JERUSALEM – On Saturday, August 28, 2021, forty Religious Women from various congregations gathered at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center and elected a new regional Committee of the U.S.R.T.S.[1] for Jerusalem and Palestine, in presence of Fr. Marco Riva, Ecclesiastic Adviser for the Union and Sr. Bruna Fasan, General President of the Union.

The new committee comprises three sisters; Sr. Greta Qazzi from the Congregation of the Rosary Sisters as President, Sr. Anna Maria Sgaramella from the Comboni Sisters as Secretary, and Sr. Elizabeth Choolparambil from the Franciscan Tertiary Daughters of St. Elisabeth who will serve as Treasurer. 

Before the voting process started, Sr. Bruna Fasan thanked the former regional Committee members for their work in “animating Religious Life in this difficult period and being close to those who were particularly in suffering”. She also invited everyone to welcome the new members after their elections, who will help “to develop fraternal contacts between our various Religious Institutes… in mutual collaboration and common search to live best  our religious consecration and Apostolic Mission[2]”. 

Sr. Claudia Linati, former secretary of the regional Committee of Jerusalem and Palestine, then presented the report of activities carried out since 2018. They included assemblies, prayer and plenary meetings which helped to share knowledge and friendship. The former secretary also pointed out the difficulties and challenges the Religious Men and Women faced, which included, among other things, finding convenient meeting times for all Communities as well as the outbreak of COVID-19. 

For the regional Committee of Jordan, three new sisters were elected; Sr. Sarah Ghneim from the Sisters of St. Joseph as President, Sr. Cecile Hijazin from the Rosary Sisters as Secretary, and Sr. Maysoon Rihani from the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts as Treasurer.

For Cyprus, only two sisters were elected for the regional Committee; Sr. Antonia Piripitsi as President and Sr. Roly Kaithakulath serving both as Secretary and Treasurer.

In Galilee, the regional Committee elections will be held in October.

By: Saher Kawas

Source: lpj.org