Union: Newfoundland & Labrador Bless Sisters as They Begin New Missions

On the afternoon of August 30 the Presentation Sisters in Newfoundland and Labrador gathered in their motherhouse chapel to celebrate a ritual of blessing for Sisters Emma Rooney and Laurane Pittman in anticipation of their leaving for their new missions in Ireland. Emma will become part of the community at Nano Nagle Place in Cork and Laurane will join the Lucan Mission House community. Sister Sharon Fagan, outgoing provincial leader, in a very moving moment, anointed the sisters.

Joining Emma and Laurane were Sisters Roisin Gannon and Bernadette Doherty, two of the new provincial leadership team members who had recently come to be with us from England and Ireland, respectively. In another poignant moment of missioning and welcome to our province, all four together held the Canadian and Irish flags as if symbolically exchanging them with one another. The flags had been placed on the altar for the ritual. Embodied beautifully in the flag image is our oneness as Union in the powerful exchange of energies as we share our gifts worldwide in the spirit of Nano who expressed her desire and her willingness to be of service in any part of the globe.

We extend a profound blessing to them all, and to one another, and beyond to our larger Presentation family. This is indeed a time of inviting and welcoming yet more newness and deeper openness to mission as together we “dare to be led by God’s spirit,” called forth more powerfully as part of our being in Union … in communion … with one another and with all of creation.