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Tertiary Sisters of Saint Francis welcome FSPA, FSE creativity

by Sister Marla Lang

Sister Alphonsa Kiven, finishing her second term as the Cameroon provincial, embraces Sister Marla Lang.

“More grease to your elbow!” This Cameroonian hope-filled expression asking the Spirit to freely move among all, greeted Mother Maria Theresia Oberwalder, an Austrian, as she gathered with the chapter delegates on Nov. 23, 2007. As the superior general of the Tertiary Sisters of Saint Francis, she opened their provincial chapter at LaVerna Spiritual Center in Bamenda, Cameroon.

Sister Kieran Foley, FSE, and I then gulped for air as we were greeted: “May God give you the necessary health and the spirit of wisdom to guide our sisters during this chapter.” In retrospect, the prayer for “necessary health” resulted in everyone’s perfect attendance for 13 consecutive days!

Stepping back several months, Sister Kieran (Meriden, Conn.) and I (Northwoods, Wis.) began planning to facilitate this chapter by first connecting with each other. Never had we worked together, nor did we ever have a chapter experience in common. The Franciscan Common Venture seems to begin anew every time members of the four congregations stretch each other, engage each other’s hearts and find treasures ready to unfold.

After exchanging phone calls, e-mails, faxes and to-do lists, we trusted meeting each other on Thanksgiving morning in Paris, France at the gate of flight #940. We set out with important data from the TSSF’s planning, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, we still wondered how we’d jell as co-facilitators and in another cultural setting!

Sisters share the wonder of beanie babies sent from St. Rose Convent.

The Preparatory Committee met with us Nov. 23, in Bamenda. Wisely, we began at mid-morning. The committee, Sister Alphonsa Kiven and her council, and the staff at the LaVerna Spiritual Center had planned well for this chapter. They left just enough room for our creativity to come alive.

Early on, we had been asked to lead a two day retreat before the Chapter of Affairs and a one day retreat before the Chapter of Elections. It was a wonderful way to become familiar with each other’s way of speaking English, the flow of TSSF life among the 31 delegates, two recording secretaries, a wonderful kitchen staff, ourselves, plus time for the delegates to let go of responsibilities they had just left. Then, there were sisters who had that hidden but real concern lurking within about the call to leadership.

In the meantime, Sister Kieran and I were speaking more slowly, continuing to trust each other and listening, big time, to the Spirit’s activity. Daily, we were amazed at how the big picture of the chapter and significant pictures of needs/visions/openness were creating the desired flow.

Sister Marla Lang guides the 31 delegates in a fire ritual as part of a vigil observance before the Provincial Chapter. Photos courtesy of Marla Lang, FSPA

Ten or so days later, faithfulness to this process resulted in a communal expression of the TSSF’s preferred future. A revised 2001-2007 direction statement summarized well the 2007-2013 vision (see below).

With the new provincial, Sister Euphrasia, and her council: Sisters Eva Maria, Odette, Chiara and Norberta, the sisters celebrated the graces of their diverse giftedness and of their unity in the TSSF mission and vision. This included a parade in Shisong, a transfer of leadership ritual and gatherings full of affirmation. The chapter was truly a deeper sense of freshness in church, a new and magnificent page.

As Sister Kieran and I headed to Douala, Paris, the USA and back home on Dec. 9, we were not the same persons we were on Nov. 22 when we met each other in Paris. The Common Venture is not the same either. Shifts have taken place. More reconciliation, more miracles, more trust, more vision as hope for all peoples! Yes, and “more grease to the elbow!”

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