Congregation of Our Lady of apostles

• “It was my lot to found a little congregation…”

LYON

• Lyon with Fourviere in the background.

• The two rivers meet in Lyon

THE MOTHER HOUSE IN LYON

• The Mother House at Venissieux, Lyon

• 1881 - 1971

• Entrance to motherhouse

• 1881 -1971

• Our Lady of Apostles

• – a large painting

• Originally in the motherhouse

Transit City

• 1973 – 1991

• “La cite de transit “ - the “transit city” for many of Lyon’s poor and immigrants from other countries.

• The city wanted an OLA community on the site of the old motherhouse and so there is a community now in the area called Barbusse.

LA CASA GENERAL EN ROMA

1978 – The new Generalate in Rome – after spending some time in Monte Sacro, the house belonging to the Italian Province.

• 1884:the novitiate was opened in Cork.

IRELAND

• Ardfoyle in 1884 – the first house in Ireland

ITALY

• The first house in Italy, BARDELLO, in the north of of the country and presently renewed for the senior Sisters

Early Missionaries

• 1877: 3 Sisters went to Dahomey.

• 1878: Other Sisters landed in Lagos Nigeria.

• Due to the climate many Sisters died at a young age.

APOSTOLATES

• Apostolates in africa:

• Women and family

• Schools• Clinics• Home visits

• Contact with women was vital for the formation of the family and for the spread of the Gospel.

LYONS TODAY

The present Provincial house in France.

Let joy dominate as I go to the One to whom I have given my life…

• Sr. Marie Claire Charles, former Provincial of France who died on

• 27 April 2007

• A group of Sisters in Lyons – various apostolates.

• A Card game in the community of Colmar.

• Sitting at the table on the left is Agnes Bourdry who spent many years in Argentina.

• Haute Gaulaine – a home for the retired Sisters.

• Pommiers – a home for the retired Sisters in the country.

Post Vatican II

• After Vatican II there was an appeal from Rome for congregations to found in South America to help the Church to open its doors to the wider mission

INVITACION

• Cardenal Primatesta was the Archbishop of Cordoba. SMA first went there in 1963

• In 1980 John Healy in SMA contacted OLA in Rome. This was later followed by a direct appeal from the Cardinal for Sisters.

CORDOBA

• The Appeal from SMA and Cardinal Primatesta was for OLA Sisters to do mission animation.

• 1982: Sr. Marciana and council after consultation decided to send Sisters to Cordoba

• Suarez was chosen as the place for the first community.

• Foundation date: 24 September 1982

• Three Sisters formed the first community

First community in Suarez, Cordoba

• Anne Barry

• Rachel Hohmann

• Nicole Rivard con amig@s

A villa near Suarez

• Sr. Luigina from Italy visits the families in the villa.

• Sr. Kathleen Mc Garvey renews her vows in Suarez with Sr. Marie Rose Begue at her side.

• Camilla, Agnes Haverty, Assumpta Mordi, Jacqueline Paterni with newly arrived postulants.

Los Olmos – second community in Cordoba

• Agnes Bourdry from France and Nicole Rivard from Canada with

• Fr. Marcos in their new small house.

Mission Animation

• Los Olmos was located in another area of Cordoba. Sisters did pastoral work and also a lot of mission animation with SMA. They went to parishes, schools and into other dioceses. Often they conducted novenas in preparation for Mission weeki=.

VILLA LIBERTADOR

• From Los Olmos it was deceded to move to a more needy barrio in Villa El Libertador.

Picture shows• Agnes Bourdry• Monique Lacombe• Monique Matton

Parish retreat

• A parish retreat – with Sr. Sophia Amegashie and friends of the basic Christian communities. These still function very well even though there is no Sister free to accompany them directly.

• Health care in Cordoba – a home for the terminally ill run by the NGO “Manos Abiertas” or “Open Hands”

• Anne Falola trained the volunteers and now Edel is a fultime nurse with the NGO

POPULAR RELIGIOSITY

• Popular religiosity – annual novenas, processions and “Dressing the statue of Mary”

• Bolivian festival in the barrio

Bolivian Feast

• The Statue of Mary is “dressed” at the end of the novena and after mass is carried through the barrio on the Feast.

QUILMES

• Marie Rose Begue• Gabrielle Farrell• Kathleen Mc Garvey• Cordelia Ogene• Agnes Haverty• Sophia Amegashie• Sandra Mazzanti• Patricia Robledo• Monique Lacombe• Liliana Parlanti

These are the sisters who liveded in Quilmes

Women opting with the poor

• One of Agnes’ apostolates in Quilmes was CARITAS.

• While she was there a pharmacy was opened and now a lay woman continues to give a great service.

• Mission feast – communities from Buenos Aires joined the community at Quilmes to celebrate Mission Sunday,

Mission Mass

• The five continents are represented.

• The mission rosary is very popular especially for the Holy Childhood – a different colour for each continent.

• Mission animation among families

• On this mission Sunday the life of Sr. Christian Philippon was acted out – Christian was killed in Tchad at Christmas 2006

BUENOS AIRES

• The house purchased in 2002 from the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion. A community of 3 Sisters reside here now –

• Agnes Haverty, • Lilian Gonzalez, • Georgina Quayson

DISTRICT HOUSE

• ASSEMBLIES ARE HELD AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.

• GRATITUDE TO THE IRISH PROVINCE FOR HELP IN RENOVATING THE HOUSE.

HOUSE OF FORMATION

• Mariela Rocchietti made her first profession in 2005 and is now in Nigeria.

• Here photographed with her father, two friends and Sr. Gabrielle Farrell who was her formator.

WOMEN OF FAITH

• Women of FAITH:

Sharing that faith in parishes, with groups and families and even with the business people after work

Circles of the Virgin Mary

• Bible meetings are held in homes where some of the neighbours gather to pray with the Scripture using a prayer format prepared by the Archdiocese.

Meeting of business people after work

• This group meets twice a month after closing the premises. Agnes leads the Bible meeting and all share. The meeting is held in the shop of the person hosting it.

• Perhaps it is the only meeting where the men are often in the majority!

Retreat day

• Women of prayer – sharing with people, offering a day of prayer with a group of lay people from Quilmes.

Infancia Misionera

• Sharing with the youth. Our first aim in coming to Argentina was to do mission animation. The “Holy Childhood” is one of the main means of doing so.

Friends of OLA

• For the past few years meetings have been held in an effort to form a group of OLA friends. As yet there is no structure but the interest of people is very striking.

This little light of mine….

• Praying for the five continents during another gathering of friends.

INTERCULTURAL SHARING

• WHENEVER FRIENDS MEET THERE IS ALWAYS AN INTERCULTURAL DANCE…

Reflecting together

• A second meeting with friends – it is evident that this group are searching for a way of prayer in their lives.

• Reflection on Our Lady of Apostles from the Padre Planque reflection sheets.

• Visits to the sick and elderly in their homes or in homes for senior men and women who no longer can live at home.

CHACARITA

• CHACARITA a new barrio in Buenos Aires.

• IMRS funded a container which is now a small clinic and a meeting place for adults and children

• Everyone has ideas and there is room for all.

EXPERIENCING MURAL PAINTING!

• OSCAR AND CRISTOPHER AND HAPPY WITH THEIR ART!

• FORMOSA – • Febrero 06• Monique Lacombe• Claudia Quipildor• Jacqueline Tapsoba

The parish

• Some of the parishioners with Fr. Miguel and Bishop Conejero.