To celebrate the 233 years Birthday of Jeanne Jugan foundress of the congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor, an invitation was sent to a group of young people from Ghana, Hungary, Nigeria, Vietnan, India and four Little Sisters were happy to attend the event, representing, India, Africa and England.
The theme of the day was” Become a Beacon of Hope with Jeanne Jugan”.
A power point presentation was prepared by Mother Caroline illustrating the link between Jeane Jugan and our daily lives on the path to Holiness.
Passages of Pope Leo’s 14th writings enabled us to appreciate the true meaning of Christian hope and evangelisation.
A film of Jeanne Jugan was interesting especially enabling some young people to be introduced to her life and spirituality. They discovered that Jeanne Jugan was born in 1792 in France and devoted her life to helping the poor and elderly. In 1839, she founded the Little Sisters of the Poor, she died in 1879 and was later canonized as a Saint in 2009 in Rome.
After the presentation of the film and power point inviting us to become Pilgrims of Hope with Jeanne Jugan, we participated at Mass with the residents and sisters. The young people were happy to prepare the liturgy, mass booklets, prayers of intercession also booklets for evening prayer.
After Mass, we joined the workshops to share our thoughts about Jeanne Jugan, her life, virtues and her experience of Hoping in God.
The lunch time break was animated; the meal was appreciated and a time also to visit the home and the residents. A small gift bag was given to each one containing a rosary and souvenir pen from the Little Sisters, also a bracelet with the words “love God very much”. JJ.
We continued discussing the life of Jeanne Jugan and realized how she was a prophet of her time loving God and serving others.
A tree was placed on a stand so that we could place a red heart on one of the branches writing a few words that highlighted the life of Jeanne Jugan on the heart.
The tree was placed in the chapel afterwards so that people could read the messages.
At 4pm it was time to meet the community of the Little Sisters. Tea, coffee and cold drinks were available. A special cake with candles 233 sign and various other cakes were offered to the group. A picture of Jeanne Jugan beside the cakes reminded us of her Birthday Celebration.
At 4-30pm, Kinga invited us to go to the garden to recite the rosary. Kinga prepared booklets with the sayings of Jeanne Jugan to read before each decade of the rosary. We started at the statue of St Anne then, Near St Joseph, walked to the statue of Jeanne Jugan, went to the grotto and then prayed in the small garden near the independent living at Our Lady’s statue.
Helium Red balloons in the shape of hearts were blown up and each one sent their balloon into the sky making a wish and thanked God for the day to deepen our knowledge of Jeanne Jugan our model of HOPE and LOVE.
At 10 past five, we had a time of silence and adoration before evening prayer.
