Sr. Iwona Cholewinska, in La Marsa, Tunisia, shares her joy at her final vows
For my final commitment I chose the date of September 8, to be able to always associate it with the birth of Mary and the birth of our Congregation.
In distributing the invitations for my vows, I had this conviction that the people who will be present will be guests of the One who invited me to follow Him as MSOLA in Africa, because it is He, in fact, the author of this day.
From the first preparations, the desire that inhabited me was that it be a celebration as simple as possible and it was fulfilled! Many of the people present underlined in their sharing this simplicity that was manifested in the liturgy, in the symbols and in the gestures.
The celebration took place in the church where I was baptized, I received the first communion then the confirmation and I was very moved when I entered the procession holding a candle lit with the writing: “With Christ, in Africa, forever”. I saw the faces of the parishioners who have known me since childhood and who looked at me with tears in their eyes, saying to me without words: you are one of us and we are proud of you…
There were so many guests who came from far away to accompany me on this special day, starting with our sisters who came from Rome and Germany, the families of our Polish sisters, our friends, acquaintances, neighbors… I also thought of so many of our sisters and so many other people who were in communion with me at this moment and I felt so surrounded, fortunate and privileged to have received this free gift of unity, friendship and affection…
The Mass was enriched and embellished thanks to the active participation of our sisters forming a choir for African hymns and the girls of my parish who danced in the offertory procession dressed in kitenges. Many others joyfully engaged themselves by taking their part in the liturgy: readings, universal prayer, offertory and so it was everyone’s celebration.
The dialogue, the prostration, the formula of vows that I pronounced in Polish and the presentation of the ring touched many hearts and brought tears, especially those of my loved ones but also of all the people who were attending a religious profession for the first time and who were carried away by the spirit of this celebration.
Another moment that brought tears again was the moment of thanksgiving where words seemed so small to express all my joy, gratitude, love… There is a song of thanksgiving in Polish saying:
“I am not able to thank you Lord because my words are always insufficient, so welcome my silence and teach me to thank you through my life”.
Finally, I thank my MSOLA religious family who, for many years, took care of my growth in faith, my development and my integral blossoming. A family through which my heart expands and opens more and more to other countries, cultures, religions… Thank you, my sisters, for your affection, for our walk together with the Risen Christ. Thank you for trusting me and accepting me as your sister forever.
