Meeting to Better Accompany: A Shared Journey of Formation

22/09/2026

Ursuline Formators Meeting

Thirty-four Ursuline Sisters from 13 different countries met in Jakarta and Bandung from 11 to 19 September. It was a precious time of encounter, joy, celebration, and a deeper understanding of our mission as missionaries of compassion, which begins with ourselves.

At the end of our meeting, we are deeply grateful to the General Council, who initiated and made possible this enriching encounter; to our facilitator, Sr. Cath Lloyd; and to our speaker, Sr. Lidwina Tri Ariastuti, for their valuable contribution and guidance.

We are happy to have achieved, in many ways, the goals of this meeting:

To offer feedback on the revision of the formation handbook in light of the newly revised Constitutions.
To provide a space for initial formation personnel to share their experiences as formators
To support formation personnel by providing input and tools, especially in the area of the “care and formation of formators”
To create an ongoing supportive peer community of formators and leaders able to learn from shared experience and wisdom.
To offer an exposure to Indonesian culture and the work of OSU initial formation in Indonesia.

We are especially grateful to the Sisters of Indonesia for their warm welcome, their extraordinary sense of organisation, and their great generosity. We were also very happy to meet the Sisters in formation, juniors and novices, and the Sisters living in the different communities of Jakarta and Bandung and to celebrate with them the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the Ursuline Sisters from the Netherlands in Indonesia.

This meeting has been a beautiful opportunity to strengthen our bonds as sisters, to share our experiences and hopes, and to renew our commitment to being compassionate, beginning with ourselves and reaching out to others.

Sr Elisabeth Marie Ansart

The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and discern new ways of responding to the challenges of religious formation in today's world. It also allowed sisters to experience more deeply the international character of our Institute and to get to know the Indonesian Province better, its communities, history, and apostolic mission, especially in the field of education.

We are grateful for this enriching time of encounter and sharing. Our heartfelt thanks go to the Indonesian Province for its warm hospitality and generous welcome.

May the richness of our diverse cultures and experiences continue to remind us that, despite the distances between us, we are one family, united by our love for God, gratitude for the gift of the Ursuline vocation, and a shared commitment to serving others.

Sr Jana Krogul