It was with great joy that Sister Henni Sidabungke, of the District of Indonesia, took her final vows on June 18, 2022 in the Church of Santa Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy.
Watch the slideshow of the ceremony
As I took my eternal vows, I was reminded of my first experience when I decided to enter the Society of the Sacred Heart. I was only 17 years old at that time, and was moved by the presence of Sr. Ino (a Japanese RSCJ). She was a humble but joyful sister. I decided to follow her to the community and left my studies because I wanted to find the source of her joy. I found it in my initial formation, namely, in the wounded heart of Jesus, the source of everything. My motto was and remains, “I am love and for love.” In the Society, I have experienced many things that have made me believe that I was created with love, and I will live to share that love with others.
I experienced the love of God and the love of the congregation further on in my probation. Every day I come to Jesus with my basket, and He fills it. I was happy and experienced the feeling that "Jesus is amazing," yet the next day I came back again, and God filled my basket again. Every day I had this feeling with Jesus, until finally, I just stood and saw that the heart of Jesus was huge, wide, and deep like an ocean I couldn't measure. The joy I receive now is only a small part of the heart of Jesus. Now I understand more deeply what it means when Jesus says “I will give you life in abundance.” I am ready to dive into His heart and to stay there, to taste His love, and to share that joy to those who surround me.
Experiencing all this, again I say “I am love and for love.” Yet, I believe it on a deeper level now. I understand more clearly the mission of Jesus coming to the world and my commitment to follow Him. I have the trust and confidence to walk forward because of my confidence in God’s love and knowing that I have many sisters as my excellent role models, who have shown me the essentials of how to be an RSCJ. My hope for the Society and for my district is that everyone can become Gospel to each other, and that they can bring joy and life to each other.
- Henni Sidabungke RSCJ (INS)