From August 13th to August 19th, a formation meeting took place at the Mese Utca community in Budapest, warmly welcoming five Professed of Temporary Vows (PTVs), Cili and Timi from Hungary, Ula from Poland, Gaetane from France, and Alicia from Spain.and three formators, Mamen from Spain, Judit from Hungary, and Asia from Poland.
Our gathering commenced on the afternoon of Sunday, the 13th of August. We began with a mass at the cathedral, followed by a wonderful walk in the city along the Danube River's banks, and a delicious dinner. It was a good moment for us to share our initial impressions.
We initiated our meeting by sharing about our experience of life and mission, along with our emotions and feelings.
Imma de Stefanis rscj from the USC Province spoke to us about "change". It was a moment to address the changes and transformations in today's world. Many gathered insights that can help us look to the future of the Society of the Sacred Heart with a hopeful perspective.
Another day, we were fortunate to hear three different testimonies of the individuals who shared their personal experiences of living out our common mission. We were joined by two members of the newest CEU community in Mánfa, Hungary: Ergie and Heini, as well as Anna - a Sacred Heart Associate and Zsofi - a lay person working in the Treasury.
One day, we visited a L'Arche community. We prayed with them, shared a meal, and they all were very happy to show us the house, their rooms, their belongings, their skills.
We enjoyed a contemplative walk through the city in different places. The goal was to be open to surprises, feel, observe, experience, and live every moment.
On the final day we had a retreat day to pray and reflect upon everything we had learned during the previous days.
We express our gratitude to Hungarian sisters who welcomed us and took care of us so well, ensuring that we lacked for nothing. Many thanks to Mamen, Judit and Asia for their support and guidance during our time together.
We ask for your prayers for us all in the initial formation. It is very important to feel the support of our sisters who have, and continue to, give their lives in our Society. And we pray to the Lord for joy and passion to live out the mission in all the places where we find ourselves.
The PVTs of Europe