Sister Loredana Giugliano, sfp

“My greatest joy and fulfillment is bringing Mother Frances wherever I am called to be now and in the future, and to incarnate our Charism as her daughter.”  

Precious time with the children	Sr. Loredana meets with a Guest at Porta San Giacomo	Mardi Gras in Padua

My Story
I am 38 years of age and was born in Naples, Italy. My family gave me a good Catholic upbringing. I met the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in 1995 through the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate. At the time I felt a powerful desire to experience community life and to live out the Gospel without necessarily becoming a Sister. Then I talked about it with my spiritual director—who put me in contact with the Sisters.

I arrived at the Youth Center during that same year. While there I had a powerful experience of God that led me to choose God as the everything in my life. I then entered the Pre-Novitiate, followed by the Novitiate. On June 3, 2001, I made my First Profession of Vows. I then resumed my University studies in Education Sciences and graduated. 

Finding Meaning in Ministry 
In September 2007, I was missioned to Porta San Giacomo Community. Together with the other Sisters, we share our lives with women who are victims of sex trafficking. These are women who arrive at our Community carrying a heavy burden of pain, exploitation and disappointment. The first thing they need is to find a familiar place, a reference point that is meaningful. 

We share with these women the joys and sufferings
• Joy when the papers arrive and our guests are no longer illegally in the country – so there is no longer need to hide;
• Joy when an honest and clean job is offered;
• Pain of being far from their families;
• Pain of losing a loved one;
• Pain of suspension and anger.

I feel that these women give meaning to my daily life in quite a powerful way. I bring them to God in my prayers, so that God may be the One Who heals their deepest sufferings and may be their True Comforter.

Since September 2009, I have also been working at the Bread for the Poor in St. Anthony’s Basilica in Padua. Here too I encounter desperate people who need a hot meal. They are often financial providers for their families who have lost their jobs and have nothing to eat. Besides financial help, they seek words of hope and comfort.   

Our Charism is a Healing Gift 
Now that I am at the point of taking my Perpetual Vows, I look at my past and can say with certainty that God intertwined my life with the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. Mother Frances’ charism has always been fascinating to me, first of all because I experienced it within myself. The charism heals me from my self-inflicted wounds, the weaknesses of my sins, wounds caused by losses, by Sisters who left our Congregation, by misunderstandings in the Community, and by the suffering I see in the world.

My greatest joy and fulfillment is bringing Mother Frances wherever I am called to be now and in the future, and to incarnate our Charism as her daughter.   

I thank all of you, my Sisters. Let us remain united in prayer. 

Sister Rose Ndong, SFP

“While living among the Sisters I was fascinated by their welcoming attitude, availability, joy and their special way of relating with the poor.”

Looking forward to September – Srs. Rose and Sylviane	Holding a precious child	Sr. Rose with the Franciscan Sun Ray Children’s Group

Peace and Joy to you all!  I am Sister Rose Ndong of Senegal. I was born in a little village called Louanga, within the Koungheul Catholic Mission area. I met the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor when I was very young. The Sisters accompanied the Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate in their ministries and at their dispensary.  Each time my mother would give me a bowl of milk and some couscous to give to the Sisters.

A Meaningful Encounter
One day I went out to the fields with my father. As we were leaving the village, we passed the Sisters, who were coming to stay for a few days with people in Louanga.  After greeting them, we continued on our way.  As we walked, my father explained the mission of these ‘ladies of the white skin.’ He told me they were courageous women and that he admired their bravery in the face of the many difficulties they confronted – the climate, language, living conditions – all that only to serve Christ around the world. I listened to my father speak and it touched me deeply.

The years went by.  After finishing elementary school, I began to work with the Sisters in Koungheul for the promotion of women.  It was there I discovered that they were incarnating a charism of their own – “to heal the wounds of Christ in poor and suffering humanity.” While living among the Sisters I was fascinated by their welcoming attitude, availability, joy and their special way of relating with the poor.

I was truly attracted by their simplicity and boldness. My father’s words echoed within me and I began to link them to our daily life.  The Sisters won me over with their way of life and by witnessing.  After a period of discernment, I asked to do the Foyer experience so we could  get to know each other better. In December of 2003, I pronounced my first religious vows.

Incarnating the Gospel
In order to live our healing charism in my environment, I am called to reproduce the traits of Christ obedient, poor and chaste by entirely dedicating myself to humanity in response to my Lord’s appeal. What is important to me is the witnessing, which is crucial in my ministry with the children in the hospital and in the fraternal life within our local Community. This silent testimony – which can be an eloquent preaching, capable to touch even non-Christians – is not easy, because while following Christ it is quite normal to face the cross!  But I let Christ walk with me so that He may help me carry my cross day after day. The times of prayer and personal encounter with Christ are integral parts of my apostolate. Without them, the witnessing would disappear into a disorganized life.

I entrust myself to your prayers and ask for you the grace of my Lord, Who has associated me to His work of love to heal people of the most different faces around the world -- following the example of our mother, Blessed Frances Schervier, our father Saint Francis and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.

Thank you and see you soon!

Sister Sylviane Boissy, SFP

“After years with the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, a light lit up in my life.”

Sr. Sylviane with a young woman from the vocation group	Srs. Rose and Sylviane	Religious Education : Passing on faith to the children

I was born in Senegal and was fortunate to be baptized into a believing and practicing Catholic family. I received a Christian education within my family and at the parish where I received the Sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation. My family lives in Parcelles Assainies (Dakar).

Attracted to the SFP Life Style
I participated in the parish Catholic action movement as a guide and was a member of the choir. While doing this, I had the grace to meet some Sisters who were very involved the work of the parish. This made me desire to be and to live like them. The life style of the Sisters really attracted me because they had left everything to be at the service of the people in need of being heard and helped. The Sisters made no distinction regarding religion.

My desire for something else in my life continued to grow over time. I also had my youthful dreams: to succeed and to be fulfilled, to live with my family, to remain with my friends and relatives. I felt the desire to be religious. However, at the same time I experienced the fear of leaving all. This was overwhelming and I was afraid to talk about it. One day, after hearing the gospel passage about the young rich man, I understood that Christ was calling me to be free from this fear and to share this desire to dedicate my life to him. I had the feeling that Christ was asking me to give a personal answer about what would give me fulfillment in my life. What should I do to inherit eternal life? Yes, I told myself that I needed to leave everything for Jesus Christ by consecrating myself to him through religious vows.

Courage to Take a Risk
Later I felt pulled between the choice of married life or religious life. My vocational journey was marked by these two possibilities before I found my answer to Jesus’ invitation.  After years with the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, a light lit up in my life. I felt that what was essential for me was to leap into the unknown while risking life for HIM, even though I didn't understand anything, but knowing that only HE is the true path.

This is how I mustered the courage to speak to a friend who knew the SFPs about my strong desire to dedicate my life to the Lord as a Sister. She suggested that I participate in a vocational camp in Koungheul, which I did.  This experience marked me deeply; I decided to make the Foyer (Youth Center) experience to better discern the authenticity of Christ's call. This moved me to dedicate myself to the Lord by embodying the charism of our Blessed Frances Schervier.

The Gospel Way of Life
This Franciscan charism is also marked by community life. In Senegalese culture, as a person grows she receives the necessary education for effective integration within her family and society. The charism of our religious family also integrates this community dimension where the Sister is trained to live well all the values that ground our religious identity as a Franciscan. I strongly feel this desire of belonging to my Franciscan family and to live the gospel in a community setting.

Senegal is also marked by a strong Moslem presence. I am called to go to others that do not share the same faith and to bear witness to a life-giving dialogue. Poverty and disparity are present in my culture. It is an opportunity for me, a Franciscan Sister of the Poor, to live the values of solidarity and service, but especially the value of universal love.

This is what I longed to share with you.