On Thursday, August 22, 2024, the liturgical memory of the BVM Regina, our three Brazilian postulants, Ana Wladia, Deborah, and Francisca Juliana, after a precious period of Postulancy marked by many trials but also by many graces, begin their Novitiate at our headquarters in Fortaleza.
The ritual began at 11:00 in the chapel of the Community with an intimate, simple, and essential ceremony among the brothers and sisters who have worked so hard to make this moment special and unforgettable. Our novices experienced a mix of emotions, both in the days leading up to the ritual and during the ceremony itself, presided over by Father Hananias, conducted by Mother Macrina Maria, and accompanied online by our Superior General, Father Martino, who, at the end of the ritual, directed words of exhortation to joy, perseverance, and docile surrender into the hands of the formator. Every moment was important and meaningful, especially the symbolic ritual of farewell to the world, during which the novices became emotional by talking about their roots, their families of origin, and the difficult moments they have already faced in their lives, thus allowing the Community to get to know them intimately. The ritual then continued with the imposition of the new name, marked by feelings of anxiety, joy, and surprise; Ana Wladia, Deborah, and Juliana received a religious name from Father Martino, respectively: Maria Lucia do Sagrado Coração de Jesus, Maria Celina do EspÃrito Santo, and Maria Michaela do Pai Misericordioso. Towards the end of the ceremony, there was the delivery of the Rule of Life which, as mentioned in the ritual, "is the master way of our holiness"; then, Mother Macrina, kneeling in front of the altar, received from the hands of Father Hananias, delegate of the Superior General, the mandate of Mistress of the novices. Finally, the emotional moment when the Mistress washes the feet of the novices, expressing the desire to serve them with humility, fear, and fervor in the process of growth and docility of the heart, allowing themselves to be increasingly and better molded by divine grace. After the ritual, and with great joy, we celebrated this moment with a family barbecue.
