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Passing on the mantle of province leadership A graceful bottle of tiny seeds rests elegantly on the side table in Sr Anne Tan's office. It is barely three months since she has taken over the leadership of the province and this bottle is a constant reminder to her of the many dreams and hopes of the Sisters entrusted in her hands. Whenever Sisters drop in to talk to her, she seems to see, through their words and gestures, a reflection of the symbolic seeds she received at the celebration of 11 January 2003. The afternoon of 11 January saw the Sisters gathered at the provincial house to thank the outgoing province leadership team and to welcome the incoming trio. The paraliturgy was designed to be simple and Canossian but, together with the gestures of appreciation expressed creatively by each community, it extended for more than two hours almost without anyone realising it. Each community took turns during the first half of the liturgy to say thanks to the outgoing leadership team in song, dance or drama, resulting in an extremely eloquent, touching and varied tribute. The community of the provincial house excelled in a mimed liturgical dance to the words of the song "Woman". It was dedicated to the three women, Janet, Angela and Christina, called to lead the province with courage, simplicity and trust for the last three years. It was touching to see everyone in the community, young and old, synchronising their gestures to the words and meaning of the song, a reminder of the contemplative and nuptial love between a woman and her divine spouse. Equally united was St Joseph's community as the Sisters, comprising many of the "mountains of gems" of the province, came together for a song of thanks to our three Sisters. Their capacity to "give until it hurts", "speaking the truth" with "trust in God alone" was singled out in this spiritual bouquet. The Sisters of Canossa Convent expressed their creativity in a song especially dedicated to the Council trio, with special reference to the generosity and availability of Sr Janet. The tribute from St Anthony's community was dedicated also to Sr Janet and took the form of a traditional Italian song, in line with its history as the foundational house of the province. It reminded her of the sentiments of nuptial love felt on the day when God first called her and the generous response of self-giving on her part. The Formation House community winded up the presentations with a delightfully mimed drama entitled "The Giving Tree", demonstrating with music, humour and words the exquisite love of God who follows each one throughout the span of one's life. The whole-hearted participation of every member of the community in each of these tributes was equally encouraging as it represented a deep level of sharing during the preparation phase. After listening and receiving the messages of the communities, Sr Janet was invited to share her thoughts and feelings. She took the opportunity to express her appreciation to each Sister for the contribution given to the spiritual growth of the province in the last three years, reminding herself and all present that the Lord would not be outdone in generosity. By Sr Elizabeth Tham |
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