Thanksgiving for Sr Armida on the day of 120th anniversary of the Roman Union

03/12/2020

On Saturday, 28 November 2020, we had a special double celebration at the Generalate and we will probably remember the atmosphere of that day for a long time.

The first occasion was the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Roman Union in 1900. Pope Leo XIII expressed the wish to see all the Ursulines united under the authority of one Superior General living in Rome. After this, 62 of the monasteries decided to join the Union and they received the verbal approval of the Holy Father on November 28.  Since the beginning of the Roman Union in 1900, new provinces have joined it.  Our internationality requires us to develop our thoughts on our unity in diversity so as to be a sign of unity in an often divided world.

The second celebration was a thanksgiving to our dear Sr Armida Veglio, who is finishing her role as Secretary General and her time at the Generalate. 

Due to the pandemic the number of guests who could be invited was limited. However, Sr Jane Livesey CJ, our collaborators Antonella and Emanuela, Sr. Angela Poggi OSU, the two sisters from Nomentana 34 and three of the MSC priests were present. We celebrated a solemn Mass at 11.00 a.m. which included chants accompanied by our novices and the Intercessory prayer in different languages.

During the homily Fr Chris Chaplin MSC, referring to the Gospel (John 17,20-26), said that the beauty of living a perfect balance or harmony between Unity and Diversity is that it gives the most sublime witness to the true nature of God and that this is the task/calling of our Roman Union. Fr Chris said thank you to Sr Armida, too, for her capacity to step in and be the voice of balance and harmony.

After the Mass we continued with pre-lunch drinks and then a festive lunch.  There was then a surprise for Sr Armida in the form of a performance.  It was a short story about her stay in Rome, rich in various experiences and numerous meetings with sisters. The performance showed us how much we experienced Sr Armida's goodness and contribution to our lives and how much we owe to her experience and ability to share. There was also an opportunity to recall briefly the history of the Roman Union. We experienced much joy and beauty of being together.

Many sisters sent photos and wishes for Sr Armida, which were collected and presented in a book which made Sr Armida very happy.

Dear Sister Armida, we thank God for your gift and for sharing your knowledge and skills with the whole Roman Union in a beautiful way.