European PTV Meeting

 
From Tuesday 8th August until Sunday 13th August
the PTVs of Europe met in Poznań, Poland.
 
We were 10 Professed of Temporary Vows (PTV) and five formators from the provinces of Belgium-France-Netherlands, Central Europe, England-Wales, Ireland-Scotland, Poland, and Spain.
 
Each morning of the four full days that we were together, we prayed on each of the Chapter Calls; and this connected us with the theme of each day.
 
Our theme this year is Obedience; and in this meeting we focused on discernment, which we explored through a variety of creative inputs prepared by the formators.
  • On the first day we shared a process of discernment that we had made in the past, and through that lens discussed the vital elements of the process of discernment.
  • On the second day we looked at decision making and got in touch with how each of us makes decisions and what influences us.
  • On the third day we had a quiet morning remembering the Chapter Call "to create silence"; and in the afternoon we shared about how we have been during the last few months and how God has been with us in all that has happened.
  • On the fourth day we looked at power and leadership, and the different dynamics that can be at work in community and groups.  We talked about different types of communication in community, and reflected on how we can share our gifts in community.
 
      
 
We also had the opportunity to know more about the history and culture of Poland.  We visited Biskupin, the site of an early Slavic settlement that dates back to more than 2500 years ago; and we saw the area around Poznań, which is the place where Christianity began in Poland over 1000 years ago.
 
Throughout it all we enjoyed the generous hospitality of our Polish Sisters and the students who live in the hostel at Poznan; and we had a taste of delicious Polish food.  We ended our days together cooking sausages over a huge bonfire, with our community from nearby Pobiedziska. 
 
 
 
Although the few days together were very full, we left feeling full of energy!
 
Siobhan Burke rscj
Lidka Gołębiewicz rscj