Sister Helena Adaku Ogbuji

The Annual workshop of the Sisters in temporary vows took place on December 17, 2022, through Zoom. Sr. Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP, was the facilitator. The topic was: Living Effectively in Intergenerational & Intercultural Religious Communities. All nine Sisters in annual vows across regions included Sisters: Adelwisa Pineda Leonida, Agather Nakiweewa, Benedetta Kelekye Malindi, Cecilia Lich Thanh Tran, Christine Naswa Baraza, Juana Matias Tomas, Lilian Nanjala Nyongesa, Sharon Apiyo Anam, and Veronicah Muthoni Mburu. Sisters: Helena Ogbuji, Formation Director and Celeste Trahan, Congregation Leader were also in attendance via Zoom throughout the workshop.

During her presentation, Sr. Elyse Marie explained that we are on an intercultural and intergenerational journey. She used the image of travelling in a bus! According to her, “We are in a bus travelling together, answering one call “Consecrated Life” and living out our charism in the Congregation.” As we embark on this journey, self-awareness is crucial.

This entails knowing our biases, needs, values, thinking patterns, beliefs, motivations, flaws, limitations, and personalities. This awareness will help us be the change we want to see in others. In this journey, we need to “remove our shoes” and know that diversity is beautiful. God is the One who calls everyone into this bus, young and old, and each passenger has her own luggage and a time to alight from the bus. However, in order to travel in harmony and love, all the travelers need to build relationships of trust, have mutual respect, engage in effective communication, active listening, and daily conversion as we ride in this bus together!

The workshop ended with Sisters expressing their new insights and the joy of being together. They also thanked Sr. Elyse Marie, as the Facilitator, for leading the workshop, thanking Sr. Celeste for her support in being present at the workshop, and thanking Sr. Helena for organizing the workshop.