Bicentenary – Cenacle Sisters

200 years of mission

Praying during the Bicentenary

September

Each month, discover new content to experience the Bicentenary of the Congregation with us

Dates of the month

Prayer of the month

Ever-creating and renewing God,

inspired by the desire of Mother Thérèse, we pray for a heart as big as the world, one that knows how to celebrate the beauty of our planet and care for creation.

Mary, discreetly present in the Spiritual Exercises,

we ask that you may place us with your Son.

God of all time and eternity,

as the Church invites us to honour those who have gone before us, may we be mindful of all the Cenacle Sisters, members of the Cenacle Family and our families, and friends in the Communion of Saints who support us with their prayers.

Christ, whose coming we await,

in this season when we also commemorate the birth and death of Father Terme, we pray that we may welcome you in the mystery of life in all its stages.

Writing of the month

Each month during this special Bicentenary year, we would like to feature writings by Cenacle Sisters on the spirituality of the Congregation, drawn from their existing works.

Bicentenary news

Bicentenary

international

Youth Pilgrimage in the Ardèche

To mark the 200th anniversary of our congregation’s founding, an international pilgrimage brought together young people and Sisters as they followed in the footsteps of Saint Thérèse Couderc throughout the Ardèche.

Bicentenary

international

International Day of Thanksgiving in Lalouvesc

To mark the bicentenary of our congregation, the Cenacle family gathered in Lalouvesc, where it all began. It was a wonderful day of festivities to give thanks for our 200 years of history.

Bicentenary

italy

A Special Celebration in Rome

On May 23, our patronal feast, the Feast of the Cenacle, was celebrated in Rome in an international way.

Bicentenary

international

An exceptional international retreat

Sister Patricia shares her experience of the congregational retreat, a powerful time of preparation for the Feast of the Cenacle.

Bicentenary

togo

Young Professed Session

From April 4 to 7, Sr. Lidia and Sr. Edia led a retreat titled “Apostles of Goodness: A Community of Clay and Gold” at our Retreat Center in Vogan.

Bicentenary

philippines

A monument to Mother Thérèse unveiled in Manila

On March 25, a small shrine to Saint Thérèse Couderc was unveiled in the garden of our spiritual retreat house

Book of Gold

Revisiting the first part of my experience (Rome)

Sr. Alidah

“God is Good, more than good, he is Goodness”

It’s a joy for me to share the experience I had in Rome. To start with, I’ll explain the symbol I received at the end of our time together. At the opening of our experience, the sisters accompanying us asked us to look for a symbol, and I chose a STONE. I see in this symbol endurance, both for the spiritual life and for human life. That’s why I used the same “stone” symbol again at the end of the experience. Because during the experience, my faith became stronger, my vocation to this congregation more confirmed.

I then put the GOSPEL under my “stone” symbol, because the Gospel has accompanied me throughout my experience. In today’s Gospel, for example, I heard Jesus ask Bartimaeus: “What do you want me to do for you?”.

I also placed around the Gospel and my stone the NAMES of all the people who accompanied me, as well as the BOOKS we used during the experience in Rome.

As the sisters who accompanied us gave some guidelines for the final sharing, I was particularly struck by a proposal to give God a NAME: who is He for me? So I named God: GENEROUS GOD. For God has given me everything, He has done great things for me. We visited a lot of places, and when we went to Circus Massimus and Coliseum, I was very touched by the last prayers of the Christian martyrs before the lions devoured them. The blood of the martyrs really did flow everywhere in ancient Rome. The story of the martyrs has made me grow spiritually and humanly.

In brief, for me, all the places we visited are places of martyrdom. I understood Christ’s words: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mt 16:24). This is also what Mother Thérèse Couderc says clearly in “Self-Surrender”: “you must take care… not to shrink from any of the little sacrifices which can help you advance in virtue”. The Cross is a path to HOLINESS.

Many thanks to the Generalate community, for giving us Susay , Hanitra, Helena, who accompanied us to the end, and Beth who joined us along the way. In a word: Thank you very much!

GENEROUS GOD

Lord my God, I thank you with all my heart

Your love is all over the earth

You are always with me

My heart is filled with joy

You never abandon me even when I have sinned

Lord my God! Thank you for all your wonders

I can’t say in detail

Every day you are GENEROUS with your love

You give me everything without return

and so I say to You

Lord I entrust myself to You

Teach me your way to better respond to your call

I believe you don’t leave me alone

You are there! My life is beautiful

I praise you with all my heart

You make me proud

My Lord! I ask you just one thing

A question comes from you

What do you want me to do for you, sister?

And I say to You with an open heart

Give me a heart that can love

For, You are a GENEROUS GOD!!!!

“The Mighty One has done great things for me”

Sr. Rufine

The international experience has opened my heart and mind to experiencing diversity and interculturality. This experience has been a gift from God to me, so that I can deeply taste cultural richness. I was in Rome for 11 days, and the time flew by. I lived this experience with freedom and discovered that Rome is rich in Christian history, such as that of Peter and Paul, the martyrs, Saint Ignatius, as well as the various Roman monuments.

When I entered St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, I saw many altars and on each altar was being celebrated Mass. It reminded me of St. Thérèse Couderc’s “Self-Surrender”: she heard the sound of the bell and saw several altars where the blood of the lamb was flowing down each altar. I also took part in the mass in the chapel, where the throne of Saint Peter was clearly visible. I experienced this with great inner joy and deep faith. All this leads me to praise God.

At Tre Fontane, where Saint Paul was martyred, his head bounced off the ground three times. This Saint suffered greatly but was not afraid, he was ready to die for his faith. I was very touched by Saint Paul’s spirit, and it made me think that there is suffering to be endured in life, and after suffering comes true life. The martyrdom of Saint Paul helped me to cling to Christ and strengthened my faith.

As for Saint Ignatius of Loyola, I visited his room, the place where he wrote the Spiritual Exercises. What really touched me was that his room is very narrow, simple, which means that when I saw it, I said to myself that it’s a sign of his sincerity of life and his total detachment from earthly possessions. For all these discoveries, I never cease to give thanks to God, who has shown me His greatness.

In Versailles, I lived with the community for a month. This is a gift from God. What touched me was that there are many types of spiritual animation in this retreat house. I’m very happy because the community has allowed me to attend a few activities such as “Taste and Share the Word of God”, “Spiritual Matinees”, “Spiritual Weekends” and “Lectio Divina”. In all this, I’ve opened my heart, soul and mind to welcome some fruit.

The community organization that gives space to common prayer has anchored my heart in Christ; the deep sharing with faith and trust of each one during shared prayer all Sunday has allowed me to live the experience of the community of disciples with Jesus. I also took part in everyday life. In Versailles, I received many gifts that help me to live my vocation.

In Lyon, the historic home of our Congregation, I received a great deal of grace. What touched me the most was Saint Thérèse Couderc’s room, which made me understand her humility, her silence, her ” self-surrender “, her simplicity. In her room I saw the objects she used: needle, scissors, linen, a piece of paper with words from God… I’m convinced that it’s in everyday life that we find the true life, the true happiness that gives eternal life.

In Lalouvesc, when I entered the Basilica of Saint Régis, I felt that Mother Thérèse’s body welcomed everyone who came to this basilica. I was touched when I saw the goodness on Saint Thérèse Couderc’s face, her infinite love, her simplicity, her heart as big as the world…

I confirmed the offering of myself with Mother Thérèse at Notre Dame D’Ay.

It was also a gift that I was able to visit Mother Thérèse’s birthplace at Le Mas. I was able to stay there for a few days. It’s a miracle to me that this house is still there. I was able to imagine the qualities of Mother Thérèse’s family: friendly, Christian and supportive.

I thank God for having called and chosen me. I’m also grateful to the whole Congregation for allowing me to live this experience.

During this time of spiritual renewal, I have received many wonders that have marked my life.

Self-Surender

Sunday, June 26 [1864]
“Our Lord has often made me understand how helpful it is for a soul desirous of making progress in the spiritual life to surrender herself – to give herself – unreservedly to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But this morning it pleased his divine goodness to give me a very special perception of it. l was preparing to begin my meditation, when l heard the pealing of the church bells summoning the faithful to assist at the divine mysteries. At that moment the desire came over me to unite myself with all the Masses that were being said, and to that end l directed my intention so that l might participate in them. Thereupon there came to me a general view of the whole Catholic world and of a vast number of altars upon which at one and the same time the adorable Victim was being immolated. The blood of the Lamb without stain was flowing in abundance over every one of these altars, which seemed to be surrounded by a light cloud of smoke ascending towards heaven. My soul was seized and penetrated with a feeling of love and gratitude on beholding this most abundant satisfaction that Our Lord was offering for us. But l was also greatly astonished that the whole world was not sanctified by it. l asked how it was when the Sacrifice of the Cross offered only once was sufficient to redeem all souls, that now being renewed so many times, it did not avail to sanctify them all. This is the answer I thought I heard: “The sacrifice is undoubtedly sufficient by itself and the blood of Jesus more than sufficient for the sanctification of a thousand worlds, but souls do not correspond; they are not generous enough.” Now the great means whereby one may enter the way of perfection and sanctity is to surrender oneself to our good God.

But what does it mean to surrender oneself? I understand the full extent of the meaning of the word, self-surrender; but l cannot explain it.
I only know it is very vast; that it embraces both the present and the future.

To surrender oneself is something more than to devote oneself, more than to give oneself ; it is even something more than to abandon oneself to God.
To surrender oneself is to die to everything and to self, to be no longer concerned with self except to keep it continually turned towards God.
Self-surrender is no longer to seek self-satisfaction in anything but solely God’s good pleasure.

It should be added that self-surrender is to follow that complete spirit of detachment which holds to nothing; neither to persons nor to things, neither to time nor place. lt means to accept everything, to submit to everything.
But perhaps you will think this is a very difficult thing. Do not let yourself be deceived; there is nothing so easy to do, nothing so sweet to put into practice. The whole thing consists in making a generous act at the very beginning, by saying with all sincerity: “My God, I wish to be entirely thine; deign to accept my offering” – that is all. But you must be careful to keep yourself in this attitude of soul, and do not shrink from any of the little sacrifices which can help you advance in virtue; you must always remember you have surrendered yourself.

I pray our Lord to give an understanding of this word to all souls eager to please him, and to inspire them to take advantage of so easy a means of sanctification. Oh! If beforehand they did but understand the sweetness and peace experienced by those who hold nothing back from the good God. How closely he unites himself to the soul that seeks him sincerely in total self-surrender! Once you have tried this you will see that therein lies the true happiness you are vainly seeking elsewhere.

The self-surrendered soul has found heaven on earth since she enjoys that sweet peace which is part of the happiness of the elect.”