A Summer of International Volunteering
The summer remains the ideal time for volunteers from the Thouret Foundation to set off on their missions. Clémence C. is currently continuing her mission in India, where she joined our sisters and the Nemesia School in Bangalore a month ago. Simonetta M., a regular on missions to Chad, will return to N’Djamena in early August. Béatrice R., a new volunteer from Turin, will also be joining our sisters and the mission in Ngaoundal, Cameroon, very soon. Eight students from the Catholic University of Milan have recently joined our sisters and their missions in Argentina, Africa, Paraguay and India. Finally, Alexis and Joulia, two slightly younger French volunteers, arrived in Rome and at the Arrupe Centre in mid-July to offer their time and service to the young people and refugee families being cared for at the center. Whilst some volunteers returned from their missions a few months ago, others – through word of mouth – are already knocking on the door to serve in 2027! Let us keep in our prayers the commitment and mission currently being lived out by these volunteers. Alongside our sisters and immersed in a different culture, may they grow both personally and spiritually and flourish to the fullness of their potential. This is the very essence of the Thouret Foundation’s Volunteering Division: to be constantly on the move, living in step with our sisters on mission and the various volunteers who join them throughout the year. In order to review and enhance our programs for hosting, training and supporting international volunteers, it seemed important to take a look at other organisations and congregations offering the same service.
Taking up my pilgrim’s staff, I visited several organisations, accompanied where possible by one or other member of the team via video call. I checked out the Missions Etrangères de Paris, Œuvre d’Orient, the Sisters of the Assumption, the Congregation of the Sacred Heart, the Spiritans, and others.Each meeting was a blessing. Although we had never met before, we immediately ‘recognised’ one another. We are driven by the same passion and energy: that of welcoming young (and not-so-young) people to the mission sites of our respective congregations or associations, so as to enable them to share in our missionary zeal. Whilst our objectives were shared, there were numerous differences and nuances at every stage of the process: reception – formation – links with local communities – mission on the ground – support – return.
Some organisations operate in a way that is very similar to ours, whilst others are quite different. But each meeting has enabled us to discuss our practices, choices and decisions. These discussions encourage us to re-examine our ways of working and allow them to evolve so that we can offer volunteers support that is ever more appropriate, faithful to our charism and adapted to the realities of today’s missions. This process of reflection marks a further step forward. It encourages us to press ahead with confidence in developing a voluntary program that is ever more faithful to Saint Jeanne Antide and to the needs of today’s missions. May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire hearts that are open to responding to this call to service and to encounter. Thank you for supporting our volunteers and our sisters through your prayers so that each one may be a witness to hope wherever they are sent.
Sr Pascale Haratyk