. In the difficult times in
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our lives, let us peacefully
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“ his is the real journey: to walk with the Lord always, even at moments of weakness, even in our sins. Never to prefer a makeshift path of our own. That kills us. Faith is ultimate fidelity, like that of Mary...God asks us to be faithful.”
Pope Francis ended his homily with these words:
reflect ourselves back
“This is the real journey: to walk with the Lord always, even at
to God, back to Jesus,
moments of weakness, even in our sins. Never to prefer a makeshift
back to the source of our
path of our own. That kills us. Faith is ultimate fidelity, like that
salvation and our life.
of Mary…God asks us to be faithful to Him, daily, in our everyday
3. God is our strength. As we discussed earlier, modern society
life...even if we are sometimes unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful.” As we continue our journey with the Lord, may we thank
does not promote the glory of God, but we must hold fast to our
Mother Mary for her maternal intercession in our lives and
treasurable promises and faith in God. Saint Paul illustrates this
always implore her love. May her Immaculate Heart lead us
perfectly in his writings. He also reminds us “if we persevere with
to know her divine son more deeply in our lives as we render a
him, we will also reign with him” (Timothy 2: 8-13).
more faithful life to God through her and with her. – Sister Fatima, OLS
World Youth Day 2013 World Youth Day is a very important event where young people experience their Catholic faith, encounter the living God, form new friendships, and deepen their sense of belonging to the universal Church. As a visible sign of our commitment to young people, the Sisters
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Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
were excited to accompany a group of students to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for this exciting festival of faith. The 3.7 million pilgrims who gathered in Rio de Janeiro were encouraged by this year’s theme: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew. 28:19)
PILGRIM WITNESSES Celebrating Mass with the Pope and 3.5 million people on the beach was definitely a highlight of this WYD trip - the universality of the Church in that moment was such a reminder of the awesomeness of our God and the vastness of His embrace for all the people in the world. How much more peace would there be in the world if nations could interact and unite on common ground as we did on that beach! But what touched me the most on this trip was the week spent in Fortaleza: the opportunity to meet our sisters in Brazil and the instant bond that was formed between us; the immersion into a culture that reminded me of how easy we have life here in the United States, filling me with gratitude for the many blessings; and the innocent joy of a child that brought smiles to our faces every day we visited the orphanage. God has a way of transforming hearts when we are open to following His lead. God led me to Brazil, and once there, He filled me with JOY from the time spent with my fellow pilgrims in work and play, with GRATITUDE for my religious family, with LOVE for my Brazilian sisters, and with FAITH in His love for me through the smile of a babe. As with any mission trip, I
I
went to serve, but I gained much more than I gave. I was stretched out of my comfort zone and my heart has grown and been transformed because of it. Thanks be to God! – Sister Nina, OLS
The experience that I had during my trip to Brazil was outstanding in many ways. It was great to see how God worked wonderful things in my life through so many different people. These moments ranged from something as simple as pointing me in the right direction to someone taking me under their care and bringing me many miles back to my hotel. I learned a lot not only from the men and women, but from the children. What made these children so special was their pure and immense love for us and one another. These moments we spent together were a true witness to the self giving nature of love between our group and theirs. Having experienced this self giving love, at the end of our time together, only tears could show the impact that these relationship had on our lives. During this trip, I saw love not only through those native Brazilians but in my group as well. Though our group had people who were very different, we all had at least one desire in common and that was to grow closer God. My trip to Brazil was not only a wonderful experience but a lesson in life that I will carry with me forever. – John Jumonville
My pilgrimage this summer to Brazil organized by the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows with fellow seminarians and students was a life changing experience. It opened my eyes and heart to a new culture, especially working at an orphanage in the under-served town of Maracanau. I saw the face of Jesus in the sisters and children at the orphanage and it was a privilege to play, work, and pray with them. I think the part of the trip that impressed me the most was seeing the large number of young Catholics on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. At one point there was estimated to be over three million people gathered together and there really was not enough space for that large of a crowd. I was expecting people to get aggravated with one another being so close together but that was not the case. Everyone was there for the same reason. Everyone was there to show his or her faith and to give glory to God. For that reason everyone I saw was joyful and happy. They did not care about being uncomfortable: they only cared about praising God for all the wonderful gifts in their lives. Thank you Sister Fatima, Sister Nina, and Fr. Gregory for organizing and leading us on this great pilgrimage.
And thanks to all the many people who donated their time and money. You will continue to be in
my prayers for making this trip a reality.
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I had the most wonderful time with the Ragin’ Cajun Catholics group in Brazil! We learned a lot about each other, and by the end of the two weeks we became a family to each other! Working at the orphanage was an experience I will never forget! The sisters and the kids there taught me things that I would had never learned any other way. They taught me how to love unconditionally, be humble, and most of all appreciate the smallest things God blesses us with. The second week at World Youth Day opened my eyes that we, Catholics, are not alone! We have millions of other people all over the world that share the same faith and want to make the world a better place. Pope Francis made the most heart touching speeches and homilies during the events! He motivated us to be “on God’s team” and play for Him everyday to “win something bigger than the World Cup” we win eternal life! I will never forget this trip from getting sick from the food to communicating through love instead of words with the orphans! I want to thank all the Sisters and Father Gregory for making this trip even more special.
MISSION WEEK:
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Forteleza, Brazil
Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
– Maria Vaca
WORLD YOUTH DAY:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Sisters ofOur Lady ofSorrows
on ull campus
O
Lady of Wisdom Church and Catholic Student Center
dangers of having
avoiding it. I also had to get past the idea that if I was
something around
going to take up the responsibility of being Catholic
for a long time
and hearing about the fullness of faith in the Catholic
is that you get
Church, I needed to know about the religious life. And
used to the idea
I was blessed to learn about it through the example
and take it for
given to me by the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows.
granted. And then
You see, the sisters are quite convicted in their love
people pick it up
for Christ. Through that, they bring another element
ne of the
to get used to their presence. There really was no
and make it a stereotype. It gets tossed around in
to the parish on campus. In having them there,
pop culture, the media, and old wives tails, and the
Wisdom is blessed with a complete, miniature picture
real truth of the matter is lost. Not only can it be lost,
of the Body of Christ. Along with the lay people in
but it may not even be sought out.
all of their niches
That’s how it can be for the idea of religious
across the Diocese
life. A lot of people have their ideas of what
of Lafayette and
religious life is, but they have been tainted over
campus, we have
time. They have been passed through filters made
our priests, and
from misunderstanding, prejudice, and fear of the
then we have
unknown. Whatever the reason, these filters can
the sisters. They
prevent someone from checking out religious life
bring the idea of
for themselves. It may prevent someone from even
community and
looking at a sister of a religious order as someone
religious life into view and they bring it in a way that
they can relate to.
is rich with the faith, hope, and love that can only be
For myself, religious life used to seem far from reality,
found in those who are in love with Christ.
even a reality that included Christ. It was especially a
What’s more, they themselves give us a glimpse of
reality I never dreamed of being acquainted with.
the universal church. Their own range of ethnicities
Well, that all changed when I met the women with
and ages in one house gives a positive outlook on
the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows living in Lafayette.
how the love of Christ brings all peoples together.
It took a few days of seeing the sisters around Our 7
Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
And this love does not remain inside their convent,
T
“ he sisters are quite convicted in their love for Christ. Through that, they bring another element to the parish on campus. In having them there, Wisdom is blessed with a complete, miniature picture of the Body of Christ.”
but is brought with them wherever they go and in
option to students who are having past myths
whatever they do. Their love is marked by joy. And
debunked by the presence of the sisters here on
one can see it whether they are watching Sister
campus. In return, I am blessed to watch peers and
Anthony setting up for Mass or teaching Catechism to
friends discern the religious life with the Sisters of
the children, to when you see Sister Fatima having a
Our Lady of Sorrows who now have three aspirants of
serious conversation with young women about their
their own who are living in the convent while going
future.
to school at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. It
This kind of love and joy is drawing people not
is truly a testimony for the Catholic faith and one that
only closer to Christ in ways they had not considered
convicts us further in our own faith, wherever we may
before, but religious life is also becoming a viable,
be on our journey. – by Kaitlin Davis
positive
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Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
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Jubilee Blessings
On the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, September 15, Sister Linda Norsworthy OLS (first row) celebrated 25 years of faithful service to the Lord. Sister Linda, OLS, with her family, including her sister, Sister Sandra, OLS (middle row)
Jubilee Banquet
Sister Linda, OLS, gets help cutting the beautiful cake.
Left to Right: Sister Linda, OLS, Sister Nina, OLS, Sister Sandra, OLS and Father Bob Courville of the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana.
Vocations
Our community welcomed 3 new Aspirants and 2 new Postulants. We are grateful to God for blessing us with these vocations. Please continue to pray for these young women that they may be given the grace they need during this time of discernment. To leaRn more about these stages of religious life please see our formation page on our website.
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Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
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Retreats Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows with the
VOCATION RETREATS • December 7, 2013 • April 25-27, 2014
LENTEN RETREATS • March 14-16, 2014 For more information, please contact Sister Fatima, O. L. S. at vocations@ols.org
Website
NEW
LAUNCHED: www.ols.org
We are very excited to have our new website launched. our hope is that this new website will serve as a tool of evangelization to help many get to know who we are and how God has called us to “Witness to the enduring presence of the preferential love of Christ.” (OLS Charism) our Foundress tells us that, “there is no vacation in catechesis”. We take this mandate seriously as we continue to make the gift of God present to all, especially to a world that is in need of the message of hope.
“The challenge is to rediscover, through the means of social communication as well as by personal contact, the beauty that is at the heart of our existence and our journey, the beauty of faith and of the encounter with Christ.” pope Francis
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Congregation of The Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows 231 General Gardner Ave Lafayette, LA 70501 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
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It is from Mary, as Our Lady of Sorrows, that we learn to be women of strength, standing in faith and love, as she did at the foot of the cross. - OLS Constitutions 3
Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows