End of the General Chapter celebration event

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End of the General Chapter celebration event

Dear Sisters

On Saturday, 26 November, the celebration of our XI General Chapter came to an official end with the speech of Sister Mother.

At the end of her speech we went to the chapel and while singing the Te Deum of thanksgiving four Sisters, representing all the Cotenghine Sisters present on the four continents, brought incense and placed it at the sides of the altar to signify the praise to God that flows from the heart of every Cotenghine Sister.

Each of us then brought a small lamp to the altar, expressing our desire to be a light wherever the Lord places us, with the sisters of our respective communities and monasteries, with our brothers and sisters whom we meet, for whom we pray and for whom we care.

The celebration concluded with another gesture charged with a symbolic value.

Mother Joan anointed the forehead and hands of Mother Elda invoking on her the gift of the Spirit of Wisdom, of Fortitude and in turn, Mother Elda blessed each one of us inviting us to be a blessing for the sisters of our communities and monasteries.

Deo Gratias to God the Good and Provident Father for this chapter experience! An experience of intense communion, sharing, collaboration, confrontation, research, mutual gift…all in an atmosphere of service and joy.

In short, a truly SYNODAL experience.


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Final announcement

To all the Communities
of the Congregation
Sisters of St. G. B. Cottolengo

Dear Sisters

The Chapter event is drawing to a close and all of us, Chapter Delegates, wish to thank you for the many expressions of affection and assurances of prayer and offering with which you have followed us and supported us in our work. To each and every one of you we express our gratitude and appreciation. Deo gratias!

In these days, after the work done by the two Family Assemblies, we have resumed the analysis of what we have elaborated in the various Commissions and approved deliberations and orientations that will guide the path of the next sexennium.

Once again let us invoke the Spirit of wisdom and communion so that we may know how to welcome with openness what God, our Provident Father, desires for each of us, for the Congregation, the Little House and the Church.

                                                                                                                DEO GRATIAS, ALWAYS
                                                                                                                and AVANTI IN DOMINO!
                                                                                                                The Chapter Sisters


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It’s like a tree planted along a stream…

Dear Sisters
we would like to recount to you about an intense moment, a sign of hope that we Sisters had on Saturday November 20th in the early afternoon: the planting of two trees, an olive tree and an orange tree. A symbolic gesture with which we wanted to thank the Lord of Heaven and Earth and to highlight importance and the necessity of taking care, together with the Creator, of what He has placed in our hands.
The initiative to this gesture came about after watching a short film entitled “The Man Who Planted Trees”, an allegorical story by Jean Giono, published in 1953. It is the story of a shephard who alone, with unwavering commitment, manages to reforestate a barren valley at the foot of the Alps in the first half of the 20th century.
We, too, are called to be collaborators in God’s work, to contribute to the good of all and to take charge of the Common House that the Father has entrusted to us.
At the end of the film, we went to the garden of the house at Celle Ligure where the ground had been prepared for this significant gesture, accompanied by a brief celebration prepared by the contemplative sisters.
After listening to a passage from the Word of God, we prayed together to the Lord to bless our work; then the Mother General sprinkled the blessed water to all of us and the surrounding garden.
While singing the Magnificat we planted the two small trees and together we covered the roots with soil and watered them thoroughly!
We make our own the words of the prayer of blessing said in this rite:

God, Creator and Father,
at the origin of the world
you established that the earth
should produce shoots and fruits of every kind,
the seed for the fields and the bread for the table;
grant that our countryside
gladdened by an abundant harvest,
fruit of our toil
and gift of your blessing
may contribute to the common good.

Deo gratias!
the chapter sisters


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Elections of Councillors of Apostolic Life

Caritas Christi Urget nos! Celle Ligure, 21 November 2021

To all the Communities
of the Congregation
Sisters of St. G. B. Cottolengo

Dearest Sisters

with joy we announce the result of the election of the Con- sons.
councillors of apostolic life.

On Sunday, November 21, 2021, in Celle Ligure (Savona-Italy)
were elected General Councillors of Apostolic Life:

  • Sister Anastasia Kagendo Nkubitu, in the area of “Formation and Youth and Vocation Ministry”.
  • Sister Mary Raphael Soshiyath, in the area of “Consecration and Mission in Africa, America and Asia”.
  • Sister Raffaella Gadda, “Consecration and Mission in Europe”.
  • Sister Luisa Busato, “Communication and the Charismatic Family: Charism and Laity”.

Now the General Council, composed of Mother Sister, the Councillors of Contemplative Life and Apostolic Life is complete!
life is complete! Let us bless the Lord, let us give thanks to God!
To Sister Mother and the new General Councillors our fraternal good wishes and constant remembrance in prayer that their service will be fruitful.
our fraternal good wishes to Sister Mother and the new General Councillors and our constant remembrance in prayer that their service may be fruitful and may favour that renewal which we are all called
to desire, to welcome as a gift of grace and to live!

DEO GRATIAS
and AVANTI IN DOMINO!
The Chapter Sisters


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Election of Sr. Vice-Mother and Councillor for Contemplative Life

Caritas Christi Urget nos! Celle Ligure, 20 November 2021

To all the Communities
of the Congregation
Sisters of St. G. B. Cottolengo

Dearest Sisters
with joy we announce the result of the election of the Vicar General and of the Councillors of Contemplative Life.
contemplative life.

Saturday, November 20, 2021, in Celle Ligure (Savona-Italy)

was elected Vice-Mother:

Sister Carla De Feo

General Councillors of Contemplative Life were elected:

Sister Cristina Cattaneo
Sister Paola Maria degli Angeli De Bortoli
Sister Rossella Ghidinelli
Sister Maria Patrizia Morosini

Tomorrow, 21 November, the elections for the General Councillors of Apostolic Life will take place.
To all the newly elected sisters I send my warmest and fraternal good wishes and the support of my prayers, so that in all things they may work in communion, according to the principles of the Order.
to all the newly elected Councillors, a warm and fraternal wish and the support of our prayers, that in all things they may work in communion, according to the will of God and the heart of our Saint!

DEO GRATIAS
and AVANTI IN DOMINO!
The Chapter Sisters


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Invoking the Spirit

19th november 2021

Dear Sisters,

we come to you again to inform you that on Saturday, 20th November, there will be an important act of electing the Vicar General, by the Chapter Assembly, and the General Councilors of Contemplative Life by the Family Assembly.

On Sunday, 21th November, the Assembly of the Family of Apostolic Life will elect its General Councilors.

While we thank the Lord again for the gift of Mother Elda, we continue to invoke the Spirit of Wisdom to assist us in the choice of the Sisters who will accompany Mother Elda in the next sexennium.

Certain of your closeness in prayer, we greet you fraternally.

                                                                                                            In Domino!

                                                                                                      The Chapter Sisters


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15 November 2021 – Feast of Mother Marianne Nasi

Dear Sisters,

The emotion and joy of Mother Elda’s election is still alive in each of us: we give thanks to God for everything. Deo gratias!

We now share with you what we are going to live in the next few days.

Yesterday, 14 November, we welcomed the sisters that each Monastery has elected to form, together with the Capitulars already present, the Assembly of the Family of Contemplative Life. The Assembly of the Family of Apostolic Life is already complete, since it is formed by all the Chapter Sisters of Apostolic Life.

Also yesterday, we began to work into two assembly groups as forescen by the Rule of Life, to address specific issues concerning each Family. We are planing to proceed in this manner until Saturday.

We are reading the messages you are sending tu us every evening: the well wishes, the words of encouragement. The assurance of your closeness and remembrance in prayer are sustaining us in this delicate task at the service of the entire Congregation.

Certain that you continue to be with us, we still rely on your prayers so that in everything we can give glory to God and seek only His will.

            In Domino!

            The Chapter Sisters


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Election of our General Mother

Caritas Christi Urget nos!            

Celle Ligure, 13 November 2021

Dearest Sisters

with joy we bless the Lord and sing Deo gratias for the gift of our Mother General.

Today, 13th November 2021

the XI General Chapter elected

Sister Elda Pezzuto

Superior General

of the Sisters of St Joseph Benedict Cottolengo.

With a heart full of gratitude and appreciation we extend our fraternal well wishes and joyful thanks to Mother Elda for having accepted once again the service of animation and guidance of our Congregation.

The election was attended by the Father of the Little House and the Episcopal Vicar for Consecrated Life of the Diocese of Turin. At the request of the Vicar, Fr Sabino Frigato, to accept the new mandate, Sr Elda Pezzuto, expressing her awareness of her own limitations, but trusting in the greatness of God and the help of all the sisters of the Congregation, expressed her yes.

May the gift of the unceasing prayer of all the Sisters, of contemplative life and apostolic life, present in Europe, America, Africa and Asia, of the elderly and sick Sisters, be a precious support for her in the coming years.

                DEO GRATIAS and AVANTI IN DOMINO!

                The Chapter Sisters

13 November 2021 – Homily by Mgr Sabino Frigato

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Together in prayer

Dearly beloved,

we continue to feel in communion of prayer.

Through the videos that we are sending you, some of the sisters delegated to the Chapter wish to share with us their beautiful and intense experience of these days that are so important for our Congregation.

And we can truly lift up to the Lord the praise “You are so great, Lord, my God!” because you do not let us lack your help, your light that illuminates, enlivens our reflections and the issues that we face daily and that are oriented towards the search for the good of the whole Congregation.

Your prayer and the offering of your days, dear ones, are for us a support, a help, a feeling of family in search, on the way towards the ever clearer manifestation of the Work of God in each one of us so that it may be manifested to the world.

This evening, all of us chapter sisters, after a vigil, will alternate in prayer, in night adoration. We invite you to join us spiritually.

Deo Gratias …

The Chapter Sisters


Frase del Santo

L’allegria non ha mai guastato la santità