Inauguration of the Euphrasian Year
 24th of April 2010 was indeed a great day for our Province – Sri Lanka / Pakistan as we declared open the “Euphrasian Year”. In response to the first direction of our 29th Congregational Chapter we as a Province decided to commit ourselves in a very special year during this year (24th April 2010 – 2011) to foster and deepen our spirituality as daughters of SME. Thus a memorable day was planned out to begin this journey. In the evening of the 24th we sisters, lay partners and some of our GS children numbering around 500 joined together to begin this very significant year. We began the celebrations around the statue of St. M. Euphrasia who reminded us her daughters “How happy I am to have you all around me” Led by the dancers and flag bearer, the celebrants of the day, the Leadership team of the Province together with the Past Provincials and the scroll bearer –proceeded towards the Chapel. At the entrance were all the sisters and lay partners eagerly waiting for the proclamation of the year. Sr. Rohini Mendis - Province Leader with great joy announced the opening of the Euphrasian Year, while Sr. Cameline the oldest sister present unfurled the plaque. This was indeed a very solemn moment as the dancers and drummers expressed the joy of all present through their performance. Followed by this was the Eucharistic celebration where all of us rejoiced in the gift of St. M. Euphrasia and prayed that we too her daughters may be imbibed by her own spirit and zeal. A joyful and relaxing moment of the celebration was the performance by our GS children to whom we owe our vocation. Nearly 100 children came together to entertain all those present with a magnificent performance. We rejoiced in the giftedness of our GS children, their performance added colour and beauty to our day. As we watched them perform our hearts were filled with gratitude for them and a little prayer sprung up from our hearts that they may always grow in love and be the best for our Shepherd God. Sr. Rohini reminded us during the celebrations the powerful words of St.M. Euphrasia: "You have a sacred, precious jewel confided to you. It is our holy institute you carry in your arms, in your person. Show it to the world, to everyone, in all its beauty. Our institute was founded through love. We have all been drawn to it through love. It is love which keeps us here." She went on to say “dear sisters it is love that has brought us here together and it is love that calls us to renew ourselves in our vocation and be imbibed with the great love of our Shepherd God.” The day came to an end with a fellowship dinner before which we prayed together with lighted lanterns in our hands. With burning and eager hearts each one of us made a firm decision to allow ourselves to be transformed by the Spirit of our Shepherd God and thus go forth to extend the “mercies of God”. Yes, it is because of such a loving mother – our Foundress that we had the privilege of coming together. It was a day of rejoicing in the gift of each other; the unity we experienced together was strengthening. We returned to our communities with grateful hearts for the love we shared and the joy we experienced. Our deepest desire during this “Euphrasian Year” is that we grow to be true daughters of St. M. Euphrasia Pelletier and that our lives may be a continual song of God’s love.
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