19th Day: XXII General Chapter_ Salvatorians are blessed with the private audience with the Holy father, Pope Francis.

Today will be a day to linger in our memories for a long time. We had an important and intimate encounter with Pope Francis, who closely models what Jesus wishes for all Christians, particularly religious, to follow with fidelity and courage—listening to His voice in prayer and bringing His love to all. The journey of this momentous day began early in the morning with our travel to the Vatican, entering the Palazzo Apostolico, and the anticipation that paved the way for the indescribable joy of meeting our Holy Father.

We shared this great event with members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who are also holding their General Chapter here in Rome. The experience was lightened when Pope Francis began dialoguing with the General Superiors. He smilingly inquired of Sr. Maria Yaneth, “How many novices do you have, and what nationalities are they?”. 50 novices in formation across various units, including Brazil, Congo, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania was the reply of Sr. Yaneth.

Pope Francis began addressing the members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary first and later, he spoke to the Salvatorians, highlighting the four essential elements of our demanding Chapter theme, “Walking Together, Rekindling the Gift of the Spirit Among Us so as to Proclaim and Inflame All.” He emphasized that this theme reflects the foundation of our Charism: to proclaim, “This is eternal life: to know you, the true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This was also the prayer of Jesus in the upper room when he was with his disciple.

He invited the capitulars to spend ample time in prayer, especially during these significant days, to meditate this scene of the upper room, on being ignited to rekindle others with love. Citing the example of Mary, he encouraged us to be like her—attentive to others, speaking less, and always pointing to Jesus. He concluded, “The Madonna never shows herself but always points to Jesus.”

The capitulars expressed immense joy at this opportunity, uniting their voices in song, “This is Eternal Life.” The day concluded with a meaningful Eucharistic celebration led by Fr. Paul Trung Tin Tan, SDS, who urged the sisters to be bold like the woman in today’s Gospel who approached Jesus with repentance, humility, and mercy. Grateful to the USA Province for guiding this thanksgiving liturgy.