– Miguel Augusto
The Pauline sisters celebrated their 50th anniversary in Macau on June 22 (Saturday) at the Sé Cathedral. The festive day was marked by Sister Miriam’s speech, a video with testimonies from members of the community, and a Mass presided over by Bishop D. Stephen Lee. There were also a few words from the superior resident of the Pauline sisters, followed by a gathering in a hall adjacent to the church of the Cathedral.
Sister Miriam, currently living in Mozambique (Africa), was invited by the sisters of her Congregation to bear witness to the mission of the sisters throughout the world and especially in our territory where she lived for many years.
She began by invoking the Holy Spirit on all those present. She spoke of the mission of the sisters, their universal spirituality, as they interact with the community, bringing the Gospel and the communion of Pauline values and their Congregation: “This spirituality began with a young man at the turn of the 20th century. One day the Pope had asked the seminarians after Mass to stay in church for a few hours of worship to pray for one intention: that the new century would remain in the hands of God. This young man was called James Alberione.”
Alberione spent four hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. “In the tabernacle, he had a great light, he saw the words: ‘Come to me all!’ He perceived and felt that Jesus invited all men to come to Him. From this light he had, he said: ‘I will do something.’” The sister tells us that from that day on,, Alberione began to hear more, and felt that he must do something for the new century. Sister Miriam recalls that after being ordained a diocesan priest, James Alberione went to a parish and realized that people knew very little about the Word of God. “He began to publish many books, explaining how we should read the Bible. At this time, Europe was caught in the violent World War I.”
At first, Alberione began by helping the children, but then after reflection and prayer, he thought: “Suffering children are a consequence of war, but what are the motivations of this war, where did it begin?” Sister Miriam explained that Fr Alberione thought: “If I created a publication like a newspaper or a magazine, instead of helping a small group, it could reach a lot of people.” Alberione felt that it was God’s will that he should work, on “the good press.”
On August 20, 1914, the Pauline Family began with the founding of the Congregation of the Pauline Fathers and Brothers, who called themselves the Society of St Paul. Sister pointed out that Alberione started to feel that priests alone were not enough for the pastoral work; they also needed the sensitivity of women. Thus began on June 15, 1915 the Congregation of the Daughters of St Paul, better known today as Pauline Sisters.
Sister Miriam adds that “since then, other congregations and an association of laymen have been created, which we call the Pauline family. Fr Alberione said: ‘The works of God are done with the people of God.’ As young people joined the new congregations, Alberione developed the Pauline spirituality that he communicated to them.” Sister Miriam stressed two key points of this spirituality in her testimony: the light of the Eucharist and the spring of the Word of God.
Regarding the Pauline’s devotions – says the sister – the first pillar is Mary Most Holy, and after the Mother of God, comes the devotion to St Paul. “Our Lady took Jesus to men; today, we have to take Jesus into the world. Mary entrusts us with this mission, so she is called Queen of the Apostles.”
St Paul is the patron of the Pauline Family, emphasized Sister Miriam. “Alberione understood that it was he who led Jesus into the world. If today we are Christians, we owe it to St Paul. For it was Paul who took the Gospel to the non-Jews.” Sister Miriam concluded her testimony by saying: “We cannot bring anything into the world except Jesus Christ.”
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