INAUGURATION OF THE SMR INTERNATIONAL NOVITIATE IN ROME 21 NOVEMBER 2025

2025-11-26

On 21 November, the feast of the Presentation of Mary, the Church invites us to contemplate the mystery of the Virgin Mary as a child, led by her parents to the temple as an act of dedication and consecration to God. 

Today is also a special day for us because we commemorate the entry into the novitiate of Emilia and her first companions. That is why the General Council chose this date to inaugurate the new novitiate. 

Today, Victorine, Pauline and Odette, all three of Malagasy nationality, began their novitiate in a simple and moving ceremony, accompanied by the General Government and the Sisters who are currently in the two communities in Rome and who come from eight different nationalities : Colombia, Mexico, Madagascar, Ireland, Kenya, Panama, Mauritius and Spain... a true symbol of our congregational reality, offering our diversity and multiculturalism as the Eucharistic body we are called to be.

Our new novices had a three-day preparation period before entering the novitiate. During these days, they reflected on our vocation, reparation in terms of a love story, a love story that leads them to follow Jesus, a love story that expands into mission. 

As part of the ritual of entry into religious life, each novice shares with us, through a symbol, how she feels this call as she begins this journey of following Jesus. We welcome with great interest and affection the feelings that each of them expresses with creativity and depth.

Also, within this space of prayer, we professed sisters have been able to express the feelings and desires we carry in our hearts.

We are very mindful of Sister Martha de la Torre, a member of the novitiate community, who is absent as she recovers from surgery.

After this family ceremony, where we enjoyed feeling like one body, we continued the celebration with a snack accompanied by music, dancing, and good humour. We ended the celebration with deep gratitude to God and to each of the sisters for so much shared goodness.