On January 1st the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. Mary embraces God’s will and freely accepts God’s grace, thus fulfilling an important role in God’s plan of salvation. Down through the centuries, the Blessed Virgin has helped many in the Church to come closer to Christ…
Message for our life: Our Mother Mary is pure and holy.  Like any mother, she desires that her children inherit or acquire her good qualities, thus she wants her children live a virtuous life. With Joseph, she succeeded in training the Child Jesus, so that He grew in holiness and in “favour before God and man.” The best way to honour our Heavenly Mother in this feast is to practise her qualities of Faith, obedience, purity, prayer and humble service. By doing so, we will strive to become saintly sons and daughters of our Heavenly Mother.
If we consider Mother Mary’s prayer life, in the Gospels we see her displaying a full range of prayerful attitudes: thanksgiving and praise (Magnificat), petition (Cana), humble surrender (Annunciation), painful acceptance of God’s will (Calvary), obedience (Presentation), concern for others (Visitation), learning in faith (Finding in the Temple), and offering (Calvary).
New year:  As the new year begins it is common for people to make resolutions, regarding their health, well-being and dreams, and many of us also make some spiritual resolutions…When we consider prayer, almost everybody will say “I do not pray well enough; I should be better in my life of prayer.” Surely most of us do not pray as we should. When someone asked Thomas Merton, the famous spiritual writer, what is the one thing that one can do to improve one’s prayer life, he said in reply “TAKE THE TIME”, it’s a very simple response; nothing is complicated. Find time to lift up our mind and heart to God.
Following the example of Mother Mary, this year we choose to keep God the centre of our life and experience God’s presence in and around us. Through prayer we take time to radiate the Light of God shining within and around us.
Always we begin again …
We all know and realize that life is not only about destination but also about the journey. In this year, we are not solely focused on the end goal, but rather on the journey itself. It is only by being happy and attentive in every moment that our motivation can stay high.
A poem from Brendan Kennelly describes how everything is constantly changing, in order that life may be renewed and continue:
…Every beginning is a promise
born in light and dying in dark…
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.
Happy New Year to all!
Annie Anthonipillai
Via dei Gracchi, Rome
 
 

In this joyful Christmas atmosphere the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, in a social context where our families have been weakened by various circumstances, longing for credible paradigms to follow.
In this Sunday’s Gospel from Luke 2, we are presented with an episode of family life and faith- commitment to God: Joseph and Mary go to the Temple of Jerusalem to present their Child, the  firstborn son, according to the law of Moses.
Our Good Father, Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, in his inspiration as Founder, saw fit to leave us the Holy Family of Nazareth as models of life. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph must be their models, in the virtues of the hidden life as in the works of the active life.”   (Cf. Spiritual Guide No.39 )
Today, the Members of the Holy Family are called to take very seriously the invitation: “Go to Nazareth and contemplate” in order to be permeated with its values, its virtues… so as to have the impulse to live our Charism of Communion, starting at home with those closest to us.
 May we live like the Holy Family, announcing and promoting it with passion so that other families may also feel attracted to live in the footsteps of J.M.J.!
Pope Francis also reminds us: “Having a place to go is called home. Having people to love is called family, and having both is called Blessing”.
To belong to the PBN Family is a blessing. May the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth renew our lives and our commitment.
Happy Feast!
Rubeni Pejerrey Campodónico
Peru – Latin America

In his days may justice flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more. (Ps 72,7).
These days of Christmas invite us once again to turn our gaze and contemplate the Family of Nazareth in Bethlehem, where God becomes man in a small village of Judea in a poor stable, among animals:  a birth that went unnoticed in that place, just some shepherds guarding sheep in the surrounding fields. Simple men discovered the event that would change the history of humanity.
Jesus comes to our world to open the doors to encounter God, to reconcile us with the Triune God and to invite us to work for his kingdom of peace and justice. But every day we are more and more surprised by the multitude of conflicts throughout our world, over territorial disputes, for ethnic, economic or any other reasons, which undoubtedly have an negative effect on the development of peoples and individuals. In recent months we have been shocked by the war that has taken place in the very land where Jesus was born, causing pain to thousands of families who are displaced, seeking to escape from the places of conflict, but condemned to misery, with hardly any resources with which to cover their basic needs and with an uncertain future.
Perhaps in our hyper-connected and over-informed world, the birth of Jesus continues to go unnoticed, as in Bethlehem. It is not news, just as dozens of wars continue to cause so much death and pain and we do not even know that they are happening right now. This ignorance helps us live the birth of Jesus superficially, with lights and celebrations, but without going deeper into what his birth means for each one of us and for our world, a Christmas that does not transform us, but continues to lull us to sleep.
But we have to wake up from this drowsiness, from this sleepiness that paralyses us, and we have to discover the true joy of the birth of Jesus, as did those shepherds of Bethlehem, who left everything to discover God in the tenderness of a child, in the simplicity of the family of Nazareth, a family that had said YES to God in the Annunciation to Mary and in Joseph’s dream, despite not knowing how all this was going to happen, but trusting in God. In prayerful contemplation of the child of Bethlehem, of that personal YES to God, let us continue to ask for our earth “that in his days justice may flourish and peace till the moon fails” and in our everyday relationships may we be generators and transmitters of the peace and harmony that Jesus brings to the heart of every human being, that we may always seek what unites us and always welcome difference as a richness to be respected in our brothers and sisters.
A blessed Christmas to all!
Luis Jesús García-Lomas – Spain
Member of the International Communications Team.

“Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace…
I bring good news of great joy to you and to all the people:
today a Saviour has been born to us” (Lk 2).
 
CHRISTMAS
A light in the night…
Good news at the crossroads of our history…
A hope offered…
to all Humanity!
 
Let us be among those who joyfully welcome this Promise and
by welcoming it, let us be builders of peace, justice and love.
Happiness will be ours in 2024 if we gift each other with peace, hope, care and solidarity,
human gestures that reveal the face of God-with-us, tenderly embracing all his creatures.
I wish each of you and your loved ones a Happy Christmas.
In 2024, may the common commitment to life, peace and reconciliation
renew the reasons for our hope and bear fruit on every continent.
 

The “new beginning” is part of the evolution of our Holy Family history, part of the evolutionary history of the universe where, as we know, every ending is at the same time a new beginning…(Post-Circular 321)
On 4th December 2023, the general house had the installation of the generalate community leader – Barbara SYGITOWICZ. The General Council and local community participated in this event.  All wished and prayed for her new ministry by invoking God’s blessings for the new journey.  Ana Maria Alcalde, the superior general, read the ordinance and report.
Thank you, Barbara, for saying” yes” to continuing the ministry in the Generalate. May the Holy Family accompany you always!
   

Today, October 27, 2023, is a day dedicated by Pope Francis to prayer, penance, and fasting for peace in the world, especially in countries at war. We’d like to take this opportunity to share with you what we’ve experienced over the past week, always in favour of peace, particularly in the Great Lakes region.
The three countries of the region (Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) form a common geographic space made up of populations interconnected by language, culture, trade, and family ties.
Here in Rome, in addition to the Synod of Bishops being held on synodality, the ad limina apostolorum visit of the bishops of the DRCongo took place from October 8 to 14, 2023. They made a pilgrimage to the tombs of two pillars of the Church: Saint Peter and Saint Paul; they visited other basilicas and met the Pope and the heads of the dicasteries and congregations.
On the same occasion, the bishops of ACEAC (Association of des Conférences Episcopales de l’Afrique Centrale) of Burundi, Rwanda, and the DR Congo met. ACEAC was set up in 1984 as a forum for these three local churches to reflect together on the violent conflicts that persist in the Great Lakes region and to find opportunities for a comprehensive pastoral approach with a view to lasting peace. Through prayer and various initiatives, the Church can contribute to the advent of peace and security in this region of Africa. This land is very rich but troubled by violence of all kinds.
At the end of this session on peace in Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on October 18, 2023, a mass for peace was organised in the Minor Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Christ the King in Rome. The Mass was presided over by Bishop José Moko, President of ACEAC and Vice-President of CENCO (Conférence Episcopale Nationale du Congo), National Episcopal Conference of Congo. He was flanked by a number of bishops from Burundi and Rwanda, as well as the General Secretary of CENCO, Mgr. Donatien Nshole. The mass was very prayerful, simple, and moving, especially at the end, with the procession of lit candles that all the participants (bishops, priests, religious men and women, lay people from the three countries, and a few Italians and people from other countries) placed on the cross of Jesus, the source of true peace.
Our bishops shared with us their resolutions and actions to be taken in the short and long term. They urged us to also take some responsibility for the peace around us and to pray for them.
We support them in their struggle and especially in their efforts to meet the presidents of these three countries.
Let us continue to pray for peace in the world and in this region of Africa.
May the Good Father, Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, whose birthday we celebrate today, intercede for peace in the world.
                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                    Georgine MUFOGOTO, Claudine GAYONGO and Marie-Pierre OTIBA

Who was Pierre Bienvenu?
This charismatic man came into the world at the height of the French Revolution, in 1793 in Bordeaux (France). The great social and economic difficulties also affected the Noailles household. As a child, he was very sensitive and intuitive, but his adolescence was difficult and he spent much time pursuing superficial amusements.
Then came a period of confusion and worry that led him to discover the faith. God entered his life and became the centre of his existence, leading him to a fascinating destination.
The first steps taken by  Pierre Bienvenu were directed towards forming a Society that was broad and open to men and women from all walks of life and with different vocations in the Church, to announce and build the great family of God’s children.
Ordained a priest, he began his mission in the Parish of Sainte-Eulalie, Bordeaux. His apostolic zeal, his love for the poor and his deep experience of God made him a true pastor.
The vast Association conceived at the Seminary,  which would have been impossible without divine support. had its beginnings in 1820. There began the long and painful process in which the small seed would become a shady tree. The branches: Religious, Secular, Lay and Priestly were strengthened and consolidated. In this way he became Founder of the Association of the Holy Family, to remind all its members that Jesus, Mary and Joseph were to be their models. 
For 40 years, Father Noailles occupied himself solely with the Holy Family. As Founder and spiritual father, he consolidated the work he had begun. His deep spirituality, wise leadership and solid principles were invaluable in maintaining the course of the Holy Family in an unstable and troubled society.
When he died in 1861, the Holy Family was not the only one to mourn his loss. A wave of sympathy, friendship and veneration swept through Bordeaux.
On 8 February 1988, the Church confirmed the sanctity of his life by declaring him Venerable, a first step towards Beatification.
Ref: UNE VIE  by Miguel Angel ALVAREZ
We, the heirs and instruments of his Charism, give thanks for the gift of his life.
Ana Maria Alcalde
Superior General

The Council of the Family was held in Martillac, France, the Holy Family’s “Holy Land”, from 21 to 27 August 2023. This meeting was  organized by the Permanent Committee with the theme “Our Charism: Breath of the Spirit in a Synodal Process”. The members had the joy of coming together and sharing their belonging to the Big Family of PBN.
The aim of this meeting was;
To evaluate how we have lived the commitments we made, and the impact of the decisions we made at the 2019 Family Council.
To deepen the Charism along the lines of synodality.
To decide on the commitments we will take on, as a Family, for the future.
            
        

The Continental Session of the Holy Family Temporary Professed of Africa is being held from August 10–20, 2023, at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The aim of the session is to train the Sisters to support the development of poor/vulnerable women in economic empowerment and the processing of local products in rural areas.
The participants are from Rwanda/Uganda, Lesotho, the Congo/Burkina Faso, and Cameroon/Chad. The Session opened on August 10 with the celebration of the Eucharist, where the participants had the joy of welcoming one another, and five Sisters renewed their vows.
Agnès Ongwisa, Delegate of the host country, in her own name and that of Sister Theresia Selete and the other Holy Family Leaders on the continent, then welcomed the participants to this historic meeting of African Temporary Professed Sisters. Giving thanks to God, she also thanked all those who had helped to make this session possible, particularly the PBN Foundation, which had financed the project.
The rest of the opening ceremony was marked by a series of welcoming gestures, including the waving of national flags, the lighting of candles by each participant, a poem about African women, and a play expressing the expectations of the session. The ceremony ended with the presentation of the participants by Unit, the good wishes of Sisters who sent messages to express their unity from afar, some practical arrangements for the rest of the session, and the final prayer…
       
     

After 46 years of missionary work in Africa, when I returned, I felt like a stranger in my own country. Today, at my age, I would still like to be useful where I can be of service. Talking with my Sisters in my community helped me find opportunities to be useful. Near our home is the “Vincentian Social Centre”, which has a charitable drop-in centre: a non-profit association of social service to  welcome people who are sick, in great distress, or homeless.  The homeless can shower, shave, have a coffee and even an all-you-can-eat breakfast, take away a parcel, and even  clothes. The most interesting thing is the “weaving” of relationships between them, the volunteers, and me. The volunteers accepted me and gave me the task of talking to the people who use the center. Sitting at the same table, chatting, and asking them for news is a welcome gesture of equality for these people whose dignity is wounded. For my part, I know something of their world, and I want to be an attentive and liberating listener, despite my limitations. Like Jesus, who was attracted by the little ones who were poor in heart, who had nothing to show, and who manifested himself to them. The bread to give in the streets around us.
Every time I see a poor person, it is a confrontation, and I feel indebted to them. We know that uneaten food ends up in the rubbish, often the poor empty the bins at night in search of food or anything else they need. The sisters in my community observed that there was food thrown away in the garbage of the restaurant in front of our house. We agreed with the owner of the restaurant to collect at the end of the day what was not sold (which was going to the garbage) so as to distribute it to the poor. In the evening, I collect the leftovers, and then the Sisters help me prepare carefully. The next day, I leave with the cart to look for friends in the streets of our neighborhood. It is a relationship of friendship that I try to have with these people. By asking the question, “Have you had breakfast?”, the dialogue continues, the friendship is strengthened, and I have the impression that I have gained a brother or sister.
One of them is Polish, sad because he slept under the colonnade of the Vatican in the cold and had his blankets stolen eight times. To come and beg, he dragged his briefcase with his few belongings; he walks with two crutches. He wanted a bed and a place to take a shower. I tried to help him, but without success. I thought it would be better to ask the Pope’s chaplain at the Vatican, and he replied kindly. I appreciate his availability, and within two minutes we were in front of this man, who explained his case in Polish because the monsignor is Polish. They agreed to transfer him near Tiburtina Station to a center where there is also medical care. We became great friends. He comes back to beg; he takes bread, says what he needs. There is nothing more beautiful in the world than making someone happy with small things.
On the first Tuesday of every month, I volunteer with the Sisters of St. Teresa of Calcutta in the Vatican, who house between 15 and 20 homeless women. I help prepare the meals. Afterwards, I meet the women and spend time talking to them. Sometimes the Ambassador offers meals that she has prepared beautifully. It is a pleasure to see this procession of women in elegant clothes serving their delicious meals with such refinement, and it is a feast for all. 
Sr.Franca Leone
Via dei Gracchi, Italy, Rome