Spirituality
We have inherited a rich spirituality from our foundress, Saint Jeanne Jugan:
Christ centeredness: imitation of Christ in his poverty, gentleness and humility; devotion to the Eucharist, the Word of God and the Sacred Heart;
Poverty of spirit: a desire to live the joy and simplicity of the Beatitudes and to identify ourselves with the lowly;
Trust in God’s Providence to provide for all of our needs, both spiritual and temporal, together with a lively devotion to Saint Joseph, patron and protector of our Congregation;
Marian devotion: Saint Jeanne Jugan taught us that to come to the heart of Mary is to come to Jesus. We take Mary as our mother and our model of total devotedness to Christ and his mission;
A spirit of solidarity and universality: we embrace the riches of all peoples and cultures, pray for the needs of the universal Church and believe that solidarity and sharing are expressions of our common bond as members of one human family, since we are all children of our heavenly Father.
Life of Prayer
Our daily lives are marked by a regular rhythm of prayer, which includes:
Liturgy of the Eucharist, celebrated daily with the community and our elderly Residents;
Liturgy of the Hours (morning, evening and night prayer);
Meditation made together at the beginning of each day and another half-hour of personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at a moment chosen by each Little Sister;
Rosary we pray the Rosary daily;
Spiritual reading;
Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis;
Silence: We appreciate the value of silence and we strive to maintain an oasis of quiet and peace in our community areas. Our meals are usually taken in silence. We look forward to several days of retreat throughout the year and this helps us to refresh and renew our spiritual lives away from the routine of our daily work. A deep spiritual life is the hidden source from which our vocation of love and service springs. It is the force which unifies the various elements of our life, leading to a balance between contemplation and action.
