Treasures
from the Archives
Our Lady of the Cenacle
Treasures
from the Archives
Our Lady of the Cenacle
Treasures
from the Archives
Our Lady of the Cenacle
Treasures
from the Archives
Our Lady of the Cenacle
Born in a small mountain village in France, the Cenacle is now present on all five continents. Its expansion owes much to the requests it received. It was up to the superior to discern how to respond to the call before sending a small group of founding sisters on the adventure: the adventure of travel and the adventure of settling into a new home and sometimes in a new country. The sisters experienced this call to mission in abandonment and trust, placing the future of their work under the protection of the saints.
The calls to the Cenacle come mainly from bishops who have seen the Congregation at work or have heard about it and who wish to offer the fruitful apostolate of the Sisters to their dioceses. It is the responsibility of the superiors to discern how to respond to these calls based on extensive consultation with the sisters : the entire Congregation is involved in this adventure.
The name of the Cenacle refers to the ‘upper room’ where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper and where the apostles, around Mary, experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Why not establish the Congregation in Jerusalem, at the heart of the place that gives it its name? Attempts continued for decades.
Over the years the sisters have used very different means of transportation, depending on the times, the place, and the distances to be traveled. But on every journey, they had to follow a certain number of rules: from the travel attire designed for discretion to the prayers marking their departure, everything was geared toward surrendering to Providence.
When establishing itself in a new city or country, the Cenacle looks for a house with a dual purpose: to house the community and to host retreats. Unless they are fortunate enough to find a benefactor who offers a suitable building from the very beginning, the founders usually have to rent a temporary location. Purchasing, or then possibly building, are only considered at a later stage.
The foundation of a new house is also accompanied by acts of faith, ranging from burying sacred objects in the foundations to choosing a patron saint for the community.