VATICAN-The Prefect of the Missionary Congregation invites the Sisters of Mater Ecclesiae College to "open their hearts to a greater love for the mission, in which the first place belongs to Jesus"

Castel Gandolfo (Agenzia Fides) - The Missionary College of Mater Ecclesiae, in Castel Gandolfo, celebrated with joy on Saturday, October 15 for three reasons: the visit of the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP) , His Exc. Mgr. Fernando Filoni, who for the first time visited the College, welcomed by the Director of the Domus Missionalis, Mgr. Silvano Rossi, and all the nuns; the joy of seeing 34 new nuns from 27 congregations, from seventeen countries, who this year have come to be part of the great religious family of the College, composed of 120 nuns and three Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver, and finally the opening of the new academic year which has just started.
At 6pm, the celebration of the Eucharist took place in the beautiful church dedicated to St. Francis and Mary Assumption into heaven, presided by the New Prefect, who was accompanied by His Exc. Mgr. Piergiuseppe Vacchelli, Adjunct Secretary of the CEP and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies; by His Exc. Mgr. Michael Seccia , Bishop of Teramo-Atri; by Fr. Massimo Cenci, PIME, Undersecretary of the Missionary Dicastery, by Mgr. Silvano Rossi, the Rectors of the other Missionary Colleges, and by other priests.
After the procession of the concelebrants and the new sisters, the Director of the College, Sister Sylvia Valeri, turned to those present with a fraternal greeting of welcome, in which she presented the reasons for staying together and expressed great joy at the presence of the new Prefect. In his homily, Archbishop Filoni invited the sisters to open their hearts to a greater love for the mission, in which the first place belongs to Jesus, offering concrete examples of how some saints, especially Saint Teresa, who managed to renew Caramel and also renewed the Church, precisely because she had given the first place to Jesus. The Prefect also invited to re-read numbers 5 and 6 of the Council's Decree of the Perfectae Caritatis on the renewal of religious life urging the religious women to cultivate a spirit of prayer, a great love for the Sacred Scripture (love it, know it and meditate on it), the Eucharist has to be the center of one's life and to love and live with the Church, the Bishops, with the Superiors, constantly renewing the religious vows, having as a starting point the eternal Love of God, He who wants our love for Him to be constantly renewed. Finally, the wish that he left the sisters was to always have a sense of gratitude to God for having loved and call them to Jesus, in order to serve the Church in the various religious Congregations.
After Mass, the Vietnamese, Chinese and African nuns highlighted the evening by presenting some characteristic dances of their countries, and even the newly arrived sisters wanted to convey their message through a song entitled "The Right direction", which for the Sisters of Castelgandolfo will be the motto: "Where there is charity and love there is God". At the end of the evening the Prefect of the CEP encouraged the sisters to live this experience of community life and study well, remembering in prayer all the benefactors who work so they can study and be ready for the mission. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 17/10/2011)