The Meeting of the Provincial Councils of the Slavic Provinces, i.e., the Provinces of Slovakia, Slovenia and the three Polish Provinces – Warsaw, Kraków and Chełmno-Poznań – together with the Provincial Directors as well as the Council of the Region of Albania, took place at the Provincial House in Chełmno from October 17-22, 2022. This was facilitated by Sister Françoise PETIT, Superioress General, who was accompanied by Sister Hanna CYBULA, General Councilor.

The various Provinces first presented their history and present mission. This allowed the attendees to become more familiar with the current context of the life and ministry of the Daughters of Charity in the Central and Eastern European region.

Sister Françoise, in her conferences, referring to the two gates of the Inter-Assemblies Document 2021-2027 – “Towards shared and prophetic action” and “Towards a culture of encounter” – helped the Visitatrixes and their Councils to reread their service as a shared mission entrusted to them by the Lord. After the conferences, there was time for personal reflection, group discussions and sharing.

Other topics discussed were:

– leadership in the Company today

– accompaniment of Sisters in the communities

– use of contemporary media and their influence on the life of the Daughters of Charity

– formation at all stages, especially initial formation

– actions taken to protect minors and the vulnerable

– current challenges and priorities for the mission of the Slavic Provinces.

Also very enriching were the meetings in groups according to their functions in the Provincial Councils or in a particular Council.

The presence of our Superioress General, Sister Françoise, her endearing simplicity, smile and motherly warmth, gave courage and helped us open up to each other to create a truly fraternal community. The meeting gave us strength, providing light for the path of service that lay ahead as we fulfil the mission entrusted to us in the Company. It was a good opportunity to share each other’s joys, difficulties and challenges encountered in the different social contexts of our countries. It was also a time of praying together, getting to know each other, strengthening mutual ties and looking at the future of the Company.

For the Provincial House in Chełmno, it was a beautiful opportunity to have our guests join us in celebrating with thanksgiving the 200 years of presence of the Daughters of Charity in the monastery at 40 Dominikańska St. The Daughters of Charity arrived in Chełmno in 1694 and lived in several places in the parish; in 1822, the Sisters began to serve the needy through numerous charitable works in this place.

To complete the visit, a Saturday encounter with the Sisters of the Chełmno-Poznań Province (present on site and connecting online) was held. A very large gathering (about 100 Sisters) was able to listen to Sr. Françoise’s message encouraging us to renew our hearts and spirits that will lead to constant conversion in order to deepen fraternity. She also responded to questions and suggestions presented by the Sisters. It was a beautiful time, full of fraternal sharing and reflections … it will probably be in our hearts and actions for a long time to come. Our gratitude will be expressed in the implementation of the instructions heard as we, in prayer, continue to carry in our hearts the affairs of the Company as well as the intentions of Sr. Françoise and Sr. Hanna!