Sunday, 29th April
On Sunday afternoon, ‘with a bright sun to warm us’, all delegates and our faithful companions – facilitators, spirituality, hospitality, liturgy and secretariat teams journeyed to Emmaus to continue our C.G. pilgrim ‘camino’.
After the initial reconnecting with our now familiar companions, the Congregational Gathering was formally re-convened. Led by the lantern which accompanied us in Cork, we all processed to the conference hall to the beat and echo of “Shout out my soul…” Gathered around the beautiful liturgical focus, now adorned by tongues of fire which were made by prisoners in a Latin American jail, Sr. Mary Deane re-ignited the C.G. candle.
We were welcomed to Emmaus by Br. Raymond, one of the Christian Brother Emmaus Team, who assured us that we were surrounded by Presentation Family energy and the Spirt of Nano and Edmund.
Back in our familiar table groups from Cork, our facilitators Anne and Judith led us in a sharing our weekend stories, in reflecting on our individual and shared giftedness – on the ‘variety of gifts motivated by one Spirit’ and on the ‘one flame which lights many lanterns’. In this spirit each delegate received a ‘Nano Aflame’ broach/pin specially commissioned by the outgoing CLT. Received with one heart and voice the walls of Emmaus resounded with “Nano Aflame” as “our hearts burned within us”.
Continuing the theme of Pilgrims on the journey and our walking together last week in the streets of Cork, our Delegates from England presented and explained their Unit symbol of the pilgrim ‘caminos’ and ‘holy Places’ in England which we symbolically honoured as we sang “The wind in the Willows”.
Energised to begin a new week and new phase of our Congregation Gathering and “as the day was nearly over”… we shared our first Emmaus meal together hopeful that our hearts would continue to burn within us and that our eyes would remain wide open to recognise our God and Nano in the breaking of bread in Emmaus.
Submitted by Marcela and Regina – Latin American Delegates