On Sunday, June 14, 2020, which in various parts of the world also coincided with the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Sr. Veronika Kurniati (from the Parish of the Holy Spirit of Kebonarum, Klaten, Archdiocese of Semarang) and Sr. Maria Rosa Rosminta Sagala (from the Parish of São Dionísio Sumbul, Archdiocese of Medan, North Sumatra), both from Indonesia, celebrated their perpetual vows.
The event took place during the Eucharistic Celebration, at 10 am, at Saint Theresia Parish in Bongsari, Semarang, Indonesia and was a live broadcast on live streaming. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX3R3mHrM5U&t=744s). The theme: “Surrendering myself to God forever through consecration and serving God with joy”, is the synthesis of the vocational journey of the two Sisters.
The celebration began with the solemn song “The Call of the Lord”, and was presided over by Fr. Eduardus Didik Cahyono, SJ, parish priest of Bongsari-Semarang. According to current rules, to prevent the spread of the Covid -19 virus, the number of people had been limited. So there were many empty seats in the church. However, this situation brought blessings and granted significant experiences of faith. Sr. Maria Rosa's parents, relatives, friends, acquaintances and our Sisters were able to express their support by participating in the Eucharist “online”. All of this is certainly an exciting and unforgettable event in the vocational history of Sr. Kurnia and Sr. Maria Rosa.
In his homily, Fr. Didik once again emphasized that the meaning of the profession, the three vows, is the fruitful love in service of the poor, the weak, the marginalized and the disabled. The vows of poverty and chastity lead to redeeming deeds of love and the vow of obedience calls us to participate actively in the mission of God – “missio Dei”.
After the Eucharistic celebration, Mr. Amatus Suratno, father of Sr. Kurnia, representing the family, expressed his gratitude to the Congregation, especially for accepting the perpetual vows of Sr. Kurnia and Sr. Maria Rosa. He also thanked the Sisters who welcomed them as friends on the journey of Religious Life in following Jesus Christ. He said he believed that the process of surrender through perpetual vows is an expression of God's mercy. Continuing, he gave us a valuable message, specifically to the two Sisters, who had just made their vows, and quoted in Javanese words Bishop Soegiyopranato: “Walk with Jesus Christ, until the end”, which means, according to that what Jesus did, till the end of life.
In her final remarks, Sr. Klarista, Provincial Coordinator of the Province of Indonesia, stressed that we do not need to be afraid to face the world and its situation, because God always supports us. Perpetual vows, in this time of the pandemic, are a special celebration, they are not a “special Corona”, but the proof that God, who is very good and faithful, guided Sr. Maria Rosa and Sr. Kurnia on their vocational journey . Alluding to the theme of the two Sisters’ perpetual vows - “To serve God with joy”, Sr. Klarista said: surrendering is not useless, but it is faith in God, who is providence in our lives. The secret of maintaining enthusiasm and fidelity is faith in Gods Providence.
The Sisters of Divine Providence need to discover and recognize the signs of Divine Providence, by maintaining a relationship with God that is the key to the happiness of the vocation, and which is a challenge in the midst of the turmoil of the world and in the mission.
The spiritual fruits of the perpetual vows of Sr. Kurnia and Sr. Maria Rosa will be felt in our mission. Sr. Kurnia was sent to become an accountant and economist of Wisma Griya Paseban. Thus she will contribute to the Province's Economat. Sr. Maria Rosa was sent to continue her work in the area of Health, as coordinator of the Clinic Pratama Pancasila, in Temanggung.
Congratulations, Sr. Kurnia and Sr. Maria Rosa, for answering and celebrating your “YES”!
(Article written by Sr. Luisa Anin; this was published at:
https://www.sesawi.net/kaul-kekal-dua-suster-pi-di-masa-pandemi-covid-19/ )