In Turin FCJ Sisters and friends opened the Bicentenary of the Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus 1820-2020 with an a walk from their parish Grand Madre di Dio to the Turin Cathedral. Here they tell of their celebration.
On Saturday 21st September, we met at our Parish Church Grand Madre di Dio. We were about fifty with a blue scarf marked with the Bicentenary logo on our shoulders.
In this church, which at that time was just a monument built in honor of the return of the King Carlo Alberto di Savoia, we reflected on the arrival of Marie Madeleine, FCJ foundress, in Turin – Borgo Po – and on her early beginnings of the work. With the aid of a Power Point we reflected on our life.
Then we moved towards the Parish of the Annunziata frequented by Marie Madeleine and by our sisters in their first years in Turin. The parish priest was waiting for us and seemed happy to welcome us and spend time with us; he was well prepared to present the historical, political and social situation of the time in which our foundress found herself. This parish priest was able to arouse in us all a keen interest also with his story of the primitive church and its current reconstruction. It is here that Marie Madeleine and our sisters went. Here, at that time Monsignor Fantini was the parish priest who later became bishop of Fossano and who, as a wise and inspired man, advised Marie Madeleine to buy a bigger house for her mission. Borgo Po was an area very deprived, girls were abandoned to themselves and there was a great need to help these girls to be formed and educated to acquire dignity.
Our walk resumes and we head towards the Cathedral to pray before the Holy Shroud where, we think, Marie Madeleine often went to pray:Your face, Lord, I look for.
At the conclusion we greeted all our friends with whom we have joyfully shared the beginnings of our history in Turin. Then all of us FCJs went together to celebrate the birth of our beloved foundress.
We are very grateful to the Lord for the good success of this jubilee beginning.
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Read more on the history of the FCJ Sisters in Turin:
