Friday 12 May, the day dedicated to the election of the Superior General of the Congregation of the MSOLA, began with a Eucharist. We begged the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts of the sisters at this particularly important moment. The day was devoted to prayer, with a recollection led by Father Dave Sullivan, Missionary of Africa. The morning was dedicated to personal discernment and the afternoon to the election.
Sister Angela Nemilaki Kapitingana, from Tanzania, was elected Superior General. After the customary embraces and congratulations, songs and dances expressed our joy at having a new leader for the Congregation. The capitulants then went to the grotto of Our Lady, downstairs from the house where the chapter is held, to sing and express our thanksgiving to Mary, ending with the Sancta Maria, our Congregational hymn. Following a well-established tradition, the youngest of the capitulants rang the bell in the grotto to announce the event…
The following day, Saturday 13th, again in an atmosphere of silence, listening to the Spirit of God, the election of the assistants to the Superior General took place.
The sisters elected for this mission are Sr Jeanne d’Arc Ouattara from Burkina Faso, Sr Malgorzata (Gosia) Poplawska from Poland and Sr Leticia Garduño from Mexico. After dancing and thanksgiving, we again sang the Sancta Maria in the chapter hall, and closed the day with a Eucharist, giving thanks to the Lord for the gift of the new General Council.
After dinner, there was a festive evening of singing and dancing. Sr Angela received a pearl necklace from an elderly Turkana woman (in the north of Kenya).She had given it to Sr Selina to give to the new Superior General.
