The Feast of our Blessed Foundress, Blessed Mary of the Passion, invited us to remember her deep spiritual life and her missionary heart.
Fr. Ignacio Ceja Jiménez, OFM, shared how encounters with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary revealed simplicity, joy, poverty, humility, and zeal, signs of our charism. He reminded us that her ECCE, “Here I am,” expresses a life offered as gift.
In the blue chapel, before placing flowers on the tomb of our Foundress, Sr. Eufemia spoke of communion: we are united with all our sisters around the world, in times of war, natural disasters, daily work, and mission. This communion is the connection that the EGC is called to nurture for the future of our Institute.
Communities from Grottaferrata, Via Crescenzio, and the Vatican joined St. Michael and St. Helene, together with three Franciscan friars, for this celebration.
After Mass, Sr. Narelle noticed a family of three who, by a wonderful twist of fate, turned out to be relatives of Mary of the Passion! The mother and daughter wore her medal, and the daughter had even received her name for Confirmation. Pilgrims from the United States, they had just passed through the Holy Door of St. John Lateran and were walking toward St. Mary Major when they were unexpectedly drawn into our chapel in time for Mass—and later visited her tomb and garden. It seemed that Mary of the Passion herself gently guided them to her beloved convent—a joyful sign for all of us!
