The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth has concluded the jubilee year marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation by Blessed Frances Siedliska. The finale of the celebrations, like the inauguration a year ago, took place in the heart of the Church, in Rome.
Nearly four hundred guests from many countries arrived in the Holy City, including Nazareth sisters, clergy, representatives of the Association of the Holy Family, and many lay people involved in the Nazareth mission. The Polish ambassador to the Holy See, Adam Kwiatkowski, was also present, emphasizing the lively connection between the Congregation and the country of its Foundress.
The Eucharist – the heart of the jubilee
The central point of the day was the Eucharist celebrated in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, concelebrated by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, and many priests associated with the Nazareth Sisters.
In his homily, Cardinal Ryś presented the jubilee as a call to awakening. He focused on the word kairos – the biblical “moment of grace” in which a decision is needed. Quoting St. Paul, he reminded us that the hour has come to wake up from sleep. The cardinal added: “Kairos is a moment that requires a decision. St. Augustine lived like a sleeping man until he heard one sentence: take and read. He opened the Scriptures and everything changed. What does it mean to choose the light? It means choosing the Person of Jesus Christ. Not an idea—a Person. A choice like marriage, only more important. Choose Him today. And Jesus says: choose also every brother and sister. Today.“
The homily harmoniously corresponds with the spirit of the Congregation. No closing of the jubilee, but a call for a new beginning. The Nazareth Sisters do not only look back; they declare their readiness to ”get up and read” for the next 150 years.
The voice of the Superior General
Sr. Angela Marie Mazzeo referred to Psalm 145, recalling that over the course of 150 years, “the Lord has indeed done great things.” However, she added an important perspective: “This is the beginning of a new stage – undertaken with the banner and the cross, in a spirit of trust and readiness to continue serving the Church.”
Film – The Beating Heart of Nazareth
After the Eucharist, the participants went to Palazzo Brancaccio for a jubilee meeting and the premiere of the documentary film “The Beating Heart of Nazareth.” Over the past year, the filmmakers accompanied the Nazareth Sisters, documenting their spirituality, daily life, and ministry on different continents. The film showed in a very moving way how the spirit of Blessed Frances Siedliska and the Martyrs of Nowogródek truly permeates the lives of the people the sisters meet in their missions. Viewers saw not only the apostolate, but also a hidden, ordinary presence. A style that originates in Nazareth and continues to the ends of the earth.
The next chapter is already beginning
Recent events have clearly shown that the Congregation is not closing its history. On the contrary, it is opening a new chapter. In conversations between the sisters, one sentence was repeated: “We are beginning the next 150 years.” The charism of Nazareth, based on simplicity, family spirit, and the Gospel, remains extremely important and alive today. It is relevant and necessary for the Church not only today but also in the future. “The Spirit leads us forward. Even if the path is revealed only step by step,” emphasized Sr. Angela Marie Mazzeo.
Let us pray for all the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and for vocations, so that the declarations about the next 150 years may become a reality.
Source: Vatican News
