The ninth general chapter of the congregation of the Poor Sisters of Our Lady was held on 11th May 2008. During this time the Chapter delegates prayed and reflected on various topics and one of it was the incorporation of laypersons in our congregation, since our founder too had lay persons working with him. The Chapter members approved of introducing lay collaborators in the Congregation.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PSOL COMPANION

I have been a Companion of the Poor Sisters of Our Lady for 3 years now and would like to share what exactly that means to me. Initially I thought it would entail spending a lot more time in structured prayer the way ‘Nuns’ do in my perception, and while I joined of my own volition, I always thought to myself – I’ll attend if I have time, it’s not going to be a compulsion, I’m not going to feel bad if I miss out on some meetings / prayer sessions. Gradually I realised that there was no compulsion to stay or pray. I was attending meetings and events because I wanted to. I have realised and appreciate the value of the realisation that prayer is praising God and centering one’s life around God and this makes it easier to manage day to day living. Starting one’s day, one’s work, one’s rest, a meeting….anything, with a prayer offering; constantly acknowledging God in everything; evaluating one’s actions at the end of the day everyday with the aim of improvement – this is what amounts to making Jesus / God the fulcrum of one’s life.

Mother Teresa took a keen interest to seek permission from the Archbishop of Mumbai to introduce this Lay Associates to the Congregation, as a result Sr.Norma Fernandes was given the charge of animating this group under the direction of Mother Teresa Pinto and her councilors. But God knows what’s best for our life in our journey with Him. Sr. Norma took ill for some time and could not continue with the proceedings. But God has a plan for our life unless and until we finish the race he holds onto us. It was a Miracle Sr. Norma recovered from her illness to continue his work that was entrusted to her. Therefore she together with the help of some of the parishioners from Chakala parish motivated individuals to join as Lay associates from different parishes in the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of Our Lady. A report on the past 3 years of commitment of the Lay Companions can accessed by click on the link below.

Lay Companions – 3 year report